re: The myth of heavy lift
It already exists - http://www.k26.com/buran/index.html
It just needs the wonga and political will. If we view the Presidents proposal as a Human desire for exploration and not specifically American, then most of the technology and hardware already exists in the major industrial nations. The cost appears to be the reason why the time frame for this project is so long. Why not share the load with others, and accomplish the mission sooner.