It's not about debt-- it's about appearances!

Scientists agree-- there's no point in sending a manned mission to the moon. There's also no point in sending a manned mission to Mars. In fact, it might not even be possible just yet. We wouldn't gain a thing in terms of scientific knowledge. The whole thing would be a costly, useless boondoggle.

Powerful Republicans agree-- when you want to show some pioneering spirit, it can sound inspirational to talk about trips to space. Enter beleaguered House leader Tom DeLay, who's raising the specter of spending untold billions on the project, in spite of record foreign debt, ongoing wars, and a sputtering economy. NASA administrator (and non-scientist) Michael Griffin thinks this sort of go-getting attitude is just what we need to convince the world that we're number one, dammit, and always will be!

"If you ask anyone in this country, 'Do you believe that the United States should cede the moon to say the Chinese, Europeans, Russians, whoever?' I bet you the answer would be, 'No,'" [Griffin] said.

Griffin said he believes a majority of people "want to make sure that as humankind expands into space the United States is there in the forefront."

"That is why this is important," he said. "It's about where human beings go and what they do when they get there and what that means to the future of the human race."

'Cede' the moon?!? What the hell is this clown talking about? One thing's for sure-- the GOP has managed to win another battle in the war on science and reason.