Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New tape: JFK fretted moon program was tough sell
Associated Press ^ | May 25, 2011 | JAY LINDSAY

Posted on 05/25/2011 7:28:36 AM PDT by decimon

BOSTON – After setting a soaring vision to land a man on the moon, President John F. Kennedy struggled with how to sell the public on a costly space program he worried had "lost its glamour" and had scant political benefits, according to a newly released White House tape.

Kennedy and NASA Administrator James Webb hashed out how to strengthen public backing for the mission, such as by highlighting its technological benefits and military uses.

And in a scenario that echoes today, the two worried about preserving funding amid what Webb calls a "driving desire to cut the budget," according to the tape recorded two months before Kennedy was assassinated.

"It's become a political struggle now," Kennedy says, near the end of the 46-minute tape. "We've got to hold this thing, goddamn it."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: apollo; f1; jfk; johnfkennedy; saturnv; sergeikorolev; wernervonbraun
The better bet was the rocket plane program.

Dyna-Soar

1 posted on 05/25/2011 7:28:37 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: decimon

AP comes through for the Bamster once again.


2 posted on 05/25/2011 7:31:21 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skeeter
AP comes through for the Bamster once again.

How so?

3 posted on 05/25/2011 7:38:28 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: skeeter
John Kennedy had tanked in the polls and had virtually no chance of re-election. If he had survived he would have been a one term president.

If we all survive Obama will be a one term president.

4 posted on 05/25/2011 7:39:05 AM PDT by kennedy (No relation to those other Kennedys.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: skeeter

???


5 posted on 05/25/2011 7:43:31 AM PDT by stuartcr ("Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: decimon

There are very recent media stories of NASA people complaining about the space program being defunded by this administration.


6 posted on 05/25/2011 7:44:03 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: decimon

It’s still a tough sell. If we don’t get with the program (literally) again, and soon, the Chinese will one day rule space, and be the world’s preeminent superpower as a result.


7 posted on 05/25/2011 7:46:17 AM PDT by Melas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skeeter
There are very recent media stories of NASA people complaining about the space program being defunded by this administration.

I know.

8 posted on 05/25/2011 7:47:57 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: decimon

IMO this article appears to provide a justification, and equates Obama with the mythical JFK at the same time.


9 posted on 05/25/2011 7:49:19 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: kennedy
John Kennedy had tanked in the polls and had virtually no chance of re-election.

Maybe but that's a tough call. Those polls are like a roller coaster. The Pubs needed someone popular to go against him.

10 posted on 05/25/2011 7:51:20 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: skeeter
IMO this article appears to provide a justification, and equates Obama with the mythical JFK at the same time.

I don't see JFK as looking very good in this article. All to him was politics.

I don't think that NASA is much on peoples' minds these days so I don't think this helps or hurts Obama. Can you imagine any Republican candidate trying to make NASA a campaign issue?

11 posted on 05/25/2011 7:56:23 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: KevinDavis

Ping.


12 posted on 05/25/2011 8:02:14 AM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: decimon
Why would AP choose this particular time to run a story on a topic no one is interested in?

Nah, this is typical legacy media Obama apologetics.

13 posted on 05/25/2011 8:06:19 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: decimon

The moon program was started by Eisenhower and was well underway by the time JFK hitched his wagon to it. Above is a picture of Eisenhower with Von Braun in front of a Saturn booster in 1960, before JFK was elected.

14 posted on 05/25/2011 8:06:21 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skeeter
Why would AP choose this particular time to run a story on a topic no one is interested in?

They put out many stories every day. We see only what some media outlet chooses to publish.

The article says that this is among 260 hours of tapes being reviewed at the Kennedy Library. Little of that 260 hours will be reported as little of it will be of interest.

15 posted on 05/25/2011 8:15:13 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62

I don’t think that Ike would have put nearly the resources into a moon landing that Kennedy did. There was no reason to.


16 posted on 05/25/2011 8:17:20 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: decimon

The funding has been going toward outreaches to “Amish”, and evangelization of the global warming/climate change/whatzitcalledtoday religion.
You bet China is looking to take the lead. With militarization as well - they have already done a satellite intercept. Chinese space station - will have PLA written all over it, much like the Soviet Salyuts, which were really the USSR’s version of the Manned Orbiting Laboritory - which in turn was part of the Keyhole series of reconnaisance satellites.


17 posted on 05/25/2011 8:38:12 AM PDT by Fred Hayek (FUBO, the No Talent Pop Star pResident.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: decimon
I don’t think that Ike would have put nearly the resources into a moon landing that Kennedy did.

What do you think Apollo and its Saturn boosters were all about?

Truth be told, the funding and political motivation was due more to the Soviet space program than anything else.

18 posted on 05/25/2011 10:45:26 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: decimon

Thanks decimon.


19 posted on 05/28/2011 6:55:27 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson