Help Yourself Help Space

For those of you who want a little more advanced warning of where candidates are going to be than I usually give on this website, here are a few websites that I have found that help me know where that candidates are going to be:

CNN political Ticker's daily "On the Trail" blog posts

Washington Post's "Campaign Tracker"

Barack Obama's event page
Mitt Romney's event page (you need to register to log on)
Hillary Clinton's event Page
John McCain's event page
John Edwards event page
Mike Huckabee's state headquarters' start page
Rudy Giuliani's Florida event page

Guiliani Clarifies his Support for Manned Moon and Mars Programs

"NASA currently receives less than 1 percent of the federal budget -- six-tenths of 1 percent, to be more exact. An increase would do wonders without affecting 99 percent of the federal budget. That's the fiscally conservative approach: getting a good return on your dollar."

That sounds like maybe he is talking about giving them 1% instead of .6%? I don't know, but statements like this are a good thing for the dialog of this race.

Florida Efforts Picking Up Speed, More Opportunities to Contact Candidates Today

We are having success with the effort in Florida. Today there are opportunities up and down the East Coast to contact the candidates. Be sure to contact them early and ofter, because as time goes by in this election, they w ill be less and less accessible.

On another positive note:
"Lynda Weatherman, who leads the EDC, was not disheartened that first Giuliani and now Romney had made no pledges of budget increases to help NASA bridge the gap. Weatherman said exposing the candidates to space industry issues was only a first step."


From the ticker

Hillary Clinton will be in Philadelphia at City Hall, New Jersey at the "Solutions for America" rallies with Sen. Bob Menendez in Hackensack, North Bergen, and at New York in the evening.

Edwards will be in Bennettsville, Lancaster and Gaffney, South Carolina.

Giuliani is in Estero and Naples, Florida.

Huckabee will be in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Ft Lauderdale residents, Go to him!

McCain holds an economic roundtable and media availability in Orlando.

Obama is at a town hall meeting in Rock Hill, and at another fathering in Sumter and Dillon, South Carolina.

Romney is in Sarasota and Tampa Florida.

Good Luck! Let us know how it goes!

"Space Becomes Primary Frontier as Candidates Court Voters"

They said it, Space has become a primary frontier as candidates court voters: "It is crude, but compelling, political arithmetic" You all, actionforspace readers, are part of that arithmetic!

This week is crunch time as the Florida primaries are coming up. If there ever was a time to speak up, it is now!

"The group hopes former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will come this week. Only Arizona Sen. John McCain said no."

"So far, though, there is scant evidence that the voting public has tuned into space policy. . .the country is relatively content with how much money is being spent on space."

This week, especially if you live in Florida, California, Arizona, or South Carolina: be the discontented public.

Today, Tuesday, this is where you can go to make a difference (besides this website's fax and email links)

Clinton will be in Salinas, CA and
Clinton will be in Laveen, AZ.
Edwards will be in Conway, SC.
Giuliani will be in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Huckabee will be in Atlanta, GA.
McCain will be in Pensacola, FL and
McCain will be in Ft Walton Beach, FL and
McCain will be in New York City and
McCain will be in Orlando, FL.
Obama will be in Greenville, SC and
Obama will be in Lexington, SC and
Obama will be in Orangeburg, SC.
Romney will be in Boca Raton, FL and
Romney will be in Coral Springs, FL and
Romney will be in Naples, FL.

Get out of you chair!

UPDATE: Time to put the Heat onto Romney

UPDATE: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who emerged as the favorite in Saturday's Nevada caucuses, also is now focused on Florida, with a daylong schedule of events Monday that begin in Jacksonville and later span Central Florida.

Romney is slated to be in downtown Orlando around 2 p.m., for an event at CNL Center One on South Orange Ave.

Mitt Romney is in Florida, where he meets with workers, then with participants in the Jacksonville Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade. Later, he holds "Change Begins with Us" tour stops in Daytona Beach and Titusville, and meets with aerospace industry executives in Cape Canaveral.

Orlando Readers, go tell Romney what you think at 2PM on South Orange Ave!

Mitt Romney won the Nevada primary this morning. He also accepted the same invitation that Giuliani had acted on yesterday to meet with the Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast.

This is coming on the heals of Giuliani's pledge at this meeting that he would support (aka fund) a robust manned exploration program.

Mitt needs to compete with Giuliani in Florida, where Giuliani is has been putting all of his energy (and money) lately. If Mitt wants to be competitive, let him know that he has to match or beat Giuliani pledge to support spaceflight.

Email Romney and call him at (857) 288-6400. Send him a fax and reiterate it.

Tell him how important it is that he has accepted the invitation of the EDC and tell him that he better deliver a pledge worth of your vote after his meeting Monday (even of you don't live in Florida.)

Clinton, Edwards, Huckabee, McCain, and Edwards all have not agreed to meet with the EDC. Use the links on this page and contact them to tell them that they need to step up. Tell them what Giuliani and Romney are doing. Tell them that they need to accept the invitation from the EDC and publicize a clear supportive space policy.

Word is that Huckabee is on the edge, so be sure to hit him with your message.

Don't let up!

Giuliani pledges to send astronauts to the moon and Mars

Giuliani stated boldly and unequivocally today his commintment to send humans to the Moon and Mars, among other things. He did this in response to an open invitation to the Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast. Obama, Romney, Huckabee, McCain, Clinton, and Edwards have all received this invitation and not answered to it. The Florida primary isn't until Jan 29, so the other candidates will turn their attention to Florida after the primaries in Nevada and South Carolina are finished tomorrow.

When they turn their attention to florida, lets give them something to think about.

• Fax them all at once
  
• Email Obama and call him at (866) 675-2008
  
• Email Romney and call him at (857) 288-6400
  
• Email Huckabee and call him at (800) 871-6302
  
• Email McCain and call him at (703) 418-2008
  
• Email Clinton and call her at (703) 469-2008
  
• Email Edwards and call him at (919) 636-3131
  

Tell them that they need to support spaceflight, tell them that they need to answer the invitation of the Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast. Tell them your vote depends on it (It might...).

Giuliani talking space

Florida Today has its finger on the pulse of a visit Giuliani is making to the Kennedy space center this afternoon. Giuliani "He was the only candidate to accept an invitation from the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast." Can a candidate on his last run impact the whole field? If Giuliani is desperate for Florida, he might make some big pledges to get votes there. The other candidates will have more pressure and visibility for their lack of a clearly defined space policy. If you are in the area, head on down to the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral to show him that you are interested. Call up the resort and ask who is interviewing him, and tell them what you want to know.