"ted sorensen, j-f-k's speech writer and closest advisor, sat down with him after alan shepard's first flight and said we've got to do something. we've got to catch up. what can we do? the consensus was, based on our technical capabilities and a time frame that we could send men to the moon and return them by the end of the decade." them by the end of the decade." strides. time for a great new american enterprise. time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achievement which in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth." *claps "i therefore ask the congress, above and beyond the increases i have earlier requested for space activities, to provide the funds which are needed to meet the following nationals goals. first, i believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." "holy cow. what on earth are you talking about? i said, another politician has let his mouth override his knowledge." "we thought it was very, very gutsy; very, very risky." "and i'll