[Speed Gibson,
Wednesday January 3, 2007 at 12:22am]
One Party Rule Begins in Minnesota
The DFL began its total control of the Minnesota state government today. Liberals now rule in the House, Senate, and Governor's mansion.
Governor Tim Pawlenty is a Republican, you say? He's a member of the Republican Party, he ran as a Republican, but he governed otherwise in his last term. His inaugural address "The New Path" was riddled with Rodney King claptrap, strongly suggesting his next term will be worse. Conservatives will be ignored just as they were in this speech. More than ever, "the era of small government is over" in Minnesota.
Pawlenty spoke of courage today, yet showed none against the DFL Senate on taxes last term, and he had a nominally Republican House then. With the DFL holding strong majorities in both chambers now, not only is the surplus already spent, it won't prove enough to avoid yet another tax increase this session. Pawlenty won't sign this tax increase in the Metrodome, but he'll sign it.
For those who would say it would have been worse under Hatch, think again. Hatch signs a tax increase and the DFL gets all the blame. Pawlenty signs essentially the same tax increase and now its "bipartisan!" This is a perfect situation for the DFL Legislature, a non-DFL Governor who will sign their bills anyway, but without the rancor and bad press Hatch is famous for.
Governor Tim Pawlenty is a Republican, you say? He's a member of the Republican Party, he ran as a Republican, but he governed otherwise in his last term. His inaugural address "The New Path" was riddled with Rodney King claptrap, strongly suggesting his next term will be worse. Conservatives will be ignored just as they were in this speech. More than ever, "the era of small government is over" in Minnesota.
Pawlenty spoke of courage today, yet showed none against the DFL Senate on taxes last term, and he had a nominally Republican House then. With the DFL holding strong majorities in both chambers now, not only is the surplus already spent, it won't prove enough to avoid yet another tax increase this session. Pawlenty won't sign this tax increase in the Metrodome, but he'll sign it.
For those who would say it would have been worse under Hatch, think again. Hatch signs a tax increase and the DFL gets all the blame. Pawlenty signs essentially the same tax increase and now its "bipartisan!" This is a perfect situation for the DFL Legislature, a non-DFL Governor who will sign their bills anyway, but without the rancor and bad press Hatch is famous for.
Hmmm...can I change my vote to Jesse? :)