Published: May 21, 2008 09:46 am         

Other View: Bush must be seeing stars

Space exploration may yet provide the best shot for George Bush's reputation as president to be rescued from the ash bin of American history.

But it's looking doubtful.

There are those who say future historians will have a much different take on Bush's adventure in Iraq. But the consensus of most Americans today is that he's headed for infamy.

Not necessarily, though. If Bush's map for space exploration actually takes an American crew to Mars, he may one day be hailed the way John Kennedy gets credit now for a moonwalk that occurred years after his assassination. ...

Kennedy had Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon to follow him and see that his space goal was reached. Bush could have helped steer the course of his successors by better funding NASA.

He didn't because that same war that threatens to define his presidency historically got in the way.

-- Philadelphia Inquirer