Dude, Challenger Anniversary And The Republican Canonization Of Reagan

On January 28th 1986 I was on my way to morning classes at a small community college where I grew up. That's what I was doing when the Challenger Shuttle blew up shortly after launch. Seven Astronauts died that day including school teacher Christa McAuliffe.  Now my friend Ricky Stevens reminded myself and his other Facebook friends about the tragedy and wondered if we remembered what we were doing when we heard the news. Of Course, one of his undaunting Conservative friends stated that he felt McAuliffe was just a "publicity prop" but that Reagan's announcement of the event was what he remembered favorably. Here is the line that makes every Republican cry; The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in  which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we  saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved  good-bye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God." Now that is some pretty good stuff I will admit. However, I wonder why Reagan  gets a pass for putting up the "publicity prop". It was 1986 and he was a year into his second term. Do you think Obama would get the same pass or would his Administration be accused of using a unqualified person to bolster the space program?  Now let me make this clear, I don't think Christa was over her head. She pasted the tests that all astronauts have to and she trained with them. To me she was just as capable as any of the scientists on the shuttle and would have been a great ambassador to our nation's school children, encouraging them to seek careers in science. A "publicity prop"? Hardly.