The crews of the U.S. space shuttle and International Space Station wave after their talk with President Barack Obama today: Front row from left: Japan Aerospace Exporation Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Greg Chamitoff, Mike Fincke and Sndra Magnus. Center row Lee Archambault, Tony Antonelli and Joseph Acaba. Back row Richard Arnold, Steve Swanson and John Phillip. (AP Photo / NASA TV)
by Mark Silva
The president placed a long-distance phone call today - to the International Space Station - with the help of some school-kids who had some pretty good questions.
The Washington, D.C.-area middle-schoolers joined President Barack Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the West Wing for a call to the astronauts aloft that lasted close to a half-hour. They spoke of their efforts at installing new solar panels up there, and the president spoke of his plans for boosting solar energy-generation here "on the ground.''
Obama was joined by a onetime astronaut, Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who once flew aboard the space shuttle as a congressman, and other members of Congress who have the Kennedy Space Center in Houston or Cape Canaveral in Florida in their districts in a conference call with the international crew aboard the orbiting space station.
"Hello, commander, can you hear us?" the president asked.
"We've got a crew of wonderful schoolchildren here, who are all interested in space, and we've got some members of Congress, who are like big kids when it comes to talking to astronauts,'' Obama said. "I'm told that you're cruising at 17,500 miles per hour, so we're glad that you're using the hands-free phone."
"As an astronaut, what do you eat," "one student asked.
"Have you found any life forms or any plants out in space,'' came the next question -- "That's a good question,'' the president said.
"How many stars are there in space?''a student asked, and the president said: "I'll be interested to hear the answer to that one.''
"What do you have to study to be an astronaut?"
Viewing the astronauts via a video connection, the president teased one astronaut, whose hair was floating above her head in the weightless space station.
"Now, can I ask you a question -- were you tempted to cut your hair shorter while you were up there? Or is it fun in weightlessness?"
The astronaut replied that short hair was probably "ideally" "the way to go" but that a shorter cut wouldn't look good on her.
"I think it's a real fashion statement," Obama said.
By the way, no reports of other life-forms were called in today.
Comments
Hey Swamp, how about a post on the breaking news story that Chris Dodd's wife is a former director of an AIG-controlled company in Bermuda?
I know you guys like these Obama puff pieces, but this is shocking corruption from the senator whose ties to AIG were already too close for comfort.
Dodd has been one of the company's favorite recipients of campaign contributions. But it turns out that Senator Dodd's wife has also benefited from past connections to AIG as well.
From 2001-2004, Jackie Clegg Dodd served as an "outside" director of IPC Holdings, Ltd., a Bermuda-based company controlled by AIG. IPC, which provides property casualty catastrophe insurance coverage, was formed in 1993 and currently has a market cap of $1.4 billion and trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol IPCR.
Clegg was compensated for her duties to the company, which was managed by a subsidiary of AIG. In 2003, according to a proxy statement, Clegg received $12,000 per year and an additional $1,000 for each Directors' and committee meeting she attended. Clegg served on the Audit and Investment committees during her final year on the board.
IPC paid millions each year to other AIG-related companies for administrative and other services. Clegg was a diligent director. In 2003, the proxy statement report, she attended more than 75% of board and committee meetings. This while she served as the managing partner of Clegg International Consultants, LLC, which she created in 2001, the year she joined the board of IPC. (See Dodd's public financial disclosure reports with the Senate from 2001-2004). Seems like such a deep level of corruption from a republican would be reported on by you guys, ad nauseum. Why do Dodd and Clegg get a break? Is it because they're democrats?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/dodds_wife_a_former_director_o.html
Posted by: Jeff | March 24, 2009 1:46 PM
Is it at all possible the rabid can find something here?
Posted by: bill r. | March 24, 2009 2:00 PM
We are all in the economic gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.
Posted by: Ian Thorpe | March 24, 2009 3:27 PM
Posted by: Jeff | March 24, 2009 1:46 PM
What deep corruption Jeff? What crimes are you alledging Ms. Clegg committed? What laws were violated? Please elaborate on exactly what corruption there was here. The article makes it clear that Ms. Clegg diligently performed the duties she was payed for.
Certainly you are aware that during the time Clegg served on the board, Dodd was not Chairman of the Banking committee, nor even ranking Democrat, so I'm sure you have direct and convincing proof that Ms. Clegg's past work for a company related to AIG was directly connected to Senator Dodd's actions in an Illegal way for you to be proclaiming this as "deep corruption".
I'm sure a deeply ethical person like yourself would never alledge a criminal act where there is none, so I am also quite sure you will be providing full details on the laws broken. I await you further information.
Posted by: Tell us more Jeff | March 24, 2009 4:30 PM
Jeff, I know your mind can't comprehend that a woman could get a job without the help of her husband, or that she might have accomplishments of ther own, but look into Jackie Clegg dodd's background. She has an extensive background in foriegn trade art the highest levels and is a highly respected business woman inedependant of her husband's career.
Are you suggesting that Jackie didn't not seserve that position on her own merits? Are you suggesting that the wife of a Senator should be banned from operating in any industry that comes under her husband's committee jusridiction? ( In which case Cindy McCain better start resigning from all her boards so that her husband isn't accused of deep corruption due to his membership on the commerce committee by you)
Posted by: Liz | March 24, 2009 4:37 PM
There could be no better investment in America than to invest in America becoming energy independent! We need to utilize everything in out power to reduce our dependence on foreign oil including using our own natural resources. Create cheap clean energy, new badly needed green jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.The high cost of fuel this past year seriously damaged our economy and society. The cost of fuel effects every facet of consumer goods from production to shipping costs. It costs the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to charge and drive an electric car. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and SUV's instead had plug-in electric drive trains the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota.We have so much available to us such as wind and solar. Let's spend some of those bail out billions and get busy harnessing this energy. Create cheap clean energy, badly needed new jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What a win-win situation that would be for our nation at large! There is a really good new book out by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now. http://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Posted by: Sherry | March 24, 2009 5:42 PM
Good work comrade Jeff. Leave this story alone, don't justify your accusations. Just move on to another story and do the same thing.
The way you were taught.
Bravo lad!
Good work!
Posted by: School Of Media Management | March 24, 2009 8:53 PM
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Joannah
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Posted by: Joannah | April 6, 2009 2:50 AM