Setting aside the recent Texas Governor race results and the resulting calls for her resignation from the Senate, looks like Senator Hutchison is working on legislation that might save the space program for now. Despite the calls from some for Hutchison’s resignation, this is the sort of work long serving inside the beltway politicians are good at, well if you think spending money on a space program is a good thing.
NASASpaceflight.com has an article up: Lawmakers produce Bill to extend shuttle to 2015, utilize CxP, advance HLV.
Senator Kay Hutchison – in conjunction with Representatives Suzanne Kosmas and Bill Posey – has produced a 37 page Bill that proposes major refinements to NASA’s FY2011 proposal, and NASA’s forward plan. The Bill is centered around a shuttle extension to 2015, in support of fully utilizing the International Space Station (ISS), along with saving elements of Constellation – such as Orion and a Heavy Lift Launcher (HLV).
As some small way to buy a bit of breathing room for a new team to make the case for continued development of a man rated launch system, this is a pretty good move. Consider that ex NASA Administrator Mike Griffin did no favors for the manned space program during the transition to the Obama administration with his approach to the transition team; “NASA administrator Mike Griffin is not cooperating with President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, is obstructing its efforts to get information and has told its leader that she is “not qualified” to judge his rocket program, the Orlando Sentinel has learned ” I couldn’t figure out what Griffin was up to with his actions during the transition, outside the usual hubris of a brilliant engineering type that forgets sometimes that they really aren’t in charge, but that’s besides the point, Griffin was never as good as Dan Goldin of “Kill the NASA meat ball” fame in my view.
Back to the political world, so what happens if Hutchison takes the advice of some and resigns her seat, would a new Texas Senator be able to carry the water on this sort of thing, or is this initiative just a ploy to keep the political wolves at bay?
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Takes the advice of "some", the woman gave her WORD....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 12:30PM EST (link)that she was stepping aside NO MATTER WHAT! Other potential Senate candidates have gathered money and spent some of THEIR valuable time getting in a position to run. She IS the problem as a MAJORITY of Americans see it and that is our politicians LIE so frequently that they truly wouldn’t recognize the TRUTH if it came up and introduced itself!
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Glad to see this endorsement
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 12:55PM EST (link)Jaded
Won’t expect less from you; there are no trees, only a forest, that needs to be burned down. Nothing on point about the space policy, nothing about extending manned flight, just your same old same old screeds that are your specialty.
I somehow doubt that people who’s jobs are on the line at KSC, JSC, or any other place where the space industry exists else would agree that the most important thing is that KBH honor her pledge to leave the Senate if she lost the Governor’s race, but hey they’re probably not as smart as you.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
If she does the job of the states interest by keeping jobs at JSC
Richard Mullins (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 1:19PM EST (link)then there is a reason to keep her in the Senate. One of the biggest reasons for her not being Governor is that her accomplishments are Federal in Nature. Keeping jobs at JSC is federal not State. At times, I wish she would keep her word but in reality, if supports the State’s interest in the Senate, then she should stay. You never stay in the Senate by not doing things on the behalf of the State. I’m curious as to why Kosmos and Posey. Why not get Pete Olson in because his district has JSC.
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Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
When is probably a better question
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 1:24PM EST (link)Richard
The question I have is when did she start working on this legislation?
When her polling became clear that she would loose the Governor’s race?
or
When Constellation was canceled?
You’d think that both Fla Senators would join in, along with Miss Senators, and others who have workers in the space industry.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
But she did give her word didn't she?
AceInTX (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 2:29PM EST (link)That’s the problem…it’s the wishy washy…say anything and do anything to benefit yourself nature of her constantly saying one thing and doing another that is the problem here….if she had no intention of stepping aside…she shouldn’t have said she would in the first place…but as it is…we’ve wasted time and energy on a replacement candidate for thew third time now because we can’t believe a DaXXed thing she says and it infuriates me to no end…
oh…and I’m betting she’ll run for Senate again in 2012…she never had any intention of leaving the Senate if she didn’t win the Governor’s mansion and I said as much at the time…nor will she in 12.
Jobs and more
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 3:43PM EST (link)Well Ace
know bupkis about Texas politics, or promises, or support for anyone one way or the other in a political sense. This blog is about the legislative actions KBH made in my line of business. I support those legislative actions by the way, maybe not KBH and I sure as heck don’t have a dog in that fight.
The only political aspect of this blog; if KBH listens to you and others who are so very fast to form the Republican circular firing squad and KBH resigns, there are real world consequences when it comes to the space program and jobs in the aerospace biz.
You want to explain to me how a KBH replacement could marshal the support in the Senate for something like the proposal referenced above, please feel free to explain it to me.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Like I said...She's the dumbaXX that said she'd resign no matter what...
AceInTX (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 4:58PM EST (link)if she doesn’t resign…she’s proved herself to be exactly what she is…a liar and an oportunist…
and I’ll add…what kind of judgment does it show to first declare your imminent resignation…then walk that back to a declaration that you’ll resign come hell or high water after the election…and then engage her lackeys in the NRSC in a fraudulent campaign where they publicly beg her to stay so as to provide her cover in her further walk back of her promise.
As for her work saving NASA jobs and all the rest…there are other sponsors of her legislation and there are other Senators who can carry it through…but through it all…and concerning the politics of it…she’s proven herself to be a detriment to the Republican Party by her on again off again opportunism costing countless man hours, money, and I blame her more than any other person for the loss of Henry Bonilla’s seat in the Congress.
(On the Bonilla Seat…redistricting did play a part…but her flirting with running for governor in 2006 cost money and kept Henry working on an open Senate seat that she yanked away at the last minute and is much more to blame for his loss than anything else).
I'll add...she's left Williams and his supportings out on a limb and has sawn it half through
AceInTX (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 5:01PM EST (link)as she’s played her games…
Had none of the things I’ve laid out here occurred in the past I would agree with your thesis here…but there is a history to be considered…and that history has proven KBH to be indecisive and a coward at best…and incompetent and a liar at worse!
Ah yes, the Eeyore Republicans have spoken
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 5:11PM EST (link)Ace,
Took me a while, but finally figured out that you’re more a Eeyore sort of Republican than anything else…Oh my!
You even probably got a motto for the Eeyore Republicans, No brain at all, some of them”, “only grey fluff that’s blown into their heads by mistake”
Enjoy the fish!
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
"eyore" Republicans as opposed to a....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:09PM EST (link)McCain loving “moderate” RINO…..This Winnie the Pooh will STAND WITH the Eyore’s everyday of the week and will work to REJECT the aforementioned types in each and every district across this country!
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I don't know what Eeyore has to do with anything and your post makes no sense in this context
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 12:55AM EST (link)and I would take your posts more seriously if you knew what you were running your mouth about…but in this instance you’re simply blowing smoke out your posterior.
The is a history where Kay is concerned…one which I have personal experience….again…she’s a liar and an opportunist….
You’ll get your wish…she’s not going to resign…I said so six months ago…and she’s not going to retire in 12 either…so you don’t have to worry about your job…and she’ll be there to sell us all out later….so don’t worry.
Thats curious SteveLA because in a preivious post discussing job losses in the Space Industry
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 6:15PM EST (link)You were pretty blase about the whole thing as if it was going to happen no matter what. Yet here you seem to be concerned about space jobs.
SteveLA http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2010/02/27/obama-administration-kills-23k-space-related-jobs-in-florida/#comment-30793
And I’m not sure how you can blame Jaded one bit for her opinion seeing as how lying, cheating do as I say not as I do politicians are what have brought us to this point in our country.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
Because there was no leadership
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 6:34PM EST (link)Michael
Fair criticism I suppose, but I would point out that there was no counter proposal to cancellation on the table. KBH put one on the table and that’s called leadership, lacking it would seem on this topic from this side of the ditch. The other political baggage with KBH, I figure actually legislating and cutting deals inside the beltway to get something done is the real stuff. Eeyore Republicans seem to look for ways to get worked up and unhappy without much thought about the consistences if anyone actually listened to them, not very often thankfully.
On KBH, I’m not a fan or a detractor of hers one way or the other. She’s a sitting Republican Senator, and gee might it be a good thing to try to get her to do something this side of the ditch supports….what a concept. Heck, work to vote her out in the next primary in Texas, why not?
I’m not a fan of ex Administrator Griffin by the way, nor was I buying that story that Constellation was the right answer for many reasons. Griffin sort of showed what sort of an idiot and how tin eared he was during the transition so cancellation did not surprise me.
There’s probably an argument that President Bush should have been paying more attention to space policy years ago to avoid this sort of problem, but domestic policy really wasn’t his thing.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I agree with about the Constellation program
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:17PM EST (link)But saying that KBH is the answer to saving those jobs mentioned
is basically saying you support the political gamesmanship that those jobs are coming to represent. They are being used to keep a sitting senator in her seat.
I have no problem with her being primaried but it would save a lot of wasted donations if she lived up to her word and allowed her Republican opponent to save his/her money for other campaign expenses.
The issue with KBH not doing what she has promised to do is WHEN she is doing this. People are fed up with politicians who say ANYTHING to achieve personal goals. Leadership is about making the tough calls, living up to your word and leading by example. It’s not saying anything you want to get elected and then forgetting those promises and doing what you want until next election cycle then start the lying all over again. IMO anyways.
Also theirs no evidence that Williams wouldn’t have supported the same or similar legislation as it refers to the space industry.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
Thanks Michael for recognizing the hypocrisy....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:17PM EST (link)of RINO’s they have no FIRM Principles so they can float from one opinion to another on a daily basis quite unlike US Eyore’s who are so PRINCIPLED as to stubbornly KICK those upside down RINO’s in the head to bring them to some sense that there needs to be an intelligence capable of conceiving the end and realizing that certain actions must be taken to achieve the goal and STICKING TO IT!
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NP Jaded. Thanks to you for clearing up the Eyore reference
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:20PM EST (link)I didn’t want to look out of touch by asking what that meant but you cleared it up nicely! =)
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
:ROTFLMAO:
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:23PM EST (link)I can only guess at what a RINO calling HARDCORE Conservatives an Eyore meant based on the Winnie the Pooh series other then that they must feel the need to come up with some pathetic “example” to lash out because they have no strong Principles on which to stand.
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Ditto you Steve...figures you'd back Kay staying no matter what...
AceInTX (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 2:25PM EST (link)at least you’re consistent in backing every unprincipled, lying and back stabbing RINO out there…her word means nothing and the fact that she stands for nothing is all she needs for you to climb on her bandwagon.
I’ve laid out her history here more than once….I’ve had personal experience with it getting an office lease lined up for a guy who was supposed to run for Henry Bonilla’s seat since Henry was going to run for Kay’s seat when she signaled a run for governor…in 2004…only to back out at the last minute…..she did it again in 2000 as well…now she’s walked Micheal Williams and his supporters out on a limb and wasted millions in money and time donated to a Williams for Senate campaign and she’s pulling the rug out again…
so…am I surprised you’d be tooting her horn?…nope!
Correction...the lease I'm discussing ionvolved the 2006 campaign...
AceInTX (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 5:02PM EST (link)I think….it was the year Henry lost his seat in the House
You are missing the whole point of your own diary.
larueladue (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 5:00PM EST (link)The issue is not the jobs this might save, or create. The issue is that she said she was going to resign her seat, no matter what. If she goes back on her word now (again) she is worthless as a representative of her state and the people of her state. She lies to keep her position in government. That is not a good character trait, especially in Texas.
Words mean something here. If she wasn’t going to resign, why say she would? She (and others) need to learn to think before you talk, especially if you want to be taken seriously.
She needs to do as she said she would, regardless of the consequences. This is now officially past worry about might-have-beens, maybes, etc. She should have thought of that before she opened her mouth.
Me thinks she is too much a DC Insider now….
Say what?
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 5:32PM EST (link)laruladue
I think you meant your comment to me, so let me answer.
The point of the diary was KBH doing something legislatively about the space shuttle, jobs in Texas and other places and the perhaps unintended consequences of listening to the Eeyore Republicans like Ace who seem to delight in finding something to be upset and outraged about at all times.
Perhaps you can explain to be how KBH resigning from office would help with the objectives of keeping manned space going in the face of Obama canceling Constellation?
Come primary time in 2012 for the Texas Senate, knock yourself out with throwing her out, that’s why there are primaries and I’m not advocating one way or the other.
Broken promises…..ppppft. How do you tell a politician is lying, their lips move, vote them out of office if you care enough.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
This is NOT about people asking her to resign
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 6:23PM EST (link)but about her keeping her word.
Here you say this, “…How do you tell a politician is lying, their lips move…” So we should believe she’ll keep her word about saving
jobs in the Space Industry? I mean why should we believe her if she’s so willing to lie and why should YOU believe her since you seem to believe that all politicians are liars every time they move their lips?
You seem to love consistency………..just sayin’ ya know.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
Legislation ?
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 6:39PM EST (link)Michael
There’s real legislation on the table, that’s how.I figure that KBH is serious about keeping jobs in the space industry. Maybe it is a head fake, maybe not, see what happens with the legislation.
What’s that phrase….oh yes….Trust but verify.
Or just go with the Eeyore Republicans point of view, enjoying the sack cloth and ash, your choice, KBH is not going to resign her seat.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I know she's not. She NEVER intended too.
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:21PM EST (link)That’s the problem.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
Can you name on politicians who did?
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:37PM EST (link)Michael
Can you name me one politician, just one that made this kind of promise that kept it, just one? I can’t think of one, but I won’t mind being wrong.
Maybe in the perfect world of Eeyore Republicans there is a perfect political who has kept their word always, but the rest of politicians are humans who like to hang on to their jobs, perks and power. I’m never shocked by anything a political will do to hang on, heck many who know better will probably pander to the Eeyore Republicans to keep their seat.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I can name one, Steve.
pilgrim (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:43PM EST (link)Sen. Fred Thompson said he was retiring from the US Senate, and he did it just like he said he would.
Close and that's good
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:46PM EST (link)pilgrim
OK, Fred was a man of his word, and did not run again after saying he was retiring, that I respect and you have a point.
But give up their seat with two years left on the term because of campaign promises, heck you only do that if you’re a Governor and you’ve done three years…..:)
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Your head must be made of granite Steve...the point is...if she had no intention of resigning...she shouldn't have said she would
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 1:13AM EST (link)This isn’t rocket science….she simply shouldn’t have promised to resign if she had no intention of doing so!
Bob Dole. nt
mbecker908 (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:46PM EST (link)I didn't know that
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:49PM EST (link)mbecker
Mean Bob Dole gave up his seat, to do what? Oh I looked it up to run for President. Well I didn’t know that, thanks.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
And frankly I wish McCain had Dole's integrity. nt
mbecker908 (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 9:20PM EST (link)Sute, but it was MEAN Bob Dole (nt)
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 10:03PM EST (link)______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Well off the top of my head....Yes.
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:51PM EST (link)Depends, if you mean a politician who quite when he said he would then Fred Thompson comes to mind. When he ran for the senate he stated he would only stay for “x” number of terms and he kept his word. As did Brownback, DeMint and I believe Mark Sanford also. Once their promised terms were up they moved on to other jobs.
Tom Coburn also kept his term limit promise.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
All good but...
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 7:57PM EST (link)Serving out a term and then not running because they promised is good, leaving early because of a campaign promise, tell me who did that. Maybe there is someone who did so, I just don’t know of anyone.
As Mbecker pointed out, Mean Bob Dole retired to run for the Presidency, and I had forgotten that.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I believe Thompsons was a campaign promise
Michael Dugas (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 8:50PM EST (link)Not sure about the others. Several were part of a Term Limits pledge.
I just found this web site that listed a few I mentioned but I can’t tell if they were pre or post campaign promises.
http://www.rlc.org/2008/12/22/sen-brownback-to-keep-term-limits-pledge/
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
It's not advice...it's remindeing her to keep her word...
AceInTX (Diary) Saturday, March 6th at 2:03PM EST (link)Nasa is important for jobs here in Houston but
kyle8 (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 1:30PM EST (link)we are up to our necks in debt and cannot afford anything right now. I am for drastically slashing all spending and no new spending whatsoever.
This might be good politics but not good for the nation. And every one in congress is busy trying to do the same thing while we sink even further.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Well there is that
SteveLA (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 1:34PM EST (link)kyle8
There is that point too, how you value space exploration as a function of federal spending. I’m all for it, if the work and the science is good, not so much if it’s not.
For those reasons, I’ve never been a big fan of the ISS, and I am torn about shutting down the shuttle. Leaving the only man rated space transport system to Space to the good graces of the Ruskies, bothers the heck out of me.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
we can do our little unmanned probes untill we get our fiscal
kyle8 (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 1:36PM EST (link)house in order, then maybe in the future we could start again with a brand new generation of high quality manned spaceships.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
I'm OK with that
SteveLA (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 1:45PM EST (link)kyle
I’m OK with that approach, but I do have my biases having worked in the unmanned satellite biz for a while.
Problem is that arguments over spending for space exploration have gone on for probably 40 years, and I don’t see any party with a clear vision on the topic dating back to days of JFK. This latest tempest, not the first time not the last and KBH’s legislation is really just a band aid on the larger problem.
Philosophically, there is a real argument over the conservative principles which support Federal expenditures on any exploration unless they fall under some notion of defense of the nation. I’ve never read a good treatise on the topic, if you’ve got links, I’d like to read it.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
no I have not read anything like that either
kyle8 (Diary) Sunday, March 7th at 6:08PM EST (link)I used to be a big space advocate, still am, but right now we are barely treading water.
I am sure you could square such expenditures, along with funding for pure science research, with some sort of conservative philosophy, but that is not my big worry right now.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle