It’s hard to think of any sitting (or past, for that matter) member of Congress who has done more for commercial space efforts than Dana Rohrabacher. He’s been representing his southern California district for many years, so I was a little surprised to hear that he’s in a potentially tough reelection battle. But his opponent is currently out-fund-raising him, and it’s going to be a generally tough year for Republicans, even those whose seats had previously been secure. So for those of you who want to keep him in Washington for his space efforts (or for other reasons), a fund has been set up to help make that happen.
Category Archives: Political Commentary
The Latest On The Space Debate
Jeff Foust has a report on the debate in Boulder between Lori Garver and Walt Cunningham. As I note in comments, if Senator Obama is now interested in prizes, that would be a change of position from when he criticized Senator McCain’s proposal for an automotive prize.
A New Home For The Sixth Fleet?
In Sevastopol? And I don’t mean the similar-sounding one in California.
We do need to recognize that we’re in a new Cold War with Russia, though many of the former “Republics” in the Soviet Union will now be (in fact have been) on our side, which will make it more manageable, but also more dangerous, with more trip wires.
Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
When I read this piece by Walter Shapiro, I had much the same reaction as John Weidner did:
You were besotted with Edwards because he was (or was pretending to be) a liberal Democrat. And Edwards almost certainly paid flattering attention to the guy who was writing a book about his campaign. You dolt, Edwards and his wife almost certainly coldly planned how to woo you, and knew what your weaknesses are. That’s what trial lawyers do with a jury. They study every scrap of information available on each juryman, and, like chameleons, tailor the message, and paint their very selves, to fit them. (I know about this stuff; my dear wife’s on the other side, the good side, fighting scoundrels like Edwards every day.)
Everybody who retained any objectivity could see that he was a phony, and were not surprised by this. When a guy talks populism and green-ism while building the biggest mansion in the county, there’s a 99% chance that he’s a sham. When a guy spends minutes in front of a mirror fluffing his hairdo, there’s a 99% chance that he will not resist the sexual temptations available to a celebrity.
These media love affairs with (liberal) politicians constitute journalistic malpractice. They gave us the corrupt Bill Clinton, from whom, had any of them had done their job and looked into Arkansas history back in 1992, the nation could have been spared. Glenn Reynolds has asked, after the obvious biased non-reporting in the John Edwards case, what else are they deliberately hiding from us? And at least Walter Shapiro, if not the rest of the swooners, should now be asking himself, “by what other politicians am I letting myself be fooled and beguiled?” For instance, how about the inexperienced phony about to be nominated in Denver that is this season’s “it” girl for the media?
Politics, Not Geology
Why the oil “shortage” is made in Washington.
I’ll Bet They Are
You’re Not The Only One, Glenn
I’m not paying any attention to the Olympics, either. I haven’t seen a single competition, and didn’t watch the opening ceremonies. I don’t think I’ve watched any channel showing it for more than a few seconds.
It’s not political–I’m just thoroughly uninterested. I also think that it’s highly overrated as a kumbaya enhancer, and I’m more interested in people for their intellectual prowess than physical abilities. I was amused a few years ago when one of my trolls (this one from Norway, but not HH) “warned” me that if the US didn’t behave better internationally, we might not be selected for future Olympics. I told him that wasn’t a bug–it was a feature.
A Foreign Policy Failure
A former Clinton official critiques the US’ (and EU’s) mismanaging of Georgia.
I’ve been pretty unimpressed by the Bush state department (one of the reasons that I’ve been pretty unimpressed by the Bush administration in general). It’s not clear whether that’s because both Powell and Rice were captured by the bureaucracy and “went native” or because they were squishy by nature, but either way, it’s unimpressive. One of the legacies of this administration will probably be its complete inability to win the guerilla wars in the bureaucratic trenches.
Of course, it didn’t help that the president imagined that he saw Putin’s “soul” through his eyes. We now have a much better idea of the nature of his soul through his subsequent actions than George Bush got from his ocular examination.
Momentous Political News
Chuck Hagel won’t endorse.
The post title was intended to be ironic, in case anyone had trouble guessing.
Is there anyone who cares what that pompous unprincipled idiot thinks about anything? If so, I sure hope that they don’t vote.
[Update mid morning]
Exposing the myth of “Republicans for Obama.”
Obama may count prominent GOPers like Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, presidential granddaughter Susan Eisenhower, Fairbanks, Alaska Mayor Jim Whitaker, former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chaffee and former White House intelligence adviser Rita E. Hauser–all of them namechecked on today’s call–among his announced (or likely) endorsers. But are there enough rank-and-file Republicans whispering their support at Obama rallies to actually make a difference on Election Day?
The answer, as noted in the article, is “no.” And Democrats who believe this fantasy are fooling themselves, and setting themselves up for a huge disappointment in November. I hope that the taxpayer doesn’t get stuck with the massive group therapy bill.
[Update late morning]
Hey, I told you that Chafee is a moron:
Former Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, who left the GOP last year and later endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president, has signed on with Republicans for Obama, saying that the Illinois senator embodies “my kind of traditional conservatism.”
Right.
On-The-Job Training
If you want to know why Constellation is such a godawful mess, here’s one reason:
NASA JSC Center Director’s Systems Engineering Forum Planned Aug. 21
There actually are people out in private industry (like me) who do this stuff for a living, or at least would, if NASA would give them a contract. But instead of putting out a SETA or some other support contract for systems engineering, as Steidle had planned to do, Dr. Griffin simply decided that NASA would do it. This is where it’s gotten him. Had he hired a good SE contractor (and listened) the program would likely not be in the kind of trouble it is, either technically or politically. Of course, it would probably look much different, because a proper systems-engineering approach would never have resulted in the Shaft. That was the danger inherent in putting a rocket scientist in charge of the agency. He thought he was smarter than everyone else.