McCain on space policy

This McCain quote is from the Space Politics (www.spacepolitics.com) website:

"If I’m elected president I won’t cut NASA funds like Senator Obama did and then reverse myself [cheering] here on the Space Coast for political benefit. My friends, we just saw the Chinese, saw them in space. We’ve got competition. We’ve got to say ahead. We will be the first nation to Mars. We will continue, we will continue to lead in space. [cheering] I’ve always been a strong supporter of manned spaceflight and NASA. I will fund NASA including the $2 billion needed to minimize the gap between the retirement of the shuttle and the movement to a new vehicle."

Space Policy goes on to quote a McCain interview saying that space is vital and his across the board spending freeze would not apply to NASA. And, "We have to be the first people on Mars."