In an editorial today, Florida Today asks the Obama Administration to name a new NASA administrator as soon as possible. How soon? “We urge him to make the announcement this week because there’s no more time to waste.” The paper appears concerned that, without an administrator, “it’s hurting the agency’s ability to gain a fair share of federal money” in “long-range budget negotiations” between the White House and Congress. It’s not clear what negotiations the paper is referring to, or how having an administrator would change that.
Another thing that the editorial doesn’t address is whether the lack of a NASA administrator nominee is entirely the administration’s fault, given the Orlando Sentinel report Friday claiming that Sen. Bill Nelson had blocked a potential nominee. The editorial instead simply lists the four men commonly considered on the shortlist for the position, including Steve Isakowitz, the one reportedly blocked by Nelson. It would be ironic if the paper’s concerns about the lack of agency leadership, and its potential effects for the region’s economy given the impending shuttle retirement, had its root cause much closer to home.
It could be the vetting process that’s holding things up.
WH tightens vetting of nominees, taxes
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19003.html
By historic standards Obama is doing fine on this process. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrator_of_NASA for appointment dates for prior Nasa Admins.
Really though, given all the problems Obama inherited plus the problems he’s creating all by himself, properly the Nasa appointment is low on the to do list.