Is ‘Chemtrail’ Kelli Ward a threat to Flake?

Former Arizona legislator Dr. “Chemtrail” Kelli Ward tried last year to knock off Sen. John McCain in the Republican primary. It didn’t go well. Ward is a Trump groupie, and McCain has been critical of him. But even with then-candidate Trump loudly trashing the senator on numerous occasions, Ward’s campaign went nowhere. She got trounced.

So Ward immediately set her sights on Sen. Jeff Flake, who is up for re-election in 2018. Flake also has been a critic of Trump. Most recently, he questioned the firing of FBI chief James Comey.

Ward, desperate for some attention, ANY attention, issued a statement saying in part, “Democrats and Jeff Flake are suffering from Trump derangement syndrome.”

She really, really wants Trump to notice her.

“The establishment opposition has been reduced to pushing wild conspiracy theories in the hopes that it will delegitimize our president,” she said. “People didn’t buy their snake oil in November and they aren’t buying it now.”

(This from a one-time state lawmaker who held a town hall to discuss the debunked “chemtrails” conspiracy theory of airplanes spraying dangerous chemicals to change the weather or for darker motives.)

I mean, she REALLY wants Trump to notice her.

“President Trump continues to honor his pledge to ‘drain the swamp’ with his recent firing of FBI Director James Comey,” she said. Her strategy won’t work. The election seems close, but it is a long way off, particularly given the speed and frequency that controversies arise in the Trump era.

Flake seems to understand this. And for now, he seems willing to take the criticism he’s getting for actually doing his job — and do his job anyway.

He’s urging lawmakers to use legislative authority to go after any evidence needed to get to the truth about a possible Russia connection to the Trump campaign or the possible interference into the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. This would include any “tapes” President Trump has hinted at, or the memos written by Comey.

If Flake has any serious opposition in the 2018 primary, it will depend on the state of Trump’s presidency, on health-care reform and on any number of other things. A serious challenge might come from Trump insider and State Treasurer Jeff DeWit, or maybe from Rep. Paul Gosar, who occasionally comes up as a possible candidate. But Ward? No. Besides, Flake may have spoken critically of Trump, but he has voted lockstep with other Republicans on Cabinet appointees. In the end, it isn’t what an elected official says that matters. It’s how he votes. Flake has voted with Trump. And Trump needs GOP votes in the Senate. Not just now, but in the future ...

… should there be an impeachment trial.