FCW Insider: The politics of Change.gov

Let there be no doubt: Change.gov, the interactive Web site hosted by Obama's transition team, is beginning, ever so slightly, to give new shape to Washington politics.

Early this month, the editor of a blog called NASA Watch (tagline: "This is not a NASA Web site. You might learn something") asked fellow NASA supporters to raise the visibility of the space agency on the Change.gov Web site.

According to the Jan. 1 post, a search for "NASA" on the "Open for Questions" feature turns up 116 questions, with another 208 hits for "climate" and 262 for "space." By comparison, "education" and "economy" turn up in 2,375 and 2,551 questions respectively.

The blogger's point is that NASA in fact makes major contributions to the economy and to education and so should benefit from the surge of interest in these issues. Apparently many people "do not see the connection."

The solution? More questions from NASA supporters. "Now is as good a time as any for NASA supporters to make the effort to highlight those thematic connections."