Thursday, July 12, 2018

Trump bypasses Janet Kavandi, nominates former lobbyist for NASA deputy administrator

Donald Trump continued cleaning the swamp today by nominating Senate Deputy Sergeant at Arms James Morhard, a long-time lobbyist, to be NASA deputy administrator.

Morhard is the second Trump NASA nominee with no background that would seem to qualify him for the position.

The first, NASA Administrator James Bridenstine, lobbied unsuccessfully for Trump to appoint Carthage High School and Missouri Southern State University graduate Janet Kavandi, a scientist who currently serves as director of NASA's Glenn Research Center, and a former astronaut who took three space shuttle trips, the first one taking place 20 years ago this month.


Bridenstine recommended Kavandi, noting that her qualifications and experience made her the right person for the position.

It needs to be somebody who has a lot of space experience, a space professional,” he said. “It needs to be somebody who has run large organizations, who understands the technology. A scientist would be great.”

If the Senate approves Morhard, Bridenstine will be receiving a deputy who has no space experience, is not a space professional, who has not run a large organization, though he did run a lobbying firm, and who is not a scientist.

He was a former staff director for the Senate Appropriations Committee, whose previous claim to fame was that he survived the plane crash that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, in 2010.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why appoint people to positions they know something about. Look at Trump and he didn't know anything about what it was really like to be a President and he has not messed that up too much. A lobbyist is great choice since he will get vendors who give the best kickbacks to build the craft shooting people to Mars or beyond. Isn't that the way business is done or military equipment bought? Americans for the most part are appalled by what is going on, but with a gutless republican congress nothing can be done until November. Hawley is one of the worse.

Anonymous said...

More quality appointees to handle America's multi-billion dollar projects! What a FARCE! Go for the lobbyists; they know who should get the money. Pitiful

Anonymous said...

Gonna privatize NASA now? The Brits have built a big balloon in honor of the Prez. Maybe he wants to launch it! Such a quality leader - NOT!
If only Ms. Kavandi hadn't been a smart woman, she would have had a chance.