Residual Forces

Gary at TvM notes a Novak piece abut how Tim Pawlenty’s liberalization of late may make him the biggest loser in the VeepStakes.

Pawlenty’s activity in Washington lobbying for what conservatives call more handouts undermines him for vice president.

Well, the good news is that the Minnesota Legislature is back in session, so the Governor can come home and lobby on behalf of his own handout requests. (Yes, I am picking on him for his bonding bill jam packed with municipal welfare and Higher Ed handouts)

Pawlenty increased the State Budget almost 10% in 2006. In 2007 the state is ahead of the national curve in the recession race. We have a higher unemployment rate than the nation, an unusual stat for us. And we are on our way to the second straight report that shows a decrease in expected state revenue.

Pawlenty has become a spending Republican. He has expanded Minnesota Government. He has grown the scope and size of Minnesota Government. He was first elected as a true fiscal conservative in 2002 to solve a $4.5 billion dollar deficit, but has yet to repeat his first term performance in true reform. Sure he vetoed 55 things last session, but we probably could have used a few more to save the state’s economy from the looming Government shadow of “revenue shortfalls” due to program and spending increases.

Pawlenty is up to something. I’m not sure what it is anymore. He’s racing around the country and world advocating for the neo-socialist global warming Al Gore policy that is going to kill American prosperity. And he’s gone to DC to put the country further into debt, all so politicians can say they sent checks to voters at a time near recession. Maybe it is what I fear, that he believes as his polster does, that conservatism is dead, and populism and buying votes is the only way a Republican can win.

Pawlenty has pretty much been absentee in the Minnesota conservative movement for 5 of the last 6 years. He was fantabulous in the 2003 budget year. Since then it has been one let down after a lukewarm rimshot for his base……

He hasn’t raised taxes………… YET!

Minnesota’s government is facing the same kind of predicament that allowed Pawlenty to be elected in the first place. It went on a politically motivated and pandering spending binge. That binge has stymied the economy, and slowed growth thus tax revenue that funded the spending binge in the first place is drying up.

State Government is once again going to face a watershed moment. It will either have to go on a diet and turn away from nanny state socialism, or it will have to raise taxes and become competitors to California, New York for the most taxed and least free states in the Union.

Pawlenty squandered a true chance to flip a liberal state into a conservative one. The problem was the office flipped the man.

He’s has been focused on issues far above the scope of his position of late, and his public and outspoken advocacy for liberal positions has him at odds with his own conservative base in Minnesota, let alone the national base.

So as Gary noted, Pawlenty may no longer be able to offer what McCain needs. A solid conservative the base can tolerate. Heck, Pawlenty may actually make McCain look like teh conservative on the ticket, especially if the DFL legislature has its way in the 2008 Legislative session.

Can anyone spell closing the $400 million dollar budget shortfall, increasing spending on transportation, health care, and not use the words- tax increase?

Oh wait, will Pawlenty try to reclassify the gas tax as a user fee?