In a feat of flawed extrapolation and utter tastlessness, former U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-New Hampshire) uses the recent accidents of the California Zephyr as a springboard to call for the shutdown of Amtrak's long-distance trains in Sunday's Boston Globe.

Although the flawed arguments cited here are not new, the use of grade crossing tragedies as political weapons is new in one sense. A new low.

Amtrak, of course, was at fault in neither of the Zephyr accidents. Nor is it wise or considered policy to make political commentary out of passenger train crashes.

From the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/09/05/off_the_rails_on_amtraks_crazy_train/

--Jackson McQuigg