In a comment on yesterday's post about Steven Chu's visit to Sandia, Page van der Linden said this:

Did he say anything specific, though? I know the guy is very bright, but he's always been long on general statements and short on specifics, like "we're closing Yucca Mountain, but don't worry, we'll do some sorta research to figure out how to store the waste".

Until he ditches the general statements and actually sits down and says "here is exactly what the labs' mission will be", I'm going to remain skeptical of his understanding of the nuclear weapons complex.

Page pretty much nails the key question. Here's how I put it in the full story, which ran in this morning's newspaper:

While Chu's talk offered a generally hopeful message about the importance of the labs' work, it was short on specifics, including the amount of money the labs can expect in coming years for core nuclear weapons work or new research projects.

Clarity on those questions could come later this month or in May, when the Department of Energy releases its detailed budget request for the 2010 fiscal year.