More Opposition To Bridenstine (Revised)
Gay rights advocates target Trump’s NASA nominee, Politico
“Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma and former Navy pilot, has drawn praise across the space community for his thoughtfulness on space policy and support for both traditional government programs and new private-sector ventures. But lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates are now trying to thwart his nomination based on Bridenstine’s controversial social stances, as they did with one of Trump’s nominees for Army secretary.”
Keith’s note: Yesterday Politico posted this article that took a harsh view of NASA Administrator nominee Bridenstine’s stance on a variety of social issues and how they seem to be linked to how he’d run NASA. When you write articles like this context is important when you extract snippets for quoting. You can make an excerpted sentence mean anything you want – when it is out of context. Its also useful to see what the person who is being quoted actually thinks and feels when you string these quotes together. There is often more than meets the eye. I am not defending any of Bridenstine’s stances and do not agree with a lot of them. That said:
“He railed against the 2013 Supreme Court decision declaring same-sex marriage constitutional. “The court’s decision was a disappointment not only because it is contrary to millennia of human experience,” he said, “but also because it is clearly contrary to the choice of the people as expressed in a constitutionally valid process.”
As for DOMA, I am told that Bridenstine disagreed with the Supreme Court decision but when it became the law of the land he honored the law. People who know him well say that they have never seen even the slightest indication that he takes issue with anyone’s sexual preference and that it has zero bearing on how he conducts himself.
“And he has criticized the Boy Scouts for allowing LGBT members. The left’s agenda is not about tolerance, and it’s not about diversity of thought,” Bridenstine said in 2013. “It’s about presenting a worldview of relativism, where there is no right and wrong, then using the full force of the government to silence opposition and reshape organizations like the Boy Scouts into instruments for social change.”
As I understand it Bridenstine was an Eagle Scout and is very devoted to the organization. His comments are apparently reflective of his anger over the religious groups that have now initiated legal action about this issue and how this affects the ability of scout troops to function since many local scout organizations rely upon religious organizations and their facilities.
Hopefully the Congressman keeps the high ground and stays focussed on the real need to restructure NASA. This little test from the liberal left and the Politically Correct Police is just another obstructionist anti-Trump forces. NASA, like all Agencies have discrimination and diversity policies and the Administrator always supports them.the Left just hopes to divert attention from the fact that they have squandered the last eight years as other nations continue to challenge our fading leadership.
So some of my co-workers are supposed to ignore that the potential new boss can’t act on his ignorant statements placing them into the category of less than full citizens and good people? I care very much about progress on the space frontier, even agreeing with some of the more eloquent words in Bridenstine’s postings about NASA’s direction.
But I’ll be damned if I stand against friends alongside a boss who belittles them and thinks they are less than people.
I stand with my co-workers.
This nomination has too many issues to number.
Surely there are people who are just as well qualified, say just as good words or better, have not denied climate change science to satisfy an anti-intellectual right, and who also have shown nothing but respect for all.
Again – I stand with my co-workers.
Thank God a few people remain who have the courage to stand for something. While others, with their silence, speak volumes about their support or indifference of bigotry that’s more real than ever.
That’s your last anonymous post about people who lack courage. See ya.
You’re wrong in your implication when you say NASA, like all Agencies have discrimination and diversity policies and the Administrator always supports them. Trump has already ordered the ejection of loyal, patriotic- and qualified- Americans from the military, for no objective reason other than they were transgender; violating our Constitution in the process, as well as hurting military readiness. Even more recently, Sessions has declared that civil rights law doesn’t apply to our fellow LGBT employees- not a small thing in states (like mine) where you can be denied housing, food, a living, you name it, simply because of who you are. Sessions entire history is 100% consistent that he intends all taking away any and all types of human rights protections for LGBT folks- and as Trump has shown, they are starting with folks in the Federal government. Have you truly not been paying attention with what is going on?
The most fundamental problem our nation faces today is political polarization. A politician who builds his political power by telling his supporters that everything wrong in thier lives is the fault of some demonized enemy, be it liberals, or Jews, or conservatives, or Communists, or gays, or presidents with a different skin color, is sowing the seeds of conflict and dysunity that will dog our nation for many years to come. A better approach is called critical thinking, the willingness to examine each issue from all points of view, even to question one’s own most deeply held biases and beliefs, objectively and with an open mind. It’s your decision.
I agree. I would also add to it taking the time to really research the issues and individuals views on them as Keith did in this case. It’s amazing to see how views and statements on issues often change over time.
Whoa! What exactly is wrong with developing positions over time?
My views now in my 60’s are somewhat more nuanced and informed than they were in my 20’s or 30’s. Isn’t thoughtful deliberation expected? and doesn’t thoughtful deliberation often yield a shift in POV?
I don’t know what one has to do with the other, but of course this is just politics. Which, remember, is what the new Administrator needs to be really good at.
Fact is it will take not just a good politician to be successful, it is going to take something of a miracle for any new Administrator to overcome the dysfunction that is NASA today, especially in human space. It is going to require some serious restructuring. NASA’s big problem is lack of leadership, and I am fully convinced that stems from inexperienced, untested, poor choices of managers. There is nothing wrong with the technical ability of NASA’s technical personnel. There is no reason why they should not be able to perform like the people of a Space X or other top notch contractors. But with the leadership who have so little knowledge of what they are doing, who does an Administrator even turn to for support?
Look at Bolden; I think Bolden knew he was in way over his head, but he turned to his subordinates together with nonexistent Presidential leadership or even interest. And look at the support his buddies in Congress provided. They were not helpful.All of these people led the program to true meaninglessness and some would even say a fraudulent program plan, while discarding what had been built by experts previously. This left the program in the shambles it is in today.
Its going to take some real knowledge and strength and support which does not now exist to get beyond where the program is today.
So true. Where you stand on SLS will define your sense of how successful he is.
I hope he will not be the head of NASA and none that Trump nominates after that. The current temp could keep going. I guess Trump could just name a temp and get what he wants anyway though.
“Controversial social stances”….give me a break. The man has moral and religious convictions that do not line up with the world-view that the LGBT community, secular moral relativists, nominalists, and militant atheists want to impose upon American culture and society. Why am I not surprised that they will not “tolerate” anyone who disagrees with their proselytizing social agenda.
There are times when that kind of “take no prisoners” leftism can work. Right now, with this Congress, it’s not going to because regardless of context or relevance these complaints about his record make him look better to enough of the lawmakers who’ll vote thia year.
2019 might be a different story, but who knows.
IMO with this administration, as is often the case, the controversial decisions such as policies regarding climate research will likely be made at Congress and the WH rather than at NASA, so the Administrator is just a reflection of the Administration position. Although I do not agree with Bridenstine’s position of climate change, I do not personally think it is as critical as the public pressure that can be brought to bear on the issue. Even his position may just reflect the demands of the lobbyists.
Yes. I appreciate the passion for space that this potential Administrator brings. And while his views on climate Are troubling, it’s neither possible nor desirable to find someone who shares all of may admittedly leftist views.
I’m just not a single-issue voter. It’s not the same as, say, Mr. Pruitt at EPA.
Not sure who Richard Brezinski is but he demonstrates an in depth knowledge of how NASA really works ( or doesnt). After 40+ years of senior leadership including almost 3 years as Deputy Center Director at Ames ( under Pete Worden, one of the smartest people I supported but but also one of the most marginally ethical) You can conclude the following: 1) NASA is broken and only dramatic restructuring can recreate relevance, 2) as Richard says, theres nothing lacking in the competence of the work force, its the ” this is the way we have always done it ” leadership that is creating terminal impedance 3) the artificial center of gravity of the manned program managed at JSC needs to be broken and brought into balence with a new program structure which stops feeding ISS where research costs 50-100 times that on earth. And for what? What really significant advancements have resulted from the billions in investment? 4) recognize that while we are spending billions duplicating 50 year old technology, we have ZERO capability to keep astronauts alive and productive for a 24-36 month Mars mission 5) reject the Politically Correct attempt to saddle ( hence sandbag) the new Administrator with a marginal Deputy. Bridenstine needs a George Low/Hans Mark type Deputy. Internal forces are already at work to stop such a selection to preserve status quo. 6) if Iss is maintained, ( otherwise theres little basis for the manned program) then let the Elon’s be the bus drivers and start working propulsion systems that don’t take several years to get to the edge of our solar system. In short, as a nation, we can’t take another 8 years of the previous Nasa leadership or we will be a second rate nation.