[truthfinder9]

The President was moving for a very aggressive exploration, but the proposed budget dosn't support that agrressive plan. We're too busy spending money on bridges to nowhere.

[stuartcr]

Wars are pretty expensive too.

[Beagle8U]

I have an idea. Let the scientists that think their work is so important, petition for private funding, or pay for it themselves.

[The_Victor]

The President was moving for a very aggressive exploration, but the proposed budget dosn't support that agrressive plan.

So is the problem the President or Congress? Seems like we're petitioning the wrong people.

[RightWhale]

Is it better to earmark or to simply hand $400 million over to each State to spend on any whim they may have?

[M1Tanker]

It is sad that even as we fight the genocidal philosophy of Islamofascism that the politicians still saddle the budget with so much political pork. The discretionary spending authorization of the President is a truly minuscule portion of the overall budget. The non-discretionary spending is grotesquely huge (NASA and the Military are part of discretionary spending). The IRS's "overhead" and miscalculations alone (equal to 25%+ of revenues taken in) could pay for a fleet of long range spacecraft and still keep us from deficit spending.

Real pork is great (esp with BBQ sauce), Political "Pork" kills. It is amazing that even after all we have been through, all congress can think of is their back pocket. Maybe we should start by taking away their tax free lifetime "pension" that they get after serving a term or two.