Doctor says workers at NASA fear reprisals

WASHINGTON — A week after NASA denied his findings, an Air Force doctor told Congress on Thursday that the agency's inability to verify two examples of preflight drinking by astronauts signaled much deeper worries.

"The fact that [whistle-blowers] are not coming forward with similar concerns when NASA is asking the questions represents a problem," said Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, who led an independent study this year into astronaut health.

During a hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, Bachmann said NASA leaders need to better encourage employees to voice concerns.

One way to start, he said, would be to avoid dismissing reports of astronaut drinking as "urban legend," which is how NASA Administrator Michael Griffin described the allegations last week.

That NASA could not confirm the drinking episodes was a "cause for greater — not less — concern" because it means employees fear reprisal for speaking up, he said.

Bachmann insisted his panel's report of preflight drinking by astronauts was correct, saying it was told of the incidents by "eyewitnesses."

Lawmaker's alleged tantrum detailed

Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., stormed into a United Airlines baggage office at Dulles International Airport, barged past other customers, screamed at employees and repeatedly pushed a baggage worker, according to a criminal complaint filed in Virginia.

"You can't stop me!" the California Democrat yelled.

"The police can," replied the baggage worker, Joanne Kay Kunkel.

Filner backed off only when he heard another employee on the phone with airport police, says the complaint, which offers more details on an Aug. 19 incident that resulted in misdemeanor assault-and-battery charges against Filner.

Filner was served Monday with a summons for an Oct. 2 court hearing on the incident. The complaint was subsequently filed in Loudoun County, Va., General District Court.

Filner has said he was tired when the incident happened, and he's described it as a misunderstanding and called the charges "ridiculous." But he has declined to be interviewed.

Also

Rep. Mike Simpson, Idaho's senior Republican congressman, called on Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, on Thursday to make it clear he will leave his seat by Sept. 30. On Tuesday, Craig backed away from a promise to resign, saying he'd quit only if he wasn't able to clear his name regarding his arrest in a men's-room sex sting.

Seattle Times news services