Community development

When I think of NASA, I think of field trips, space exploration, development, rockets, and I get excited.  I believe though, that I am in the minority.  For a while now, many people have viewed NASA a side-show to amuse the nerds and a non-necessity for the advancement of the human race, or even more specifically, the USA as a nation.  

With the onset of global climate change and the expanding research role of NASA, the projects therein have become a thorn in the side of many new economic and political interests:

http://www.thegwpf.org/international-news/2476-republicans-to-eliminate-nasas-climate-science-budget.html

Don't doubt that there is a bias here, because there is.  But even still, the bias hints at real motivations within and behind the workings of congress.  NASA's biggest problem here is its reluctance to advertise and market itself as a worthwhile endeavor to the public.  Typical news coverage of the organization has been infrequent and usually only when something goes wrong.  E.g. the Hubble miscalculations, the Challenger incident, etc.  

And now it is being attacked for its investigation into climate change.  

I don't believe that cutting the budget for NASA will assuage the pangs of fiscal irresponsibility that we are experiencing either.  Especially since one of the biggest problems resulting from that irresponsibility is employment for educated people.  

NASA's days are numbered if it doesn't change the public perception of its programming.