Here we go again. Governor Pat McCrory of North Carolina is running for re-election this year. His government has repeatedly passed legislation that harms workers, immigrants, public education, higher education, and the environment, while cutting taxes for the rich and corporations. Anyone interested in learning how the Tea Party Republicans have damaged North Carolina is invited to read Altered State, which describes the radical changes of the past five years.

 

Since it is best not to talk about those things, McCrory and his Tea Party pals want to keep focused on their valiant effort to keep transgender women out of public restrooms. This “crisis” appears to have emerged only this year, since there are already many gender-neutral public restrooms in hotels and the airport.

 

The U.S. Justice Department told North Carolina that the law aimed at restricting the right of transgender people to use the restroom of their gender identity was discriminatory. Now McCrory can appear at the great restroom martyr, protecting little girls and women from sexual predators in the bathroom.

 

North Carolina announced today that it will sure the federal government.

 

The U.S. Justice Department is suing North Carolina. If the Justice Department prevails, North Carolina could stand to lose billions of dollars in federal assistance. This seems unlikely but not impossible.

 

Playing the bathroom card didn’t work for Ted Cruz. Let’s see if it works for McCrory and his fellow disrupters.