Bush's manned Mars mission funds cut in House bill

[Cocoa]

Bush is so "committed" to this proposal that he took it out of his State of the Union, after polls showed the country was laughing at him, and he hasn't mentioned it since.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a4JvD01bXGuo&refer=us

<snip>

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration would get $15.1 billion under the bill, which cuts $538 million from Bush's plan to spend $910 million on the Mars proposal in the 2005 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

``We simply could not afford to fund the vision,'' said Representative James Walsh, a New York Republican and chairman of the subcommittee.

The vote is a setback for Bush, who outlined in January a plan to spend $12 billion over five years to send robots to the moon by 2008 and establish a manned base there as a ``stepping stone'' for manned missions to Mars and beyond. The vote came on the 35th anniversary of the day U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.

White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said Bush would work with Congress to restore funding for the program. Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, whose Houston district is near the Johnson Space Center, said the spending cut was ``unacceptable.''

``The president's vision for space exploration is a long- term effort,'' Healy said. ``The president is committed to affordable space exploration. He'll continue to work with them on implementing that.''

more...

[shoelace414]

1. Nobody's paying attention

when asked people will still thikn Bush wants ot send men to MArs, and they ignore all the other stuff, like killing the Hubble to do it.

[LoZoccolo]

2. FUCK!

This was one of the things he did that I thought was way fucken kewl!

:yourock:

[tom_paine]

3. Of course it was. That was a LIE from the begiining

Said for effect, and probably to get something damaging out of the news cycle.

But it was even more a sham than the Soviet Space Program, which had the virtues of at least being real, if unsuccessful.

[Cocoa]

5. feel-good trial balloon

wanted something "bold" and "optimistic" for his SOTU. But polls showed that the people weren't as stupid as they'd hoped.

[bluestateguy]

I don't trust this Administration with the space program

They just want to militarize space, and there's just no place for that.

[hatrack]

4. About $372 million too much still left in this dog, but it's progress

Now, if they could just come up with the $20-odd million to keep one of NASA's most successful weather/climate satellites in orbit . . .
NAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

[dave29]

6. Never put space initiatives in the hands

of people who hate Science.

[Fovea]

7. Say it aint so...

I was hoping to emigrate.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. How long would $300 million last?

Perhaps 2 or 3 days? What a laff! What a stupid asinine nonsense waste of money. He isn't going to "implement" anything but more profits for halliburton and United Defense, tow businesses that were "well positioned" to take advantage of the "opportunities" in Iraq.

[Dover]

9. Well, the outcome might have been different if Bush had volunteered

to go to Mars himself, though many could argue that the mission would technically be considered 'unmanned', with the chimp at the controls. It just makes sense to send him...Mars being the God of War and all.

[radwriter0555]

10. PNAC is all about the space race....

hence the motivation.

[Aunt Anti-bush]

11. Perhaps we can all pitch in...

and send them all there if they like it so much.

[Arcturus]

12. There was a plan to put Bush on Mars?

I'm all for it!

Oh, sorry, misread that one.

[wabeewoman]

13. But...but....but

if they don't fund the Mars expedition, what excuse will they use to cut the satellites that are proving global warming is happening??

[pinniped]

14. Huh? No more big vision from the biggest asshole on the planet?

How the hell is the moran going to get back home now?

[DeepModem Mom]

15. kick

[saracat]

16. To the Mars, Alice!Or Chimpy!

To the Mars! To paraphrase Jackie Gleason. Five minutes with a few of us and we could show him a few planets he's never seen!