Happy Times!!!! :-))) (This is not quite the extent of my enthusiasm, but I am at a loss presently to know how better I might express my joy-joy feelings :-)
Brent keithbjohn...@comcast.net writes: >Interesting. I can't say I know anything about Bolden, but Obama may >replace the current administrator simply because of the tensions between >him and the transition team. There's a feeling that he has a "hands off >'cause you don't understand this" attitude. > >A bit off the topic of this article is something that struck me from it: > >"In 2002, President George W. Bush nominated Bolden to serve as NASA's >deputy administrator. However, the nomination was withdrawn after the >Pentagon objected to civilian agencies drafting high-ranking officers >during wartime." > >So the Pentagon was calling the shots on that, eh? Is it just me--am I >the only one who was taught in school that only "Congress shall declare >war"? To my knowledge we haven't been in an official "war" since WWII. >Iraq is a military action (or regime change, or power grab, or invasion >if you prefer) and Afghanistan is--well, it's a mess. I try never to give >either conflict the validation of the term "war", because that imparts a >air of necessity and agreement to them that just simply isn't there. This >nebulous definition of "war" has been used too many times by too many >people to justify all sorts of actions that ordinarily wouldn't have been >tolerated by the civilian populace. Its usage to something as undefined >and unbounded as "The war on terrorism" allows those actions to go on ad >infinitum, no end in sight, no end to draconian measures taken by our >leaders because, after all, we're at war. > >Man do things need to change in this country... > >************************************************** > >[ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6197621.html >]http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6197621.html > >Ex-astronaut may be Obama's pick to lead NASA >He would be the first black to be named administrator >By MARK CARREAU >Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle > >A former astronaut who has made four trips into space is reportedly a >leading candidate for the top job at NASA. If selected by President-elect >Barack Obama, Charles Bolden Jr., 62, a retired Marine Corps general who >makes his home in Houston's Bay Area, would be the first black American >to head the space agency. >The former test pilot left NASA in 1994 after 14 years of service to >return to the Marine Corps, where he rose to the rank of major general. >He retired in 2003. > >But Bolden has remained familiar with NASA's workings and personnel. He >serves on NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, one of nine experts who >advises the administrator. He is also an adviser to the four high-ranking >NASA officials who are overseeing the upcoming space shuttle >reconditioning flight to the 18-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. Bolden >piloted the shuttle Discovery in 1990 that flew the observatory into >space. > >Bolden said Tuesday night that while he has discussed the space agency >and its future with friends at NASA, he has not been contacted by Obama's >transition team. > >"I'm as surprised as anyone," he said about the reports circulating in >Washington and at the Johnson Space Center about his name surfacing as a >leading candidate. > >NBC News and the Orlando Sentinel published the reports Tuesday afternoon. > >Asked if he would discuss the job if contacted, Bolden said, "Yes," >adding, "You never say never." > >Bolden stressed that it would be difficult for any candidate for the job >to know how to respond until he or she knew what the president-elect has >in mind. > >In Washington, a spokesman for the Obama transition team declined to >comment on the reports that Bolden had emerged as a leading contender for >NASA administrator. During his campaign, Obama advocated greater funding >for the $17.3-billion-a-year space agency. He favored a plan to close a >five-year gap between the shuttle's scheduled 2010 retirement and the >first manned trials of a replacement spacecraft. > >Some policy analysis believe Obama has not yet made a selection for the >top NASA post in order to allow the small space transition team led by >Lori Garver, a former NASA associate administrator in the Clinton >administration, plenty of time to sort out the options. > >Other names in the mix >On Bolden's first mission into space in 1986, he served as the pilot >aboard the shuttle Columbia. The crew included Bill Nelson, then a >Florida congressman, who was allowed to fly because of his role as a >legislative overseer of the space agency. Nelson, now a Florida senator >and champion of NASA and its economic impact on Central Florida, has >counseled Obama on space matters. > >In 2002, President George W. Bush nominated Bolden to serve as NASA's >deputy administrator. However, the nomination was withdrawn after the >Pentagon objected to civilian agencies drafting high-ranking officers >during wartime. > >Meanwhile, a Web petition drive started in December by former NASA >astronaut Scott "Doc" Horowitz to persuade Obama to keep current >administrator Michael Griffin has gathered more than 2,700 responses. >It's also sparked some opposition after it became known that Griffin's >wife, Rebecca, had urged friends in e-mail messages to sign the petition. > >Others who have been mentioned for the NASA post include Garver; Sally >Ride, American's first female astronaut; Scott Hubbard, a Stanford >University professor and a former director of NASA's Ames Research >Center; Pete Worden, Ames' current director; Ed Weiler, NASA's science >chief; and Alan Stern, the agency's previous science chief. > >Chronicle reporter Stewart Powell in Washington contributed. > >[ mailto:mark.carreau%40chron.com ]mark.carr...@chron.com
