Go for the jugular:
Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday blasted Oklahoma Rep. Jim Bridenstine, President Donald Trump's nominee to run NASA, as unqualified for the job, too partisan and out of step on climate change.
"The NASA administrator should be a consummate space professional who is technically and scientifically competent and a skilled executive," Nelson said at Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing.
"More importantly, the administrator must be a leader who has the ability to unite scientists, engineers, commercial space interests, policymakers, the Congress and the public on a shared vision for future space exploration."
Nelson had previously raised concerns about Bridenstine's qualifications, as has Sen. Marco Rubio, who drew attacks from Bridenstine in the presidential primary over immigration.
Nelson said Bridenstine's past serve as a Navy aviator is "certainly commendable" but "it doesn't make you qualified to make the complex and nuanced engineering, safety and budgetary decisions for which the head of NASA must be accountable."
But wait, there’s more:
It didn’t stop there: Nelson brought attention to some of Bridenstine’s past comments on climate science and alluded to a speech the representative made on the House floor back in 2013, in which he demanded an apology from President Obama for supposedly spending too much money on climate changeresearch.
“Your past statements on climate change are troubling as compared to your more recent statements,” Nelson said. Of course, at today’s hearing, Bridenstine changed his tune about this — but not much, and in literally the most nonsensical way possible.
Throughout the rest of this hearing, Bridenstine will have the opportunity to respond to some of the criticism he’s faced for his views. While Nelson’s speech probably won’t stop him from getting confirmed, it is deeply satisfying to know that some people in congress are willing to put up a fight.
“NASA represents what is good about us,” Nelson told Bridenstine. “You’ve got a long way to go to prove to be that leader.”
Nelson wasn’t alone at grilling Bridenstine:
Asked by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) if he believes humans are the primary cause of climate change, Bridenstine said, “It’s going to depend on a whole lot of factors, and we’re still learning more about that every day.”
“In some years, you could say, ‘Absolutely,’” he added. “In other years, you know, during sun cycles and other things, there are other contributing factors that would have maybe more of an impact.”
To be clear, the vast majority of climate scientists — roughly 97 percent — agree that climate change is real and that humans are the primary cause.
Bridenstine was tapped by Trump to be NASA administrator in early September, despite having no formal background in science or engineering ― although he is a Navy Reserve pilot and once served as executive director of the Air and Space Museum & Planetarium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The nomination drew swift backlash from environmentalists and scientists, as well as politicians on both sides of the aisle.
At the time, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told Politico that he worried about Bridenstine’s “political baggage” and said his nomination “could be devastating for the space program.”
On Wednesday, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) called Bridenstine’s past statements on climate change “troubling,” noting that they contradict more moderate remarks the congressman has rolled out recently.
In a June 2013 speech, for example, Bridenstine pushed a debunked argument made by climate change deniers, claiming that global temperatures “stopped rising 10 years ago.” He said “the people of Oklahoma are ready to accept” an apology from then-President Barack Obama for what Bridenstine called a “gross misallocation” of funds for climate change research instead of weather forecasting.
At the confirmation hearing, Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) pressed him about the near-universal scientific consensus on what’s causing climate change. Bridenstine seemed to waver in response. “I would agree with that,” he said of Udall’s summary. And he vowed to allow science to drive NASA’s mission and to protect agency research from political interference.
Here’s also another taste of how divisive Bridenstine truly is:
In the House, where Bridenstine has served since 2013, he has been recognized as a leader on space issues and was the sponsor of a wide-ranging bill, known as the American Space Renaissance Act, which touched on national security and how to manage space debris and regulate the commercial space industry.
But a growing chorus of opponents have spoken out against him, including Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), saying his opposition to same-sex marriage and the Violence Against Women Act made him unfit. “It is clear Representative Bridenstine would move us backwards not forwards,” she said in a statement, urging the committee to vote against his nomination.
Nelson said he was “offended” by Bridenstine’s comments criticizing Democrats and Republicans working across the aisle to pass legislation. He noted that Bridenstine had not only called former president Barack Obama “dishonest, incompetent and vengeful,” but that he has also supported the opponent of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the GOP primary and attacked Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for working with Democrats on immigration.
Bridenstine said that his activity as a congressman, representing the interests of his district, would be very different from the way he would act as NASA administrator. Politics, he said, has no part in the space agency. He also said that “I do believe, from my heart, that every human being has dignity and worth and each person should be treated as though they are a valued member of the team.”
But Nelson, the committee's ranking member, wasn’t convinced.
“NASA needs a leader who will unite us, not divide us,” he said. “Respectfully, congressman Bridenstine, I don’t think you’re that leader.”
Well said. Nelson has a tough fight next year against this power hungry clown:
Florida has seven Supreme Court Justices. Three are set to retire on what will be Rick Scott's last day in office as Governor.
When the governor filled a vacancy on the Court last December, CNS asked whether he planned to try to fill those three vacancies.
"I'll appoint three more justices the morning I finish my term," he said.
A Wednesday hearing at the Florida Supreme Court is a direct result of the Governor's answer.
The League of Women Voters filed a motion to ask the court to tell the governor the three appointments are the next governor's, not Rick Scott's, to make.
"They either expire at the very last second that Governor Scott is still in power or a day later, said John Mills, the League of Women Voters' attorney.
But Nelson has been gearing up for re-election and getting some help from his colleagues:
When Alex Sink throws a fundraiser, one thing is assured – it will attract some of the most prominent Democrats on the political scene.
In December 2015, the former Florida chief financial officer hosted Hillary Clinton in an event at her Hillsborough County home supporting the former Secretary of State’s presidential bid.
Sink, a 2010 Democratic candidate for Florida governor, was a longtime Clinton supporter.
In November, Sink brings a similar star power for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s re-election bid, this time with a luncheon fundraiser with special guest Sen. Al Franken. The event will be held Saturday, Nov. 18, at Sink’s Thonotosassa home.
And potential Presidential candidates:
Sen. Kamala Harris will travel next month to another key presidential battleground to raise money for a Democratic colleague.
The California senator will be in Florida as a special guest of Sen. Bill Nelson for a Nov. 3 lunch reception, according to an invitation obtained by The Sacramento Bee.
The event in Jacksonville is part of a multistop fundraising swing though the state, with plans to appear alongside Nelson in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
But let’s help keep Nelson’s campaign fueled and ready to take on and defeat Scott. Click here to donate and get involved with Nelson’s re-election campaign.