McCain wants to spend taxpayers' dollars... to put a man on Mars?

From Breitbart.

Presumptive Republican White House nominee John McCain said Thursday he would like to see a manned mission to Mars as part of a "better set of priorities" for NASA that would better engage the public.

At a townhall event in Florida, the Arizona senator was asked about funding for the US space agency's shuttle program, which is due to end in 2010.

He said he "would be willing to spend more taxpayers' dollars" to continue the program but argued that NASA must do a better job of inspiring the American public, as when it sent a man to the moon in 1969.

"I am intrigued by a man on Mars and I think that it would excite the imagination of the American people if we can say, 'Hey, here's what it looks like," he said.

"We know that now, and here's what may be there and let's all join in that project. I think Americans would be very willing to do that."

The contrasts could not be greater between the two candidates that this country will choose from in November.  Hollow Pandering (McCain) versus Real Work (Obama).  Yesterday made the distinction even more clear.

A man on Mars?  Who is John McCain trying to hook with that one?  The foreclosure tragedy dominated the headlines yesterday, and he wants to spend more on space exploration?  Is this a real estate scheme?

I was emboldened over the past two days, watching Barack Obama take charge of our party and our nation with forceful, careful, real work to remedy the problems we face.  He took the tempest that was brewing over the Hillary ruckus, and he tamed it.  He spend some quality time in the Senate, including a smackdown of the Traitor Who Shall Not Be Named.  He even put the traditional media in their place by twisting them into knots with his head fake - the secret meeting with Hillary to iron things out was big news in many ways, especially for the fact that it shows how shrewd Barack Obama really is.

But John McCain?  Spending our money to chase his childhood fantasies of waking on Mars?  Weak. Very very weak.  Americans need help right here in the driveway.  Not on Mars.  It reminds me of my favorite quote from Mars Attacks.  O-lan Jones says...

"They're not gettin' the TV!"

If John McCain gets elected, they may get it all.

UPDATE: I will admit that this diary and its intention was nearly totally partisan.  It was written as a response to the growing poo-flinging toward Barack Obama as a "tax and spend liberal".  It struck me as odd that McCain would tax and spend on Mars.  I wholeheartedly support the space program.  This is a welcome rebuttal to my diary, from a comment by dhoning:

The bolded portion of the quote, "He said he 'would be willing to spend more taxpayers' dollars' to continue the program, was not about Mars at all.  It was in response to a question from the editor of Florida Today, the Brevard County newspaper serving the Space Coast, about the fact that we were stopping shuttle missions in 2010, and we would have to rely on the Russians to supply the international space station until 2015.  In response to THAT question, McCain said he would like to extend the shuttle program rather than rely on Russia.  Then, separately, he talked about the future of the space program.

As for the future of the space program, if it is real rather than just lip-serve a la Bush, it would be wonderful.  Every day you use something spun off from the Apollo Program, even if you don't know it. It is also, when done well, science for science's sake, a truly worthy endeavor that benefits all mankind.