WASN'T THIS ALL A FACADE SO HE'D HAVE A BIG IDEA TO RUN ON?:

Bush Names Physicist, Exploration Advocate as NASA Chief (John Johnson, March 12, 2005, LA Times)

President Bush on Friday announced his choice of Johns Hopkins University physicist Michael D. Griffin, a strong advocate of robotic and manned space exploration, to become the new head of NASA.

If confirmed by the Senate, Griffin — head of the space department at Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory — would replace Sean O'Keefe, who led the space agency through three tumultuous years that included the triumphant Mars rover missions as well as the Columbia space shuttle disaster.

The designation of Griffin comes at a critical time for NASA, which is weeks away from returning the space shuttle to flight after being on hiatus since the 2003 Columbia accident, which killed seven astronauts.

The agency is also under new pressure to carry out Bush's ambition to return humans to the moon and then venture on to Mars at a time of war and huge budget deficits.

Space enthusiasts were quick to praise Griffin, saying his vision of the nation's future in space should meld well with the president's.

"Mike is an excellent choice because of his passion for space exploration, his technical expertise and his long experience in space-flight engineering," said Wes Huntress, president of the Planetary Society in Pasadena.

"NASA has a wonderful and inspiring mission before it, and Dr. Griffin is the right captain for this ship," said George Whitesides, executive director of the National Space Society, an advocacy group founded by NASA pioneer Wernher von Braun.