Today’s Republican leaders think that all the optimistic, forward looking hopefulness of Eisenhower and Kennedy was communistic socialism.  They believe in innovation, only if it leads to the development of new ways for hedge funds to derive profits out of other people’s work.

Tom Hall, Dick & Sharon’s LA Progressive

Submitted by David Culver

(July 19, 2012) Humankind first set foot on the moon on Sunday, July 20, 1969.  Generally, President John F. Kennedy is given credit for pushing exploration off this planet.  And Kennedy did push for scientific research.  He did inspire us to believe that we were capable of great things and that we had both the ability and the resources to achieve them.

But the space program had actually been started by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The Mercury program launched eight test flights before the 1960 elections, and one more immediately following election day.  President Eisenhower wasn’t a supporter of space exploration.  But he was a general who had fought a long, tough war against a technically advanced enemy.  He believed in science, technology, and efficiency.

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