2016 March 18^th

This morning’s Record-Eagle has a letter signed by me which got slightly garbled in transmission. Someone nearby, who is my principal advisor, says it’s fine the way it is, therefore it’s fine the way it is.

Last night Rachel Maddow had a bit about a PBS segment which had shown a mother and son working the phones for Donald Trump. They were focused intently on getting out the vote. One of Maddow’s sharp-eyed minions looked at the mother’s extensively tattooed arms and there in plain sight were several favorite neo-Nazi symbols. Maybe Trump didn’t want to irritate the white power folks by quickly rejecting their support so that he could get help manning his phone banks. That Donald doesn’t miss a trick!

Yesterday some congressmen were on TV in their roles as inquisitors trying to fix the blame for the Flint water scandal. They produced splendid performances; histrionics blended with outrage “signifying nothing.” Instead of fixing the blame they should have been trying to fix the problem. Not only with Flint’s infrastructure because there are other aged water systems spewing lead contaminated water in our older cities. Bi-partisan legislation was actually on its way to help fix this problem until it was blocked by Senator Lee of Utah. The Senator maintained that Michigan had a surplus and didn’t need the government’s help. But the bill was about much more than just Michigan, moreover Senator Lee’s hold keeps the bill from even coming to a vote. (Senator Lee is the first Senator to support Senator Cruz.) In response to Lee’s action Democrats blocked a bi-partisan energy bill that would have, among other things, modernized our shaky energy grid. Is it any wonder that Congress’ approval rating barely makes the double digits?

Then we have a great hue and cry by the Republican establishment lest Donald Trump becomes the party’s nominee. What to do? Perhaps encourage the Tea Party Speaker of the House to start speaking about doing something. Even his own Tea Party followers now see him as an apostate because he actually tried, and succeeded in getting a budget passed. No wonder that Trump, who presents an image of someone who can accomplish whatever he decides to do, is capturing the enthusiasm of the unaffiliated.