Voter Political Blog

NASA chief, Michael Griffin, is doing his best to retain his position in the upcoming Obama administration.

Griffin has an online petition that he is asking people to sign in hopes it will pressure Barack Obama to keep him. His wife has publicly asked friends to sign it.

As of today, the petition had 1,585 signees, but many included unfavorable comments.

“Dr. Griffin is useless, and in fact - detrimental, as a NASA admin.”

“This petition is a scandal.”

“Get him out, this petition is a disgrace.”

The position is a political appointment so it would be unlikely for Griffin to keep his position with a new President. The lobbying effort is a risky venture in itself, as Presidents do not generally like to be pressured on their political appointments by their prospective political appointees.

Griffin has also not cooperated well with Obama’s staff. He has not eagerly provided information that the transition team has requested and even told the head of the space transition team, Lori Garver, that she was not qualified to judge him.

To Griffin’s credit, many consider him responsible for pointing NASA in the right direction for its important and wide-ranging missions planned for the next decade.

Griffin also has some scientific differences with Obama. For example, he is not convinced that global warming is manmade or that anything should be done about it, even if it is.

Instead of a petition, a little humility probably would have gone a lot further.