Tim Pawlenty has a new ad showing in Iowa, claiming bragging rights of his part in Minnesota’s 2005 government shutdown — now his state is in the midst of another government shutdown. Yay for him – that’s two for two. At least he’s consistent.
While Republicans claim a shutdown is purely for the sake of our economic well being,the last Republican to balance our country’s budget was Dwight Eisenhower. Since 1957 when he was President, there have been only two Presidents to preside over balanced budgets, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1969 and Clinton in 1998 through 2001.
Minnesota is now plagued with the aftereffects of yet another forced shutdown.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfvAF2sLfmU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
TalkingPointsMemo reports:
“Minnesota, gripped by one of the longest transit strikes in history,” The announcer says. “Why? Because Governor Tim Pawlenty refused to cave in to government unions. Result? Pawlenty won. Minnesota government shut down. Why? Because Tim Pawlenty would not accept Democrats’ massive tax-and-spending demands. Result? Pawlenty won. Tim Pawlenty — results, not rhetoric.”
Minnesota is now trying to find its way out of budget gridlock, due to disagreements between Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican-led legislature over how to fix the deficit they inherited from the previous mirror-image administration of GOP Gov. Pawlenty and a Dem-led legislature.
In January Pawlenty declared: “One of the things I wonder is whether I should have let the shutdown run longer to get more of my agenda through.”
The GOP tactic of shutting the government down is nothing more than a temper tantrum, at our expense. In 1995 when Bill Clinton was in office (and left this country with a surplus), America’s government shut down (with credit given to Newt Gingrich).
But, it’s about the economy — except don’t touch the wealthy — seniors and the middle class should toe the line, according to the GOP.
Read TPM’s report here.
