The best way to the moon?

NASA has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars on technology that will make an extended stay on the moon possible.  The lunar mission is supposed to be in preparation for a mission to mars.  However, there is debate as to whether this is the best way to prepare for a trip to mars.  Some believe that a mission to a near earth asteroid would be more productive.  But before either idea can come to fruition NASA must recapture the American interest in space exploration.  Thats why this week NASA has hired a New York advertising firm to help 'brand' the program.  The proposed lunar and subsequent martian missions have been named 'constellation' but whether this constellation appears in the night sky is still uncertain and may widely depend on public interest.