In 1989, the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association in California collapsed. The cost to American taxpayers from this one savings and loan failure was in excess of two billion dollars. The chairman of Lincoln's parent company, Charles Keating, was implicated in the largest thrift failure in American history.

The House Banking Committee held hearings on the collapse of Lincoln Savings and Loan. At these hearings, Edwin J. Gray, the former head of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, testified that he had been approached by a number of influential senators, including John Glenn, to discontinue investigations of Lincoln. It was further revealed that these senators had received substantial campaign contributions from Keating, totaling over 1.3 million dollars.

Keating knew Glenn as far back as 1970 when Glenn first ran for the Senate. Indeed, Glenn was Keating's earliest friend in the Senate. Even after being informed of criminal proceedings against Keating, Glenn arranged for a luncheon between Keating and then House Speaker Jim Wright.

The conclusion is clear. John Glenn's influence was bought and paid for, to the direct and overwhelming detriment of American taxpayers. Senator Alan Cranston was censured by the Senate Ethics Committee and pretended that he was not running for re-election due to medical problems. Senators Glenn, DeConcini, McCain, and Riegle were cited by the Senate Ethics Committee for questionable conduct. We may question whether these influential Senators were able to escape censure by other than ethical means.

Apparently the voters in Ohio don't mind having scum represent them in the Senate. Or, perhaps, the campaign finance regulations imposed on candidates make it very difficult for anyone other than incumbents to win. In either event, Glenn was returned to the Senate. Fortunately, the Ohio voters won't bear any further responsibility in this regard, as Glenn is apparently not going to run for reelection.

Now it seems that NASA doesn't mind having scum ride the space shuttle. The farce of his trip being for scientific purposes was recently laid to rest when Glenn was found unfit to swallow a melatonin pill for one of the experiments he is supposedly involved with. There is no question that Glenn is going into space for political reasons.

Was John Glenn ever an American hero? I would say not. In the 1950s he drew the national spotlight onto himself by appearing on Groucho Marx's quiz show, "You Bet Your Life" while he was a Marine Aviator. Had he been dedicated to the dream of spaceflight, there is little doubt that he would have remained in the program after his first orbital flight. Instead, he entered politics, joining thousands of other scum who prefer to spend other people's money rather than create any wealth of their own.

NASA is basking in the publicity of the Glenn flight. This high profile political stunt helps divert attention from the boondoggle space station which is further behind schedule and more greatly over budget with each passing day.

NASA wants taxpayers to ignore the damage done to them in the Keating Five scandal by Glenn, and it wants taxpayers to ignore the fourteen years of broken promises associated with the space station.

Therefore, I am of the opinion that NASA must be destroyed.

NASA delenda est.

For more information on this story, see Glenn Won't Swallow   Glenn Nagged to Get Ride   NASA Pretends Clinton's Presence at Glenn Launch Won't Result in Risk Taking   One Soon, 99 Want to Go   Six to Escort Glenn   Mrs. Glenn Basks in VIP Treatment   Glenn's Daughter Reveals Hypocrisy   Media Buy Astronauts to Divert Attention from Cigar-gate   We Hear He's Bringing Cigars   Glenn Bio Ignores Savings & Loan Scandal  

Previous Editorials: International Space Station Boondoggle Should Be Cancelled   Sensenbrenner Takes Right Tone

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