Today and for the next several days, the President is riding a bus through several midwest states. No, it’s not because Air Force One is undergoing maintenance and he has to use a bus instead. It’s because it’s an officially scheduled White House event, to gather enthusiasm and support for the President’s efforts in fixing the economy. A grueling, nearly impossible task, it seems to me.

The bus tour is not, absolutely, a 2012 campaign tour. The President’s people made that clear. It’s an officially scheduled White House event. Never mind that it’s occurring in states where the Republican candidates just got done with their little campaign thing a few days ago, and never mind that the President’s approval ratings are in the toilet and he could use a good pep rally here and there, like in the midwest for example. Not to mention the fact that a bus is involved, which usually means it’s a campaign thing. It’s not. It’s an officially scheduled White House event.

In a speech in Minnesota today (and I assume an identical speech was given in other cities), the President took a moment to defend government efforts in general. This was in response to those unfair critics who unfairly criticize government efforts at resolving our economic problems. And you have to admit, it’s pretty easy to find fault with government efforts in a lot of areas.

However, the President said – we need to slow down here. Give the government a break, and don’t be so quick to rule out its capabilities. After all, the government is responsible for putting people on the moon, and also for operating national parks, which seem to be working well. The President’s exact words were, “When you go to National Parks and those folks in hats – that’s the government.” So there (I added the “so there” part, but although he didn’t say it, I think he felt it).

I’ll give him that. The government did a great job of getting people to the moon in the late 60’s and early 70’s, and they’ve done a great job with providing hats to National Park workers. So there’s two areas right there where the federal government definitely has some skills. So here’s my suggestion…

Let’s find the same guys who figured out the moon thing, and combine them with the National Park Hat Department guys, and form a committee, and let them work out the economy.

Because while I’m not yet convinced about the government’s capability in other areas, those are two successes right there where the government can pat itself on the back. Another area, by the way, where they excel.