Keep in mind that NASA’s big announcement is NOT that water has been found on Mars. The news is that NASA has found only SIGNS of water on Mars. And now, probably by accident, “Martian” director Ridley Scott has confirmed that NASA timed the release of this bombshell maybe-news for the week of the movie’s release:

On one level, The Martian may be functioning as a giant advertisement for Nasa, but the close collaboration between the space agency and Ridley Scott’s film-making team has resulted in the director remaining blasé about the dramatic announcement of evidence of flowing water on Mars. “I knew that months ago,” he said in response to the news. … Scott said he had seen the photographs of water flows “about two months ago” – meaning that it was too late to incorporate the revelation into the film’s narrative.

NASA knew this months ago.

NASA chose this week to release the news.

Case closed.

With advertising and promotion, 20th Century Fox easily has more than $175 million invested in “The Martian,” a non-franchise, non-branded film starring the left-wing Matt Damon, an actor whose box office track of late is more than a bit wobbly.

Sadly, learning that our government withheld news in order to benefit their political pals, is no longer shocking in The Age of Obama.

That our media seems unconcerned with this kind of cronyism is even less shocking.

In fact, the media appears to be consciously playing along. Trailers for “The Martian” are being run as news during newscasts.

Democrats sure got it good.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC