Joe Biden finally responded to criticism that he is AWOL in his reaction to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio by making some phone calls to elected officials Tuesday. Almost three weeks after the hazardous chemicals were released into the air, water, and ground in the community, on Tuesday he is reported to have made calls to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, East Palestine’s Republican Rep. Bill Johnson, and some Democrat officials from Poland. Hmm. Do you suppose it is just a coincidence that former President Trump is scheduled to visit East Palestine today and bring with him donations of water and supplies for the residents?

Biden has been taking it on the chin for ignoring the toxic chemical crisis in East Palestine and rightly so. It’s a small community of mostly working and lower-class people who are mostly Trump supporters. Did that little fact have anything to do with Biden’s attention to the problem? The Biden White House is a highly political one so that question can’t be brushed off as a silly one. It very well may be true. Biden sure hasn’t shown any concern for the 4700 people in the community up until now. Just imagine if this had happened in a solidly blue state instead of a red state like Ohio. Almost three years of Joe Biden’s presidency have made me cynical that anything his administration does is for the good of all Americans.

Biden phoned Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, Republican Rep. Bill Johnson, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, the president tweeted.

The calls were made Tuesday evening from Poland after the president gave his speech at the Warsaw Royal Castle Gardens ahead of the Ukraine war anniversary.

Biden tweeted a photo of him on the phone and confirmed that he called some people.

After my speech today, I spoke with @EPAMichaelRegan, @SenSherrodBrown, @RepBillJohnson, @GovernorShapiro and @GovMikeDeWine about our ongoing efforts in East Palestine, OH.

I reaffirmed my commitment to making sure they have everything they need.

Let me give you the latest. pic.twitter.com/nr3ZzBraeD

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 21, 2023

There is a thread after the original tweet where Biden explains the administration’s line that they are working hand-in-hand with officials in Ohio and demanding the railroad company clean up the mess and pay for all the damage it incurred during the derailment. And, of course, there is a swipe at the previous administration.

For years, elected officials – including the last admin – have limited our ability to implement and strengthen rail safety measures.

Heck, many of the elected officials pointing fingers right now want to dismantle the EPA – the agency that is making sure this clean up happens.

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 21, 2023

As I said, it is all politics all the time with this man. In the very last tweet of that thread, Biden mentions the residents of the community. “I want affected residents to know that we’ve got your back.” From the people I hear being interviewed on television, I think that ship has sailed, Joe. They don’t trust anyone right now.

While I’m writing this late Wednesday morning, an announcement was made that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit East Palestine tomorrow, Thursday. Is this just another coincidence? No, of course, it isn’t. The Biden administration thinks you are too dumb to see what is happening. Biden and Buttigieg probably counted on the story fading and the public losing interest in it. Instead, Fox News, and to a lesser extent CNN, are still covering it. Residents are telling stories of the physical symptoms they have developed since the derailment and how their lives have been turned upside down. The Biden administration tried to brush it all off on the railroad company. They are primarily responsible for clean-up and paying damages, that’s true, but the administration can help the residents. Buttigieg and others can at least pretend they are concerned about the well-being of the residents and visit with them. Buttigieg should have been there the next day. Biden should have visited before he went overseas. That’s just a decent thing to do. The transportation secretary is responsible for oversight of the railways. Where was that oversight before the derailment happened?

If Biden was aware of whatever bad things the previous administration and others before it did to railroad regulations, why hasn’t his administration been working to correct that? Why hasn’t Biden sent Buttigieg to East Palestine? What about all that infrastructure money in the bipartisan bill Biden keeps touting as an accomplishment? Shouldn’t some of it go to railways?

This administration leads from behind. It is always reactive, never proactive. That is why we have seen crisis after crisis since Biden took office. This is the latest on an ever-growing list.