Tea Party.....In Space!?!

Yes, the Tea Party is trying to go trans-galaxy. Finally, someone tries to return NASA to what it began as and what it served best as. Check out the release:

TEA Party in Space (TPIS), a non-partisan organization, today publicly released the TEA Party Space Platform. “This is our response to the vacuum of leadership in Washington, D.C., for America’s national space enterprise,” said Andrew Gasshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifer, President of TPIS. “Whether it’s timidity from the White House or Congress’ earmark-laden ‘compromises,’ our space dreams will be stuck on this planet unless someone articulates a vision based on economic and technical reality, so that’s what we’ve done.”

This platform, and its specific planks, are grounded in sound science, technology, and the TEA Party’s core values. The TEA Party in Space Platform promotes fiscal responsibility, limited government, and stimulation of the free market.

“The status quo of crony capitalism, earmarking billions of NASA’s budget to a few companies, districts and states, has got to stop. We already tried this approach with Constellation and all we have to show for it are stacks of power point presentations, some pretty CGI videos, and a half-billion-dollar practice rocket,” said Gasser. “It’s time to return NASA to its roots as an R&D agency instead of serving as a slush fund for a few influential members of congress. This platform provides that plan.”

This platform gives the Administration, Congress, and federal candidates guidance on economic policy, technology development, and legislative priorities to help advance America’s leadership in space. Specific issues covered in the platform include reform of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), tax incentives for space investment, and changes to how NASA does business. One example of government waste the platform corrects is the U.S. Senate’s mandating of a wasteful Space Launch System in last year’s NASA Authorization Act. Instead of embracing new technology and opportunities to leverage private investment, Congress chose to waste over $11 billion in a few districts and states to keep a few contractors in business for a few more years. Instead, the TPIS platform calls for moving NASA away from the “Apollo crash program model” of designing, building, and operating its own unique and ultra-expensive launch vehicles.

“The same NASA centers and contractors who failed to complete the Constellation program are getting a bailout courtesy of the taxpayers. Billions of dollars continue to be directed to Ares contractors, just under a different name, SLS,” Everett Wilkinson, head of the South Florida Tea Party, stated. “The TEA Party’s core values are just what America’s space endeavors need right now in this volatile economy. NASA is being forced to fund programs that are behind schedule and ridiculously over budget. It’s time to ask: ‘how much is enough?’ Both NASA, and the American taxpayer deserve a better plan and that’s what our platform provides.”

Recently, a report mandated by Congress found that a private upstart company designed and built two new launch systems, and several generations of a new rocket engine all for roughly $390 million taxpayer dollars. The report estimated it would have cost NASA anywhere from $1.7 billion to $4 billion dollars to develop those same capabilities using standard NASA acquisition approaches.

Constellation cost the US Taxpayer over $11 billion dollars and produced only test articles, no flown hardware. When it was canceled last year, its schedule had already slipped by more than a year for each year it had existed. And even NASA’s vaunted robotic science projects are plagued by cost overruns and delays. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is suffering the same fate of Constellation. Originally priced at just under $1 billion dollars with a launch date of 2010, JWST is currently $5 billion dollars over budget and eight years behind schedule.

TPIS is making this platform available to everyone to read and review on their website, and then discuss with their friends and neighbors. TPIS hopes that people from all political backgrounds will read this.

“Our goal is make space policy a national issue. We want to educate Americans and our elected officials that we have a space economy and not just a space program, and every district and state can participate. We need to move away from calling a state a ‘space state’ or a district a ‘space district,’” stated Isaac Mooers, TPIS Director of Operations. “We have a platform that will grow all of America’s potential in space. We ask each elected official, and those running for office, to review the TEA Party Space Platform and pledge to vote in line with this platform.”

TPIS and its volunteer network will be reaching out nationwide to candidates and elected officials of all parties.

# # #

TEA Party in Space (TPIS), is a non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the American people and their elected representatives in applying the core principles of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets to the rapid and permanent expansion of American civilization into the space frontier, focusing on strategies for privatization, deregulation, and appropriate technology development partnerships between government institutions and the private sector. TEA Party in Space is proud to be part of a coalition of individual tea party groups with Tea Party Patriots. For more information, visit www.TEAPartyinSpace.com.

Tea Party Patriots, Inc. (“TPP”) is a non-partisan, non-profit social welfare organization dedicated to furthering the common good and general welfare of the people of the United States. TPP is the original and largest national grassroots tea party organization that is composed of over 2700 individual tea party groups. There are over a 130 tea party groups in Florida. TPP furthers this goal by educating the public and promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets. Tea Party Patriots has not endorsed candidates for public office. For more information, visit www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.

Cates Says "NAY!" to Shuttle in Dayton

Speaking of State Senator Gary Cates... 

What's up with the nay vote on S.C.R. No. 28? It urges Pres. to choose Air Force Museum at WPAFB for space shuttle display.

What has the shuttle, WPAFB, or Ohio tourism ever done to you Senator?  Did the shuttle suggest that the legislature ought to reduce its pay during a recession?  What?

UPDATE:  I emailed the senator to ask his about the vote and here is his response:

I’m not against the shuttle being brought to WPAFB. My no vote is to express my frustration of the GA dealing with largely ceremonial issues. With all the problems we have to deal with this to me is a fairly trivial pursuit. If I’m going to go the trouble of asking the President to do something, I would rather spend my chit on something that is more important such as addressing jobs, jobs and jobs. While it may be nice to have the shuttle nearby, it doesn’t do anything to change our lot in life. So I hope you will understand that I’m not against the shuttle, but sometimes you have to stand up and make a statement by voting “no”. Now that the primary elections are over, it’s easy for politicians to get back into their bad habits…one of them having your hand out to the federal gov’t looking for favors. I doubt that my “no” vote will have any impact on the President’s decision.

Fair enough!  And while I treated this somewhat in jest, it is a legit question that I got from a reader.  I want to thank the senator for responding and I have to say that I agree with his reasoning on this one.  And that is coming from a strong supporter of bringing the shuttle to WPAFB.

NRCC: Space Is Still Hanging On To Rangel's Dirty Money

Release:

Washington - Notoriously corrupt Harlem Democrat Charlie Rangel’s recent admonishment by the House Ethics Committee has caused a stir among the nervous House Democrats who have accepted the Ways and Means Chairman’s tainted campaign contributions. Now, Democrats like Zack Space have found themselves in the eye of an ethical storm. Not only has Space accepted $21,000 in dirty campaign funds, but he has twice voted to sweep his party’s corruption problems under the rug by letting Rangel off the hook. With House Democrats quickly abandoning the embattled chairman, will Space finally follow suit?

“After months of holding ranks, some Democrats are finally turning on House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) in the wake of an ethics committee finding that he violated House rules by accepting a Caribbean junket.

“Early Friday, Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) told POLITICO he wants Rangel to quit his powerful committee post — and that was quickly followed by similar statements from a pair of deep south Democrats, Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor and Alabama Rep. Bobby Bright.” (Glenn Thrush and John Bresnahan, “Dems Call for Rangel’s Gavel,” Politico, 2/26/10)

Now that the money is tainted, House Democrats have been quick to return it. Will Space do the right thing or is he too concerned about keeping Rangel’s checkbook open?

"I admire Mr. Rangel for his decades of leadership on civil rights and his service in the armed forces and in Congress," Himes said. "But as elected officials, we must live up to the highest ethical standards. Given this admonishment by the Ethics Committee and the other allegations pending against him, I have directed my staff to donate to charity the campaign contributions received from Mr. Rangel." (“Himes quickly distances himself from Rangel,” Connecticut Business News Journal, 2/26/2010)

“Tsongas said she received the donations in 2007, before she was a member of Congress, and now plans to donate the money to charity.

“Because she strongly believes that members of Congress have to be held to the highest ethical standards, she is disappointed by Congressman Rangel’s actions,” Tsongas spokeswoman Katie Enos said. The NRCC and other GOP groups are ramping up their efforts in Massachusetts in the wake of Brown’s Cinderella win. Tsongas is facing Republican businessman Jon Golnik in November.” (Dave Wedge, “GOP Zings Tsongas,” Boston Herald, 2/28/2010)

“Charlie Rangel has been embroiled in an ethical storm for years, but that hasn’t stopped Zack Space from lining his campaign coffers with his tainted money,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Now that Rangel has finally been busted for his ethical wrongdoings, Space has egg on his face for repeatedly protecting the embattled chairman. After accepting $21,000 in tainted campaign donations from the Harlem Democrat and twice voting to let him off the hook, Space is tied to this scandal whether he likes it or not. Will Space try to salvage what’s left of his political career and finally abandon Rangel and his campaign money?”

Video Break

OhioGOPtv for April 16th 2009:



John Kasich at Columbus Teay Party:



NRCC: How Fast is Zack Space Spending Your Money?



CATO: "Our Troubling Tax System"
Matt says: If you watch only one of these videos, make it this one...

Late Night Fun with The Day the Earth Stood Still

One of my sources sent me this press release and she was right, I did find it interesting and I certainly enjoyed it enough to pass it along...

LOS ANGELES, California, EARTH - (Tuesday, December 9) – Twentieth Century Fox makes history by transmitting the first motion picture in to deep space, making THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL the world’s first galactic motion picture release. The first deliberate deep space transmission of this highly anticipated science fiction thriller will begin this Friday, December 12, 2008, to coincide with the film’s opening day on Planet Earth. If any civilizations are currently orbiting Alpha Centauri, they will be able to receive and view the film approximately four years from now in the year 2012.

In a time when global movie launches are now commonplace, Fox is raising the bar by spearheading, with Deep Space Communications Network located at Cape Kennedy, the ultimate in “wide release” platforms. As millions of Earthbound movie fans get their first look at THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, the film will be zipping through space at 186,000 miles per second to a heretofore untapped possible consumer base orbiting the three star system, Alpha Centauri.

Industry watchers and film historians will note that due to the distance between our solar system and the Alpha Centauri system, it will take over eight years (accounting for a roundtrip communication) to receive any Alpha Centauri reviews. The transmission is not a single beam aimed at just the Alpha Centauri system, but can be received by any advanced technologically capable civilization along the way to Alpha Centauri, and beyond.

Prior to its arrival at Alpha Centauri, the transmission of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL can be intercepted and viewed at various points in our own solar system (Distance from Earth – at the speed of light – and transmission time, as follows):
Moon: 0.000000038, 1.1991888 seconds
Sun: 0.000016, 8.41536 minutes

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL TO BEAM INTO SPACE - PAGE 2

Mercury: 0.0000095, 4.99662 minutes
Venus: 0.00000476, 2.5035696 minutes
Mars: 0.0000076, 3.997296 minutes
Jupiter: 0.0000666, 35.028936 minutes
Saturn: 0.000135, 1.18341 hours
Uranus: 0.000285, 2.49831 hours
Neptune: 0.00046, 4.03236 hours
Pluto: 0.0006183, 5.4200178 hours

“We are thrilled about beaming this film into space. This will be our first full length movie transmission. And what could be more relevant to send into Deep Space than a movie about the Earth’s acceptance of visitors from outer space,” commented Jim Lewis, Managing Director, Deep Space Communications Network

About DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK:
Deep Space Communications Network is a private organization located east of Orlando. DSCN was formed specifically to communicate with outerspace by a group of broadcast engineers and communications experts who regularly transmit from the space center.

The beam transmitting THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is by redundanthigh-powered klystron amplifiers connected by a traveling waveguide to a five meter parabolic dish antenna.

The just might be the winner of the Best Press Release of the Year...