When President-elect Donald Trump nominated Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator, it seemed like a brilliant choice. Business entrepreneur, private astronaut, Isaacman was just the man to revamp NASA and make it into a catalyst for taking humanity to the moon, Mars and beyond.

Isaacman sailed through the confirmation process in the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), by a vote of 19 to 9. He was poised to be confirmed by the full Senate when something so bizarre happened that it beggars the imagination.

The White House suddenly and with no clear reason why, pulled Isaacman’s nomination. After months of a confirmation process, NASA was back to square one for getting a new leader.

Ars Technica’s Eric Berger offered an explanation as to why. “One mark against Isaacman is that he had recently donated money to Democrats," he wrote. "He also indicated opposition to some of the White House's proposed cuts to NASA's science budget.”

But these facts were well known even before Trump nominated Isaacman. Trump himself, before he ran for president as a Republican, donated to Democrats and was close friends with Bill........

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