Campaign '08

Overviews and updates

In this week’s edition of The Space Review, I provide an overview of some of the space policy developments of the last week, including the McCain and Obama documents and the Garver-Cunningham debate. If you’ve been reading the posts here, there will not be much in the way of new information (other than some additional items from the debate and documents), but put together in an overarching theme that we’re learning more about the major candidates’ stances on space policy in this election than in any election in recent history.

There are also some developments that missed the article (even as I updated it late last night), notably, that Barack Obama endorsed a $2-billion increase in NASA’s budget that some in Congress have sought in the last couple of years. That additional money, according to one report, will come from “clawing back pork barrel earmarks” elsewhere in the budget, according to Sen. Bill Nelson, who endorsed the policy Sunday along with former Sen. John Glenn. (Interestingly, John McCain has expressed his opposition to “wasteful earmarks” in his own space policy.)

7 comments to Overviews and updates

  • Dennis Wingo

    This is of course after he wanted a 5 year multibillion dollar cut to NASA to fund education.

    Which is the real thing?

  • SpaceMan

    I`ll believe they are serious when they ban ALL earmarks.

    And if you believe that what ANY candidate says during a campaign has ANY relationship to what they are actually going to do if elected you are TOTALLY clueless.

  • Doug Lassiter

    You know, someone’s understanding can grow. I’ll grant them that. The tree was five feet tall last year, and now it is ten. Which is the real thing? Not the smartest business plan to swear that it’s still a five foot tree even though it looks like ten.

    Look, flip flopping is what a fish does. The similarity of fish to politicians is not flip flopping, but slipperiness. True that nothing can be trusted during a campaign, except that Obama is now saying something one would think he didn’t really have to say. But maybe he thinks he really did have to say it which, whether he comes through on it or not, is actually a pretty good sign.

    We’ll see what McCain comes up with but, so far, it’s Obama who’s looking more specific.

    As to Obama getting his arm twisted by Lori Garver, well, more power to Lori.
    Who’s twisting McCain’s arm?

  • RayGun

    He was for the 5 billion dollar cut before he was for the 2 billion dollar increase.

  • Habitat Hermit

    Sorry but I can’t contain my mirth, dark as it might be. No offense intended (people are more than political opinions).

    Obama’s platform (space or otherwise) is starting to look like a labyrinth of crossword puzzles and other assorted word games. The first prize is a closet of skeletons (and a slippery flip-flopping fish replacing what’s supposed to be a monkey?).

    Good grief… next up might be a vote for Amoeba’2012 ^_^

  • Rand Bot

    Good Grief

    Good grief! I got same memo that you got. I got mine from Rand.

  • Bill White

    Q: How do we “lock in” Obama’s space policy?

    A: Get as many Congress-folk to endorse that policy NOW as we possibly can.

    For example Bill Nelson should arm twist Mel Martinez (R-FL) to stand side by side John McCain on a stage and commit to another $2 billion for NASA.

    Better yet, get Obama & McCain & Nelson & Martinez all on the same stage (with video cameras) expressing support for another $2 billion for NASA’s annual budget.

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