Senator Obama wants major cutbacks to the NASA budget. He tells the Baltimore Sun: “NASA has lost focus and is no longer associated with inspiration,” he said. “I don’t think our kids are watching the space shuttle launches. It used to be a remarkable thing. It doesn’t even pass for news anymore.”

Well, Senator, perhaps if NASA’s budget hadn’t already been cut to the bone, they would be accomplishing a bit more. Like, say, going to the Moon and Mars in the next decade. Oh, wait…

Obama has portrayed himself as the “hope” candidate, but he’s prepared to turn his back on exploring our universe. That seems disingenuous. Oh, wait…

But at least Senator Obama’s position is clear. Senators Clinton and McCain seem content to puff around with vague generalities.

As a voter and strong supporter of a manned space program, I hope that the candidates will reconsider their positions. there is much hope in space, and much to learn out there in the great beyond. Our elected officials need to remember that.

Jim: Marshall… I’m finding this as frustrating as you are; it’s surprising that a guy who talks so much about hope and overcoming skepticism has so little interest in exploring the final frontier.

But I can’t help but wonder if NASA has become too large, slow-moving, and bureaucratic to truly lead in exploration. Has anything NASA has done in the past ten years been as exciting as SpaceShipOne winning the X-Prize? Maybe the Mars rovers. But it’s the risk-taking mad genius of the Richard Bransons of the world who are making space tourism a real possibility for the not-too-distant future.

We will probably see amazing breakthroughs in humanity’s exploration of the universe in our lifetimes. But increasingly, it feels like those breakthroughs will be driven by the private sector, not by the U.S. government…