Since when was it NASA's job to reach out to the Muslim world? Funny fact: The NASA mission--from inception in 1958 to present day--does not say anything about developing international cooperation (at least on this planet), especially cozy diplomacy with Muslim nations.  It does not say anything about psychology either. Nonetheless, NASA director Charles F. Bolden was emboldened personally by President Obama to reach out to Muslims... to help them "feel good."

It is not too surprising, given President Obama's apparent belief that the world's problems and conflict come not from greater questions of right and wrong, good and evil, strongly held convictions like religion, or anything else... It's just low self-esteem and poverty (supposedly two sides of the same coin).  Under Obama diplomacy, peace is thus achieved by sitting down and dialoguing about feelings.

Bolden said in an interview that the President "wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering." Administrator Bolden made the announcement on the English version of Al Jazeera, which Media Research Centerreports as a questionable move in itself. Elliott Abrams is concerned that "the space program is being transformed into a tool of Obama foreign policy, which views American national greatness as an anachronism."

Not too surprisingly, on July 15, 2010 Bolden flew out to Egypt to American University in Cairo. He delivered a speech entitled "Exciting Developments in Space Exploration and the Future of International Cooperation." Bolden claims a belief that "international cooperation is an intrinsic and essential aspect of the exploration of space."

Bolden also paraphrased the President who apparently wants NASA to remind the Middle East of the good old days when it was the cradle of math and science. NASA has historically helped spark American vision and innovation using math and science. By Obama reaching out to the Muslim world so that they can be ‘reminded,' he is consequently relenting America's spot as a space nation-something we already knew since Obama began "closing the new frontier" a long time ago. Combine this with the fact that he is cutting the budget for NASA and it is almost as if he has a defeatist, "Post American World" attitude.

Ken Blackwell offered an interesting analysis entitled "Obama's Fly Me to the Crescent Moon Policy." Also see this recent article on the Administration putting blinders on itself when it comes to radical Islam.