Speed Gibson

Every time I soften a little, and try to think of how much better Tim Pawlenty will govern than would Mike Hatch (?) next term, our Governor does it again. This time, Pawlenty called for a two year Federal moratorium on prescription drug advertinsg. If his re-election depends on nonsense like this, he has already lost.

The unconstitutionality of this proposal is self-evident. No one is being harmed by this. Some may benefit in fact, prompting people to see their physician to cure what they thought couldn't be, or find another malady early enough to treat.

And by the way, what happens at the end of two years? It might as well be made permanent now, unless the Courts find the courage to invoke the First Amendment.

But as to high government health care costs, these are a consequence of socialized medicine, not of what should be competitive market. Prescription drugs are one the last vibrant marketplaces within medicine, and now the Governor sides with those who want to kill this golden goose, too. We'll have cheap supplies of what exists, but nothing new.

Remember early on, back when Pawlenty was at least acting like a conservative, how he pushed Canadian drug imports as a solution to high drug costs? He still doesn't get it.