Nelson blasts McCain campaign

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Orlando blasted Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain over an apparent position reversal that would not raise NASA's budget by the $2 billion a year required to hurry development of the shuttle's replacement.

"The McCain campaign has just stepped in it," Nelson said Monday.

Nelson cited a GOP Web site that called the NASA budget increase part of "OBAMA'S LIBERAL FISCAL AGENDA."

The Republican National Committee Web site, however, denies that it represents any candidate's position.

McCain, however, while promising more money for NASA on a visit to Brevard County, now says he will freeze all non-military funding.

"We're trying to save jobs," said Nelson.

NASA estimates that some 3,000 jobs will be lost at Kennedy Space Center as the shuttle stops flying in 2010 to provide funding for the next generation of spacecraft. Nelson said an additional $2 billion per year will reduce the five-year gap and save engineering jobs that will be taken by Russian engineers who build the Soyuz capsules.

The Russians are planning to begin flying two spaceflight tourists at a time to the $100 billion International Space Station, which the U.S. built and largely maintains.