Oh, they said, but we still have our robotic probes. I have a friend who bought into the Obama hype. "The manned missions are too expensive; we can do it better/faster/cheaper with robotic probes." Ok, I'm not against that, per se.
Not a year later, his select advisory committee, which was less interested in actual science and more interested in eviscerating NASA so as to fund his pet project (health care and wealth redistribution) also gutted the robotic end of exploration. Now, we're left with nothing but the missions already started under prior presidents.
Although I live in Nevada, I'm aware that a LOT of unemployed engineers along Florida's "Space Coast" are looking at retirement after having lost their jobs, with no prospect of employment before they're too old to work. All those engineering skills, LOST.
NASA is now a Muslim outreach agency, to make them feel good about Islam's historical contribution to science. NO JOKE, Google "Bolden" and "NASA" and "Muslim" or watch Bolden (the NASA Director) say it himself.
Easily verifiable, share this with your liberal scientist friends. If they feel that a leftist president puts science first...have them watch the YouTube, and look you in the eye afterward.
You know, this entire "Bush and the Republicans are anti-science" is a liberal trope. Time we tackled it head-on, put it down openly. It's well past time to concern ourselves with feelings or courtesy.
This president has gutted the F-22 Raptor. NASA. The armed services. And more.
So...NO, Obama hasn't championed engineering. He's imposed a tax on medical devices, which impacts companies that make them. He's no friend to the science and engineering communties.
If engineers are out of work on the space coast it is because they are unwilling to move. There is high paying aerospace work in other places in the country. I have worked oil industry in the past, but the job boards have many postings for aerospace as well at the same pay rate or more than the oil industry especially if you have prior experience in that field.
I am not saying that gutting Nasa was or wasn’t the right thing to do, but our country hasn’t lost that knowledge, just relocated it to other states. I thought the same as you and figured that there would be no work and was really surprised that it wasn’t the case.