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In his obsessive quest for (re?)election G. W. Bush leaked plans to announce a new vision for America in space. It involved going back to the Moon, and a trip to Mars. In his usual self-promotional style, these announcements were to be made on the anniversary of the Wright brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk.

My initial reaction was to say "Yes, let's do it!" Then I remembered that this is from a politician who has a habit of saying whatever he thinks will get himself reelected, but whose actual policies are the exact opposite of what he says. His environmental policies boost industry at the cost of deforestation and pollution. His education policies are all geared toward toward destroying public education. His health policies are designed to aid the insurance and pharma industries. His energy policies are super-secret, but always help the oil industry. And so forth. So what are his real intentions regarding space? Somehow, it just has to be to help the aero-space industry at the cost of a real space program.

This trial balloon must have been a dud publicity-wise, in spite of W's obvious appeal to the image of J.F.K. The White House staff later denied there were any such plans for a space announcement. One can only hope that some day we will have a president with a real vision for America in space - actually for America beyond the nineteenth century.

If I have any hope for a government funded space program, it is because a successful Chinese space program will scare the politicians into it! It will be Sputnik once again.