Now that the Flint water crisis is commanding such a large national spotlight, Michigan politicians are throwing elbows to get under it.
The most blatant example is U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, who is not going to allow the inconvenient fact that her district doesn’t include Flint to keep her off the stage.
Lawrence, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is demanding that Gov. Rick Snyder be dragged before the committee to testify about Flint. Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, wants no part of such a sideshow.
Nor should he, since the U.S. Attorney in Detroit is already investigating, as is the Michigan attorney general.
Lawrence is trying to steal the thunder of Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, who had been the go-to congressman for out-of-town cameras.
Poor Kildee also is being rolled by another fellow Democrat, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who bumped him off the blamefest staged by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in Flint Wednesday.
All of the above, plus Sen. Gary Peters, also a Democrat, are busy ginning up new laws that won’t accomplish much other than to keep their names in the headlines.
For a politician, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.