I'm not going to crimp my writing style by avoiding all metaphor and simile simply because you'll adopt an uncomprehending pose and pretend you take my words literally.

"festooned with a gaudy elephant and Republican bumper stickers" is a metaphorical way of describing a Web site that appears to be have designed by Karl Rove to push a Republican message under cover of the authority of the Pentagon. I expect any government agency to stay out of politics, and to present only facts about its operations--not hype--because that's what the people are entitled to receive. We have a right to straight information about what our government is doing, and attempts at spin and hype are a betrayal of the public's trust.

Check out NASA's most recent home page (looks like a recent upgrade, and rather nice in its minimalist aesthetic). The site's about what NASA does, not about how wise and wonderful George Bush is to have made a speech about advocating a strong space program, nor is it a campaign commercial for members of Congress on the various NASA oversight committes touting their wise and benevolent leadership. It's a business site, about the business of a government agency. That's the standard I expect the DOD to follow as well.