Post-election roundup

A few recent articles of note about space policy and last week’s election:

A Huntsville Times article Sunday argues that the Vision for Space Exploration will move ahead with President Bush’s reelection, with one local person, NASA Advisory Committee member Mark McDaniel, saying “People throughout NASA have been waiting on this election to start work.” […]

Election aftermath

With the 2004 election now behind us (sooner than I had imagined—or feared), Florida Today examined what Bush’s reelection and the Republicans’ hold on Congress meant for space policy. According to those interviewed, the election gives NASA an opportunity to solidify the Vision for Space Exploration through CEV development, an initial lunar robotic mission, and […]

One voter who didn’t have to stand in line

The AP reported that, as planned, ISS astronaut Leroy Chiao voted electronically from orbit. Chiao didn’t reveal who he voted for, but that he thought about it “long and hard” over the weekend, taking into account more than space policy in his decision. Chiao actually transmitted his vote Sunday night, Halloween: “maybe that’s kind of […]

Summarizing space policy issues

If you’re one of those rare people for whom space policy is a deciding issue in this election, and you haven’t made your mind up for whom to vote today (yes, I realize I’ve probably reduced the size of the audience to zero, but just play along), you could do worse that to read Rand […]

Kerry mentions space in Orlando

A reader emailed today and noted that C-SPAN carried a replay over the weekend of a Kerry campaign appearance Friday in Orlando. In that speech Kerry did mention space policy, claiming that he would “push the boundaries of the solar system” and “wouldn’t leave the money behind either.” Kerry’s campaign web site has a copy […]

Senator Barb and Hubble

Watching football Sunday afternoon, I was startled to see a political commercial mention the Hubble Space Telescope. I wasn’t surprised, though, to see that the ad was for Barbara Mikulski, who is running for reelection to the Senate here in Maryland. Mikulski “fought to save the Hubble telescope”, the ad claimed, and also mentioned that […]

Election eve articles in TSR

This week’s edition of The Space Review has three articles that touch upon space policy and the Presidential election:

Sam Dinkin looks at Kerry’s space policy and find that it “really says more about his domestic, Iraq, and terrorism policies than indicates much about what will happen for space in a Kerry presidency.” Greg Zsidisin […]

A confusing space policy editorial

The Washington Times, the smaller—and more conservative—of DC’s two major daily newspapers, published an editorial describing the differences between the Bush and Kerry space policies. The Times should be praised for taking the time, in the final Sunday newspaper before the general election, to discuss space policy. However, their editorial is a little confusing.

The […]

Weldon and Feeney rebut Glenn

In a column in Friday’s issue of Florida Today, Congressmen Dave Weldon (R-FL) and Tom Feeney (R-FL), who represent the Space Coast, respond to John Glenn’s column of a day earlier on Kerry’s space policy. The response is pretty predictable, although I think they could do better than this line in response to Glenn’s statements […]

Florida Today on Bush vs. Kerry

Florida Today has an article Friday about the space policy positions of Bush and Kerry. Not much new here, although Lori Garver does explain those claims that a Kerry administration would sharply reduce the number of shuttle flights:

Garver said Bush backers are stretching something she said in a Washington debate with Sietzen far out […]