# Santorum vs. the National Weather Service **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 23, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729 "2005-04-23T04:31:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/41 "2005-04-25T18:13:00Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > You must read a different **Mr. Moto** than I do. His idea of calling partisan stupidity is, “So what if Republicans do it? Democrats do it worse!” Heck, **Mr. Moto** thinks “leftists” who [throw pies at conservative speakers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309882) deserve more outrage and scorn than conservatives who shoot doctors, threaten judges, or blow up federal buildings. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/42 "2005-04-25T18:32:01Z")
That remark is unfair and uncharacteristicly intemperate. Friend **Moto** has an unreasonably malign view of his political opposition, this much is demonstrably true. However, to suggest that he regards murder as an acceptable expression of political will is quite beyond the pale, he is _wrong_, not a gibbering madman. Pit or no, you owe him an apology. More to the point, you owe it to yourself, this sort of thing is quite beneath you. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/43 "2005-04-25T19:23:12Z")
Sorry, **luci;** must be the Monday getting to me. Though I still think **Mr. Moto’s** thread (linked to earlier) was just a hair’s breath short of rhymes-with-polling… ---
**Author:** ![MackoUr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MackoUr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MackoUr)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/44 "2005-04-26T04:49:15Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > I’d be interested to see what would happen if, say, Senator Schumer were to introduce a bill of this type. Would all of you call for his head? Or would you chalk it up to an issue where you happen to have a difference of opinion with a legislator, and work to resolve it in some way. Not knowing anything about Senator Schumer, I’d have started this thread in Great Debates. But Santorum is a special case for me because he’s as a grand-standing social conservative whose reputation I know even here on the other side of the country. I alluded to some of his assinine hijinks in my original post. This particular bill just put the cherry on top. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/45 "2005-04-26T10:17:06Z")
There you go. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/46 "2005-04-26T13:47:33Z")
If you did know anything about Schumer, you’d know how ridiculous a hypothetical **MM** has demanded a response to. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/47 "2005-04-26T13:57:16Z")
I wasn’t aware that there were no points in Senator Schumer’s record that a person could have a disagreement with, **ElvisL1ves**. Heavens, the man must be a saint walking amongst us. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/48 "2005-04-26T14:14:03Z")
So you think your Schumer suggestion is realistic? Has he done anything comparable you’d like to tell us about? Or are you referring balefully to some secrets in his life that you’re aware of but can’t be made public, perhaps similar to the things you say Clinton really did require removal from office for but somehow we don’t know about? It sure would be nice to have you either put up or shut up in either case, but frankly we can’t expect either from you, can we now? Here’s a chance to redeem yourself, though. Stand and deliver. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/49 "2005-04-26T14:36:24Z")
Not my point, though. My point is that if a sainted Democrat were to make a policy proposal on these boards, it would generally be treated as a policy proposal. Maybe it would be a wise policy proposal, maybe it would be an unwise one, but it would be debated as such. Whereas here this policy proposal, even if it is unwise, is treated as yet another springboard into the “Santorum is evil” swimming pool. And we have an admission from the OP that this was so. I picked Schumer’s name out of the air. I could have chosen anyone on the Democratic side. Because, really, questions of evil and avarice are only seriously entertained on these boards against members of one political party only. I thank **Polycarp** and a few others for avoiding this temptation in this thread. You others - well, enjoy the dogpile. And please note, I’m not saying here that Santorum is right, or that the Democrats are just as bad. I’m saying that this is stupid. Whatever hatred Santorum has generated on this message board hasn’t come from his position on the Weather Service, for crying out loud. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/50 "2005-04-27T03:39:48Z")
Getting back to the topic, does this bill have support in the Senate, or is Santorum pissing into the wind? Because I’ve not seen anything indicating this bill’s chances. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/51 "2005-04-27T04:51:14Z")
What’s really ludicrous is that NPOESS (the next-generation weather satellite) is going to launch by 2008, at which point any university with $10,000 or so bucks to spend can set up an NPOESS field terminal. Now, the main plan is for anyone who wants NPOESS data to get it from NWS who will get it from NOAA/NESDIS. NESDIS built a whole new building in Suitland MD to receive and process satellite data, so they will not take this lying down. However, even if Santorum gets his way, - The data stream will be broadcast from the satellite “in the clear” so that anyone with the right equipment can receive it. - Commercial vendors will be selling said equipment off-the-shelf - The algorithms will all be published by NOAA. - Open-source software to create imagery from the data will be made freely available. - The constellation will pass overhead 6 times a day at most latitudes (more near the poles). Once the data records are broadcast from the satellite, _anyone_ can use them, and _nobody_ can deny you access to them. All it takes is one university – preferably one in Norway or Australia – deciding to put the data in an RSS feed, and the cat’s out of the bag. So sleep soundly, and vote that assclown out of office. ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/52 "2005-04-27T17:28:11Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > It’s a little bit premature, but this should give you hope: > > [Bob Casey Jr. is up 14 points on Santorum for the '06 election](http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-senatepoll0420,0,6816891.story). > > It’s looking like the people here may be getting fed up with Santorum, because that poll result comes with Casey doing absolutely nothing. I wonder if the Poor Bastard has any idea how bad he’s going to get chewed up and spit out once the Rove Machine gets going in full gear. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729/53 "2005-04-27T17:47:41Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > It’s a little bit premature, but this should give you hope: > > [Bob Casey Jr. is up 14 points on Santorum for the '06 election](http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-senatepoll0420,0,6816891.story). > > It’s looking like the people here may be getting fed up with Santorum, because that poll result comes with Casey doing absolutely nothing. Nothing, that is, but being the son of a political legend in the state and winning three statewide elections in the last few years. Bob Casey Jr. is hardly a political unknown in Pennsylvania, which you implied in your post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santorum-vs-the-national-weather-service/300729.md?page=2)