Time to Inform Candidates!

I suspect the next 6 months or so may be the time to raise the issue of
solar power from space, as well as other issues of interest to this group,
with potential candidates for high political offices. After they have
hardened their positions and gotten into the debating each other it may be
more difficult to reach them with issues they have to think about.
I imagine most Democrat senators feel they could whip George W. Bush in a
debate. Bush will, of course, continue to promote oil. Solar-microwave
energy from space, which would not require sending $ billions over seas
might make nice comparisons, reduce CO2 emissions, take advantage of
America's high technology leadership, etc.
Years ago I may of had some small success lobbying. I was attending a
scientific conference and decided to stay another day and see if I could
make headway in getting support for space. It took all day, but I finally
got an appointment in then Senator Bob Dole's office. One fellow there, who
obviously wanted me to go away, asked me to tell him what I wanted to say,
so I started. Soon another fellow came in and the first one left. I wanted
to start over, but the second fellow said to just go on, they would talk
later. I didn't believe that for a minute, but felt I was in no position to
argue. It also seemed they felt I just needed to talk and then would go
away. After a while I was interrupted with the question, "What will that do
for the price of wheat?" Dole was a senator from Kansas. I responded with,
"That is a good question. Suppose you were in a government in Europe when
it was finally realized that Columbus had discovered new worlds across the
Atlantic, what would you have seen your responsibilities to be?" Senator
Dole's aid responded, "That is a good answer." After that Senator Dole's
voting record was much more pro-space, which may or may not have been do to
my visit, but I like to think it was.
The moral of this story is that we can have some impact, even though we
may not be able to talk to the "Big Guy", but they probably rely on
technical aids, which we may be able to get to.
There is still a further point. If we can convince a senator, but they
don't become president, that is still not bad, as they may continue in the
senate or otherwise influencing public policy.
Sincerely, Jay Huebner