So far, anyway.
“‘Citizens’ Group Carries Obama’s Water in Space.”
First, note the scare quotes around the word “Citizens’.” Because, you know, we all know that it’s some Evil-Soros-Funded-Special-Interest-In-Thrall-To-The-One, not a real group of “citizens” actually concerned about government waste.
A taxpayer watchdog group with a history of opposing space projects blasted an Alabama senator for trying to keep the Constellation program alive.
Shocking, isn’t it? Imagine a group that claims to be against government waste opposing a space project. Because, as we all know, there’s never been a wasteful space project.
Just for grins, and in the interest of journalistic responsibility, let’s wander over to CAGW’s web site, shall we? Let us peruse a few of the other headlines there than Dick Shelby’s well-deserved award.
Here’s a good one: “CAGW Urges Obama to Waive Jones Act to Aid Spill Effort.”
Or this: “CAGW Slams Obama’s Plan for More Stimulus Spending.”
Hmmmm…did someone over there miss the Soros fax about the watercarrying?
Maybe they were just anomalies.
But then we find this: “CCAGW Urges “Yes” Vote on McCain Amendment to Rein In Fannie and Freddie.”
Now I’m really confused. So they’re hauling H2O for both Obama and his election opponent? Whatever will ACORN think, after they worked so hard, and drummed up all those Disney-character votes against him?
And perhaps, delirious from the stress of all the water carrying, they missed the memo that they were supposed to be supporting ObamaCare, not coming up with stories like “CCAGW to House: Vote “No” on The Healthcare Bill!” and “ObamaCare is Not an April Fool’s Joke.”
You know, if they’re carrying water for Obama, they seem to be doing it with a shotgunned sieve. I doubt if they could make it halfway across the room with it.
Actually, after looking at that web site, you know what I think that CAGW is “carrying water” for? Call me crazy, but I think that it’s carrying water for opposition to government waste.
And of course, our intrepid reporter lets this bit of ignorance (or stupidity, or…mendacity — take your pick, or choose them all!) from Bill Posey stand unchallenged:
Florida officials, led by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, have lobbied for Constellation to continue while they cast doubt on the White House’s vision for future space exploration.
“The real waste is canceling a program that’s near completion after investing $9 billion into it,” Posey said.
“If Constellation is killed, the president plans to outsource American space jobs to Russia to the tune of more than a billion dollars – that’s taxpayer money spent there, in Russia, and not here,” the congressman said.
First of all, that program that is “near” completion is at least seven years and another thirty to fifty billion (depending on which estimate — NASA’s or GAO’s — you want to use) from “completion.” That is, it’s about sixty to one hundred SpaceXs away from completion, dollar wise. Second, the plan to “outsource American space jobs to Russia” was George Bush’s. You know, the president who shared a political party with Rep. Posey? This president’s plan is to “outsource” those space jobs to commercial launch providers, creating new industry with new jobs, and allowing NASA to finally focus its meager resources on the much more challenging task of getting beyond LEO, four decades late. A competent reporter would have pointed this out, instead of simply being a stenographer for another porkmeister.
All in all, a thoroughly useless bit of “journalism,” and one of the reasons that a lot of “journalists” are being laid off these days (including many who don’t deserve it). Why does this hack still have his job?
[Update a few minutes later]
I just realized that I might have been a little hard on the reporter. The story is bad, but the reporter doesn’t say anything about “carrying water for Obama.” That was presumably the copy editor, who normally comes up with heds. Of course, if it was the reporter’s suggestion, then shame on him, too.
Why does this hack still have his job?
Because he serves up the kind of lies his readership wants?
Because it turns out CAGW is associated with Reason and the libertarians, not Soros.
But, that doesn’t matter to the right wing socialists in the ICBM-industrial complex, anything thats against their gravy train has to be ultra left wing.
I’m really thinking these days there is no more real “news”, just narrative. pick your flavor, choose your sources accordingly.
Welcome to post-modern deconstructionism.
XKCD is very good, here, about the lack of real news:
http://xkcd.com/756/
Rand Simberg wrote:
First of all, that program that is “near” completion is at least seven years and another thirty to fifty billion (depending on which estimate — NASA’s or GAO’s — you want to use) from “completion.”
And that’s just the Earth-orbit part of Constellation. IIRC, the Augustine Committee found that the first moon landing couldn’t occur until 2035 with current budgets.
Mike
Are you running out of straw yet?
You seem to be trying to imply that if CAGW is carrying Obama’s water in this case, then they must be Obama supporters — and then showing the absurdity of that strawman.
The real meaning is opposite — if you don’t like or trust Obama, maybe you should think twice about carrying his water at all. I think I’ve even used the H2O words in describing your role in this debacle. I’d urge you to think again before helping to destroy the U.S. manned space program. I know you don’t think that’s what you’re doing, but just ask yourself what the landscape (and you) will look like in a year, when Shuttle and CxP are dead and Obama yanks funding for the Delta IV/Atlas V/Falcon 9 science projects.
funding for the Delta IV/Atlas V/Falcon 9 science projects
What science projects?
You seem to be trying to imply that if CAGW is carrying Obama’s water in this case, then they must be Obama supporters…
That is what the phrase “carrying water” is generally understood to mean.
Is pointing out Posey’s disingenuousness (to use the kindest possible word) also attacking a straw man?
when Shuttle and CxP are dead and Obama yanks funding for the Delta IV/Atlas V/Falcon 9 science projects.
Talk about straw man. Yes, if they were really “science projects,” that might be a legitimate concern.
If you want to see a real “science project,” look at Ares I. Unfortunately, it’s a very expensive one.
bbeard wrote:
the Delta IV/Atlas V/Falcon 9 science projects.
35 runs of three separate experiments all yield the same result: The rocket equation works!
What I find both fascinating and frustrating in this whole FY11 budget debate is that actual flying launch vehicles are dismissed as “toy rockets”, “hobbyist daydreams”, and even “scams” while a planned rocket likely nine years away from its first operational flight counts as “existing”.
Mike
The plan is to gut NASA bump the funding up and funnel it off into Obama leaning progressive universities. Which will redirect those NASA research dollars back into Obama’s political machine. End game. The only blast off will be Obama’s political treasure chest.
Now let’s see sounds like we are trying to determine which is the biggest boondoggle. Griffin’s Ares or Obama, Garver, Augustine’s stalemated Flex. Neither one is or was going anywhere. So we trash the shuttle and our manned space program hand the keys over to Elon Musk big booster splash down capsule space program and call it a win? Loose Loose Loose scenario NASA is hosed and our most capable commercial companies like ULA are going down with it. The flood gates to space are not opening they closed in a stalemate as NASA manned space program gradually waste away into oblivion. Both plans suck and NASA along with the US manned space program are the losers.