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Less than seven years ago he was ridiculed for his confused statement on Mars. Less than four years ago he was still though to be a joke. Less than two years ago he was still thought to be powerless. But everything was changing.
Now he had the opportunity to make this right.
"Three years ago, in my first state of the Union, I promised to be a president that will lead America into the future, into the all the unknown unknowns that lie ahead of us.
One of this unknowns has reached us.
I am glad to be joined by my science and technology adviser, John N. Bahcall, to comment on today's announcement by NASA.
The NASA announcement comes after years of extensive study by some of the world's most distinguished scientists. There is no doubt that their findings will and should continue to be reviewed and examined. It will be scrutinized by other scientists. It will be questioned. But there is no doubt we are on a precipice of a new era. An era enabled by pioneering American spirit.
Three decades ago, we've led the world to open the frontiers of space. Now, we are successfully returning to space, once again showing the world that America is the city of the future, a shining example to the rest of world.
The findings both humble us and make us proud. This discovery could not be reached without both the guiding light of Providence and the unquenching American spirit. More than 4 billion years ago this piece of rock was formed as a part of the original crust of Mars. After billions of years it broke from the surface and began a 16 million year journey through space that would end here on Earth. It arrived in a meteor shower 13,000 years ago. And in 1984 an American scientist on an annual U.S. government mission to search for meteors on Antarctica picked it up and took it to be studied. Appropriately, it was the first rock to be picked up that year -- rock number 84001.
Truly, the latest finding shows that God's creation is more wonderous than our fathers and our founding fathers could have ever imagined. One might not wonder if Mars is the Garden of Eden mentioned in the Bible.
I am determined to helm the American space program to put its full technological ingenuity and intellectual capacity behind the further search of evidence of life on Mars.
First of all, I have instructed administrator Goldin to share this finding with the wider community of scientist for further peer review and validation.
Second of all, I have also asked vice-president Kassebaum to convene at the White House a bipartisan space summit on the questions raised by the findings of possible life on Mars.
Third, America is committed to an aggressive plan of robotic exploration of Mars that we have been pursuing since my days as the head of the Science Council. America's next unmanned missions to Mars is scheduled for launch in November, followed by further missions in November and January. I am pleased to tell you that the first mission is scheduled to land on July the 4th, Independence Day.
Fourth, I will ask president Rokhlin on our upcoming summit in September to join international efforts for a manned mission to Mars as well as the international asteroid watch programme we have launched earlier this year.
Fifth, I will ask the Congress to approve funds for American return to Moon, not because it is easy to do, but because it is American thing to do. I, just like former president Kennedy before, wish for our nation to once again open new frontiers and return to
America way of life has won over the world and American discoveries are leading the world further into the future. We will continue to learn more from this discovery that has the potential to both answer some of our oldest questions while offering new answers on why God put us on this shining marble of creation.
Thank you and God bless America and us all."
With that, the president left the podium and returned to the White House as per his tradition. No answering unprepared questions. No opening for reporters to badger him about his golf schedule or gay rights or the troops currently in Venezuela.
Prior to the speech, his advisers warned him that his speech will be seen as a cheap ploy to narrow the difference in the polls, just before the Democratic convention. But it didn't matter. The "Unfortunate Hoosier" had succeeded against all odds. He might even have a chance against Casey if the rumors are true.
If the nation was not ready for 20 years under Republican presidents, he could always become the Republican Grover Cleveland. He was already the Republican Kennedy, much to the chagrin of Bentsen. He was also the young Reagan to the excitement of the base, a man whose Compassionate Compact led the Republicans to a resounding victory in '94 and an era of modern legislation after years of deadlock.
He will likely live to see the American flag planted on Mars.
After all, he was not even fifty yet.
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