To da moon! Newt's not kidding!

As I wrote yesterday, I had a hard time believing reports that Republican presidential wannabe Newt Gingrich had actually called for colonization of the moon. But Canadian Press has the story today. Yes, Newton is already defending his insistence that the United States should build a colony on the moon. In fact, he thinks Luna could become the 51st state!

Speaking in the debate at Jacksonville FL, Gingrich said, "By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American! I’d like to have an American on the moon before the Chinese get there."


Talk about grasping at straws! The reason for this lunar nonsense is that Newt is trailing "Catcher's Mitt" Romney in the polls in Florida against Mitt Romney just a few days before the state primary, and desperately needs to inject a positive note into his extra-negative campaign.

So Newt has proposed a "Northwest Ordinance for Space". Once the population of the moon reaches 13,000, its residents can apply to become one of the United States. Walt is not making this up.

As he restated his lunar proposals during the debate, Gingrich’s rivals seemed to be struggling not to burst into laughter. Congressman Ron Paul -- obviously one of Walt's followers -- quipped, "We should send some politicians to the moon."

If, as some say, the moon is made of green cheese, Walt thinks Newt's cheese has slipped off his cracker.