Don't mind answering at all, Doug.

First, with ATKs nmoney from Iraq arms sales for lobbying, it is a simple political realitry that liquid boosters are out for a long time.

Second, Jupiter is sooner, closing the gap,so no liquid boosters for that reason as well.

Third, we need the solid propellant tech base for other reasons.

Four, including ISS servicing flights, the total solid use is lower.

Five, enhanced lunar payloads mean lower total solid use there as well.

Six, and the reasons for your interest in Ares 5, in my opnion, is that the NASA Mars Reference Architecture can be done with five Jupiters, instead of four Ares 5.

But the folks to check with are over on the Diurect thread at nasaspaceflight.com, and they'll be delighted to spell it all out for you way better than I can, so that's where you want to ask.

PS - You know what I think of NASA's Mars Reference Architecture and that I have other more pressing priorities than flying a few men to Mars right now. In other words, after ISS and CAPS, then manned Mars with some cycler variant, if that effort can be justified to the public then and no show stoppers are found.

Hope this clears things up.