I find it interesting that the right NASA more than the left, even though it's more wasteful fiscally than most entitlement programs.
It's more a question of priorities. If the national debate weren't tarred by populist outrage over the deficit, I doubt leftists would have much of a problem with funding space exploration programs. I will admit that I find the perspective being espoused by some of the rightists here to be puzzling. Space appears to fit into this exclusive category of items that manage to evade any sort of scrutiny in the arena of fiscal responsibility.