Quote:
Originally Posted by dlavery
[warning: implied civics lesson follows]
I know this was posted as a joke. However, I do need to be clear about one thing since it has come up multiple times in the last 24 hours - absolutely none of the current political candidates will be appearing on camera during the kick-off broadcast. No representative of either party will be given a podium, nor be allowed to use the occasion as a campaign opportunity. Any candidate that may or may not be in attendance will remain off-camera, and will not appear in the broadcast.
The kick-off broadcast is being enabled through the use of the NASA-provided communications resources, including satellite access and distribution. Access to these resources are provided the the expenditure of federal funds. Under the Hatch Act, NASA is completely prohibited from allowing the use of any of these resources for partisan political purposes of any form. We have made FIRST, the production company, all the cameramen at the event, and any representatives of any candidates that might nor might not be there, aware of this situation. We have been very clear that we will instantly pull the plug on the entire broadcast if this condition is violated, for even a fraction of a second.
I don't want to be a buzzkill on the joke, but this is a topic that we take very seriously.
-dave
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I had a hunch that we wouldn't see any candidates on broadcast for a variety of reasons, but I didn't realize it was that serious. I doubt anyone will mind too much.
(In my awake-around-5:00-AM state, the fact that it's the
Hatch Act that could wreck another part of a season is humorous to me.
)