As the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and New Yorkers cheered over getting the NASA shuttle Enterprise, there were some unhappy campers—specifically ones in Texas. NASA also announced the shuttle Endeavor will go to LA's California Science Center, the Discovery will go to the Smithsonian and the Atlantis will go to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Texas Congressman John Culberson (R) said, "It is sad and unfortunate that politics played such an obvious role in the placement of theses retiring Orbiters. The thought of an Orbiter not coming home to rest at Space Center Houston is truly tragic. It is analogous to Detroit without a Model-T, or Florence without a da Vinci."
Houston Chronicle columnist Eric Berger explains, "The politics of this decision were pretty clear. President Obama appoints the NASA administrator, and Texas is a decidedly Republican state," though he does admit, "Houston's campaign, Bring the Shuttle Home, probably deserves some blame for being late to the game in terms of politicking for an orbiter." Berger, for what it's worth, did not expect the Intrepid to land a shuttle and one of his commenters complained that NYC already has a shuttle—as in a subway shuttle (groan).
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership president Bob Mitchell wants a congressional investigation, complaining, "Politics should never play a part in a decision about a piece of American history. Today I’m afraid politics trumped common sense."
