 MN Governor Tim Pawlenty is not on the road right now, that I know of, but there's enough stuff for a post. He is scheduled to be in Iowa for several days, beginning Saturday.
While mouthing off in DC earlier this week, he called the stimulus package "largely ineffective." A former McCain economic adviser, among others, published a reality-based, and therefore very different, view.
Also in DC, he said that the Republicans need to shed their elitist, country-club image, and strongly implied that he's just the man to pull it off. Former US Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) took issue. Timmy and Ricky are both regarded, in some circles, as 'future-of-the-GOP' types. It's unlikely that these two sorry stiffs will seriously start trash-talking each other, but it stands to be hilarious if they do.
TBag managed all of 3% in yet another poll of New Hampshire Republicans. Even the Minneapolis Star Tribune, normally a Pawlenty cheerleader, called his poll numbers so far "consistently dismal." I've been taking for granted that he'll officially declare for the race early next year. In the face of numbers like these, I'm a little less sure, but still pretty sure, that he will.
From 2020Hindsight, a former conservative educational policy advocate, closely aligned with Tea-Paw, in the state Department of Education is
facing investigation. The post continues with great stuff like this: Conservative public policy's chief goal is minimizing wealthy Minnesotan's tax burden. With public education occupying a substantial chunk of Minnesota's state budget, undermining public confidence in public schools mitigates public outrage over state funding cuts. National conservative educational policy, expressed in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, facilitates the anti-public agenda by creating a impossible performance standard. By 2014, every Minnesota school will, under NCLB standards, "fail." As Deputy Commissioner, Ms Anderson had been an enthusiastic supporter of NCLB and other conservative educational policy initiatives.
It's bad enough that conservative policy advocates work to unravel Minnesota's prosperity, anchored in our strong public education institutions. Cashing in at Minnesota school children's expense is uniquely distasteful. These allegations merit prompt attention from the Minnesota Management and Budget Office and the Office of the Legislative Auditor. That's exceptionally well said. |
