Mission creep

When it comes to a government agency losing sight of its raison d'etre, let it never be said NASA's without competition.

The national debt is the single biggest threat to national security, according to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Tax payers will be paying around $600 billion in interest on the national debt by 2012, the chairman told students and local leaders in Detroit.

“That’s one year’s worth of defense budget,” he said, adding that the Pentagon needs to cut back on spending.

Looking enviously on money you don't have to spend doesn't inspire confidence in your budget cutting credentials.