Why didn’t I get it? It’s so obvious:
The sources said Bush aides also view the initiative as a huge jobs program, and one that will stimulate business in the many parts of the country where space and military contractors are located.
“This is a boon for business and a boon for Texas,” one official said, referring to the state where Bush was governor and the location of the Johnson Space Center, which is the home of mission control and the nerve center for human space flight.
The decision was controversial within the White House, with some aides arguing that it would make more sense to focus immediately on Mars, since humans have already landed on the moon and a Mars mission would build cleanly on the success of Spirit, the U.S. rover that landed safely on Mars last weekend. Bush himself settled the divisions, according to the sources, working from options that had been narrowed down by his senior adviser, Karl Rove.
One presidential adviser, who asked not to be identified, said, after discussing the initiative with administration officials, that the idea is “crazy” and mocked it as the “mission to Pluto.”
“It costs a lot of money and we don’t have money,” the official said. “This is destructive of any sort of budget restraint.”
Via Daniel Drezner, and thanks to Conrad for leading me to him.
1
By Michael
Well, someone in the administration has figured out the value of PORK.
Nuff said.
January 14, 2004 @ 4:18 am | Comment
2
By Nicholas Liu
I would sooo pork Dubya if I had the chance.
January 14, 2004 @ 7:53 am | Comment
3
By richard
It’s really outrageous, at a time of unprecedented tax cuts for the rich. Is this the best they can do with our tax dollars?
January 14, 2004 @ 11:51 am | Comment
4
By Huimao
Dennis Kucinich had a great line in the democratic presidential debate a couple of days ago. When talking about why Bush is planning to spend billions on space when there’s a huge federal budget deficit and Afghanistan and Iraq operations still going on, he said something like “perhaps Bush wants to look for WMD on Mars”.
January 14, 2004 @ 11:53 am | Comment
5
By vaara
Texas is a red state; Mars is a red planet.
Coincidence? I think not.
January 14, 2004 @ 3:48 pm | Comment
6
By richard
Vaara, as in “We’re in the red”?
January 14, 2004 @ 3:53 pm | Comment
7
By Idle
I think the Bush administration is also resorting to psychological tactics here. I’m sorry if I’m generalising, but I notice there is a penchant for Americans to be blown away by things such as exploration, big scale projects, conquests, etc. It’s like “let’s throw in a Mars programme and watch them vote in awe!”
Sure there are many reasons why Bush would want to start this, but I have this feeling like he has run out of tricks to pull out of his hat.
January 15, 2004 @ 3:34 pm | Comment
8
By julie
its not bushes money its the tax payers and it is an atrocaty initself to use this money when the world is like it is . it should and could be used for bigger and better things in the world the iraq war survivers for one , well the list is endless. all these dogooders know it all and know nothing. people in the public should make a stand get involved and actually take an intrest in whats going on its alright watching it on the news its making a stand and a difference that counts resist
January 20, 2004 @ 8:54 am | Comment
9
By US Citzen and taxpayer
Julie,
I appologize, but I only just stumbled across this blog and saw your post. After having read it and thought about it I have to say that your ananlysis lacks somewhat. I wish it were as simple as that to qualilify and quantify who and what gets the money from the US Government. Many of the things that the governement funds are total BS.. Usually some pork project from someone (Senator Byrd for example. He isnt called the Prince of Pork for nothing).
It agree that there are in fact monies that should be put to better use, like taking care fo the soldiers and their families coming back from Iraq for eaxmple, but at the same time that does not diminisn the need to deal with the issues at hand. I smart man once said recently ‘we have to deal with the world as it is, not as we wish is was’ Those words ring true, not more than ever. The war against terror needs to continue, and lets get rid of the local politics while we are at it. Its a war, plain and simple, both in terms of ground and troops as it is political and putting spin on it. The only spin I can think of is simply this:
– They accuse the US of going there to get oil. Really? Where is it? still there last time I checked and I sure could use cheap oil here these days.
-We want territory. Well, thats pretty silly on all accuonts. we dont want that. We have more oil at home to develop. Why spend the resopunces to go dig for diamonds on the other side fo the planet, when they are right in your back yard?? (And yes, there is loads of oil in our back yard)
– Oil in general: Oil is cheap and easy. My father taught me that if something is cheap and easy, it isnt worth pursueing. Simple words, but they still ring true. Sure, i agree, use the oil as long as it is cheap, in the mean time, pursue alternative engergy sources. Solar, nuclear, wind, etc. More exploration of viability needs to happen here before we need it so that these middleeaster panic attacks on wall street dont cripple the economy here when it doesnt need to happen. On the same topic, given that oil explorations has been evolved to much higher standards that it was in the days of yesteryear, why exactly is it that a certain segement of our population want to complain about oil/gas prices when we can have it cheaper my utilizing our own natural resources like Anwar, Alaska, etc? We know we can extract the oil realtively cheaply and more importantly cleanly, but there is huge opposition to this for some unfathomable reason. The only one I can come up with is a political torch.
Just a citizen
September 17, 2006 @ 4:52 pm | Comment