I've remembered hearing somewhere that there are only 5 or so Senators needed to get the health care plan passed with a public option. Most of these are thought to be progressive or nominally moderate Democrats. But what if I started up a crazy scheme to get Bill Nelson, a continuous thorn in the side of progressive actions, and Richard Shelby of Alabama of all places, into our column?
It all comes from a basic canard about Congress ... everybody loves to spend money. And my scheme also comes in about spending money on two things I like and find essential to a progressive future.
So what is this magic carrot that is so win-win, you may ask? Simply this:
New York Times: Behind Moon Travel Goal, Big Talk and Little Money
Bill Nelson and Richard Shelby are both huge NASA enthusiasts. Nelson because of the people that work at the Cape, and because he has actually been on a Space Shuttle before. In the NY Times article above, he calls upon President Obama to share the vision of JFK and to promote NASA's budget to the point that the agency can achieve its moon-grasping vision. He has also fought many times for the Shuttle and Space Station. In this matter, I am of course greatly behind him as I see grand benefits to entering the spacefaring age.
Sen. Shelby is likewise a big promoter of NASA, and again for the same reason. He gets to keep many relatively conservative constituents in high-paying jobs and bring Federal money directly to his state (even as he rails against living on government largess). But, his support is not simple voting - he has used his political clout to intervene directly on the question of whether the private sector should be given NASA research money to experiment with a more service-oriented approach to supplying the Space Station with food and astronauts. The intervention was obvious to space observers because the private sector initiatives are a direct competitor to one of the use cases of Ares I and Orion, which are designed and controlled by Marshall Space Center, which is right in Huntsville, Alabama.
Also, Shelby and Nelson have moved in a block on the commercial (COTS-D) sending of astronauts to the Space Station, in order to amplify their influence. So, pushing one may help push the other.
So, the pitch to the two space-loving Senators from Obama is quite simple: I will play John F Kennedy and embrace his vision if you help me with the vision of Teddy Kennedy. A couple of billion for your hobby horse (and incidentally something to greatly help the nation's and world's future), if you consent to help out with something that is big for the country. Not to mention that those extra billions may even have a pay-off one day if they help to extend the (actually useful now) life of the ISS in micro-gravity medical experiments.
Of course, in order to do this is to play fire with something I find quite vital, namely our spacefaring future. Because I would hate to have Augustine and austerity lead President Obama to slash NASA. And as a full disclosure, such slashing may even affect my own job security as a member of the space sector.
But, this is vitally important. And this is a play that I would urge President Obama to make if it is realistic that it helps more of my fellow Americans have healthy lives.