Congressional candidate is an astronaut on ballot, judge says

[bananas]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Jose Hernandez, who flew on the space shuttle and is running for U.S. Congress in California, can call himself an astronaut on the ballot, a state judge ruled Thursday.

Judge Lloyd Connelly rejected Republican arguments that Hernandez did not work as an astronaut in the year before filing his candidacy and cannot list "astronaut/scientist/engineer" on the ballot as his occupation.

He said Hernandez is an astronaut for “more than the time spent riding a rocket.”

<snip>

Hernandez’s campaign has used the lawsuit as an opportunity to emphasize his experience in space, and the day before Thursday’s hearing it released a YouTube video with scenes of the candidate floating in zero gravity.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/03/california-astronaut-congress-.html

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http://www.joseforcongress.com

[armodem08]

1. Good. There's not much to debate here.

He's an astronaut if he has left the confines of our atmosphere. You don't lose that status.

[bananas]

3. Swiftboat lawyers

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12284390

[bananas]

2. "Given the scope of the work performed in 2011, the court does not believe it is (misleading)"

An article in the Sacramento Bee:

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/03/judge-rules-candidate-can-be-an-astronaut-after-all.html

March 29, 2012
Judge rules candidate can be an 'astronaut' after all

<snip>

The suit notes that Hernandez reported to the clerk of the House of Representatives that he received $150,000 last year for serving as the "executive director for strategic operations" with MEI Technologies.

Connelly said the fact that Hernandez worked for NASA only two weeks in 2011 does not mean that he cannot be called an astronaut that year, which also included service at MEI technologies that drew upon his scientific and engineering background.

A key question is whether the ballot designation of "astronaut/scientist/engineer" is misleading as to the cumulative work performed by Hernandez during the 12-month period, according to Connelly.

"Given the scope of the work performed in 2011, the court does not believe it is (misleading)," Connelly said.

[niyad]

4. then, by their own argument, we do not speak of SENATOR santorum, or SPEAKER gingrich, do we?

[kestrel91316]

6. Well, Gingrinch was never a Senator. He was a Representative.

[niyad]

8. yes, I know that--did not refer to him as a senator, but as speaker.

[kestrel91316]

9. How WEIRD. I could swear you called him senator. Never mind. A senior moment, apparently.

[niyad]

10. bet you have been working too hard. time for a break.

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

- I want to thank these Repuglican "lawyers" for giving Jose such great publicity!!! And FREE!!!

[slampoet]

7. For just a second I thought is was this guy......