Advanced years bring the inevitable maladies great and small. The PolicySmith and Mrs. PolicySmith relocated to Florida’s West Coast for a time to heal the effects of said maladies. While on the mend, headline issues fire the blood and drive one to the keyboard to laud/vent/rail at miscreants, missteps and the valiant alike. Herewith some takes…

DOGE — President Clinton’s pronouncement in the 90s that the era of big government was at an end was roundly lauded in most quarters. Barack Obama proclaimed that his health care “plan” — “if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor” — would be paid for largely by savings from eliminating waste and abuse. Thirty years later, a similar initiative by the President elicited spleen venting, crocodile tears and threats of weapons in the streets from the Maxine Waters/Joy Behar wingnuts on the left of the left. It’s the lone play left in their dried up playbook. The feed trough is being emptied, the dole to lefty deep state pals is ending and audits by objectivists are sending the pond scum back to feeding on the pond’s bottom. To be clear, core agency functions across the many federal departments and bureaus must be preserved. Streamlining, eliminating duplicative/obsolete “because-we’ve-always-done-its” is the goal, and a righteous one it is. A note of caution –stow the meataxe and get the GAO in the lead (or at least the co-lead). The outcry about unelecteds perusing confidential financials, even with Secretary approval and oversight of department staff, has merit and must be remedied.

Trump Cabinet — A real duke’s mixture here, the formerly Little Marco at State, the radical former D at HHS, gun-toting warrior at the Pentagon, big-time shin-kicker on border czar duty, a 10 in word, deed and looks as press secretary, an intelligence chief with a racing stripe in her hair, a no-prisoners lady as chief of staff, among a collection of other no-nonsense types, including…

Energy, Interior/BLM — right in the PolicySmith wheelhouse, Chris Wright at Energy, Doug Burghum at Interior and Kathleen Sgamma at BLM. Wright, a man for all energy seasons, is a wealth of knowledge and experience in oil and gas operations, nuclear, climate science and renewables. Look for rational and creative energy policies and initiatives including partnering with Commerce to expand natural gas exports, and domestically to streamline nuclear permitting for starters. At Interior and BLM the straight ahead duo of Burghum and Sgamma should speed development on federal lands, especially in Alaska — both in ANWR and NPR-A. Additionally look for actions to get North Slope gas moving south to serve markets in the Far East. Exploration and development of Arctic hydrocarbons will save the trans-Alaska pipeline from its looming non-economic demise. Absent more crude production on the North Slope the line would eventually cease operation. Developing Alaska’s resources is critical for the state’s economic well being as well as a counter to Russia/China Arctic initiatives.

Green Energy — finally this contentious suite of “resources” will compete on even footing with conventional fuels. Boondoggles (see Solyndra debacle) will no longer be funded and receive little to no consideration given Trump energy priorities. The claim that China “leads” in renewables is a vague, some would say specious, assertion. It may lead in manufacture of green energy products, but it’s far from going green. In mid-February 2025 reports surfaced that China had begun construction of 100 gigawatts of new coal plant capacity. Global Energy Monitor said, “Instead of replacing coal, clean energy is being layered on an entrenched reliance on fossil fuels.” Economics always have a way of deflating fantasies. Of course the usual suspects in…

Legacy Media — will lament ignoring/downplaying the “crisis” in global warming/climate change. Just as they worked hand-in-glove with the Biden Administration on dissembling regarding Biden’s failing acuity, they trumpet the greens panic and fearmongering on climate. Solemn proclamations of doom will continue and be headlined…and as before the much heralded fact-checkers will conveniently ignore past proclamations gone bad — to wit — acid rain, ozone holes, impending famine, absence of potable water and so on. The lawsuit factories masquerading as “Friends of the Earth,” “Wild Earth Guardians” and such will continue their charades with the media’s full support, but they’ll find the “sue and settle” model they’ve used for funding all but dried up. The merry go round of attorneys moving back and forth from EPA to these NGOs abruptly ends with this administration.

There’s plenty more to consider when you’re on the mend in 85f+ degree weather on Florida’s west coast while its in single digits in the Rockies foothills and winter sweeps across the rest of the nation. Sanctuary cities and their headbutting with D.C., the Super Bowl and the hole blown through KC’s try at a threepeat, the Hamas murderers clinging to hostages as their only card to play (you can calculate the validity of a cause when it involves hostage-taking), Gitmo and immigrant outflows, tariffs/Mexico/Canada, it’s quite a list with a notable but dubious final note…

International Dust-ups — Pointless antagonism of allies is the most vexing pursuit of Donald J. Trump. Taking over Gaza, naming Canada as a potential 51st state and declaring Greenland as a potential acquisition regardless of Danish sentiments destroy what little good will he is able to muster from allies. Such antics greatly diminish the US in the international arena and undermine whatever diplomatic gains his subordinates accrue at the UN, NATO and other venues. Bully boy tactics may work well in business negotiations or power games of the rich and famous. Such antics truly have no place in serious diplomatic pursuits. They’re dilutive and an embarrassment. He needs to knock it off.

Presidential Huckstering — an ignominious first for a US President — selling product while in office. One can understand (and yawn) at Peyton Manning hawking anything from car insurance to pizza, and Kevin Hart screaming about almost everything. The mind reels at Jimmy Carter selling peanuts or George W. Bush selling Rangers tickets. This President…really! He’s determined to sell more red hats, gold gym shoes, watches and meme coins. One shudders at what could be next.

Sheesh and SHEESH!