There’s nothing centrist about that. Fiscal reality is just a slogan for raising taxes.

I think you know how much I respect you. Have you read James Q. Wilson’s Divided We Stand in Wednesday’s Opinion Journal? I agree wholeheartedly with what Wilson is saying. I also think the phenomenon he describes carries over into things beyond national defense.

You know that, over here in Maryland, I’ve gotten involved in Democratic Party politics. Believe it or not, Hoyer does rank as a centrist given what I’m seeing. He is arguing for fiscal reality. He does things to help the private sector. In his reelection campaign in 2004, he even mentioned his support of nuclear power on his web site. Even a few conservatives claim he’s different from some of his Democratic colleagues such as Nancy Pelosi.

Scary, isn’t it?

Next week I might have the opportunity to bring this thread on Making Light to some local Democrats’ attention. I’ll let you how it goes.

There are days I wish I’d moved to Snow Country and become one of those photographers prowling the slopes photographing people on vacation rather than coming to DC to work at Goddard.

However, the broader point is right on. Entitlements are going to eat discretionary spending, including NASA. We better break out into LEO commercially and to the Moon in partnership with NASA now, while we can afford it.

And Steny, along with Sen. Mikulski, should be happy with the budget, since it doesn’t hurt Goddard (or JHU/APL) too much.

— Donald

Hoyer is one of the good guys. He’s a centrist, albeit with liberal leanings. He does have a probusiness and protechnology orientation.

It’s good to lobby Congress as many of us have done. I suspect it might also be worthwhile to help build a “realist” coalition that actually works to solve problems rather than make political points.