June 30, 2010: NASA Administrator had an interview with Al Jazeera television, saying President Obama had given him a new mission. "He wanted me to find a way to meet with the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and engineering."
For me, of course, the words 'historic contribution' are key. Whatcha done lately for the past, oh, sixteen hundred years?
Predictably, there was a uproar. Reaching out to Muslims is now the NASA Chief's job description?
A week later, the White House press office appeared to support Administrator Bolden's comments: "The President has always said that he wants NASA to engage with the world's best scientists and engineers (I'm sure we'll find those in Muslim countries) as we work together to push the boundaries of exploration. Meeting that mandate requires NASA to partner with countries around the world like Russia and Japan as well as collaboration with Israel and with many Muslim-majority countries." - Nick Shapirpo, White House Spokesman, July 7.
Then into the briefing room strolls the ever articulate Robert Gibbs. You may remember him from his famous work, "uh, umm, uh, ah, hmm, uh, I don't know. I'll have to get back to you on that. "
Bobby Gibbs says, contradicting everyone - surprise - (please don't ever fire him), "I don't think uh, uh, uh (sic) that that was not his task and that was not the task of NASA."
Question from Reporter: "Did he just misspeak?"
Gibbs: "I think so."
Reporter: "Has the President spoken to him about that?"
Gibbs: "Not that I'm aware of, no."
So what is Gibbs saying? That Administrator Bolden is a liar.
Let's review Administrator Bolden's credentials - if only to show that the man knows how to follow instructions: He flew a hundred missions in Viet Nam, flew 680 hours in space on several Space Shuttle missions, was in Operation Desert Thunder, has degrees and medals most of us can only dream of.
So let me ask you, the reader, this question: If he spoke with the President and those three things were the tasks outlined to him as his new mission, do you really think he'd get it wrong?
Or do you think after the public backlash the White House is - some would say backpedaling - I'll call it what it is: Lying.
I believe Administrator Bolden. Obama hasn't given me a reason to believe a single word that comes out of his mouth since before he was elected.
And since when is it the mission of our NASA chief to talk down to the Muslim world as if they were children, trying to build their self-esteem for ancient accomplishments? What he should be talking to them about are our accomplishments, which are remarkable, and perhaps offering them verbal incentives to follow in our scientific footsteps.
That's not to say there shouldn't be an outreach.
The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958: "NASA should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all man kind."
Why the American outrage? Peter Johnson, Jr. said it best: "We look at this storied history that we have with astronauts, who have given their lives, with hundreds of thousands of people who have provided technical support and a lifetime of achievement in helping the space program, and then order a former astronaut to tell Muslim children about Muslim scientists going back hundreds of years and their accomplishments as if this is somehow going to fortify the United States. The way to fortify the U.S. and build up relationships is to talk about American exceptionalism."
Nuff said.
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