In the budget coming out on Monday, rumor is NASA is basically going to be stripped down like a cheap whore. We will lose our heavy duty launch vehicle. We will lose the launch vehicle that was to supersede the shuttle program. We will lose any hope of returning to the moon for many, many years. We will lose a generation of science, and a generation of scientific brain trust.
When Barack Obama was running for POTUS, one of the campaign promises he made to the people on the Space Coast is that he would not harm NASA. He promised to re- evaluate and would maintain the launch vehicles in the pipeline. He told his fawning and brainless supporters that he supported a “robust” Constellation-like program.
Barack Obama lied.
If he had told the truth, that he planned to strip NASA the way he is now planning to do, he would have lost thousands upon thousands of votes in Florida, perhaps throwing the state into John McCain’s column.
But Barack Obama lied.
He lied to the point where the current administrator of NASA, in an interview with Space Politics, admitted that it is even possible the entire astronaut program is going to be terminated. Terminated. No bucks, no Buck Rogers.
It will take a yearly budget increase of about $3 billion a year to keep us on target to return to the moon. Instead, Obama and his spend-a-holic Democrats threw the money into a stimulus plan that is a total disaster. If just a small percentage of that money had been invested in NASA, it would have generated very real jobs, instead of the fake ones Obama’s administration reported in the fall.
Obama lied.
He is risking our leadership in space, turning it over to China and Russia. Then again, it is becoming more and more apparent that Obama’s administration is the biggest dirty joke the nation has ever seen. It is possible, considering how abjectly incompetently Obama’s Department of Justice handled the Hot Pants Bomber on Christmas Day that he doesn’t even know his people are killing NASA.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Christine
Why am I NOT surprised? I heard today the "space guys," (wasn't quite sure who it was because I was doing housework while listening), but they were pretty upset about this.
2 - cannonshop
Democrats lost interest in the space programme shortly before Armstrong stepped out on the moon. Might as well call 'em what they are: The party of Proxmire.
3 - zingzing
jesus christ. "space race?" what is this, 1965? no one likes cutting funding to nasa. (and it does seem to me like a rather strange thing to cut.)
however, as far as i can tell, it looks like the budget for nasa will go up, as usual. it was actually under bush that nasa's budget took a hit. but, that wasn't obama, so it was cool.
the constellation program is taking the biggest hit, but that's because it's wildly expensive (a good 50% of the budget, far as i can see). meanwhile the privatization of space exploration has been something that's been gathering steam for years, even under bush. so why are you only mad now? oh, i get it. natch.
and where were you when the space shuttle program was shut down twice during the bush administration? and where have you been since 1972, the last time we sent men to the moon?
and if you have some info that i don't have, it might be helpful to include LINKS to said information. would that be too much to ask?
and the whole adding in a separate paragraph for variations on "obama lied" is rather silly. nasa isn't a political issue. everyone likes space. so why are you framing it like that? when you do, it just comes off as another pathetic swipe at obama.
4 - zingzing
cannonshop: "Might as well call 'em what they are: The party of Proxmire."
yes, proxmire. he's the one. ridiculous.
5 - SJ Reidhead
No, Obama directly lied about his position on space. I have a posting on my blog tomorrow about it, along with quotes, dates, etc. His original position was that NASA be defunded to provide more money for education. When confronted, he changed his position, saying he would support the very programs his administration is now cutting.
I call what he has done a "lie". You may call it something else, but that is your option.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
6 - Jordan Richardson
It seems to me that Americans have a strange association with consistency in their government officials. While it's true that elected officials serve the people, I'd be pretty annoyed if an elected official was so stuck in his or her own ideologies to not change his or her mind once in a while when new information or new circumstances arise.
While I'm sure SJ knows about the "space race" more than I do, I'm certain her bias is colouring this discussion considerably. How "deceptive" Obama was on this issue is, to me at least, hardly clear.
7 - Jordan Richardson
And this is based on a rumour? Aren't cuts a good thing, especially among spendaholic Dems?
8 - zingzing
well, why not provide links here, sj?
budget cuts have to made, and just maybe setting up camp on the moon isn't a high priority.
besides, he said as far back as spring 2008 that he'd cut the constellation program in order to get more money for education... so that's no lie.
just to let you know, if you do want to back up your political rhetoric with actual facts, i'll be checking on them. just post those facts here, or else i'll just have to consider this another bit of hackery.
9 - zingzing
ah... well, i see that in late summer 08, he was saying "we've got to make sure that the money that's going into NASA for basic research and development continues to go there. That has been a top priority for us."
but then he ordered an investigation (may 09) into the constellation program, brought on by nasa doubts as to the viability of the program, and found that neither nasa nor his investigative crew thought it would work and that costs were escalating.
in fact, most of the research was already being done by private firms and it will continue to be that way. so, the quest continues.
you've got a red herring in your hand, sj.
10 - jeannie danna
Well, I see RJ had her head too far up this article yesterday to watch the news.
The message to all of us was cut the crap and start speaking to each other like adults.
And
I am probably the worst offender of this notion that even a critic can make a comment without inflaming everyone.
SO
"Here you are with your legacy genes and you just don't get it."
See what flaming words feel like when they are directed towards you?
This was meant respectfully RJ.
:[ I have been a complete and utter fool towards many people here and most likely will be again right after I read the next article.
11 - jeannie danna
Here is a little song that explains why President Obama decided to direct more of our resources towards the planet earth...
:] Dance with me RJ ,it's fun!
12 - jeannie danna
RJ,
I would like to clarify a word I used in comment #11.
When I referred to our resources, I was not referring to your personal finances.
What I was referring to, was the TAX money that we should all pay for the privilege of living in a free country.
I don't mean that we are a nation of people with their hands out for a free ride.
What I am saying to you, is that " None of us would be free to pursue anything if we didn't support our government system."
You are only as free as your country is strong.
13 - Mark
jeannie, imo you've bought a pig in a poke. Take a look in the bag and you'll see that the freedom that you think you're buying has been replaced.
14 - Charlie Doherty
You are a typical Obama hater - lying about Obama lying to the American people.
Obama originally said in the 2008 primaries he would cut Constellation programme spending to focus on education. If he reversed himself in the general election to please Florida voters, so be it. The programme wasn't expected to get going until 2015 and had technical problems anyway - and as I point out below, there's other alternatives (not-Russia related).
If you want to bash him about lying about something, try his lies of omission about lobbyists taking policy roles in his administration - Politifact caught him in this lie after his SOTU address.
But your article on Obama and NASA has too much emotion and anti-Obama bias, not enough facts.
And if that wasn't bad enough, you're dead wrong saying the stimulus is a "disaster" when every credible person and economist knows it's an 18-month project that so far has increased GDP by at least 3% in the 3rd & 4th quarters of 2009, and saved/created thousands of teachers, cops and firefighters jobs, over 600,000 in all, with another 1.5 million expected this year.
Only partisan republicans think the stimulus was a waste - the bloated omnibus bill from last year is another issue.
As bad as 10% unemployment rate is, without the package, the unemployment rate would've been 10.8% (a loss of another 1.2 million jobs), according to top economists.
Moreover, your knee-jerk reaction to the Constellation funding ignores longstanding concerns about it and its Ares rockets and that the U.S. will still send humans to the Moon by 2020. And, thanks in part to the stimulus, NASA's 2010 budget is bigger than 2008 under Bush. And the budget is expected to rise again in 2011. Also, there are other alternatives to the Constellation such as Delta IV and Atlas V rockets.
But these facts don't suit your agenda - to bash Obama at every turn, with no objectivity whatsoever.
15 - Christopher Rose
I love the way SJ Reidhead postures as a level headed thinker whilst writing hysterical rubbish...
Hmm, writes cowboy books and is in love with a political party too.
16 - jeannie danna
Mark, #13,
Is this the same cluster of pixels that did not have a long enough attention span to watch the SOTU?
I gather you did not listen with open ears to the bipartisan speech at the House Republican retreat yesterday, either.
I would provide you a link to it, but lets see if you can find it on your own.
: treadmill time! bye
17 - Princeton Conservative
The Liar in Chief is directing NASA to concentrate on Earth-science projects " principally, "researching and monitoring climate change.” NASA will actually receive a budget increase of $200-$300 million over its current $18.7 billion budget.
So rather than invest in innovation and technology he is shifting dollars to support a science that is being debunked on an hourly basis.
The more policies and programs Obama announces the more incompetent he reveals himself to be.
In addition although off topic - Obama’s State of the Union debacle made George Bush look like one of the greatest communicators of all time....Was it me or did Obama's effort sound like someone reading off a list unconnected topics and ideas? Sounded like someone reading there grocery list, "We need eggs, soap and toilet paper...."
18 - jeannie danna
hessss baaack.
19 - jeannie danna
Charlie, #14,
Great comment.
20 - Cindy
Jeannie,
I love that Black-eyed Peas song. This seems to be Obama's version though.
Have a look at this page, if you like. I think these images say it all.
21 - jeannie danna
Arch,
I already asked you these questions ,but you seem to have overlooked them.
As I am trying to see the world through your eyes at the moment; I need to know where you actually are coming from.
So, please let me ask you, "What profession are you currently in?"
I realize that this might be the single most important motivator for most of your comments directed towards me.
Also, "Have you written any articles here at BC?" I just ask you because I would really like to read one. Not that I have that many under my belt here either.
:]jeannie the polite liberal
22 - roger nowosielski
Great video, Cindy. Of course, when they're talking about casualties, they only count our own.
23 - jeannie danna
Roger,
Who is Lillith?
24 - roger nowosielski
Tolstoy Cat.
25 - jeannie danna
Here is a video clip for mark, educate yourself.