Scott "Doc" Horowitz, an ex-astronaut and former NASA associate administrator, petitioned at iPetitions.com to let President-elect Barack Obama not fire Mike Griffin as NASA's Chief Administrator in a new administration (after January 20, 2009). Apparently, Mike's wife Rebecca Griffin (pictured above), has spared no efforts to lend her hand, she sent family and friends emails titled "Campaign for Mike" to ask them to sign the petition.
(AP) --Late on Christmas Eve, one last wish was sent, by e-mail: Please let NASA Administrator Michael Griffin keep his job. It was from his wife. Rebecca Griffin, who works in marketing, sent her message with the subject line "Campaign for Mike" to friends and family. It asked them to sign an online petition to President-elect Barack Obama "to consider keeping Mike Griffin on as NASA Administrator."
She wrote, "Yes, once again I am embarrassing my husband by reaching out to our friends and 'imposing' on them.... And if this is inappropriate, I'm sorry."
It's too early to predict whether Barack Obama will keep Griffin's job or not, but some already were not so optimistic:
Efforts by those close to Griffin lobbying on his behalf are unusually bold, even for ego-heavy Washington. Past efforts on behalf of job hopefuls have been more behind-the-scenes so plausible deniability can be maintained.
"It sounds like the only thing left is to stencil Mike Griffin on the side of shuttle," joked Paul Light, a professor of public policy and a presidential transition expert at New York University. "I've never heard of a campaign to keep one's job that goes beyond the edge of private discussion. ... Maybe he should be texting next."
David Goldston, a former chief of staff for the House Science Committee and a lecturer on science policy at Harvard University, said, "This kind of public campaigning to keep a job is unusual and usually tends to backfire in new administrations."
Eehhh!