Posted: Fri, Jan 26, 2001, 11:14 PM ET (0414 GMT)
There are several rumors that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich may be in the running to succeed Dan Goldin as NASA administrator. NASA Watch reported that Gingrich was seen Thursday at NASA's Ames Research Center, attending one or more unspecified meetings at the center. Other reports say Gingrich has expressed an interest in the NASA Administrator post, although it's unknown whether that interest is shared by the Bush administrator. Gingrich has a long history of interest in NASA and space exploration, joining the Congressional Space Caucus as a young, unknown Georgia Congressman twenty years ago. However, Gingrich's confrontational history with Democrats and the former Clinton administration could politicize NASA on Capitol Hill, where the agency has generally had broad partisan support.

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•  NASA Watch