Branstad had opportunity to show leadership

Gov. Terry Branstad missed two golden opportunities after his SUV was observed going a “hard 90” on Highway 20. It was an opportunity to show real leadership by stepping up and taking responsibility. That response may have nipped this discussion in the bud. Instead, he gave us a lame excuse about being too busy in the back seat to realize they were going a “hard 90.” Even if he had realized it, he didn't feel it was his place to tell the driver to slow down.

What? He can give hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to a rich company in Egypt, but cannot tell a driver to slow down? My old dad would have seen through that excuse in a New York second and escorted me to the woodshed.

This would have been the perfect opportunity for the “education governor” to teach all drivers and especially young drivers a lesson. Laws are not made to be broken and there are consequences for breaking them. My take-away from his excuse was if you are real important, or think you are, and busy in the back seat, you don't have to worry about how fast your vehicle is going, just go.

I have a suggestion. If they are so busy they have to break laws trying to be in two places at the same time, the governor could go one direction while the lieutenant governor goes another direction. Do they always have to be in the same picture?

Tom Martin

Iowa City