Obama Announces Science and Tech Posts in Radio Address
EmailABC News’ Sunlen Miller reports:
For a second time, President-elect Barack Obama has used his radio address to break news, this week announcing four members of his science and technology team.
In the address, Obama announces that he has chosen Dr. John Holdren as assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology; Dr. Jane Lubchenco for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator; and Drs. Eric Lander and Harold Varmus as co-chairs of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.
“Today, more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation,” the president-elect says. “It’s time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore America’s place as the world leader in science and technology.”
The president-elect says that he’ll use technology to spur job creation, and that it will be a priority early in his administration.
–Sunlen Miller
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
thank god, relief,
looks like we are going to have a president who is science friendly
after the blackline mess of bush and co.
can you imagine, cheney and co. black lining reports from scientist, information in the report that they did not agree with politically.shameful
Posted by: sugar | December 20, 2008, 11:18 am 11:18 am
YOU MEAN THE EARTH’S NOT FLAT?!?!?
Posted by: R Mutt | December 20, 2008, 11:56 am 11:56 am
More like Minister of Propaganda
Posted by: Mel | December 20, 2008, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
for bush and cheney and co.
all the world is dark and desolate,
except for the world they and their friends and families live in.
for the last eight years bush and cheney
looted our world until there is almost nothing left.
but hey, their world is bright and full.
thank god it was only eight years
Posted by: sugar | December 20, 2008, 12:33 pm 12:33 pm
Please, sir, I want some science jobs
and Sunlen,
“For a second time, President-elect Barack Obama has used his radio address to break news”… I’m guessing you see something wrong with that?
Posted by: Question | December 20, 2008, 12:33 pm 12:33 pm
science to bush and cheney is watching the
itchy and scratchy show
Posted by: ohno! | December 20, 2008, 12:35 pm 12:35 pm
Mr Obama is Such a Drama Queen.
Posted by: seah | December 20, 2008, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
These very strongly backgrounded people mean that our President-elect is going to take Science & Global warming on head on!! Thank you Mr. President-Elect.
Oh Mr. President Bush — good riddens: Signed; Mother Earth
Posted by: Ranger Phx | December 20, 2008, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
To Question:
I doubt that any News source likes being “Trumped” by the internet, directly.
At the same time I have to say that I enjoy JACK TAPPER’S “POLITICAL PUNCH” very much and read every article every day: Thanks Mr. Tapper.
Posted by: Ranger Phx | December 20, 2008, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
“The president-elect says that he’ll use technology to spur job creation, and that it will be a priority early in his administration”
Is there any incredulity about when these jobs are supposed to up?
If he starts research now, may there is a viable industry employing more than a handful in 10 years.
I can just see the “now I dont have to worry about paying my mortgage” woman thinking that she was going to be getting one of these sciency jobs from the great and powerful O.
Posted by: BertieW | December 20, 2008, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
First off – I believe Global Warming is a very serious “Very Real- Man Induced” problem.
However, I do not believe the US is to blame. All we did was develop technologies that the rest of the world would have, if they could have. We were, and are, simply more technologically advanced[ [and the world is very jealous of this, and therefore all the criticism, not to mention that we are the worlds only Superpower, and the world is also jealous of that. Kyoto is as much an attempt to undermine our economy as an attempt to solve Global Warming. Much of the world is just using it as an Economic Tool against us – and many people in the US see this for exactly what it is, Hypocrisy,….. and much of the world knows we know. Probably the main reason even Clinton and Gore would not truly support Kyoto]].
Having a degree in Natural Resources I think the evidence (about global warming) is very Clear and Convincing ‘today’. However, I was not really sure until about 1995, even though I started seeing strong evidence around about 1985. At that point a noticeable warm up started (at least where I was living, & others said they noticed it also, in my area & elsewhere). In my opinion the evidence gradually got stronger till 95, when I thought the evidence was strong enough (and has only gotten stronger, today it is downright scary – the Arctic Ice Cap Meltdown – not funny). So, I really don’t think you can blame us till then (95), and many still don’t (or don’t want to) see it, & not just in the US. However, since 95 the US has made many moves (on many fronts) to combat the problem, and many other countries are dragging their feet, or have been given a free pass (the main Kyoto problem). One of the biggest examples here is China…..but there are others.
The world says it is our Industry that caused the problem (they don’t talk about Britain, and other Industrialized nations as much), but it is also probably mostly ‘Our Technology’ that is going to solve it……………….[I could also throw in many examples of other countries stealing our technology on the international market (weak international patent protections, and many anti-US countries want it that way), the vast majority of SE Asian Industries are built on Appropriated US Technology……. Etc., Etc…………………….…
Our Technology and Industry also saved the world in WWI, WWII, and the Cold War (not to mention other situations). If we had not spent all those years developing various Industries, and Aircraft, & Jeeps, & Tanks, & Ships the afore-mentioned wars would have been lost [[prior to Pearl Harbor the only modern Fighter Plane in SE Asia, other than a Japanese model, was the P-40 Curtis Hawk (Flying Tigers), not a great plane but it kept China from falling]]. We had to use Trains & Trucks to move parts from factory to factory. It took factories to build trains & trucks also, and they had to burn fuel (all this putting carbon in the atmosphere, etc). All those planes, & jeeps, & tanks, & ships etc also burned fuel etc., etc., etc. Not to mention when ours, or the other side’s material got destroyed & released carbon.
Our Industry saved the world on several occasions (also, we have established MANY Democracies around the world,….. how many has Russia or China established !!!). So when people talk about this situation as if we are the only beneficiaries, of such Industrialization, they should look at history again, more objectively. If not for us, much of the world could today be under Japanese Imperialism, or Nazism, or USSR domination………’Comprende’.
The rest of the world has ‘As Much a Responsibility’ to solve this problem as we do,
So, THEY SHOULD STOP BALKING, and cut the EXCUSES.
Posted by: Mr Reality | December 20, 2008, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Varmus and Lander – an outstanding start.
All the scientists in the room miss Varmus at NIH. Hopefully he’ll recommend axing Zerhouni’s useless “roadmap” attempts to turn it into a big biotech company.
Posted by: Tungsten | December 20, 2008, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
Ranger,
lol. Is there some ‘brownie points’ thing going on around here that I don’t know about?.. Anyways, I like JAKE TAPPER’s blog writing as well. Not so much when he outsources it tho.
Posted by: Question | December 20, 2008, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm
Obama should stop the dripping of info every day or two. Just tell us in one big announcement who he has chosen for this or that position. Right now, he’s risking the “overexposure factor”.
Posted by: Vivi | December 20, 2008, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm
Hussein, the most sacred chosen ‘One’ has made another baritone pronouncment about the glorious manner in which he contemplates ruining the USA.
Posted by: Sluggo | December 20, 2008, 3:37 pm 3:37 pm
That’s fine to me as long as technology be used for the good of humanity, but for the enlargement of the military arsenal like atomic bombs and missiles as most of the time happens, I’m against it. Change for better health, employment, improving the environment, housing, roads, etc., will be well received, I think by most of us who voted for change….And President Obama must know that….the psycology of warfare of the previous administration must stop and start a new era.
Posted by: htur03 | December 20, 2008, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
We have never had a more anti-science administration (republican or democrat) as the one on the way out. It is a relief to know Mr. Obama sees it as a priority and seems to be appointing very qualified science people to lead.
Posted by: Annie | December 20, 2008, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
Crackpots appointed to push crackpot science.
If the current solar minimum continues, better buy plenty of overcoats, salt and sand. Fortunately, the modern solar maximum has now ended with a bang in October 2005.
Posted by: bill-tb | December 20, 2008, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
I would like to see the proof of the crackpot AGW theory. Forget the idiotic computer models, those are for the idiot voters. Computer models are not science.
Real science please, and skip the fake data as well.
Posted by: bill-tb | December 20, 2008, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
president elect I for one as a patariot an veteran of this country plan to support this goverment to the hilt.
Posted by: lawrence leon lambert | December 20, 2008, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
bill-tb: If you can actually cite “fake data,” Exxon has a very large cheque and a leading researcher post waiting for you. Otherwise, you’re just another denier who doesn’t understand science (you attack the data if you don’t like the hypothesis it supports). Just because you don’t understand (or likely know even a fraction of) the data from the last 20 years of hard research doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
Posted by: jhw539 | December 20, 2008, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
“We have never had a more anti-science administration (republican or democrat) as the one on the way out.”
Objection, facts not in evidence.
On the other hand what do you think of someone who keep trying to tell you he has figured out how to square the circle? Crackpot right? Obama tries to do that all the time.
From HopenChange
“Under the Obama-Biden plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.
Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year.
If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options.
”
Ok- so no cost control because you read about a scan or a test you can just go get one. Feeling bored or neglected- you can have the medical community give you attention. And we will cover more people.
How is it possible to deliver more ‘stuff’ to more people when there is no cost control? It isnt. And there will be less funding to do all this with since everybody is now paying $2,500 less.
Posted by: BertieW | December 20, 2008, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
“If you can actually cite “fake data,” Exxon has a very large cheque and a leading researcher post waiting for you. ”
No the dont. Post a credible source to demonstrate that they do.
When British ecoextremists tried to censor them it came out that the whole budget that ExxonMobil donated to groups who didnt line up behind eco-scare tactics was a couple of million over 47 groups.
That’s maybe $50K-$80K per group. Who is going to be bribed for that?
On the other hand, you can get huge grants from the UN, universities, governments and private eco-NGOs to try to demonstrate AWG. But no money if you try to challenge the hypothesis.
Posted by: BertieW | December 20, 2008, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
Only a huge space progam will make America first in the World in science.The Moon program ended over 30 years ago, and in 2 years end of our shutles. Our astronats will be flying into space in Chineese and Russian rockets.We should build bases and cities inside the Moon, and Mars, and explore all the planets and moons, and asteroids.But i think some other countries will be a head of us in space science very soon.
Posted by: Sandy | December 20, 2008, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm
Republicans commenting on science and enviromental matters is like a bunch of vegetarians talking about ground beef and sausage. To the Bush administration it was ‘money talks, tree huggers walk’. We did not elect Obama to continue to just ignore these issues.
Posted by: Burdock | December 20, 2008, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
Obamacrat, how could Obama’s policies have brought utter disaster to our country? THe man isn’t even president yet! What policies? THe problem with your statement is that evolution and the human influence on global warming are not “beliefs” as are opinions or preferences, they are facts, which are irrefutable. Intelligent design is a belief, based in a religious preference. It has no business being taught in a public school or in a policy discussion. What you want is to either elevate your beliefs to immutable laws of nature or de-value science to the level of fairy tales.
Posted by: dejune5678 | December 20, 2008, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm
what DIDNT obama say was going to be a “priority” early in his administration.. lol you obamabots are soon to be let down.
Posted by: tim | December 20, 2008, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm
We are lagging behind many nations in science and technology. China has a vigorous educated work force. They are planning to send men to the moon in 2012. Perhaps their future in the space market is to plant space stations on the moon and on mars or elsewhere. And thereby declaring them as their right to the planet in which they inhabit. They could also develop star wars weaponry in which Reagan at one time was contemplating.
Posted by: t42 | December 21, 2008, 4:31 am 4:31 am
what has happened with this blog?
No news to report?
are you shutting down?
write us an article about the transitioning of this blog?
please answer
Posted by: ohno! | December 21, 2008, 10:38 am 10:38 am
apparently, it was not sealed enough,
How did you know all of that Badger 1?
Who told you all of this stuff you just spewed about obama?
let’ hear what reliable sources you got that info from, badger1?
Posted by: ohno! | December 21, 2008, 11:31 am 11:31 am
” They could also develop star wars weaponry in which Reagan at one time was contemplating.
way to keep up
Posted by: BertieW | December 21, 2008, 11:45 am 11:45 am
If 1/20/09 comes and goes with a usurper in the Whitehouse (that is, Obama is definitely NOT an Article II “natural born citizen” — dad Kenyan/British citizen at BHO’s birth –albeit he MAY BE a 14th Amendment “citizen”) with usurper enablers in Congress and the Supreme Court … God help us because many of the people will — rightfully and under our Constitution and Declaration of Independence — endeavor through other means to take back the Government from what is nothing less than a non-constitutional coup d’etat.
SCOTUS now does have the power to forestall that grim yet inevitable scenario, otherwise the blood and possible loss of our Constitutional Republic is SQUARELY ON THEIR HEADS.
Posted by: Ted | December 21, 2008, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
ted,
i guess you were one of the people trying to spread the notion of if obama did not win, the black people would riot?
and now that he did win, I guess you are saying who? will be shedding whose blood?
if after bush, we did not have an uprising, we will not have anything to happen with PEBO
Posted by: bush the usa | December 21, 2008, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm
bush the usa:– You are avoiding the point, which is, Obama is NOT an Article II “Natural Born Citizen” under the United States Constitution, hence would be a usurper if he were to ascend to the Presidency.
Are we, or are we not, a Constitutional Republic?
Posted by: Ted | December 21, 2008, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
This is an excellent choice and I think Mr. O. is doing well! Keep it up!
Posted by: GloomBoom | December 21, 2008, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
obama is a citizen, and more than qualified, and legal to be POTUS.
Let the people who say he is not, be quiet about it until they can PROVE he is not a citizen, and then we will deal with it.
but right now, we have an eight year crooked road we need to try and make staight again.
and obama has been voted POTUS to lead the way.
let us all do our part to help.
you know, strife and causing trouble can be exausting, let us all give ourselves some relief, and help out.
Posted by: bush the usa | December 21, 2008, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
Welcome news but why such a tiny story? No background on the four. No mention of the climate science theme. No mention of the break this represents with the anti-science Bush history.
Posted by: William H. Calvin | December 22, 2008, 8:12 am 8:12 am
bush the usa:–
again, my friend, “CITIZEN” (as under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment) is NOT the same as “NATURAL BORN CITIZEN” under the Constitution’s Article II.
And it is absoultely impossible (hence, constitutionally NOT legal) for the Supreme Court to say otherwise!!!!!!
Posted by: Ted | December 22, 2008, 9:09 am 9:09 am
wm h. calvin,
what you are asking for would require, work, research,etc, they don’t have time for that.
and ted:
maybe this citizen-nbc will take about four years, or there will i guess, people picketing for four year about this, while obama as POTUS and the rest of us get on with rebuilding this country.
I suppose bush is a natural born citizen, actually, a real product of this country,the cream of the crop, self made grandfather, and father. all in politics, i guess you could say george w. bush, really is america.
but for me, I say ” look what we got with this all american, natural born citizen gwb.
so the natural born citizen-citizen crowd will have four years to harp and scream, and picket about this,
the rest of us, encluding PEBO, have a country to help rebuild.
anytime you feel like coming off that natural born citizen picket line and helping us, we welcome you.
but i understand, some one has to protest what you are talking about, and some of us just want to get on with the rebuilding. good luck to you and your cause.
Posted by: bush the usa | December 22, 2008, 9:34 am 9:34 am
bush the use:–
The work is already done. IT IS AN AIRTIGHT CASE!!! See Donofrio/Wrotnowski cases before SCOTUS (Supreme Court has only denied Stays of College of Electors voting, not the merits of the cases which are still there) –
In fact, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY A CREDIBLE COUNTER-LEGAL ARGUMENT CAN BE PRESENTED. The Supreme Court knows this.
Posted by: Ted | December 22, 2008, 10:57 am 10:57 am
Well the hits keep coming. Obama is going with a full court press of climate alarmists to push some ill-advised agenda but Elvis has already left the building. The EU is abandoning their bold goals of carbon reduction by 2020, especially Germany. The Poznan conference was a flop. The carbon trading market has collapsed. Why? Because you can’t force non-solutions to non-problems on people when all they’re worried about are keeping their jobs and keeping their homes.
How are you feeling out there all you Obama voters in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania? These appointments sure smell like the death of the coal industry to me. Coal country without the coal business will look a lot like Michigan without the auto industry. How’s Michigan doing these days?
I love all the talk here of how liberals have cornered the market on science and enlightenment. What a gut-buster! I’ve worked in scientific fields my entire life and it’s safe to say every workplace was and is dominated by conservative thinkers except for a brief stint at an Ivy League school (aka The People’s Republic of One Way Thinking). If anyone would care to debate the merits of today’s climate science or lack thereof I would be happy to do so.
I predict the climate change house of cards will come tumbling down when the Pentagon refuses to implement any sort of policy change based on IPCC, NASA GISS or NOAA findings. The Pentagon will balk until those organizations adhere to military standards in the areas of documentation, software development, testing, verification and general transparency. Today, of course, those organizations fall woefully short.
Posted by: Woody | December 22, 2008, 10:59 am 10:59 am
Give the guy a chance. He’s not even President yet. Good grief!
Posted by: gloomboom | December 22, 2008, 11:05 am 11:05 am
bush the usa et al:– More specifically, see this — it is a SLAM DUNK CASE, BHO is NOT an Article II “Natural Born Citizen”:
Posted by: Ted | December 22, 2008, 11:05 am 11:05 am
gloomboom:– if we were even to, as you say “give the guy a chance” on 1/20/09, we would have a full blown Constitutional Crisis on our hands, the future of the USA as a Constitutional Republic would be in jeopardy, we would face grave international and defense consequences and the likelihood of a Civil War would be very very real.
The UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION MUST BE PROTECTED AND DEFENDED BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY AND ALL EMPLOYEES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER A PLEDGE THEY ALL TAKE AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT!
You still want to “give the guy a chance”?
Posted by: Ted | December 22, 2008, 11:11 am 11:11 am
we gave george w bush a chance,
obama will be POTUS,
I will work with the crowd to help him rebuild this country.
you continue to work on what you are working on.
after bush’ first debate with gore, i saw what a dunce he was.
and many elected him potus anyway.
i’ll take my chances with obama.
and help this country back up on it’ feet, after it has been knocked on it’s back by George “Natural Born” Bush
Posted by: bush the usa | December 22, 2008, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
obama, and science, will be whatever it will be. we will find out how history jusders our 43rd president and his actions on science.
no need to keep beating bush.
Posted by: sugar | December 23, 2008, 9:14 am 9:14 am
“help the country back on its feet…after knocked on its back by…Bush”????
Please, the country’s economy has tanked since the Dems took back Congress — and the Dems (to help elect Obama) were driving down the economy, and now want it driven to the point where they can implement their socialist utopia to ‘save’ America.
Posted by: Ted | December 23, 2008, 9:28 am 9:28 am
While the “October Surprise” credit crisis netted Obama the general election, a “January Surprise” constitutional crisis will NOT net Obama the Presidency!
Posted by: Ted | December 23, 2008, 9:31 am 9:31 am
ok, ted, you win.
I’ll be watching for you and your group in january, to prove obama not citizen, or even human.i suppose you will be crashing the inaguration, or throwing eggs or tomatoes.
and maybe by some miracle, according to you, who will become president of the usa?
please tell me, who will be president, if not obama?
Posted by: bushed the usa | December 23, 2008, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
Ted, you are wrong. Plain and simple. I’m amazed that this incredibly ignorant argument is still going. Maybe I shouldn’t be.
Arguably the point is contestable, since “natural born” citizen is never actually defined anywhere in the Constitution but the precedent set since 1790 that “natural born” means those who have a parent who is a US citizen (hence why both McCain and Obama were eligible for President). Therefore it doesn’t matter whether you are born in Panama, Kenya, Outer Mongolia or on the Moon, as long as one of your parents are US citizens, so are you.
You could contest that you think “natural born” means born in the US but I’m afraid you don’t have any legal or constitutional backing for such an argument.
Don’t allow simple things like facts to change your mind though. ;)
Posted by: Jimmy | December 24, 2008, 11:45 am 11:45 am
This is scary.
Posted by: NC voter | January 3, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am