Bring back the Shuttle?

I found out about this from Selenian Boondocks.  Is it retired or not?  It is almost like Dracula.  Maybe to kill it requires a wooden stake.  Not that I want to see it die, but in today's political environment, how does it survive?

I wrote a lot about recycling the external tanks, but that isn't going to happen.  Safety concerns are already high enough.  To keep the ET's in orbit would just increase concerns even further.  So, there's really nothing here to support.  It costs too much for today's poltical climate.  Even if the politics were favorable, it is still a high cost proposition.  The only thing that makes it more interesting to me is if the ET's were recycled.  I've batted the idea around here and elsewhere though.  There's not much interest in the idea.

The government should commit itself to one course of action and stick with it.  I think the probability of success may be higher if the shuttle is retired.  Let the commercial option carry the load in the future.  I think it is the best shot we have.   It just won't do to have the shuttle re retired in the near future because of another budget crunch.

By the way, I just listened to the Space Show broadcast mentioned at Selenian Boondocks.  Now I am familiar with Altius.  My education continues.