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NASA announced that it has scrubbed the service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope that had been scheduled for 2006. This is said to be part of a drive to shave $11 billion from the NASA budget so that it can be reapplied to the Bush plan to go to the Moon and Mars. But is it really?

More likely, it is just part of the Republican right-wing agenda to cut government expenses in any way possible. But how can they do that with an agency like NASA that has broad public support and that regularly dazzles the public with their accomplishments? And how do they do that when the NASA budget is so heavily committed to expensive, long-term projects?

The answer is simple, bait and switch. Announce a grandiose project that has even more appeal but a longer horizon, cut existing programs in order to be able to afford the new one, and then as new budgets are developed, fail to fund the new project. Forget the sunk costs in the Hubble. Forget its many accomplishments.

The result is one more government agency cut down in size and cost, making possible more tax breaks for the monied aristocracy that funds the Republican agenda. Forget about the dreams of the American people.