I’m quite capable of criticizing Bush, but the mere mention of his name in this context bothers me. This is a nineteen sixties or seventies design. Bush wasn’t responsible for any of this. And just because he set new goals, it doesn’t mean he suddenly becomes responsible for all the poor decisions made in the past.
It doesn’t make sense to me to completely redesign a launch system for a craft at the very end of it’s life expectancy.
First, I'm criticizing W for his Moon and Mars boondoggle, not anything to do with the Shuttle.
Second, what makes you think the Shuttles are at the end of their life expectancy? Each Orbiter only has a few dozen missions. The avionics and computers have all been upgraded, and the Shuttle still carries a lot of prestige.