Why did Obama select Charles Bolden to head NASA? Let Mr. Bolden tell you in his own words...
Bolden: "I am here in the region – its sort of the first anniversary of President Barack Obama’s visit to Cairo – and his speech there when he gave what has now become known as Obama’s “Cairo Initiative” where he announced that he wanted this to become a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. When I became the NASA Administrator – before I became the NASA Administrator - he charged me with three things: One was that he wanted me to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, that he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering.”
Are Charles Bolden's Days as NASA Administrator Numbered?
Associated Content
Will NASA administrator Charles Bolden be forced to step down in the near future? There is a growing sense of unease about the former astronaut and Marine General reflected in discontent over how the space agency has been run.
First, Congressional anger over the somewhat tortured explanations by Bolden about the Obama space plan seems only to be rising. This is coupled by the outrage over the creative use of the Anti Deficiency Act to shut down parts of the Constellation space exploration program, potentially throwing thousands of aerospace contractors out of work even before Congress has voted on the Obama proposal to cancel the Constellation program.
Second, questions of a conflict of interest have arisen over Administrator Bolden's attempt to shut down a NASA project involving an experimental biofuel project involving algae. Bolden had come to this decision while consulting with one of his previous employers, Marathon Oil, a company in which he still owns stock and which has its own rival biofuel project.
Finally, Charles Bolden opined on the Arabic television network Al Jazeera that the primary mission of NASA was to help Muslim nations "—feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering." This has caused some Internet wags to suggest that all that space exploration stuff that NASA used to be able to do is now replaced by promoting self esteem.
Almost as controversial was Bolden's statement that America, which went to the Moon from a standing start in eight years during the 1960s, can now do almost nothing without international assistance.
Two things seem to be saving Charles Bolden from the inevitable calls for resignation.
First, the country is focused on other Obama administration scandals. These include the BP oil leak disaster, the continuing economic malaise, the gathering train wreck that is health care reform, and the slamming of allies and the appeasement of enemies abroad. Compared to all that, petty corruption and annoying appeasement at NASA seems like small cheese at present.
Second, there is the fear that, if Bolden were to go, President Obama might choose someone worse to take his place, like Deputy Administrator Lori Garver. Garver is known for her politically correct approach to all things space, and for her slavish support for anything her political masters say, as long as she gets to keep her office at NASA headquarters.
Bolden was out of the loop when the Obama space proposal was concocted in secret. Garver, rumor has it, was in the room and was an active participant in the formulation of the plan that tossed a hand grenade into the Constellation space exploration program which had gotten wide, bi-partisan support with the public and with Congress.
Still, one thing can be said for Charles Bolden. He has at least not allowed a Rolling Stone reporter to follow him around. While what would result would likely be very revealing, it would necessarily be career limiting.
