Imagine...

Imagine...  For just a moment, suppress your vomit reflex and imagine that you are a budget wonk in the Obama administration.  You're deciding which government programs to chop out of the FY 2015 budget that you're helping write.  Do you look for (a) expensive, wasteful government programs, or (b) cheap, effective government programs to chop?

Why, (b) of course!  Those idiots in That One's budget office are proposing cutting one of the most effective science programs the federal government funds.  It's also a cheap, low-risk program.

If you've been reading this blog for even a few months, you can guess what's coming: they want to terminate one of the least expensive and most productive unmanned space programs (the Mars Opportunity rover).  And of course, they want to expand one of the most expensive and least productive programs: the International Space Station.

There will come a day when I am proud of my country's government.  But today is not that day...