Monday, December 13, 2004

O'Keefe, He Gone

And who can blame him, with the shuttles still grounded, the ISS accumulating garbage and running out of food and water, and those seductive LSU sirens calling. Whither NASA now? Bush will signal his feelings on the matter with the person he nominates in replacement. If rumors that he wants to nominate General Kadish - lately of the anti-ballistic missile initiative, aka "a wing of missiles and a prayer" - are true, then Bush will be showing that he believes military, corporate, and civilian uses of space are all of a piece - similar to the approach he and his Vice President have taken towards, for instance, the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge ("Why can't the ABMs, the oil derricks, and the caribou all just share the wilderness?").

If he instead nominates a NASA insider - preferably a lifelong engineer/manager and contrarian thinker - then give him credit for striking out on his own this time... and maybe, just maybe, being serious about doing something interesting with NASA during the next four years.

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