While Trump scandals mount, Chaffetz decides to investigate... a cartoon character

[pdq]

Another great (opinion, but also news) piece in the WaPo today about Rep. "paid protesters" Chaffetz:

Angry Utahans shouted down Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, at the Republican’s recent town hall meeting.

“Do your job!” they chanted, scolding him for refusing to investigate the Trump administration.

In fairness to Chaffetz, he is busy with more pressing matters.

True, Chaffetz, after his unending probes of the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton, hasn’t shown any appetite to examine, say, the Trump administration’s ties to Russia or its many conflicts of interest. But the chairman has shown determination to probe, without fear or favor, the threat to America posed by Sid the Science Kid.

The chairman of the powerful panel — the main investigative committee in the House — sent a letter to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demanding to know why, in an attempt to raise awareness of the Zika virus, “CDC appears poised to make a sole source award to the Jim Henson Company for $806,000 to feature Sid the Science Kid in an educational program about the virus.”...

This raises the possibility that the probe might expand beyond Sid. Can his teacher, Miss Susie, expect a subpoena? Does the inclusion of PBS in the probe suggest Curious George’s immigration status is in jeopardy? Did Bob the Builder hire undocumented workers? Is Kermit the Frog a dishonest journalist who broadcasts fake news?

Chaffetz, in closing, reminded the CDC that his committee can investigate “any matter” at “any time..."

I find it personally unbelievable that even folks from Utah won't eventually tire of this guys schtick.

[Lux Interior]

He's obviously getting large campaign contributions from the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" super-pac.

[Acer]

Complaining about sole-sourcing to Jim Henson Company? How many other players are in that business that can compete? Does he have a son-in-law in the puppet business that didn't get to bid?

[gabester]

Lux Interior wrote:
He's obviously getting large campaign contributions from the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" super-pac.

More likely the funds are coming from the Creation Museum...

[Filliam H. Muffman]

I think the issue is that Sid the Science Kid didn't highlight his participation in the demonstrations against Planned Parenthood on his social media accounts.

[RgrF]

Very soon GOP town halls will be a thing of the past.

[$tevie]

First of all, Chaffetz is a known jerk so this should not be surprising.

Second, I too have to question the value of spending over 3/4 of a million dollars on this project. Unless we are worried that preschoolers will have unprotected sex and/or go to dangerous areas while pregnant, I see no point to this project at all.

[rjmacs]

$tevie wrote:
Second, I too have to question the value of spending over 3/4 of a million dollars on this project. Unless we are worried that preschoolers will have unprotected sex and/or go to dangerous areas while pregnant, I see no point to this project at all.

Often, public information campaigns are conducted at multiple levels of society simultaneously, to reinforce messaging through repetition, targeting of different audiences, etc. It's not just about aiming your megaphone at the most directly affected population and yelling, "WEAR REPELLENT! USE CONDOMS!"

As often as not, it's about reminding people how to reduce mosquito populations, telling kids that while Zika is serious and can sound scary, it's not going to hurt them, encouraging folks that have travelled to affected areas to communicate with doctors and health care professionals, get tested when appropriate, etc.

You know whats not normal?

Selling your government out to a foreign power to get elected.

[$tevie]

I know that. Sheesh.