While Andrew Sullivan makes many good points in this Times piece, in which he accuses George W. Bush of being a socialist, he damages his credibility, at least to those familiar with space policy, with this:

...when Katrina revealed that, after pouring money into both homeland security and Louisiana’s infrastructure, there was still no co-ordinated plan to deal with catastrophe, a few foreheads furrowed.

Then there was the big increase in agricultural subsidies. Then the explosion in pork barrel spending. Then the biggest new entitlement since Lyndon Johnson, the Medicare drug benefit. Then a trip to Mars.

There is no trip to Mars. NASA just announced their plans for the next decade and a half, and they did not involve Mars in any way, other than as a long-term goal that the lunar missions would ostensibly support. Space is one of the few areas of federal spending that hasn't exploded under Bush. I'm not a big fan of the specifics of the new plan, but his new policy didn't create new spending for NASA--it simply redirected how the money that they'd have been getting in the future, anyway, would have been spent.

Well, other than his Mars flub, I kind of agree. Conservatism isn't what it used to be. Neither is Liberalism. I think it's wonderful that FORMER (thank god) President Clinton took the cover of today's Sunday newpaper "Parade" to flaunt his wealth and excellent health plan in the face of millions of American who can afford neither. Plus, he was undoubtedly paid a small fortune for writing the article, "I Was A Heart Attack Waiting To Happen."
Here's MY health plan: keep smoking- with hope that when my heart attack comes it will be quick, final and won't hurt too much in the last seconds. I know what you're thinking- but do the math. Even if I were to stop smoking, I still could not afford more than 20 minutes of hospital treatment- and certainly not the ambulance ride. My neighbors will find me when it stinks. Thanks, Bill.

Sullivan, having supported "John 'to the left of Teddy Kennedy' Kerry" has little creedance to lecture someone about supporting a 'socalist'.

"Bush's tax cut is too big for an already overheated economy." - Andrew Sullivan in Salon, Nov. 6, 2000.

Am I the only one who thinks Sullivan has BSed his way through life by appearing to know more than he does?

I'm still surprised anyone gives any credibility to Andrew.

Leland - maybe it's inertia? ;-p