I've watched the development of Obama's space policy with moderately optimistic ambivalence, torn between thinking commercialization of low Earth orbit is a good idea, and worrying that civil and deep-space activities will founder in this new focus. Whatever is of value in Obama's approach, his dismissive comments* about the moon are short-sighted in the extreme, as both Paul Spudis and Harrison Schmitt point out. (Latter link via Ann Althouse.) I interviewed both of them for my elegaic story on Apollo missions that never flew.
* "Now I understand that some believe that we should attempt a return to the Moon first, as previously planned. But I just have to say pretty bluntly here: We've been there before. Buzz has been there. There's a lot more of space to explore, and a lot more to learn when we do."
