Here's the January 14, 2004 "Renewed Spirit of Discovery" speech. I'll start with my take, and keep it short: Wrong goals, wrong economic model, wrong time, wrong priorities.
If you're interested in a round-up of other views and deeper explorations, read on...
* I'm not opposed to space exploration at all - in fact, I'm an enthusiast. Here's what I would support. This isn't even close.
* As you might expect, Rand Simberg of Transterrestrial Musings offers a much more detailed take on the program. Suffice to say that he isn't happy, either.
* Jay Manifold of A Voyage to Arcturus cuts right to the heart of the speech. In rapid point form, he lays out the Scope, the Schedule and the Resources committed.
* Laughing Wolf is surprisingly happy with the speech - and his madness may have method in it:
"I had no realistic hope of a truly visionary plan that would make use of the engine of private enterprise, nor was I surprised. I had a number of concerns that this plan would or could cripple private space efforts, and I am pleased (and a bit surprised) that it did not do so from the start. All in all, I like this plan because while it breaks no new ground, it does not appear to place limits on non-governmental possibilities. I can live with a tired re-hash of the past, provided that it does not prevent others from creating a brighter future. "
Personally, I think whatever extra money will be funneled into this space plan will be more effective at improving our nation's math and science education than if the same amount of money had been given to the Department of Education for the same purpose.
The DOE would have spent it on more administrators, constructivist "math" curricula, and laptops for every child, all the while decrying the lack of money to be spent on reducing class size. With children inspired to excellence by a space program, however, there will be more motivation to study math and science, and hopefully demand will inspire supply of real education in these subjects, even if it is only to be had outside of the public school system.
Once NASA is ordered to divert all its resources to this project, there won't be any money left to continue its studies on [LINK] climate change (aka global warming) and [LINK] ozone depletion. I have little doubt this is part of the Moon/Mars project's appeal in certain quarters.