UPDATE: Griffin has released a statement saying, “This report, largely supported by anonymous sources and hearsay, is simply wrong. … The transition team’s work is too important to become mired in unsupported and anonymous allegations. The President-elect’s transition team deserves everyone’s complete cooperation.”

NASA is already proving problematic for president-elect Barack Obama, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Write Stuff blog.

The paper says Obama’s transition team have not gone down well with administrator Mike Griffin, who would like to hang onto his job.

When one member of the team, who are meant to smooth the transition from Bush-rule to Obama-rule, told Griffin they were “just trying to look under the hood” Griffin replied:

If you are looking under the hood, then you are calling me a liar. Because it means you don’t trust what I say is under the hood.

A key sticking point appears to be the Constellation program, a replacement for the Space Shuttle. Griffin seems to regard Constellation as his baby and is outraged that Obama would even countenance cutting it.

Over on the NASA Watch blog the ever-acerbic Keith Cowing says, “Mike: everyone seems to have gotten the message – except you. It is time to go.”

One of the comments on Cowing’s blog notes that a betting pool has been started on when Griffin will step down.

Image: Griffin stock photo / NASA