SILVER SPRING, MD – In an unprecedented move, NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe has broken with tradition by diving headfirst into several campaigns. According to newspaper reports, Administrator O’Keefe has decided to use his politically appointed position to endorse Republican candidates throughout the nation.
On October 21st, O’Keefe traveled to Huntsville for the sole purpose of endorsing Representative Bob Riley, who is running for Governor of Alabama against incumbent Don Siegelman. Despite the fact that O’Keefe’s endorsement of Riley is without precedent for a NASA Administrator, he graciously extended an unapologetic endorsement for Riley. “Bob Riley is an enlightened leader who understands the critical nature of research investment, and Alabama’s economy will prosper under Bob Riley’s leadership,” O’Keefe said at an October 21st Huntsville news conference.
Riley is not the only candidate O’Keefe is stumping for however. Two days after endorsing Riley, O’Keefe found time to attend campaign events in Cocoa Beach for Republican Tom Feeney, who is running for the House of Representatives in Florida’s 24th Congressional District.
Greg Junemann, President of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), questioned O’Keefe’s judgement in becoming involved in campaigning. “Has the administrator forgotten who holds NASA’s purse strings? It seems to me that after campaigning for Republican candidates, it will be pretty difficult to go to Congressional Democrats and ask them to support NASA’s work. If the Democrats take over both houses of Congress, which is a real possibility, where does that leave NASA? The administrator, at this point, is putting Republican Party politics ahead of what is in NASA’s best interest.”
As an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, IFPTE represents a wide variety of technical and professional occupations, including scientists, engineers and administrative workers at several NASA locations nationwide. NASA facilities in Washington, DC, Cleveland, OH, Moffett Field, CA, Huntsville, AL, and Greenbelt, MD are among the locations where IFPTE members are employed.
