Good Marks, Bad Marks.

I take issue this morning with Matt Lauer, of NBC's "Today" show. Not only does he choose to interview that great sage, Donald Trump, about his view on the current Republican candidates for the presidency, he allows to pass without comment Trump's assertion that the Obama presidency has been "a disaster." You would think that an interviewer, confronted with such a blanket condemnation, would pause to ask what he meant by that description. Lauer, however, did not so much as blink, let alone challenge the remark. It was as though the point was inarguable. His meek acceptance of Trump's absurd charge allowed his millions of (equally meek?) viewers to pass over it as an accepted truth. Bad marks for Matt Lauer.

Switching channels, I found myself watching Michelle Obama doing a great job with a military audience, announcing a new program which she and Dr. Jill Biden have spearheaded. Called "Joining Forces," it has brought together American companies, large and small, in the effort to provide employment for returning veterans and their spouses. Following his wife, Obama took the opportunity to once again slam the Republican-led Congress for inaction on his jobs bill. The couple spoke with intelligence, grace, and not a little humor, and with genuine concern for the most severe and pressing of issues the nation faces today. Good marks for them.