I like space. As I mentioned back when we lost the space shuttle Columbia, it's always been an interest. So you'd think I'd be happy with all this talk about going back to the moon and to Mars. But I'm not, really. I can't escape the feeling that it's election year BS that'll fade to black sometime around January 20, 2005. Even if W gets re-elected.

It's not that we shouldn't go back. We should. And I know it's going to be expensive. How can't it be, given that we have to come up with all new stuff to go back? But I'd be a lot more comfortable with the expense and the hoopla if it didn't seem like the whole plan is another way to keep W in the news in a positive light and provide some sort of "vision."

I would be much less cynical if the announcement was a little less over the top. I mean, a permanent return to the moon is pretty big in and of itself, even without the Mars talk.

And while it seems like the cost for most of this is coming from existing programs, there's still going to be a cost involved. Which means more spending, which is an unusual follow-up to tax cuts. Unless you've got a lot of stock in an aerospace firm, or have friends in the industry.

There's also part of me that thinks we're trying to get back to the moon before the Chinese, who are looking to get into space in a big way. I suppose they can use the room.

In other news, I can't say that Carol Moseley-Braun's decision to drop her Presidential bid and back Howard Dean does much for me. There's a funny picture on CNN right now that show her at a podium, with Dean in the background clapping and looking kind of peeved.

While it's nice to see the herd thin out, it'd be better to see a larger name drop out. Between Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, my vote to drop is Joe Lieberman. He's not going to be a factor in Iowa (he'll finish fifth, at best), isn't looking to do much in New Hampshire (where he could take fourth place, as long as neither Gephardt or Edwards get a bump from Iowa), and I'm not sure if any of the February 3 states are going to help him. I suppose he may try to hold out until Super Tuesday, when most of New England and the mid-Atlantic states vote. Good luck to him.