Pawlenty Smears Stimulus While His Top Economic Adviser Tours Minnesota Touting Its Success
Pawlenty Smears Stimulus While His Top Economic Adviser Tours Minnesota Touting Its Success
In an interview yesterday with Bloomberg, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) gave a blistering speech attacking President Obama, slamming the the stimulus and efforts to reform health care. Pawlenty declared it would be “ludicrous” to think that the Recovery Act is “what pivoted” the economy back to stability. He also said any “fair critique” of Democratic health care legislation includes the argument that “death panels” would make life-or-death treatment decisions.
But as Bloomberg later reported, Pawlenty’s criticisms of the stimulus are at odds with both economists and the statements of Pawlenty’s own economic development director, Dan McElroy. McElroy, Pawlenty’s “point man on jobs and economic development,” leads the Department of Employment and Economic Development. He recently went on a 10 city road show titled “Advancing Economic Prosperity” touting the benefits of the stimulus. Speaking about the positive effects of the stimulus, McElroy said:
“Our goal was to put this money to work as quickly as possible. Communities and job-seekers throughout Minnesota are seeing tangible results from this funding.“
A longtime adviser to the governor, Pawlenty has praised McElroy as, “one of the smartest, most hard-working change-oriented leaders that has come to state government in modern history.” And McElroy isn’t the only Pawlenty official heaping praise upon the stimulus. Pawlenty’s top financial advisor, Tom Hanson, told Minnesota legislators that stimulus funds used to plug the state’s massive budget shortfall would make “all of our lives just a little bit easier.” He added, “The federal money will give us the opportunity to accept federal assistance and push it out into our state, to help as many people as possible.”
Not only is Pawlenty hitching his wagon to the outrageous “death panel” lie being propagated by Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, but he’s also joining the long line of hypocritical Republicans who try to score political points by knocking the stimulus while claiming credit for its success at home.
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Figures, these politicians just cant ever tell the truth.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:06 pmFavorite guilty pleasure of Rot-wingers, taking that dirty Socialist cash!
August 29th, 2009 at 5:07 pmThese repiggies really have balls. You have to credit them with that much.
I wish that the Dems would butch up, and call the repiggies on all the b.s.
The repiggies have a powerful ally in the stupidity of the American population.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:08 pmWhose going to expose and embarrass these guys? “Two faces have I…”
August 29th, 2009 at 5:09 pmAnother Republican hypocrite?
I’m shocked… I tell you! Shocked!!!
August 29th, 2009 at 5:09 pmOh noesss!! The tenthers are going to have Minnesota secede!!
August 29th, 2009 at 5:13 pmLight Rail?
Commies and socialists use railroads to get around!!!
August 29th, 2009 at 5:15 pmObviously these liars make these statements where people are there to hear them– and likely there are journalists present. Any real journalist/reporter should immediately confront the liars when they are so dishonest & contradict their own statements, invent absurdities, etc. A true journalist would actually have the knowledge to do that. Is that the problem these days– reporters simply don’t do their homework, and therefore have no clue that what they are listening to– yet again– are Repub lies?
August 29th, 2009 at 5:16 pmWhat a waste. Infrastructure spending is SO unnecessary.
Especially Interstate Highway Bridge inspections. Gussets lead to socialism .
August 29th, 2009 at 5:18 pmPffft. Reid is running around with the same lobbyists the piglicans are…the only difference is he isnt throwin chum in the water.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:28 pmYet Another Pandering Hypocrite – YAPH
August 29th, 2009 at 5:28 pmWhy are they so down on Obama? The Pres is doing everything they want.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:34 pmWhat is “ludicrous” is for Pawlenty not to offer an alternative to the stimulus for “what pivoted” the sharp turnaround in the economy. Anybody can go out there and flap his jaw but to be believable they have to say something to support their claim. Instead, Pawlenty is mouthing Rush Limbaugh’s talking points.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:34 pmThe repubs have got this talking out of both sides of your down pat.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:39 pmPawlenty declared it would be “ludicrous” to think that the Recovery Act is “what pivoted” the economy back to stability. He also said any “fair critique” of Democratic health care legislation includes the argument that “death panels” would make life-or-death treatment decisions.
And Pawlenty thinks he’s going to be president. *snort*
August 29th, 2009 at 5:44 pmBased on my reading, many of the citizens of MN have very few good things to say about what Pawlenty has done to improve their lives. He is priming himself for a 2012 presidential run. We need to save all of the comments/videos by/of these poseurs and use them when/if they decide to run.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:13 pmAs a Minnesotan, Pawlenty sickens me. Absolutely sickens me.
Getting rid of Coleman was one step in the right direction, TPaw has already said he’s not going to run for Governor again, she he fears no repercussions of his actions at this point, and we just have to ride out the rest of his term and hope he doesn’t do TOO much damage to the state while he’s trying to impress his GOP handlers what an awesome conservative he to represent them in 2012.
This 2-faced moron needs to be removed, for the good of the state.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:22 pmPawlenty is my governor and what a piece of dog crap he’s been. He smiles alot and entertains the idea that he’s presidential material. C’mon national media, start digging up all the underhanded crap he’s been doing as governor.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:31 pmInstead of donating any money to Obama’s re-election campaign, let’s pool those resources and swiftboat whoever the hell the GNOP runs. God knows they continue to give us enough to work with!
The same highbrows in D.C. who insisted that moveon.org stay out of the election, and the fcuking healthcare debate, won’t stoop to such levels, but I will! Someone in the Democratic party has to grow some balls and fight back.
Let the corporations and the Bush cronies fund Obama’s re-election. They sure as hell owe him… big time!
PEACE
August 29th, 2009 at 6:34 pmpiltdown & Incars,
Just keep the information on Pawlenty flowing. Resident of MN know best what this guy is about.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:39 pmBachman, Coleman and Pawlenty, exactly what is in the water in MN that makes them elect the worst the GOP has to offer?
August 29th, 2009 at 6:51 pmGov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Greed). What a vile little lying prick.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:59 pmGO Here and tell Gov. Hyp-O-Crite that
he’s telling a big ol’ LIE!
Pick your method of contact from this page:
http://www.governor.state.mn.us/contacts/index.htm
August 29th, 2009 at 7:13 pmLevi the Dungbeetle says:
——————————————————————————–
Bachman, Coleman and Pawlenty, exactly what is in the water in MN that makes them elect the worst the GOP has to offer?
August 29th, 2009 at 7:30 pm———————–
I’m getting really tired of defending Minnesota in the instance of a few idiots and jerks like Bachmann, Pawlenty and Coleman. Every state has had people like these represent them. Texas for example. Bush and Perry. Need I say more.
The most satisfying aspect of this thread is that Glenn Beck’s ugly visage no longer appears at the top of the stack. I felt like puking every time I moved over to TP.
August 29th, 2009 at 7:35 pmTawdry,
I am sorry if I made an effort to humiliate some of the voters in MN. I guess I am hoping that if enough people in MN are embarrassed by their Republican representatives, they will stop electing them. I didn’t mean to infer that every voter in MN is too stupid to know not to vote Republican, but with ten thousand lakes, I presumed it had to be the water.
/snark
August 29th, 2009 at 7:39 pm#24 – Tawdry,
August 29th, 2009 at 7:39 pmYou forgot Lieberman!
Before too long Pawlenty will be blaming Al Franken for forcing him to take the money.
August 29th, 2009 at 8:09 pmIt’s a nice try but, Timmeh still has a ways to go if he wants to sound as crazy as Crazy Shelly (InsaneR-Mn.).
August 29th, 2009 at 8:40 pmOn a related note, just in the last few days I’ve driven through three road construction zones funded, in part, with stimulus dollars. I would be willing to bet that the road crews think the stimulus is money well spent.
August 29th, 2009 at 8:43 pmOT – but i just found this story and want to report…
rachel did a story about d.r carhart the other night…
she was very worried… all is well… … so far…
Abortion protest in Bellevue
By Katie Fretland
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
and By Jason Glenn
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
Supporters of Dr. LeRoy Carhart’s abortion clinic outnumbered opponents during a nearly five-hour protest today in Bellevue.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:29 pm[...]
Both sides had promised a peaceful demonstration. And that’s what it was.
[...]
http://www.omaha.com/article/20090829/NEWS01/708299851/-1/FRONTPAGE
all 220 news articles »
http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&ncl=d_QJJd8kYU5oudM_scjRL6XyeOqdM&topic=m
August 29th, 2009 at 9:29 pmLevi – Apologie accepted.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:53 pmPawlenty has only a slightly better chance of getting the Republican nomination for president than I do. However his hypocrisy appears to be up to Republican standards.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:27 pmSounds like Pawlenty’s economics & finance guys, McElroy and Hanson haven’t been at the kool-aid pitcher yet. Won’t be long though. As soon as Pawlenty gets word of this TPpost he’ll have them out there swearing at the stimulus instead of by it.
Pawlently himself must have been slurping the shit down though. He was on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show a couple of times as the Franken deal wound up and almost sounded rational; if he’s now signed up for death panels and all that crap there won’t be a sane Republican left in the country by the end of the year. Might be hard to find one now; if there are any holdouts for not being a nutjob, they’re probably considering changing sides.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:30 pmIt’s really quite simple. If Timmeh wants to be seriously considered for the GOP nomination? He has no choice but to adopt the batscat.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:27 pmWell they always say one thing in Washington,that would be NO and then go back home and say yes to their constituents who can`t here what their HYPOCRITTER said in Washington.Red state socialism at it`s best……..
August 29th, 2009 at 11:45 pmThe Republicans are faced with a real problem if President Obama’s stimulus works. Pawlenty’s approach is just an example of the Republicans’ playbook. Blame Obama for the problems and take credit for the successes.
The elections in 2010 will tell who the voter believes.
August 30th, 2009 at 12:53 amGood and Pawlenty is a real disappointment. As a candy, licorice sucks. As a governor and politician it leaves an even worse taste in one’s mouth.
August 30th, 2009 at 1:23 amMy late stepfather was a Republican, and I’m fairly sure he would not be one if he were alive today. The hypocrisy would have overwhelmed him as much as it overwhelms me.
August 30th, 2009 at 1:25 amSeriously, I’m not sure what’s a bigger problem with conservatism today – the extreme insanity of “the base,” or the rampant hypocrisy of those who are supposed to represent them responsibly.
It seems like 100% of the time, either an Republican leader is just batsh!t crazy or is double-dealing behind their back.
If right-wingers want someone who supports positions they’re comfortable with but who isn’t a hypocritical bastard, they should seriously look into Ron Paul. Not that this positions are any more sensible, but at least he’s not a hypocrite.
Not that that’s saying much, but it’s got to stand for somthing.
August 30th, 2009 at 2:58 amWow! I’ve got five votes down for referring to Republican hypocrisy (in #40). Was my post misread, or am I being stalked by trolls? This is really bizarre.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:12 amI dont get it Lora. Though one of those down votes was mine. I just missed. I thought it a decent post
August 30th, 2009 at 3:18 amEugene,
I have accidentally voted down a few posts in my time, too. But five votes down is a bit crazy, considering the content.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:34 amHey I agree. I read your post again because I didnt get it. The I tried to give you a vote up I think I may be that sixth one
August 30th, 2009 at 3:39 amWell….since the cons have nothing decent to say: why not make stuff up?
August 30th, 2009 at 5:02 amThat seems to be their plan of action the last mmmmm long time!
Lora says:
Wow! I’ve got five votes down for referring to Republican hypocrisy (in #40). Was my post misread, or am I being stalked by trolls? This is really bizarre.
Ya got me. Maybe they’re wandering throug here, realize they have nothing worse saying and are voting down effective points.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:57 amThe political Right can be thought of as parasites. Their policies are inherently parasitic–leeching the blood from the body politic.
I cite the deficit. 90% of America’s accumulated debt throughout its history has been racked up by Republicans. 70% of that 90% has been accrued by a Reagan or a Bush.
The right rip off the left. The red states feed off the blue states as surely as a tapeworm sucks the nutrients from its host’s intestinal wall. Not to gross you out.
Right-wing people, policies and institutions–including most corporations–feed off the normal people. We see this everywhere.
Right-wing talk shows go out on the public airwaves. When the megacorporations fail, we bail them out.
Everywhere you look, you see the rest of us paying the Right’s bills. Each and every American pays $500 per year for the damage inflicted by guns. The gun guys don’t mind letting the rest of us pay for their fun. What a bunch of socialists.
We all pay for our dynfunctional healthcare system. All but the winigiest wingnut has figured this out by now.
Again: what is privatizaton but the looting of the Treasury?
And so on. This is to say nothing of the people who die every day. Pursuing the metaphor, we should remember that parasites can kill.
Since Republicans raise a stink about any and all criticism, and since the media is ineluctably right wing, we’re not hearing it stated so boldly.
But Pawlenty reminds us that, the right are parasites who have learned to lie. They are in fact very good at lying and gaming systems. This makes them tricky little buggers.
The Kingdom of the Democrats
August 30th, 2009 at 6:21 amThe least the GOP could do is thank the Democrats for trying to fix this Republican mess and acknowledge the Stimulus money is a step in the right direction. It’s going to be expensive and will take a long time to get us all out of the 30-year-old Republican trickle-down ditch.
August 30th, 2009 at 6:58 amPerry logan says:
But Pawlenty reminds us that, the right are parasites who have learned to lie. They are in fact very good at lying and gaming systems. This makes them tricky little buggers.
The most effective method is to turn over the rock they hide under and shine the light on them. Never give up. Never let them get away with even the most innocuous lie. Call them what they are every chance you get. It works wonders, if you’ve actually got the intestinal fortitude to keep it up.
It’s filthy and aggravating work. You have to wade through the foulest thoughts that the human mind can muster, and debunk them point by point. Then, you have to do it again, and again, and again, because they keep pretending they were never debunked in the first place.
But as we learned in 2000 and 2004, this is the only way to appropriately respond to the right wing smear machine: call them on it. Shine a spotlight. Speak the truth, speak it loudly, and speak it promptly, every time they start to spread their slime.
The true light of reason and fact is the only thing they’re allergic to. Use it early and use it liberally, and we may yet prevail.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:21 amThis is the deal, based on last election, blue states should get the stim money, red states should not.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:32 amJust typical Republican hypocrisy. Up front they are decrying the stimulus as big government, ruining this country, and putting us deeper in debt, while behind their backs they are holding their hand out for some of that money.
“We should do as I say not as I do.” – GOP
August 30th, 2009 at 9:06 amUnless the Democratic Brains trust is completely incompetent, they have PLENTY of campaign material for the next election…
Simply have a playback:
ALL the hate that the Republicans spew…Beck, Limballs, etc
ALL the hypocrisy of the Jindal’s, Cantor’s, and Pawlenty’s
ALL the lies spoken…this list is endless
August 30th, 2009 at 10:49 amBe careful crossing bridges Governor Pawlenty. You can never be too sure of the stability of the base.
August 30th, 2009 at 10:58 amPawlenty’s probably the best the GOP will come up with for a candidate. And he’ll get 34% of the vote. Kudos.
One small quibble with this piece – the quotes from Hanson are anticipatory, from February, not reflective as the language implies. That’s misleading. I expect better from TP.
August 30th, 2009 at 11:16 amTHERE IS NO DECENCY OR COMPASSION IN TODAY’S POLTICAL SYSTEM……ONLY GREED, MALICE AND HATRED CREATED, MANIPULATED AND EXPLOITED BY CORPORATISM AND THE CAREER POLITICIANS WILLING TO PROSITUTE THEMSELVES
In America, the oil, insurance, medical and pharmaceutical industries are all OPEC like cartels /MONOPOLIES that use their extortionate profits to BUY POLITICIANS and the government policies they formulate.
We ARE NOT a DEMOCRACY or a FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM. WE ARE nothing more than a third world country whose RICH DICTATORS are paying the PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVES to enforce the will of CORPORATIOINS and sacrifice the welfare of 98% of it’s citizens. ONLY THE RICH are served by today’s BOUGHT and PAID FOR political and government officials.
From President Obama on down, CAREER POLITICIANS are allowing the EVIL of MONEY to DRIVE AMERICA INSANE and to BANKRUPT and DESTROY everything that was once MORAL and DECENT in American society.
IF President Obama isn’t willing to FIGHT THE RIGHTEOUS FIGHT and LOSE, he will PERPETUATE and STRENGTHEN the tentacles of moral and ethical corruption that are literally STRANGLING THE LIFE OUT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!
IT’S NOT AMERICAN GOVERNMENT THAT WE THE PEOPLE SHOULD FEAR……IT’S AMERICAN CAREER POLTICIANS!
August 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pmWhen are the people of Minnesota going to pull their heads out of their own asses and elect a Democrat to be Governor again?
August 30th, 2009 at 1:32 pm26. Levi the Dungbeetle sez:…
Levi, thanks for apologizing to Tawdry for dissing Minnesota water. If there’s a problem in the water that the righties have been drinking, it’s to be found in the “spring water” used to brew Coors. Some members of the Coors family have long funded righty causes and some of the righties have returned the favor by imbibing Coors’ product. They’ve long advertised that it’s brewed with “pure Rocky Mountain spring water”, but I think they probably lace it with some kind of crazy juice apart from the alcohol content, which used to be kind of puny.
That would account for a lot of the stupid in CO.
August 30th, 2009 at 2:24 pmTim the news cycle- As a Minnesotan and someone who graduated from high school with his sister I think I have a unique take on this guy. He threw 35000 of the neediest people in Minnesota out of the state health care program for the poor.He could do this through unallotment. That way he alone could make cuts in the state budget. He praised the way Minnesota Care worked the next day.He makes speeches around the country to conservative groups. He said conservative Christians should be celebrating Christ and be proud of it . I have no problem with that but I think the gospel says to protect the needy from the powerful. He makes the news cycle every 5 days. He cut $500000 of state aid to his home town . It is all about Tim, he will need more than luck to move up to a higher office.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:09 pmPeashooter says:
This is the deal, based on last election, blue states should get the stim money, red states should not.
That’s what they would do to us if they could. Which is exactly why we shouldn’t.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:57 pmHey check out the new legislation coming out of the house that our bought and sold senators are going to kill and our puppet president is going to veto.
Rep. Frank and Ron Paul eyes Fed audit, emergency lending curbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2DX9Iu4wNo
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090830/pl_nm/us_usa_fed_audits;_ylt=AnopcuRicZIZhAV0hbHf9Gwa.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTJvczBpMG9iBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMDkwODMwL3VzX3VzYV9mZWRfYXVkaXRzBHBvcwMxMQRzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNmdWxsbmJzcHN0b3I-
August 31st, 2009 at 8:52 amPawlenty (of nothing) is a perfect GOPer – he cares only for himself and his rich friends, has no problem lying to advance his career, does nothing yet takes credit for the work of others, criticizes the programs that help the people he doesn’t like (ya know, the working class), his no new taxes pledge for rich folks has increased property taxes on working people, anything public is underfunded, government fees for the sacred hetero-only marriage license has increased dramatically along with every other (it’s not-a-tax) fee.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:15 amvery thanks for article!
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:52 am