Harrison Schmitt: in His Words (Astronaut, NM-Department secretary-designate) )

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 12, 2011 | Thomas J. Cole

[CedarDave]

Words matter. If they didn't, I wouldn't be writing this and you wouldn't be reading it.

So, today, let's visit the words of former astronaut and U.S. Sen. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, who is Gov. Susana Martinez's pick to head the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

For more than a year, Schmitt has been posting his views on national and international issues on www.AmericasUncommonSense.com.

I suspect most of you will agree with some of what he has to say and disagree with other things. The man does have credentials: a doctorate in geology from Harvard and a bachelor's in science from Caltech. He walked on the moon.

As for me, I think Schmitt spent a little too much time in weightlessness. Then again, I may be a member of what he calls the "state-committed media," working with President Barack Obama "to control personal behavior and private sector decision-making."

In reviewing his comments, you might want to keep in mind that — if confirmed as secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department — Schmitt will oversee state regulation of the production of most natural resources, including oil and natural gas.

Excerpts:

On public lands: Conservation requires a balancing "of the liberties of individual citizens, the economic wellbeing of local communities and States, requirements for the 'common defence,' and the advance of conservation technologies. ...

On energy: Congress should remove the "regulatory bottlenecks on nuclear power plant and refinery construction and on exploration and production from beneath public land and offshore waters. ..

On climate change: "There exists no true concern ... about the true effects of climate change — only a poorly concealed, ideologically driven attempt to use conjured up threats of catastrophic consequences as a lever to gain authoritarian control of society."

[CedarDave]

The whole article is over 1,000 words long and well worth the read. Or for an evening of reading, visit the link in the third paragraph above. Dr. Schmitt is a conservationist (in the original sense of the word), a conservative and constitutionalist. You can already see what the media thinks about him (he "spent a little too much time in weightlessness") and no doubt the libs, radical progressives (redundancy). and environutters in Santa Fe are preparing an all out effort to defeat him when he comes up for state senate confirmation in the next few weeks.

[CedarDave]

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[Da Coyote]

Hmmm, believe an astronaut with degrees the MSM can barely spell, or believe a “journalist”.

Methinks the MSM writer spent a little too much time on drugs.

Decisions, decisions........

[NonValueAdded]

He³

[Young Werther]

I met Senator Schmitt at the 2007 National Space Society Convention here in Dallas. Being a Space Enthusiast I bought his book, "Return to the Moon". He even autographed it for me. I was a volunteer and manned the lobby in the between times while the various lectures and other events were occurring. I was able to speak at length with Senator Schmitt and his thesis was sound.

President Obama has said that we must Increase students Science and Math scores which have declined. We need to find a way to improve GDP and create jobs. We must develope alternative energy sources.

The Apollo Program did this for my generation in the 50s and 60s.

Please read Schmitt's book. Return to the Moon means kids will study and improve their math and science skills so that they can migrate to the moon and establish a lunar base. Mine the Helium three on the Moon to be the fuel for fusion reactors which would then generate electricity which would be beamed to the earth using microwave non polluting energy beams. Finally this space spending will create new jobs and, improve the GDP and make mankind's giant leap pay dividends.

Obama cuts NASA spending because???????

[CedarDave]

...no doubt the libs, radical progressives (redundancy). and environutters in Santa Fe are preparing an all out effort to defeat him when he comes up for state senate confirmation in the next few weeks.

See my comment on Santa Fe in this story:

Santa Fe praised by gay magazine (#2 gay friendly city)

Can’t resist commenting on the mayor’s claim about being “tolerant.” Santa Fe is tolerant of illegals (a “sanctuary” city), homosexuals (as above), drugs (meth lab found downtown a couple of days ago), the homeless (they and the mentally ill inhabit the Santa Fe River area especially in the summer and hassle tourists), and gangs (who beat up homosexuals, shoot at those who “dis” them and leave graffiti on every flat vertical surface in the city).

They are intolerant of business, natural resource extraction, nuclear energy and Republicans.

[CedarDave]

Thanks for the comment. He is a brilliant scientist. It remains to be seen whether he can win over even some of the close-minded Dims and enviro-radicals in Santa Fe who believe strongly in the one world-one people-one government mantra of those who migrated to that “enlightened” city.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Wow! What Schmitt writes at his link in the third paragraph needs to be placed next to, or perhaps even in front of, Ryan’s Roadmap! And to think the folks in NM traded him in on Jeff Bingaman! I’m glad NM is getting his services back! And I’m pleased to say I saw him go up on his Apollo 17 night launch, all the way from Miami Beach. We could clearly see his rocket’s red dot ascending, including a dark pause during 1st, or perhaps it was 2nd, stage separation. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

[Prospero]

I've been secretly wishing Jack Schmitt would run for president for two years now. He's wasted piddling around in a state capital, fighting the same battles he could probably win on a national level. It's like watching a great man walk into a knife fight in some remote road house where his allies can't watch his back.

He's been a U.S. Senator, too, which the smart ass writer, who's not worthy to hand him a rock hammer, neglects to mention right off the bat.

Rush is right again. The Left will always telegraph who they fear. Jack Schmitt's done more to divide the Global Warming "consensus" among scientists (who are in awe of him) than almost anyone. His resignation from the "Planetary Society," not the East Anglia Email scandal, was a watershed moment in turning that UN-driven con-job on its head.

[Clinging Bitterly]

I read much of Schmitt’s website. Couldn't find much at all with which to disagree. Indeed, it would be a great blueprint for this Congress to follow (which they won't).