Congratulations to NASA

NASA almost never gets full coverage unless they screw up in a major way. However what they do with their relatively tiny budget is sometimes nothing short of incredible. Their Phoenix Mars Lander successfully landed on our solar system's fourth planet recently with its intricate parts all working in good order.

Phoenix's mission lies in testing the subterranean ice just beneath the surface of Mars' northern hemisphere to see if it at one time supported life. The presence of water on Mars makes an eventual manned landing and colonization much more likely within the next few decades. The Phoenix mission cost $420 million total which actually carries a relatively small price tag compared to other government expenditures. Additionally NASA's research and development usually creates a host of new technological advances for each mission, making the investment well worth the money. We should remember that NASA also employs West Virginians in the Fairmont area.

The day should come this century when the shoestring budgets of NASA are eclipsed by private enterprise as men and women search for economic opportunities in space. The moon and other space objects should contain multitudes of useful minerals. Low gravity manufacturing in a century or so be more cost efficient than that on Earth. Space's potential to benefit mankind is potentially limitless. Future generations will thank the tireless and determined minds now at NASA for their baby steps into the great beyond.

Shelley Moore Capito Working on Your Fuel Costs

Shelley Moore Capito announced that Congress will halt shipments of oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the time being. President Bush had opposed such a measure because the reserve currently is short of full capacity by 3%. However Capito cited statistics that claimed gas prices could drop by as much as a quarter a gallon in some areas.

Capito had called upon the president to not oppose this move and it looks like he will not veto it. From his perspective it certainly makes sense to fear a severe supply crisis, but people and the economy need relief now. However, Capito realizes long term solutions must continue to be worked upon.

Will fuel costs go down as much as anticipated? Definitely in the short term the impact will be felt. The question is whether or not the drop will be enough to restimulate demand. After all, driven miles actually dropped in the last several months for the first time in years. Stimulated demand could drive the price back up again.

More concerning is the attitude of the oil producers who rebuffed Bush's request to increase production. The US market is no longer the only major player and our leverage as consumers has decreased. If the Congress would act, we could once again command leverage as producers as we did before World War II.

In any event, Capito's work will be much appreciated by those of us scraping to put gas in our tanks this summer.

Press Release

Republican Club President steps down, to focus on House Campaign

For Immediate Release Contact: Lisa Peana
Thursday, May 29, 2008 304-730-4599


Ceredo , WV – West Virginia Republican Club President, Lisa Peana, stepped down from her position on Thursday to focus on her efforts to capture a House seat in the 17th Delegate District.

Lisa Peana, who has served as WVGOP Club president since its inception, said, “It was a tough decision, but now that we have entered the General Election, I must step aside to focus on my campaign.”

The West Virginia Republican Club was formed by volunteers in 2007 to help the West Virginia Republican Party with candidate recruitment and volunteer efforts.

“I am very proud of the efforts and progress the Club has made so far,” said Peana, “We recruited great candidates, and I am proud to share the ballot with them this November.”

The Republican Club also held a Republican Candidate Training seminar early in the primary election cycle. Trainers included state Legislators and campaign consultants.

Another goal the Republican Club had set was to help the GOP retired its debt left over from previous election cycles. “The WV Republican Party, led by the efforts of State Chairman, Dr Doug McKinney, did a terrific job retiring the debt. I feel that the Republican Party is poised to help our candidates and lead them to victory this November,” said Peana.

Although Peana won’t be in the leadership position with the Club, she does not plan to walk away completely, “My door will always be open to help candidates and the Club in anyway that I can,” added Peana.

Peana is running for the House of Delegates in District 17, which encompasses most of Wayne County.

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Shortages and Price Rises

The Moorefield Examiner ran a poll yesterday asking how the US government should stabilize gas prices. 30% responded that the answer lay in increasing supply by drilling into known reserves including public lands. 11% suggested that current market forces ought to be left alone. However 53% suggested that the oil companies be overwhelmingly taxed to seize their profits.

The price of oil and gas rises because of shortages in supply. Gas companies (and this is true for food as well) must raise prices substantially in times of short supply. Price rises actually represent the lesser evil when compared to a complete cut off of product to the market. Seizing profits won't help because these companies do not stick their money into a sock and hide it. Most of them reinvest profits into production and research, looking for new sources of energy or making production more efficient. Putting legal caps on gas or food prices will not reduce demand and we would run low on or run out of gas and perhaps some kinds of food as well. President Bush's recent veto of a bill that would put caps on food prices showed real leadership.

Does it make anyone happy to pay $4 a gallon for gas? Nope. The key for the United States whether it comes to food or fuel is to assume leadership and increase supply. We can do both since we have vast untapped reserves of oil and we pay farmers to not farm. Flooding the market with US oil and food will drop prices substantially, but it will take congressional action to make this happen. We must remember this in the coming election.

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Kudos to Lisa Peana and the West Virginia Republican Club's blog for predicting the primary day massacre of incumbent Democrats. My question is this, were these Democrats all very publicly associated with Joe Manchin? I wonder how many Democratic candidates and incumbents will be eager to get their pictures with the Gov in this go-round?

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Prayers for Senator Edward Kennedy and his family. No one except the most evil should have to suffer from the ravages of brain cancer. We may disagree with the Senator a lot, but we hope that God sees fit to enable him to make a full recovery.

West Virginia University Losing Professors Due to Garrison

On Friday, newspapers around the state announced the departure of three long time professors from West Virginia University. One of these was Professor Steve Zdatny.

Professor Zdatny just took over the history department chair at the university. I have worked with him quite a bit and know him to be a professor who is a rarity in the academic world outside of WVU. Zdatny produces quality research while also being a zealous teacher. You do not often find professors like this in major universities. The loss of Zdatny is a terrible blow to the school and its students.

Now he and I did not always agree. Once I lectured on the Russian Revolution to his class and he told me I was too hard on Lenin. However he always had respect for different opinions and points of view regardless of whether he agreed with them or not. I remember a lot of good natured teasing back and forth between him and conservative graduate students. This respect for different points of view is also somewhat rare in academia.

Zdatny also is a man of principle and another aspect of his character I remember is that he hates to have his intelligence insulted. Plagiarists received not just an F on the assignment, but an unforgiveable F in the course. His statements upon leaving for the University of Vermont tell me that he believes that the administration has insulted his intelligence. Zdatny said he never considered applying for another position until the scandal broke.

West Virginia University lost not just one experienced professor, but three. These unexpected losses mean that extra search committees will require funding from the taxpayers. The costs from this scandal just keep adding up.

Honor those that gave us Freedom on Memorial Day

This weekend marks Memorial Day, a day in which Americans should pause and remember all those brave men and women who have served in our armed forces and who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. In towns all across the country, the main streets turn into parade routes as Americans remember those whose blood was shed on unseen shores -- whether in the Argonne Forest, on Omaha Beach, at the 38th Parallel, on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, or in Baghdad.

Author James Michener quoted an unknown admiral in his book Bridges at Toko-Ri, "where do we find such men?" to which President Reagan answered, "where we've always found them in this country. On the farms, in the shops, in the stores and the offices, they are just the product of the freest society man has ever known."

May 17th marked Armed Forces Day in the U.S. which honors those who are currently serving in the military, whether apart of Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, or stationed somewhere else abroad. Please join with me in not only honoring those who have given their lives for freedom but also in honoring those who continue to serve our great country. We are proud of their sacrifice and their sense of duty and patriotism.