I disagree with most of your assessment here, but you are mostly right that campaign rhetoric is often a poor guide to what a president will actually do relating to space. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t given it that much attention on my blog.

But Jeff is probably right in that it’s certainly a campaign issue anywhere NASA has a center or a major contractor. In close electoral states (like Florida), it can make a difference.

Not comfortable with the truth eah ?

Mr. Griffin`s prime responsibility is not to inspire but to administer the agency he heads according to the guidance he is handed as he has stated in public several times.

I certainly understand why he gets so much flack from certain sectors since there are so many people out there that can`t handle reality. He is a very refreshing change from previous recent administrators IMO & I hope he sticks around after the change in the White House.

Oh, and note there is almost NO relationship between what a politician says in a campaign and what they actually accomplish once elected.

Relax and enjoy the ride.

“Well, Herman’s Hermit…..”

Hah! D. Messier and Keith Cowing have something in common there, watch out so he doesn’t sue you for plagiarism ^_^

You want to explain why Bush initially appointed good old Karl to oversee the New Orleans reconstruction when he had no expertise in the matter? Any idea?

Well, Herman’s Hermit…..I remember reading it on some agency watchdog blog that the plan went past Rove last. That he had to sign off on it before anything got released. I can’t recall if it was before VSE was announced or after that when they announced the specific architecture. (Can anyone help out here?) Might have been the latter because Rove was later given authority over domestic policy, if I recall. That may explain it.

I really like your group’s music, BTW. That whole “I’m Into Something Good” montage in “The Naked Gun”….hilarious….

Do you have some kind of substantiation on the “Karl Rove Approved this Space Exploration Vision” thing D. Messier? Would be awesome if true ^_^

As opposed to Bill Clinton? That must explain why Bush’s approval rating is so high (not).

This is hilarious.

Griffin does indirectly point to one problem (which Scotty McArnold points to in his memoir): candidates are all about getting elected. Sadly, Bush never refocused on actually running the government, instead staying in permanent campaign mode. Which goes a long way to explaining VSE (unveiled at the very start of 2004 and capitalizing on the recent landings of Spirit and Opporutnity). And why it is so fraked up. Didn’t I read somewhere that Karl Rove was the one who had the final look at the plan before it was unveiled?