Vitter Dumps On Obama Plan (Again)

Frankly, I believe Senator Vitter is quite correct and the Nation does deserve better.

The president calls his plan "a bold new direction". With any "bold new direction" one should know that any organization, government or whatever, cannot reinvent itself over night.

A leader should recognize that a transition is required, yet no transition exists.

A leader should recognize that in order for any long-term plan to be successful, whatever it be, that the near-term must be secure. Yet, the near-term is very unsecure and unsure. In fact, it seems the greatest near-term focus is the elimination of this workforce by any means necessary.

I can't think of a slimier senator.

Well I just cannot decide which is the funniest

David Vitter For Creationism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6uYl8vzxxA&

South Park Review of Obama's NASA Plan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEX-gaM5dsk

David Vitter: Pride of the Louisiana Republican Party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q92UnKRVvaE

He also criticized NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden's recent interview with Al Jazeera, part of an administration effort to reach out to Muslim communities.

"Call me old fashioned, but I certainly don't want (NASA's) primary purpose to be outreach to Muslim countries to make them feel good about their science [inaudible]," he said.

This should be the last time Mr. Vitter is invited to a NASA event. It is highly inappropriate for a politician to use such a ceremony to try to score political points. This clown should have been kicked out of office when he was found to be soliciting prostitutes.

Obama insulted the people at NASA who have worked for return to moon for five years with a simple dismissing of that mission as if it was some trivial thing. Oh we've been there before, no need to go back guys. Never mind the last five years.
In fact, were going to cancel everything you've worked for.

Sorry, Vitter doesn't even register on the political Richter scale compared to the insult and kick to the groin that Obama delivered.

Mike, the transition to Constellation was not all roses and it took some time (about a year) before Constellation was up and running. The biggest difference today is that there is legislative language that explicitly prevents the full development of and a smooth transition to a new plan and Congress quite frankly has decided not to deal with NASA until after the Nov elections. There is not a lot the Administrator can do at this point until Congress makes up its mind.
I think it's a bit much to claim that the near-term focus is loss of workforce. The fact is there were job losses in the transition to Constellation as well, however, many more jobs were later added as Constellation came up to speed. I believe the same will be true for this new program/plan if it goes through. However, there will be a significant number of jobs lost connected to Shuttle that are completely independent of the new proposed plan, jobs that Constellation would have never saved that will be lost and it is dishonest to try and attach those job losses to the proposed new plan.
If Vitter has a better plan, he's more than welcomed to present it. If he wants Constellation continued, he can stick his neck out and push for NASA to get the additional $4-6 billion a year for the next 10 years (at least) it would need to bring Constellation online plus continue its other missions. Otherwise, he needs to be quiet.

"It is highly inappropriate for a politician to use such a ceremony to try to score political points."

Sort of like when the Supreme Court justices were invited to the State of the Union Speech and then Obama attacks some of them?

I was present at the ET Roll out but was not able to hear any of the speakers due to my position with ET behind the podium.
I am no fan of David Vitter but I have no problem with what he said. The work force he was addressing
had a future a little more than a year ago.
The Michoud facility was to build the Orion capsule
And the Upper stage for Ares1.
Please note that the appaluse was very loud.
Vitter said what we were all thinking.
We are all aware that Obama orginal plan was to end manned space flight for 5 years and take the money and use it for education so "Our children can reach for the stars". In my neck of the woods and the econmy the way it is now our childrens future is going to be on governments handouts.

These election year stunts by Politicians like Vitter are so predictable that all that they deserve is to be ignored!

All Vitter wants is Votes in November, and the rollout of the External Tank gave him a big opportunity to "preach to the choir" and pander for some more votes.

Mr. Elas3,

Never question my integrity by using such words as "dishonest" or a "bit much". I fully stand behind everything I said. In addition I am using my own name. So, forgive me, but I put little stock in someone hiding behind a screen name who is wrong on multiple points because one is looking at the situation too simplistically. Why you choose to do that, either out of partisan-bias or simple ignorance of the situation, is obviously unknown to me.

Mike, nice job denigrating Elas3 so you can avoid responding to his excellent points.

Mike, it seems to me that Elas3 was the one who began "denigrating" you first. That has been typical of the new Space budget supporters. There currently is no "plan" of any kind within the new NASA budget to do anything specific. It is all just words that we are going to go off and do "gamebreaking" and super-duper stuff. The very good Shuttle jobs transition plan that was in effect, was blown out of the water without a replacement on Feb 1. The new budget "plan" is, without question, directly causing the loss of significantly more human space flight jobs than would have occured during the already anticipated, and planned for, Shuttle / CxP transition. Many, many more. Many have already occurred.
I envy the fact that you are able to use your name. Many of us are confident, based on General Bolden's previous remarks about shutting up and going with the flow and the predominant tactics used by this administration to silence opposition, that we would immediately lose our positions if we did the same. That does seem to be the goal of the current efforts. Get rid of everyone from the old system and rebuild in the image that agrees with the new views. Just wanted to let you know, you are not alone in you beliefs. Senator Vitter was correct, the Nation deserves much better.