MJ @ Impossible Scissors has two great posts tonight. The first is some commentary on Paul Hacket, Marine Corps reservist turned congressional candidate. MJ makes an excellent point:

Although many great leaders have worn the uniform, the uniform doesn’t always make for a good leader. Hiding behind the camoflauged battle dress uniform doesn’t shield us from partisan hypocrisy.

The second post is almost too eerie because I felt the same resurgence of pride in the Shuttle program I think MJ is describing he felt today (at least that is how I am interpreting this post).

The only thing I would add is part of NASA’s change in direction, more in the way of attitude than anything else, may also be attributable to Spirit and Opportunity. Those two rovers are now coming up on Earth year number two when they were only supposed to last six months. Aside from the technical achievement, we are learning more about Mars in the last nearly two years than we have learned in the last thirty. That has to give NASA a good morale shot-in-the-arm and people that feel good about what they do tend to do great things.