I’d like to talk with you today about slimy green things.

Specifically, I want to draw your attention to a Senate bill introduced by Colorado’s own (and my former boss) U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. In a Colorado Politics article we learn of Bennet’s bill, which is designed to help prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species — especially the dreaded zebra and quagga mussels — from spreading to Colorado.

I write about this seemingly unexciting bill because it points out a few important principles of government and governance in a time when far more attention is paid to the latest slip of the tongue by a presidential candidate or, well, just about everything done by the president. 

Back in January, I wrote about the way old political science professors, such as yours truly, talk about folks elected to legislative office. I spoke of the “work horse vs. show horse” mentality, where some (most, in fact) of our legislators are hard working and dedicated. And there are some (cough…Ted Cruz…cough) who seem far more interested in the location of the nearest TV camera than in the welfare of the nation. Michael Bennet is firmly in the former group, known around Capitol Hill as a hard-working and effective legislator. Which may be part of why he’s not really getting too much traction in presidential-preference polls in spite of quite a few folks writing that he would be the Dems’ best candidate and a fine president. And part of that comes from, well, the aforementioned slimy green things, though the Zebra mussel isn’t really green.

The Bennet bill is an interesting, if somewhat-off-the-mainstream example of governance. Invasive species are a very real problem throughout our nation and indeed, the world. Just ask the nice folks in Fort Lauderdale about the problem of boa constrictors and pythons in the Everglades. Former pets or otherwise dumped animals invade an ecosystem into which they should never be put, and lots of bad things happen. The previously mentioned nasty mussels are a problem for several reasons, including fouling boat motors, eating up the foods native species rely on, clogging up municipal water supply intakes, and more.  Colorado is one of the few states still uninfected by these nasty mussels, and Bennet hopes to keep it that way.

And so, Bennet’s bill would direct the Department of the Interior to help state and local governments and wildlife agencies engage in proper inspections of privately-owned watercraft and other vessels on which these nasty critters hitch rides to new and uninfected bodies of water. The zebra and quagga mussels cost the U.S. economy roughly $1 billion annually.

This brings up an interesting freedom-vs.-order question. Does the government, at any level, have a “right” to inspect the hull of your watercraft for critters? As a self-styled moderate, I’d say yes, in the same way that various levels of governments conduct safety inspections on meats, medicines, and on the wiring installed in new houses. I’m currently waiting for an inspection of the deck framing I’m having built behind my home, given that I’d rather allow a government inspector on my private property than for me to fall through a poorly constructed deck later. 

But putting aside that debate for a moment, what are the chances of the Bennet bill becoming law? Well, that’s tough to say. Right now, nearly 400 bills have been passed by the U.S. House (with over 200 of them bipartisan) and most are languishing in the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has decided not to take action on them, so the GOP can claim the House isn’t doing any real work. You see the problem here.

We need work horses in all levels of government, because legislating on zebra mussels and similar “boring issues” is important. History will not reflect well on the occasions we’ve elected show horse presidents (do I mean Trump? Hmmm…) and members of Congress. And yet, the problem remains that those most qualified for high office may find themselves unable to achieve it, because they are, in fact, work horses that don’t sprint for every TV interview they can find. 

If a candidate like Bennet cannot break through with a “vote for me, I work hard and don’t use spray tan” message, I’m not sure that’s a good sign for democracy in the U.S. Remember please that Donald Trump — with no experience and very little in the way of policy proposals — beat out 16 other GOP candidates. That body of hopefuls, you recall, included such work horses as Jeb Bush. Bush had significant experience, specific policy proposals, and lots of good ideas that could reach across the aisle. Yet, he was beaten by a TV personality.

So, what’s the lesson? I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with keeping zebra and quagga mussels out of Colorado and rethinking how we decide whom to vote for.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.