Opinion: Amid shutdown, winter fun in Detroit

“Outta’ My Mind on a Monday Moanin’”

The 2019 North American International Auto Show is now on. Your chance to be a part of history in the making is underway, as this 30th anniversary celebration is the last one of “The Ice Age”. As we look forward to the exciting changes made possible by the move to June in 2020, let’s not overlook that we have a great show on right now.

Congratulations to the chairman of this year's show, Bill Golling; to Rod Alberts, perennial executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) and the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS); and next year's chairman, already hard at work on the June 2020 show, Doug North.

This show’s importance to Detroit continues, and should not be diminished, ever!

Well stated the other night by Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, “We have to find a way to stop this pissing match between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump…”. Dingell is noted as being one of the only Democrats to admit and point out that the fault of this shutdown goes both ways, not just the president and the Republicans. As the Associated Press put it (to the chagrin of the rest of the institutional media), “It takes two to tango!”

As Trump fired back at Pelosi for her threat to postpone his State of the Union address by canceling a trip she was planning on a military plane to Brussels and Afghanistan, I couldn’t help but call it what it is: Trip for Tat.

If you missed producer Jon Witz’ Quicken Loans Winter Blast because of the (wait for it…) winter blast, you have three more weekends to enjoy the fun. Go to www.winterblast.com for details.

Paul W. Smith is host of “The Paul W. Smith Show” on WJR-AM (760) from 5:30-9 a.m. Monday-Friday.