Bill: To the moon, Barack!

Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:25 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston, we have a contrast.

Bill Clinton is fond of enumerating the differences of policy opinion between his wife and her main rival, often listing off their areas of disagreement on health care and trade. But residents of Space City USA were treated to a new "huge difference" during one of the former president's campaign stops on a day-long blitz of Houston today.

"Hillary has always supported the manned space program just as I did when I was president," he told a crowd of over 250 who gathered in a picturesque neighborhood park in a Houston suburb today. "Her opponent says we should downgrade man space travel and upgrade robotic travel."

The issue of space industry employment is key in a town home to NASA's largest R&D facility. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, the Johnson Space Center employs 3,000 federal workers and as many as 14,000 contracted employees.

"There are 16,000 jobs and a lot of Americans' futures riding on this centered here in Houston," Clinton said today. "You have to make a decision whether you care about this."

Another contrast Clinton continued to push in his remarks today centers around a new Obama ad airing in Texas markets. "There's a one-minute ad on in Texas telling you how terrible things were in the 90s," he said, "Well, I think we did pretty well in the 1990s."

"If you believe things were bad in the 90s, just as bad as in this decade," noted the former president, "and you believe everybody should be eliminated from being considered for president if they did anything good, I think you should vote for him."

But, he added, if not -- Hillary's your candidate.

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Comments

Again where are the major policy difference attacks on Obama? there are NONE because he can't come up with any arguments against basic Obama policies. Its all over but the crying.

Johnson, New Orleans, LA (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:43 PM)

Somehow I feel that Bill's fear-mongering is going to fall flat among the PhDs, the spacecraft engineers and astronauts. Lets call that an educated guess.

Yiannis, Baltimore (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:43 PM)

This is called scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Someone tell the Clintons to exit so Obama can start the national campaign.

MM (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:44 PM)

Really? What? Again I must ask, What?

Kym (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:45 PM)

Wow! There was a 'crowd' of 'over 250' ... I just can imagine the rope line !

I bet they counted the secret service and the press corps as part of the 'crowd'. I guess being convicted of perjury for lying to the American People can do that to you.

Frank, Missouri (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:47 PM)

OMG, what is the use of having a job, where there's a less than 70% chance U would make it back home? Bill makes it sound like a manned space travel is a key issue! How desperate can someone be?
I guess we should ask Bill!

Rep0X (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:47 PM)

Just because we send robots into space instead of humans doesn't necessarily mean the jobs go away, does it? I mean, it's not like most of the jobs at risk are astronauts, right?

Seems reasonable that we would send a robot up to do what a man could, and potentially save money and lives...maybe I'm missing something?

Ron, Greenville, SC (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:49 PM)

A Pander pander here
And a Pander pander there
Here a pander, there a pander, everywhere a pander pander...

Manned Spaceflight as a public works program...Interesting.

Gary Schear, bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:49 PM)

I would say this is a continuation of grasping. It's like when faced with the debacle that is the Iraq war G.W. Bush started talking about Mars missions. Completely irrelevant. Same applies here.

Bill Clinton knows his wife didn't score the direct hit needed in last night's debate nor did her opponent mess up. Now it's damage control until Tues.

Patrick, Detroit, MI (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:52 PM)

More pandering and fear mongering from the Clintons.

The manned space travel we are doing right now is wasteful and inefficient, other than the work on the ISS. We can gather far more information at far less cost by using robotics. Some of the new landers and rovers are simply amazing in what they can do.

We can send multiple missions to Mars, Saturn and Jupiter's large moons, our moon, asteroids, comets, and other locations for as much as it would cost to send a set of people back to the moon. While sending men to the moon again would give us some valuable information and samples, it would be a limited excursion. Where as the Martian rovers have been in operation for years now, still on the move, still sending data, and still providing significant information.

Those jobs wouldn't be lost, and he knows it. He's just using fear tactics. Those jobs would still be there, whether or not we are sending multiple rovers and orbiters into space on multiple missions, or a set of people on a single mission.

Aerospace Engineer in Florida (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:53 PM)

I don't believe Houston's NASA center is solely reliant on manned space missions, but when as the truth ever gotten in the way of Bill Clinton?

Ron, TX (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:55 PM)

Wow, the unintelligence here is amazing.

It takes significantly more people to launch a manned ship than a robotic one. This is called "making jobs" in America.

Don't Drink the Kool Aid
Hillary 08

deepa. boston, ma (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:57 PM)

Over 250 is a crowd?

At a public park on a sunny Wednesday lunchtime.

Did they have to count the dogs and squirrels to come up with this number?

Chris (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:00 PM)

Clinton isn't going after the space industry vote. Robotic space missions still keep the town employed. He's specifically going after the astronaut vote - all 30 of 'em. And maybe a couple genies, too.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:02 PM)

Let's get the media to research this claim, or at least check it out by getting a response from Obama. Put it in context ... and the statement isn't even a bad thing. Innovation is always good -- look at all the possibilities.

I, too, don't believe the desparate attacks of Bill Clinton. It reminds me of how he was impeached by lieing to the grand jury. Is this someone we should trust because he is a former President? I think not.

As far as things being better in the 90's, well he's probably correct. Anything that came before Bush would be better. But that doesn't mean that it was as good as it could have been if we as a country weren't mobilized for a year+ with the Lewinsky and other scandals. My advise to Bill Clinton is: step back and not embarras Hillary's campaign any further.

SharonAustinTX (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:02 PM)

I think Obama should be grateful everyday that he has had to run against someone like Clinton in this campaign. He would not be the candidate he is without her. I think Clinton knows she has lost, and is doing what is good for the democratic party by running hard after Obama. Because if he can't stand up to the baby attacks he is getting from the Clinton campaign...well he better just give up. You can believe the Republican Party is gearing up BIG TIME to go after Obama. They will use everything and anything. As you can see just from Yesterday. Obama has to stand up to that. He should come out and say "I'm proud of my middle name, I'm proud that my middle name is the same as our staunches ally in the mideast King Hussein of Jordan" His staff can't go crying foul when they see a picture of him in tribal clothing. He has to own that, why shouldn't he be proud of his heritage.

Vickie, Westchester New York (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:06 PM)

Wait a minute, Hillary Clinton is still in the race? Somebody tell Barack Obama and John McCain...I think they've both seen the writing on the wall and have moved on.

SDinIA (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:06 PM)

This is not desparation! He was addressing a crowd to which this topic means something. Perhaps the space program means nothing to any of you but I'm sure to the people in close proximity to the Johnson Space Center appreciated what he said. What's the problem? Can't the former presidenit speak without being jumped? And for your information President Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar and a J.D. so PhD's have nothing on him. And another thing, the 90's were great! I'm sick and tired of all you ungrateful Obama followers. Where was Obama when Bill Clinton was running the country and fighting the Republicans at the same time. Support Obama if you want but there's no need to tear down anyone who doesn't. You are the ones dividing the party.

Sharon, Orlando (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:07 PM)

I guess robots do not vote, but the people in the indutries that create and manufacture them do. So what is your point Bill?

jt bethlehem, pa (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:08 PM)

Wow, what a political genius insinuating the Space Program as a trump card to put Hillary over the top. Boy, Billy Jeff is the Dem version of Karl Rove. Now people who believe the Space Program is truly the biggest policy difference and the most important issue in front of: terrorism, corruption, the national debt, and the 'overall' economy...you know lost jobs due to NAFTA...('member Billy??), we can elect a leader whose husband now cares about jobs staying in America AND the all important and urgent Space Programs. More Star Wars anyone? Cold war is over Bill, our troops are on the ground fighting. Just inhale....

Superdelegate Boy '08 (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:08 PM)

This is not desperation! He was addressing a crowd to which this topic means something. Perhaps the space program means nothing to any of you but I'm sure to the people in close proximity to the Johnson Space Center appreciated what he said. What's the problem? Can't the former president speak without being jumped? And for your information President Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar and a J.D. so PhD's have nothing on him. And another thing, the 90's were great! I'm sick and tired of all you ungrateful Obama followers. Where was Obama when Bill Clinton was running the country and fighting the Republicans at the same time? Support Obama if you want but there's no need to tear down anyone who doesn't. You are the ones dividing the party.

Sharon, Orlando (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:09 PM)

yes, Bill, save for the dot com revolution during the '90s, they weren't all that! Too many scandals, too many possibilities/accusations of wrong doing, too many opportunities missed; but, I'm sure you know nothing about those!

susan f (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:10 PM)

You need to get your heads out of the clouds believing Obama's "dreams" or BS. I can't believe so many people are dumb enough to believe that he's telling them what they want to hear just to get their vote. He is not and never will be God

Me, Missouri (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:10 PM)

I follow the space program just a little bit, but I am pretty sure we send up far more robotic flights than manned. And given that most of those employed are production and support, not astronauts, wouldn't increased robotic spaceflight create and increase jobs as well? In fact, if you count the people involved in the robotic and computer development, it might be even higher. It takes more people to build and prep an automated system to go into space than it does to train an astronaut crew. Finally, the frequency of robotic space flight is far greater than the rare manned launches.

Really doesn't seem very logical. I agree with an earlier poster that refers to this as fear mongering. Wow.

Jason, Alexandria, VA (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:12 PM)

Go Bill
You are a wise man.
There is no such thing as a nice Obamacan....
If you disagree read your blogs....
Pathetic little angry people

Sharon,Largo,Fl (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:12 PM)

Go Bill
You are a wise man.
There is no such thing as a nice Obamacan....
If you disagree read your blogs....
Pathetic little angry people

Sharon,Largo,Fl (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:12 PM)

I agree with Obama. Robotic space travel is the way to go. Just look at all the two Mars rovers have done, and are still doing. If you did that with people it would cost at least 50 times as much, and we probably wouldn't get nearly as much useful data anyway.

Nick (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:17 PM)

Frank of Missouri- It's obvious that the Clinton's are grasping at straws but spare me the bit about lying about a BJ; CONSIDERING THE LIES COMMITTED BY BUSH CLAN. Benjamin Franklin once stated that surrending liberty for so-called security that country deserves neither.

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:17 PM)

While Hillary complains about Obama taking pages out of the Karl Rove dirty play book Bill continues to use the 'fear tactics' that Rove and republicans have relyed on since 9/11. It is obvious Bill has lost his touch for spinning phrases and words and obvious he is costing Hillary votes. When this is all over on March 4th Hillary can thank Bill for loosing the nomination for her.

Ellis B. Kingman, Az. (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:18 PM)

Bill Clinton said he'd cancel the space station program if we didn't do it with the Russians. Then he sent billions of NASA dollars to help support the Russian space industry...and military industry, since they are one and the same. In essence, he exported American aerospace jobs to Russia, made us dependent on our adversaries for space operations, and propped up their space weapons industry when it was collapsing. Thanks Bill. You were just great for the U.S. space program and Houston....blew us out of the water and made us dependent on our enemies.

CC (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:21 PM)

HELLO, ALL YOU OUT THERE!

PREPARE YOURSELF TO RECIEVE A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT!
THR GOP'S ARE TOLD TO CROSS OVER AND TO VOTE FOR
OBAMA. AND WITH THERE DIRTY TRICKS, THEY WILL LEAD THE LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER.

THE "GONG HO" SUPPORT WILL FADE, AND OBAMA WILL
FIND OUT THAT OPRAH WAS NOT AS POWERFUL AS SHE
THOUGHT SHE WAS.

OBAMA IS NOT AS STRONG AS SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS.
PEOPLE WONDERED ABOUT HILLARY, BUT THEY DID NOT
REALIZE THAT THEY PUT HER ALWAYS ON THE DEFENSIVE.

WELL, WHO KNOWS, WE STILL HAVE THE DINASAUR NADER!
OR MAYBE, BY SOME MIRACLE, THINGS MIGHT GHANGE FOR
THE BETTER.

THINK BEFORE YOU PULLTHE LEVER!!!!!

DEA, NY, NY. (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:31 PM)

Vickie from Westchester - intriguing point. I've toggled between that thought, and wondering how far she can go before entrenching her supporters against Obama.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:36 PM)

wouldn't R&D into robotic space travel actually increase Jobs? And won't the astronauts simply get re-assigned? even if they get fired, how many jobs is that? definitely not 14000.

Increased R&D into robotics will increase the knowledge base of the area and employees as well.

Obama Fan, NY,NY (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:37 PM)

Obama has many questions to answer about being a 20 yr. member in a black only membership church who's pastor praises and supports Farrakhan, who is the leader of Nation Islam.

John Doe (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:40 PM)

Obama has many questions to answer about being a 20 yr. member in a black only membership church who's pastor praises and supports Farrakhan, who is the leader of Nation Islam.

John Doe (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:41 PM)

Talk about saying anything to get the votes! The Clintons would sing to the choir if they think it would lead to votes. Let's send a mission to the moon, mars and other planets once every week to create jobs for those astronauts. While we are at it, let's create more jobs for the lobbyists, the superdelegates

Floan , Charlotte NC (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:43 PM)

WASHINGTON -- Georgia Congressman John Lewis told WSB-TV Channel 2's Monica Pearson Wednesday that he is switching his support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama.

Pearson met with Congressman John Lewis Wednesday afternoon in Washington. She was the only Atlanta TV reporter Lewis spoke to about his switch.

Talk had been swirling that Lewis might switch his endorsement from Clinton to Obama. Lewis is a superdelegate who will cast his ballot at the Democratic National Convention.

Lewis told Pearson he was switching his support because his district voted for Obama and he believes Americans are looking for a great change. He also said he had not spoken to Clinton or Obama about his decision.

Please refresh this developing story for updates. Watch Channel 2 Action News at 5 & 6 for more on Monica Pearson's interview with Lewis.

lori nebraska (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:44 PM)

Lord knows, nobody wants any more rocket scientists out of work!!

Phred, NH (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:44 PM)

The Planetary Society, to which I belong, and other scientifically based organizations believe that manned missions divert funds from the more productive un-manned missions. There is very little difference in the jobs created and it is not supposed to be a corporate welfare program. There are emotional reasons to prefer manned missions but not scientific or economical reasons. Did Bill just pull this one out of his astro? What the next, the huge difference of Obama preferring blue M&Ms over red ones?

nuanced (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:48 PM)

Bill did an OK job in the 90's. The problem he had was the divide Hill and he created with the bad health care thing as well as his affairs. He would serve his legacy best if he just shut up

Nj (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:53 PM)

well bill your basing jobs on expectation of the economy...Well the government is broke and saying we need more workers is fine just tell me where we are going to get the money....Let see we have lost millions of jobs to nafta, we cant afford oil, or gas, we need health care, we nee goods made in America not china,we need mfg.jobs....we we we need to be able to take care of our familys Washington is more concerned about taking care of themselves. Mr Mcain has all lobbysist working for him ,if he gets in it will be politics as usual. big money for lobbysist and politicians to enrich themselves first., and worry about the people later. Sorry both parties operate the same take care of themselves first and worry about the people later...No im convinced if I dont vote change it will be four more years of the same just new faces and that politcs will continue as it is now. 29 percent rating of congress what do i have to lose.....Nothing......

Russ Fox Wells, Maine (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:53 PM)

I don't know about the rest of you, but for all Bill has done to the Hillary campaign-- Hillary's image, how out of touch with the average American he's been during this primary election cycle and how polarizing he's made her look--i think he should embark on a manned mission to the moon or somewhere himself for the next one year.

Taiwo Odua, Chapel Hill, NC (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:54 PM)

Angry and hateful Obamacans

Debbie Little Rock (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:56 PM)

I think we should be scared of Bill. He rallied all of 250 people to listen to him. I think the freak show at the traveling circus can outdo that.

Debra Austin, Texas (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:58 PM)

Most Obama followers didn't have to pay a mortgage, hold a job or feed a family in the 90's. So, they wouldn't know how good it was.

Belle (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:59 PM)

I'm confused about how using robotics in space travel would mean fewer jobs...

Wouldn't it mean more? Aren't there maybe 100 astronauts? Wouldn't the development and implementation of those kinds of robotics mean well more than 100 jobs?

beth, bellingham, washington (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:01 PM)

Mortgage crisis....credit card crisis.....homeless veterans.....health care needs......education......jobs......struggling single parents...struggling older Americans....illegal immigration....war...

Oh yeah, let's talk about sending more astronauts to the moon.......

Serena, Westwood KS (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:04 PM)

I think its pretty pathetic of all of these Obama supporters to praise every thing he says and does, EVEN when its in-accurate and down right ignorant of him. Hilliary cannot do anything right, the media spins everything she does as a negative the so-called impartial analyst, correspondents and moderators' are so pathetically partial and they always end on either a bad comment about Hilliary or a good comment on Barack. I personally do not think Barack is a bad guy, but I do not think he truly understands what it takes to get things done in Washington and I do not believe he has the experience or knowledge of many issues to the depths that Hilliary does to be a good President, at least right now anyway. I also think its disgusting how this is so obviously a Black/White race, blacks that do not even know what the issues are are or what both candidates stand for are voting for Barack just because he is black and that is a disgrace and an injustice to selecting the next person to be President. He has young college kids that know nothing about the past and whats really going on they are just mesmerized by his words. The biggest claim he hangs on is that he did not vote for the war. So what! He also was not privy to the same information and did not have to vote. If I had received a report from the President with statements from Collin Powell stating that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and plans to use them on the US, I would have voted for the war too and so I say in lieu of those things, Obama was pretty cowardly not voting for war under those circumstances. In addition, he didn't vote for the war, but he continually voted to continue spending for the war, where is the difference???? All I can say is stop being mesmerized by nice voice tone and uprising speeches, he is simply not qualified and if he goes up against McCain he will lose so unless you want another Republican, which we cannot afford, in the White House, you should vote for Hillary!

Lynn Shine, NJ (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:06 PM)

As much as I honor, admire, and respect Bill, I think he should have realized that as good as the 90's were, people do not wanna go back in time. They wanna go forward. The last guy who ran on a nostalgia campaign for decades past, the man who wanted to build a bridge to the past, to the 50's was the man he landslided in 1996, who was Bob Dole. This kind of campaign never works.

Joe Michaels (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:07 PM)

Boy those obamacans are out to destroy the clintons and everybody that has ever said hello to them.If Obama is sitting in the whitehouse you should hope and pray that he is half the president that Bill was.You obamanoids want to destroy everything that most of us have worked to build and that is why so many of us cannot stand you and your cultish ways.You are a wrecking crew for the party.

HMT-MI (Sent Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:07 PM)

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