DeLay on NASA

I can understand--not agree or justify, but understand--the Republicans pushing pet Conservative projects that cost obscene amounts of money *COUGH*Social Security Privitization*COUGH* even while we're in a deficit. After all, they're in control, they have a mandate, and have so much power that no one really can tell them no. However, I did think that, if only so they could have SOME plausible argument that they care about reducing the deficit, they would cut back on some of the more laughable, and expensive, projects, such as the Mission to Mars.

For those of you who have forgotten, President Bush proposed that we put a man on Mars in his last State of the Union address. It was, justifiably, met with laughter and scorn, and was quickly dropped. Or so we thought. Today, the Washington Post post reports that (who else) House Speaker Tom DeLay has added, without debate or a vote, the money neccessary to ressurrect the project:

President Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration," which would send humans to the moon and eventually to Mars, got a skeptical reception in January and was left for dead in midsummer, but it made a stunning last-minute comeback when DeLay delivered NASA's full $16.2 billion budget request as part of the omnibus $388 billion spending bill passed Nov. 20.

Why would DeLay do this? Surely it has NOTHING to do with the fact that the Johnson Space Center is in his newly redrawn district? Of course not! The reality is, DeLay put in the language because he hates America and wants to expand the deficit. Which answer is truly accurate? We report, YOU decide!