Inside Politics Weekend: ET phone Obama

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By Jennifer Harper

OK, so 53 percent of American voters say that intelligent life exists on other planets, according to a recent survey from Rasmussen Reports. But things are partisan among the planets. Liberals, we find, are more inclined to believe this than conservatives, 72 percent to 45 percent, respectively.

In addition, 57 percent of Democrats think there are extraterrestrials out there, compared to 47 percent of Republicans. Men are more likely than women to agree, 61 percent to 46 percent.

Earthling voters are fairly broad-minded, though. Overall, 23 percent say the possibility of intelligent life out there is "not very likely," only a truculent 12 percent insist the idea is completely unfounded while 12 percent are "not sure," the survey found.

Is this a political matter? Well, yes. The survey also found that 81 percent of voters rate NASA positively — Republicans more so than Democrats. Three-fourths of voters think the U.S. should have a manned space program, which is good news for NASA and its $19 billion annual budget. The GOP and Dems were almost neck and neck on this one.

The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted May 18 and 19.

Meanwhile, there was nothing in the findings to indicate whether voters felt that intelligent life exists in North Korea, Iran or Hollywood. But that's probably coming in some other poll.

Second thoughts

Time marches on, and very quickly, too.

"It's a good time to be George W. Bush," says Abe Greenwald of Commentary Magazine.

"President Obama, and the country at large, is finding out that Bush's most controversial policies were not born of ideological delusion, American arrogance, or missionary zeal."