Mikulski slips Nelson a note on NASA, Orlando Sentinel

"Earlier this week, Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland sent a two-page letter to Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida that attempts to outline her vision for NASA and notes that it is "more important than ever" that the two lawmakers "work on consultation" to consider the White House plan. The potential alliance is crucial as Mikulski heads the Senate spending subcommittee with oversight of NASA's budget and Nelson oversees the subcommittee that helps define NASA policy. "I thought it might also be helpful to share with you the principles that I will rely on when drafting the fiscal year 2011 funding bill for NASA," she writes."

Bill Nelson: Manned space program isn't dead yet

"The White House made two errors when announcing its plans for NASA, Sen. Bill Nelson said Tuesday. "I think they made two tactical mistakes that gave everybody the wrong impression," the Florida Democrat said. "The first one is that the president didn't set what the goal is, and everybody knows the goal and that's to go to Mars. "The second mistake was that they said they are canceling the Constellation program."

Don't be blinded by the moon, Opinion, Tampa Bay Online

"Nelson is right that space research is not a waste. It has produced useful spinoffs, including communication and weather satellites, GPS and medical advances, including Lasik surgery. But those successes don't make Obama wrong to try to unleash the inventiveness of U.S. profit-motivated entrepreneurs to build faster and cheaper ships. Jobs will be created, but they will be different jobs, possibly in different places."