It's nothing like Syria...

True: Trump's optics are much more Mussolini than Assad. But the factions seem to be equally irreconcilable.

I'm not following how the Governor is to blame or Republicans generally. It looks like it was a failure of the EPA (run by the Obama administration) and Flint County officials (run by Democrats). http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/03/05/e-mails-shed-light-epas-role-flint-water-crisis/80576406/ . <a href="http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160124/BLOG007/160129941/opinion-buck-stops-with-snyder-but-heres-whom-to-really-blame-in" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160124/BLOG007/160129941/opinion-buck-stops-with-snyder-but-heres-whom-to-really-blame-in</a>

The best I can determine is that the City of Flint had been for years trying to create its own water system and be free from sending money to Detroit for its water. That process had been going on through many administrations, although the city officials who signed off on it were Democrats. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429803/flint-water-scandal-democratic-pattern.

Regardless, if you think the Flint water crisis is a matter of presidential concern (as the OP indicates it ought to be getting coverage in the Republican primary debates), then why aren't we blaming the current President?

It appears that the responsible person at the EPA's divisional office, the director Susan Hedman, resigned. Although I agree with Hillary Clinton that more investigation is warranted. As for Snyder, he's clinging to office merely to use all of the state's resources for his own defense.

I did a bit of research after Hillary said something along the lines of "this kind of thing wouldn't happen if there were white people suffering". My first researched turned up that Flint, Michigan is like 30% white, so I calculated you could probably find around 1000 young white girls with lead poisoning to get some action. Then I wondered where are her Washington contacts at a time of emergency. That reminded me of Obama's "red line" -- the thing that if Syria ever did, it would mean a full invasion of Syria, (which the US public rejected so unanimously the idea was dropped -- remember that)?

So anyway, I checked the chemicals that Syria allegedly used on its own people, which was chlorine gas. It just so happens that the lethal dose level of toxicity of lead is about twice that of chlorine by weight. From there, it gets difficult to gauge. Lead is a lot heavier than chlorine, but poisoning the water supply is more effective than airborne toxins. I wonder if any foreign countries want to take on a similar role and invade the Michigan?

Well, when it comes to invading America and reaching American soil, the best foreign country to ask is England. Drafting that letter to David Cameron now entitled "Restore English Honor: Please Invade Michigan Now".

There is no reason to blame Republicans more than Democrats. Serious infrastructure problems are endemic all over the country. Administrations of every shade of blue and red have turned blind eyes to problems under their feet.

Why?

1. Neglecting the Infrastructure has worked so far (most of the time).
2. The problems are huge.
3. Infrastructure repair is gawd-awful expensive, takes forever, and is without glory.
4. People hate having the city dug up for years on end.
5. Today's problems are more pressing than next year's troubles.

Minneapolis and St. Paul had combined storm and sanitary sewers. Everytime it rained, the storm sewer load would cause a huge spill of raw sewage into the Mississippi River. Sometime in the early 1970s Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois sued the Metropolitan Waste Disposal System in federal court to force them to dig up the whole system and separate it. It took about 15 years of digging--sometimes enormous holes to uncover deep sewers (I loved it -- great sidewalk civil engineering opportunities). Eventually it was done -- huge expense, but now the rain water goes directly into the river and the sewage flows in solitude and serenity into the treatment plant, rain or shine. Except for the killer carp, everybody is happy down river.

I guess we need more inter-state, inter-urban lawsuits and court orders forcing civic governments to do their duty.

Well BC, in this case the state was the municipal government. And clearly the decision not to condition the water on switching the source - a saving of $200 a day - was at best vicious compliance by minor officials well down the food chain. Just bad luck for the Republicans. Michael Moore's partisan hyperbole at least has the merit of motivating a discussion of a problem which should be bi-partisan. Bernie and Hillary are pointing out that infrastructure spending can open up good jobs, and relatively long term ones at that. What frustrates me is that the media are giving the current Republican candidates a free pass on this.

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether civic crimes are a result of partisan politics, stupidity, penny-wise pound-foolish thrift, or corruption. That just plain water could seriously corrode a water pipe might not be something the bean counters were aware of (stupidity). Hey, I was pretty surprised by it too. (I know chlorine can corrode pipes, but apparently the Flint River was corrosive to start with.) Or maybe it was the penny pound problem. Or maybe they figured the next administration could deal with it. Or maybe somebody was pocketing the difference.

At any rate, bad things happened. The same thing can be asked about reportage. Is it slanted because of partisan preference, stupidity, or misdiagnosis. Are the Republicans getting a pass? Probably. It might be the case that reporters and editors find the municipal officials more attractive targets than the state level officials, like the governor.

The printed press has become somewhat anemic, as you know. Maybe they just aren't doing as good a job reporting as they should, could, would do if they had more resources. Or maybe the owners are disinclined to nail Republicans. Such things have happened that a newspaper owner is an ardent Republican.

I'm sure the English would be happy to invade some part of the US, but they probably don't want to get bogged down in the swamp of Detroit's and Flint's dysfunction. They'd be happier to invade a progressive, fully functioning state that had something worth stealing. Like California, for instance, or North Dakota -- lots of oil and wheat fields, few people, flat land, good railroad access, no natural barriers between North Dakota and Saskatchewan or Manitoba. California has nicer weather and excellent landing beaches near LA.