Free Republic

WASHINGTON -- The leadership of the House Science Committee, the Congressional panel that authorizes NASA programs, wants NASA to halt work on the Orbital Space Plane, because of budget issues and concerns over the direction of the agency’s human space flight program. In an Oct. 21 letter to NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe, the committee expressed “deep concern” with NASA’s approach to the program and urged the agency to defer work on the project until an inter-agency space review is completed by the White House and approved by the president and Congress. The program “will not be successful on its current...

Members of Congress retire all the time, but some retirements are leading indicators of the direction of our politics. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert's announcement last week to call it quits matters, and in a depressing way. The affable 69-year-old New York Republican is one of the last of a breed: a liberal Republican, though he calls himself a "moderate" and has the record to prove it. Boehlert's departure does not leave the House bereft of liberal Republicans -- Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa is more liberal than Boehlert. But Leach, alas, is an outlier. The spotted owl is in good shape...

Watching the raft of newly elected GOP lawmakers converge on Washington, I couldn't help thinking about an issue I hope our party will better address. I call on my fellow Republicans to open their minds to rethinking what has largely become our party's line: denying that climate change and global warming are occurring and that they are largely due to human activities. National Journal reported last month that 19 of the 20 serious GOP Senate challengers declared that the science of climate change is either inconclusive or flat-out wrong.

Congressman David Reichert. Congressman Charles Bass. Congressman Michael Castle. Congressman Sherwood Boehlert. All four are quoted in today's accounts of yesterday's House meltdown on the budget and ANWR exploration. I won't presume that any member who is alleged to have been for stripping ANWR exploration from the budget bill actually was on the side of energy dependence of Middle Eastern and Hug Chavez, but their names will eventually come out. Opposition to ANWR exploration is a fundamentally disqualifiying position for a party that With the budget deficit at 2.4% of GDP, getting a budget vote wrong is not the occasion...

Moderate RINOS Undermine the GOP November 11, 2005 Download Windows Media PlayerListen to Rush Conduct Broadcast Excellence BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Well, now the White House has fought back. Will the congressional Republicans get their acts in gear? It looks like they're falling part. This gang of moderates under the tutelage of George Soros that killed the ANWR drilling project-- (interruption) You are unaware that the Republican mainstream partnership is funded by George Soros? I kid you not. It's on Michelle Malkin's website. I pulled it down last night. Here we go. She writes, "Many of you were asking for...

President Bush on Friday picked physicist Michael Griffin to lead NASA as it prepares to resume space shuttle flights and tries to meet the White House goal of sending astronauts back to the moon in the decade ahead. If confirmed by the Senate, Griffin would become the space agency's 11th administrator. Members of Congress immediately praised the president's choice, as did John Logsdon, director of George Washington University's space policy institute. "I've known Mike for a long time and have a great deal of respect for him as a kind of innovative thinker, real enthusiast full of energy," Logsdon said....

Liberal Sherwood Boehlert, a near-loser in the 2002 G.O.P. primary, faces rematch with underfunded conservative

GENEVA — A Geneva radio station is getting some help in going digital. WEOS-FM 89.7, Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ non-profit student station, learned late last week it will receive a $48,000 federal grant to buy some of the equipment it needs to broadcast digitally. The grant money, announced Thursday by Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-24 of New Hartford, will allow the National Public Radio station to buy equipment that will be installed within the next three to four months. Listeners should notice an improvement in sound immediately after it is installed, said General Manager Mike Black. An all-out conversion to...

Walrath hanging on until final vote One day after nearly wresting the Republican nomination for the 24th Congressional District seat from 20-year incumbent Sherwood Boehlert, Dr. David Walrath of Auburn did not concede the race. "To my knowledge, we don't have final results, and I think we should wait until all the votes are counted," Walrath said Wednesday. Meanwhile, Schoharie County Treasurer William Cherry said he was not ready to concede to fellow Republican Dan Hooker, who was declared the unofficial winner of the state 127th Assembly District primary Tuesday night. In the congressional race, Walrath, who trailed by 1,348...

Boehlert loses ballot line COOPERSTOWN - Congressman Sherwood Boehlert's petition to run for re-election as candidate of the Independence Party has been ruled inadequate by a state Supreme Court judge, according to a spokesman from a rival campaign. Boehlert must win the Sept. 10 Republican primary to be on the ballot for the general election. Boehlert, 65, of New Hartford filed a valid Republican petition, but faces a primary challenge from conservative Republican Dr. David Walrath of Auburn. In addition, Walrath has the Conservative Party's nomination and will be on the ballot in November as that party's candidate. Also running...