Regarding the election, sadly space does not resonate with voters as an issue. Vice President Al Gore associated himself with the X-33 VentureStar, yet despite the hangar queen's $1B boondoggle, nobody familiar with politics feels that the issue had any impact on the election whatsoever. Further back in 1992, Gore had campaigned on retargeting the International Space Station, geting the station completed sooner and at less expense. We all know how that worked out. This was discussed at great length on the old MSNBC Space board with citations from the Houston Chronicle. Admitedly, a few voters in Houston may well have resonated to Gore's positive ISS message, but few elsewhere across the USA, excepting of course several of us space fans.