Standing Up to the Bully

We have a new hero. Govenor Janet Mills of Maine was singled out for a reprimand by the president at a meeting with US Governors for not complying with a ban on transgender athletes. The president thought he was going to get the best of her, but she bit back. When he told her she should comply of risk losing all federal funding, she replied "We'll see you in court." The president, who has rarely won a court case, replied, that he would be happy to see her in court because it would be an easy win. Ha! Mills' rigid backbone should be a lesson to her fellow governors of both parties. When you have the opportunity to throw a hornets nest into the bully pulpit, do so.

The only problem I have is that our Connecticut governor, Ned Lamont, who I presume was at the meeting, neither rose to her defense, nor rose to leave the room after the interaction. So here's what I'm sending to him today.

Governor Lamont: While I've been an elected official, I've never considered myself a politician. Politics demands compromise, and while I have participated in compromise regarding policy, I've tried my best to steer clear of compromise when it comes to core principals. That's why I'm puzzled today. I presume you were at the Governor's meeting with the president in Washington yesterday (if that presumption is wrong, you can ignore the rest), where the president attempted to upbraid the Governor of Maine. She stood up to him. What was your response? Did you rise to stand with her as a partner in resistance to the president's fascist demands? Did you rise to leave the room after a president decided to single out a strong governor for her stand? Did you attend the black tie dinner? I'm assuming the answer is that you didn't protest in any way. Instead, you stayed, and allowed the president to continue his lies and his scolding. That's a shame. I'm sure you'll have a political explanation for your failure to stand strong with your New England colleague. I think you'll find that the electorate is done with politicians doing the political thing. We want strength. We want leaders who will lead and not capitulate. I'm sure you'll be hearing more of this. I only hope your words, and actions, will demonstrate the anger and frustration Connecticut voters are feeling.

I encourage you to write our governor, and our representatives, to demand strength in the face of a fascist bully.