Agenda is guiding national decisions?

One group’s

After reading the March 4 Jay Cost column, “Trump Is Doing OK,” I came away somewhat confused. But before I elaborate, please know I am a Democratic committeeman and elected judge of elections for Pittsburgh’s Ward 19, District 37, so Donald Trump is not my idea of a competent and praiseworthy representative of the U.S.

I am not sure how Mr. Cost believes Mr. Trump is doing OK. His first mention of a big accomplishment, and one I constantly hear mentioned by all Trump supporters, was the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. How is this big? The last time I checked the Constitution (and I must admit, until recently I had not looked at it since high school), that is the president’s job! So his biggest accomplishment is doing his job? Mr. Cost even prefaces that comment by talking about his “accomplishments” in parentheses.

It seems the gist of the column is simply to say it was great to have someone as illversed in public policy as Mr. Trump elected so the Heritage Foundation could simply use him as a means to its end. Doesn’t that sound dangerous? To have a president so unprepared to lead that he simply allows one group of “intellectuals” to shape the lives of his constituents? Certainly I could go into a rant at this point, but that would only be counterproductive and put me right with the Heritage Foundation as a one-sided, unyielding, “you have to see it my way because I know what is good for you and the nation, and you are wrong” participant.

Whether I agree with all of Mr. Trump’s actions or inactions is immaterial; he is the one who is president and has to make those choices, which I, as a citizen, need at least to attempt to understand. But to hear Mr. Cost talk about things happening largely in spite of Mr. Trump scares the hell out of me. History is full of nations and faiths that think they have a stairway to the stars that is intellectually accurate, “best for you even though you don’t know it yet,” “you will thank me for it later.” Nonsense! When will we ever learn? BOB CHRISTOPHER

Brookline