South Carolina Motorcycle Rights Association

Last week the House and Senate barely passed a short-term extension to the highway bill. The bill expires at the end of May, and with lawmakers back home for the Memorial Day recess, something had to pass. A very short-term extension has been passed that punts the expiration to July 31, two months away. Most agree that lawmakers will not have a fully funded bill by then so it will remain a work in progress.

Rolling Thunder came to town this week to honor veterans and those who died in combat. It’s always a great event, and this year was no different. They estimate that over one million riders and spectators attended this year’s event. The unfortunate part of the event is that most Members of Congress are not here in D.C. on the weekend of Memorial Day. They are back home in their district attending Memorial Day events. Unless they make it a point to be in D.C. to watch the event, they really have no idea of the size and scope of the event. It is always impressive to me to see hundreds of thousands of bikes parked on the National Mall and around the monuments. If you haven't attended Rolling Thunder, you may want to add it to your bucket list.

It may be May 2015, but don't tell the GOP Presidential candidates, all 26 of them. They think its October 2016. The political fervor is palpable with all of the candidates that have announced formally or have exploratory committees. If you count the five candidates that are labeled "potential GOP candidates," the number swells to 31 different choices. Most of the people you have never heard of and will likely fizzle out well before the primary. It’s not much different for the Democrats. They have 11 official or exploratory and 16 that are labeled "potential." Like the GOP field, many of the candidates will run out of money and or energy well before the primary. The primaries are sure to be bloody. This is a great time to find a candidate that you like and volunteer to help on their campaign.