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The Balloon Brouhaha And Who Benefits

Micheal Wade over at Q&O asks an interesting question:  Will Balloon Boy Be The New Schiavo? [1]


I truly hope that I’m wrong. That cooler heads will prevail. That, if indeed the parents set this whole thing up as a publicity stunt, the local authorities will handle it sternly, yet quietly. “We” don’t need to be involved, and even more importantly, there is no reason at all that Congress should be sticking it’s nose into the situation.

But I can’t help but think, given how the GOP so successfully delegitimized itself in the now-infamous Terry Schiavo case, somehow or another they will find a way to do so here.

Frankly I don’t think that the GOP delegitimized  itself in that case at all.  Standing on principle, and standing on moral grounds, delegitimizes nobody, in my view.  Frankly, as much as I like Michael, I have to say that trying to draw a parallel between the two instances is rather like trying to draw a parallel between stones and waterskiing.  For one  thing, even at this stage of the game it’s not entirely clear where government intervention started, in that case.

Those  points aside,  Michael suggests that the whole thing is a bit of a diversion in the way he writes the article.  There are apparently a number of people in the comments who would agree with him. I tell him in the comments …

While I tend to agree that the balloon brouhaha is a nifty little diversion, I have a different take is to what it’s a diversion from.

Let’s assume, just for argument, that the GOP decides to start raising hell about the modern day version of the “flight of the navigator”. Just who would they propose slipping any legislation by? Seems to me than any calls for action at this point would require a democrat involvement, and they have legislative problems of their own that the moment.

If anyone gets affected by the massive news coverage of “Gone with the Helium” it’s going to be the party in power. After all , and as I say, the whole thing makes a rather nifty diversion from the walking disaster that is Washington DC, these days, with them in charge.

I mean, really; is the real issue here that the Republicans are gonna jump on something, or that the press already did… and why?  As I said, in the nightly ramble, Friday night, can we possibly get to some real news coverage, now?  Like for example, might we try investigating some of the malfeasance being exhibited by the Obama administration?  Please?