Comments on: DeLay, leaving without delay

By: David Portree

David Portree — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 05:09:35 +0000

The NASA folks I know who were terrified that Clinton would kill the space station and turn off their jobs think DeLay’s running away is a terrible thing.

The NASA folks I know who seem a bit more grounded in reality don’t think it will make any difference.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 05:45:05 +0000

Well, one has to imagine that after DeLay lost his Majority Leader seat, his influence and “hammer-ness” took a pretty substantial hit, so the resigning was just the icing on the cake.

If you take his claim that he thought he was going to lose at face value, that’d reduce his influence even more, as his ability to pay back favors or lack thereof was sharply limited.

By: Al Fansome

Al Fansome — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 01:04:08 +0000

Delay’s biggest strategic accomplishment *for NASA* came last year, when he drove through the re-organization of the appropriation’s subcommittees on Congress. NASA no longer is competing against HUD and Veterans.

NASA is now competing against Commerce, Justice, State, NSF and a bunch of small related agencies. So far, because these are all agencies that have the support of the Republican Congress, this Appropriations subcommittee has been well funded.

Delay’s departure will be felt for years to come in the NASA budget, but he solved part of the problem for money by the re-organization.

Also, for those of you who are commercial space advocates — Delay’s departure is a BAD thing. Delay, behind the scenes, was a quiet but significant force in support of commercial space initiatives.

1) Delay helped get the recent commercial space legislation, which expanded the authority for the FAA regulate the suborbital launch industry (and limited the liability of the industry, released to the floor of the House of Representatives so that it could be voted on. The legislation was jointly referred, to the Science Committee (where Rohrabacher was the lead) and to the Transportation Committee. Well the Transportation Committee was unhappy with the limited liability language. The Democrats on the committee pitched a fit (some of you will recall the statements made during the debate), but what is not well known is that the Transportation Committee Republicans were not that happy either. The bill was in danger of being killed by being bottled up in the Transportation Committee (this is how most bills die). It was Delay who “hammered” the Committee chair, and told him to get it out of committee.

NOTE: A “hammer” is a tool. A tool can be used for good or bad.

Sometimes a “hammer” is a very good thing.

2) Delay has been a private advocate of more NASA commercial-style acquisition. For example, at this week’s hearing, he did ask a question about COTS to Griffin.

Remember, last Spring, Delay released a press statement (or made a statement) about Griffin after Griffin’s announcement. It was clear from the post-meeting report that a significant part of their conversation was about what NASA could do to help commercial space.

What a lot of people forget is that Delay was a small businessman. He cared about the entrepreneurs.

Se la vi.

Commercial space loses one of its few real champions on the Hill.

– Al

By: The Management

The Management — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 18:24:02 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

If you can focus your comments on the effect Mr. DeLay’s resignation will have on space policy, it would be greatly appreciated.

By: Cecil Trotter

Cecil Trotter — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:45:15 +0000

“riddens : 51,100 hits.”

LOL

Spelling via Google hits, how simpleton can you get?

But just for comparisons:

riddance: 4,910,000 hits

Oh, and “Mexican” isn’t a language. Mexicans speak Spanish.

By: Thomas Lee Elifritz

Thomas Lee Elifritz — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:06:00 +0000

“Lord, way too many people vote already!”

Right, no non-Christians allowed. This is America, we don’t need democracy here, religious fascism is working for US just fine.

riddens : 51,100 hits.

Yes, let’s us enforce english too. None of that mexican crap around here. This is America! We was all born here, all our grandaddy’s was born here too.

By: Cecil Trotter

Cecil Trotter — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:54:56 +0000

“Good riddens, asshole.”

That would be good “riddance”, asshole. Here’s looking to the day we can all say that to you Tommy Lee.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 03:35:16 +0000

Lord, way too many people vote already! Don’t make it easier… make it harder! A poll tax of about $20 would be a wonderful way to improve the quality of our elected officials…

(Or, better yet, adopt Heinlein’s suggestion… you walk into the voting booth and have to solve a quadratic equation. Nothing complicated, integer coefficients. If you get it right within a time limit, the voting machine becomes active. If not, you go home.)

By: Thomas Lee Elifritz

Thomas Lee Elifritz — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 02:32:16 +0000

Just making voting day in November a national holiday would be a step in the right direction.

They can’t even get that one simple little thing done. What are they afraid of, that everyone might vote?

By: Mike Mathiesen

Mike Mathiesen — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 01:15:31 +0000

Tom Delay said Today on CNN that the Democrats have
“no ideas, no policies, no issues to bring to the American people.”

Well, here’s one Democrat with a new idea. Why not allow the American people to vote on the Internet, not just for power hungry, money grabbers like Tom Delay, but for actual solutions to problems facing us today in National Referenda. It’s done in dozens of other democratic nations around the world, but not in America, the so-called leader in Democracy. President Bush says that it is his mission to extend democracy around the world. Why not extend it a bit here at home? http://www.votingontheinternet.com could use a little of your support.