Clinton kept cutting the NASA budget so NASA had to shrink. The guys that had been around for a long time and knew how to do real engineering took $25,000 to $50,000 quitting bonuses (early outs). NASA had RIFs (Reduction In Force) during the Clinton cuts.
Now the big push at NASA is "Diversity." If a genius white guy who has been designing space shuttle systems for 20 years applies for a job and is up against a minority who has done nothing to speak of, the minority gets the job. The cover of NASA's phone book used to say something like "Diversity is Our Strength." Which, of course, is a bunch of liberal cr_p. Good engineering **was** their strength. Who gives a sh_t what race they are. As long as they are good.
NASA has become a liberal jobs program.