Delaying shuttle retirement

I've long been a non-enthusiast of the space shuttle. But it's better than nothing, and better than dependence on Russian rockets. (And having a cosmonaut recently take pictures of the war damage in Georgia from the International Space Station adds insult to injury.) Space policy tends to move with glacial slowness, so it's gratifying that some legislators, including John McCain, are pushing to stop the dismantlement of shuttle infrastructure now. (Via Rand Simberg.)