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Ode to the Grand Olde Party, and their BFF, the Obamanator.

When Newt or Paul rocks the GOP Establishment Boat,
The GOP oarsmen pull knives from their boots.
The hacking and slashing puts extreme fighting to shame,
Never, no NEVER rock the GOP Establishment Boat!
The GOP cannot win elections, by choice of their suits,
A RINO Nominee is a Democrat, - - - - one and the same.

Two Party as One Party is what they adore.
“Never give voters a choice,” ( or politicians
Are out of life-time jobs, - - forever more).

As we pay our bills holding our noses as we vote,
The Obamanator holds his cold, steel knife
To America’s throat - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

The sensible plan to create a Moon base.

Contract for a nuclear powered mining robot to dig a large, horizontal shaft in a Lunar crater. Almost entirely known technologies. A tunnel of this sort provides radically reduced needs for protection from vacuum, cosmic and enhanced radiation on the surface, extremes of heat and cold, and the extremely abrasive Lunar dust.

It also means that entire surface habitats do not have to be brought with each mission, because of the harsh and destructive conditions, so far more supplies and equipment can be brought.

So from this point forward, Lunar missions would be *cumulative*, building on each other, instead of “one shots”.

The robot itself would not have to be fast, just methodical. Mining just an inch or two of rock face a day, then at intervals drilling ceiling holes for reinforcing rod, as is normally done in hard rock horizontal shaft mining. Rubble falling in front of the robot would be transported on a long, conveyor belt “tail”, out the tunnel entrance to a waste pile.

Then, while exiting the completed tunnel, the robot would spray the interior with sealant, against micro-fissures.

The lander used by the robot would be designed to be cannibalized for self sealing double pressure doors for the tunnel entry, and later, pre-wired modular walls, floor and ceiling. The tunnel then could be tested for pressure and heat retention.

The robot would then mine any secondary tunnels and even a cistern for Lunar ice, until astronauts arrived, then its nuclear reactor would provide extended power for the Moon base.

The entire process would take a year or two, but after that the cost of Lunar missions would drop considerably, and as more and more tunnels were mined, with each mission it would be improved until it could be used for extended stay research purposes, much like the Antarctic base.