Are politicians bacteria?

We describe our politicians as "scum" and "slime", and so forth, but it seems that may not be hyperbole. According to a fascinating report on Miller-McCune, it seems they have much in common with the prokaryotes. 

Emerging research shows that bacteria have powers to engineer the environment, to communicate and to affect human well-being. They may even think.

Not sure about the last one, but all the same . . .

Hat-tip Hugh McN