Lisa Nowak, NASA, Talk Radio, Dr Laura Schlessinger

THE WIFE'S ASTRONAUT

Nowak's Crazed Journey Fuels Talk Radio Debate






*** Exclusive: Dr Laura's reaction below ***


Who says talk radio topics have grown old and stale?

Last week, for example, a series of electronic cartoon images shut down Boston for an entire day, with the culprits turning out not to be terrorists, but a major television network's promotions department.

Now, in a twisted tale even the most creative fiction novelist couldn't have imagined, a crazed astronaut has allegedly driven 900 miles to angrily confront a supposed romantic rival. And hey, why take time-wasting bathroom breaks? That's why nappies were invented!

Sure enough, on Tuesday, that detail led to more diaper jokes than could fit in a Huggies megapack. Sorry, Jay and Dave, talk radio beat you to the punchlines this time.


Meanwhile, the more we learn about this sad, yet strangely compelling tale of woe, the more it astounds us all. How could a successful, married mother of three and highly- regarded astronaut engage in this kind of behavior? From her mug shot, Nowak looked a lot more like a back- alley junkie than a NASA employee.

From Newsweek:

Colleen Shipman eyed the woman in the tan trenchcoat suspiciously. The woman appeared to have been following her ever since she left the baggage claim area at Orlando International Airport in the pre-dawn hours Monday.

The woman boarded the same bus headed for the long-term parking lot, disembarked when Shipman did and pursued Shipman as she headed to her car, according to a police affidavit. Nervous, Shipman quickly got in her vehicle and locked the doors. The woman slapped at the car window.

“Can you help me, please?” she asked Shipman. “My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up and he is not here.” The woman asked to use Shipman’s cell phone, but Shipman refused. When the woman indicated she couldn’t hear her, Shipman lowered her window about two inches. Then the woman unleashed pepper spray in Shipman’s face, according to a police affidavit.

Shipman quickly peeled out of her spot and headed to a toll booth, where she asked for police. When the cops arrived, one attended to Shipman, whose eyes were burning, while the other tracked down the mysterious assailant, whom he saw dumping some objects into a trash bin. Shipman arrived soon after with the other officer and identified the woman as her attacker, though the woman’s hair and clothing now looked different.

One officer soon learned why: in the woman’s bag, he found the trenchcoat; in the trash bin, he found a black wig, along with a plastic bag and a BB pistol. The cops arrested the woman and soon discovered her startling identity: Lisa Nowak, NASA astronaut.

It was a stunning turn of events for a decorated Navy captain with a stellar roster of accomplishments, including flying on a space shuttle mission last summer. Authorities allege that Nowak attacked Shipman over a mutual romantic interest: astronaut William Oefelein, who piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. (Shipman works at Patrick Air Force base near the Kennedy Space Center and was returning home.) On Tuesday, authorities hurled an array of charges at Nowak: attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary, destruction of evidence and battery.

Adding to the already- peculiar nature of this story, lifelong friends and family members are stunned, with none of them apparently having seen this unhinged behavior coming:

(Baltimore Sun) Until Monday, the life of Lisa Marie Nowak -- diligent student, Navy pilot, astronaut, loving daughter, wife and mother -- was a point of pride for her circle of family, friends and NASA colleagues.

Then, that life of accomplishment came crashing down during an odyssey that ended in Orlando, where the 43-year-old space shuttle astronaut faces charges of attempted murder and the possibility of life in prison.

Few people -- including those closest to her -- understand what went wrong. And police are not divulging many details, except to say that Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando, where she stalked and then assaulted U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, who apparently was vying for another astronaut's affection.

But Nowak intended much worse, police said: She wanted to kill Shipman.

"We're just trying to figure out how to get her the help she needs," said Jonathan Rose, Nowak's brother-in-law, from his Darrett, Md., home this afternoon. As Rose spoke, his family huddled around the television, which showed Nowak being arraigned in an Orlando courtroom.

And with many details likely yet to emerge, it's doubtful the story will go away anytime soon. Should we pity Nowak, or despise her? Is she ill, or merely selfish?

For insight, your Radio Equalizer turned to nationally syndicated talker and best- selling author Dr Laura Schlessinger:

Radio Equalizer: Do the details of Lisa Nowak's strange story make any sense to you?

What compels a successful, married mother of three and astronaut to behave this way?


Dr Laura: Frankly, she sounds mentally disturbed and delusional.

Since they test these folks up oneside and down the other before they let them into the space program, I'd be wondering about drug abuse and stress issues.

So, is it possible Nowak has simply cracked under pressure? Or is there some other explanation for her behavior?


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Images: Orlando Sentinel, AP