Another Dose of Tim Pawlenty

Since moving to Minnesota almost a year ago now, I've been getting to know Tim Pawlenty. Last spring, he used a legal trick, the unallotment, to completely rewrite by executive fiat, the budget of the Minnesota legislature. The power of the purse is one of the oldest, and strongest, tools that has evolved from the Anglo-American system of representative democracy- having the legislature be in control of the money has proven to be the surest guarantee against tyranny by one man. Any chief executive who treats it cavalierly, or tries to do an end run around it, is a chief executive who needs to be watched carefully.

And this man is running for President.

According to an editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

...although Pawlenty can find 49 other states, he's having trouble feeling his way around his home state. For good reason: Minnesota's [budget] problems could trip up his ambitions. As Pawlenty travels the Republican rubber chicken circuit, Minnesota is heading into uncharted waters.

And its governor is AWOL.

The Star Tribune went on the say that:

Pawlenty's refusal to participate in a legislative summit designed to stave off looming fiscal disaster was nothing less than nonfeasance...For a guy who acted as if the sky was falling when the president asked to speak to schoolchildren, Pawlenty sure seems laid back about his own obligations. He has dived so deep into the right-wing tide pool that by Thursday, he had joined Sarah Palin and a few other GOP confederates in threatening to invoke the 10th Amendment -- in effect having Minnesota secede from the union on health care reform with little regard for the effect on Minnesota's 450,000 uninsured citizens

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And if all this talk of budget bores you...here's a little piece of propaganda whipped up by the national Democratic party...

...of course you should take some of it with a grain of salt, just because it's MY party's propaganda doesn't mean it's not propaganda...still, research some of the allegations made by this video(especially some of the right wing loons Pawlenty has been stumping for lately) and a rather, well, icky picture begins to emerge.

Get To Know Tim Pawlenty GOP Governor of Minnesota

Tim Pawlenty is talked about in national circles as a potential challenger to Barack Obama in 2012...he's announced he will NOT run for another term as Minnesota's Governor, he's opened a PAC...and he's got a reputation as a "moderate" Republican which may help him among voters at large....

However, like every other GOP candidate...he does have to cater to "the base" ...so supposedly, that's why this "moderate" was to be seen at the recent Value's Voter Summit...

At this event, one prominent Republican suggested that ALL porn, even straight porn, turns people gay AND that we should make sure that we tell this to our 11 year old boys, so that they will stop reading Playboy!

Here's an except from the Rachel Maddow Show...of course it's partisan. Of course it's one sided...but as you're getting to know Tim Pawlenty...it's time to start to get to know the company he keeps. The Pawlenty part of the story is near the end.

A Democrat Begins to Doubt , or: WTF is up with Health Care?

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that, not only have I not found time to keep up with this Blog, I sure as hell haven't managed to keep up with the ins and outs of the Health Care Debate.

My position...well, position is too strong a word for someone who hasn't done his research...my HOPE for Health Care was simple...I wanted a way to make sure that people who WORKED (or who had a legitimate reason not to work) would be able to afford access to basic health care.

That's it. Pretty simple, I thought.

I wasn't distracted by the Tea Baggers, or the wackos who disrupted town meetings, etc. I knew that the news media covered them because crazy people make good copy..much better than facts and figures.

I also didn't allow myself to get too distracted by the left wing of my party...ONLY the PUBLIC OPTION...EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE...(which seems a bit silly to me, that's like saying that everyone has the right to never get sick, or to never stub their toe, etc.) Everybody who plays by the rules deserves a level playing field, but as for me, that's all I want.

I figured that somehow, the wheat would get separated from the chaff and we would come up with some plan that was ...perfect? No...but a first step.

But today, I read THIS HEADLINE:

Fines proposed for going without health insurance




Okay, what the hell is going on here?

According to an article by the AP, DEMOCRAT Max Baucus, is proposing a plan that would FINE folks for not buying into a system.

Now, I well remember the days when I was not lucky enough to earn enough money to live without a roommate-- even though I was an adult, and when, even so, most of my money went to pay for RENT and FOOD...with just a tiny little bit left over to pay for a bit of entertainment to relieve the monotony of working to live so I could go to work again...

I remember this because it was only a few years back.

I was poor, but according to the federal government, I was not FEDERALLY POOR-- what that would have meant, if I understand correctly, is that I, barely able to afford Gas to go to work, RENT (with a relative stranger as a roommate- something no adult who works a fair number of hours should have to do), and FOOD...according to the Government, I would have to be making less than 11 Grand a Year for that...and I can tell you that, in the northeast US-- 11 Grand will barely buy you a box of cereal.

Now, this plan is suggesting that, if I don't buy in, I'll owe the FEDS ANOTHER $900 Bucks??? AFTER I pay my income taxes???

And this is a program from DEMOCRATS???



OK-- I admit it, I'm fuming, I'm making noise, and I'm not informed on this issue...but, if I'm even CLOSE to reading this correctly, this plan is freaking STUPID!

Comments?