Charlie Precourt: ATK's astronaut fights Obama space plan, Orlando Sentinel

"As reported on these pages earlier this week, some folks inside NASA and in Congress say ATK has been behind the sniping at NASA's deputy administrator Lori Garver. The not so-thinly veiled broadside against her in Precourt's email appears to lend further credence to the charges. It's hard to understand how this will help ATK going forward as some could see it as a declaration of war on NASA's political leadership and is almost certain to strengthen Garver's hand. Perhaps ATK decided that with the shuttle being retired and Constellation on the brink it has nothing left to lose."

Keith's note: It is openly known here in Washington that ATK has been overtly encouraging anti-NASA gossip and has been trash talking the White House, Charlie Bolden, and Lori Garver - especially Lori Garver. How ATK management can possibly expect this thinly disguised attack behavior to be good for business escapes me. Indeed, it sounds more like sheer desperation on their part.

Sen. Vitter Has Been Drinking the Koolaid, earlier post