…before using his unallotment authority, Pawlenty told legislators he wanted their views considered.
“Each legislator or committee chair has experience and insight into these issues. We want to make sure we take into account their perspective and their input,” said Pawlenty.
DFLers in the legislature may not have much sense, but at least they have the sense not to fall for this one:
So far, no legislators have written back. The majority leader in the Minnesota Senate, DFLer Larry Pogemiller of Minneapolis, says he won’t be offering any suggestions, at least not formally.
Pogemiller says the House and Senate just spent five months doing that, and he’s not sure the governor was listening. [MPR, emphasis added]
During the legislative session, Pawlenty was more interested in political gamesmanship than sound policy. Now he suddenly wants to talk? Sorry, Timmy, the DFL passed a plan, and you vetoed it. Now you can take responsibility.
Tim, it’s lonely at the top. Minnesota deserves to be governed as the state constitution directs. Using the unallotment power is SO Henry the Eighth. Didn’t we fight a revolution?
How many Republican legislators have taken him up on this offer? Or are they also unwilling to have their fingerprints on this fiasco?
You are all just so mad that Pawlenty outfoxed the DFL politically. They thought they set a trap for him by sending him a budget only balanced by tax increases. They wanted to push a special session and government shutdown to embarrass him. He just got there first.
Pawlenty didn’t “outfox” anybody. He is engaging in typical republican shenanigans. Nobody didn’t see this coming. Gladly, as so many things republicans engage in, this is unconstitutional.
Twice Blessed (with the ability to repeat Republican talking points),
Tim Pawlenty is a continuing reminder of how the Republican party’s leadership continues to rule the same way that they have for many years now.
It is not so much what Tim Pawlenty is for, but rather the huge, famliar, anti-Liberal list of things that Tim Pawlenty is against.
That well repeated talking point enriched list does not actually solve any problems, Twice Blessed. Most Minnesotans have finally figured that out.
LOLOLS “set a trap”.
Great Job!!
I firmly believe little timmy has outsmarted himself. He owns all the problems of the state now, both at a state level and at a local level. Every cop, teacher, fireman, dogcatcher that gets laid off will be little timmy’s problem. Every school activity that gets eliminated because of funding constraints including athletic, and arts programs will be little timmy’s problem. The DFL went out of it’s way to work with this governor and this governor, little timmy said, “Do it my way or nothing.”
Pawlenty will make a heck of a Presidential candidate when he can’t even win the support of his own state, which he won’t. He has shot himself in the foot bigtime.
I said from day 1 that this would not be a ‘victory for Pawlenty’ for very long, now it seems he lie down in the bed that he made.