Pawlenty Bolsters Republicans In Shutdown Standoff

June 30, 2011 8:48 PM

(credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty sidetracked from the presidential campaign trail to urge fellow Republicans at the Capitol to not back down in their budget standoff with his Democratic successor.

Pawlenty held a news conference at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Thursday evening on the brink of a Minnesota government shutdown. The candidate for the GOP presidential nomination says spending needs to be controlled in both Washington, D.C., and in St. Paul.

Democrats in Minnesota call Pawlenty responsible for the state’s $5 billion projected budget deficit at the heart of the dispute between Dayton and the GOP. But Pawlenty says the deficit is caused by projected increases in spending needs that he does not support.

Minnesota’s last government shutdown was in 2005, when Pawlenty was governor. It lasted eight days.

Pawlenty Bolsters Republicans In Shutdown Standoff

St Paul

Who listens to this guy anymore? He helped to create this mess to start with. Just go away Timmy.

Teach

Just goes to show that repubs are as stubborn as mules what a jack a ssssssssssss
GN

Interesting since the Dems had control of the legislature and the power when Pawlenty was in office. It’s also interesting how many permits (additional taxes) were charged to businesses when the the dems had the legislature. It’s interesting the massive pay raises government employees received when the dems controlled the legislature. It’s interesting how many jobs were lost in the private sector when the dems controlled the legislature. It’s interesting the double digit increases in unionization of government employees when the dems controlled the legislature. Dems I believe you folks are the mess creators but love to blame others.

kieron

They sure are. Thing is, hon, the Dems learned it from the Repubs, who are the masters of manipulation and deceit and distraction from the real issues. I can cite examples too: the gay marriage “ban.” Classic distraction technique.
Just Cause

Even Arne said it was T-Paw fault, Google “Arne Carlson blames Tim Pawlenty”
Jeff

I am a state employee. I have not received a pay increase for 6 years, so don’t accuse the dems of giving us massive pay raises.

Republicans are the biggest hypocrites that exist on this earth!

Fleno

Same here – I as a State Employee have not received a pay raise in 6 years either. Maybe what we need to do is apply the logic that the republicans have in their bills to the legislators themselves. They want to cut 15% of us by 2015 then cut our wages by 6% and make us pay 100% of our health care premiums. I say we cut 15% of the legislators and their staff – cut their wages by 6% then, take away their per diems (I don’t get lunch money or gas money to go to work). then we take away their housing allowance and their health care. After all they are only PART TIME state employees and this is not their livlihood.

GCR

Interesting. It was TPAWS smoke and mirrors accounting (using one time FED money, not paying schools) that allowed him to kick this issue down the road when he would not have to deal with it.
Steve

GN: Dems only controlled the House for 2 of T-Paws years and thanks to their veto override helped prevent a bigger deficit. T-Paw si the last person to be giving advice on a dudget solution, he was just fine kicking the can down the road so he could run for president. Dayton is trying to solve it!

kim

Of all the nerve. Mind your own business, Pawlenty.

Kathy

It struck me odd that Pawlenty would even think Minnesotans care about his opinion. He was a done deal way long before his much applauded end.

People dodn’t seem quite as interested in leaving comment these days. I wonder why?

ez

This ass is encuraging the state to shut down????? What the hell is wrong with him?

kieron

A lot of manure tends to fall out of his mouth whenever he opens it.

kieron

How astute, Timmeh. Kind of like closing the barn door after the horse escapes. But you’re good at that, aren’t you.
WOLF

Its funny, the national media cares even less about T-Gafaw than even we do.
Wealthy MN Taxpayer

Give me a break MN taxpayer! I’d love for taxes to be shared equally between everyone.Can the DFL mind not comprehend that 7.85% of $250k is currently more than 5.35% of $30k? A progressive tax system by definition makes the “rich” pay more than the middle class or the poor!

Deb

funny that is not how it works!! Try again
Indy

The top 2% pay 9% tax on their income while Middle class pays 12.5. Who are you trying to kid Wealthy MN Taxpayer? You are the one that cannot comprehend simple math,.

Bb

I totally agree, amazing isn’ t it how they just do not get it!!
King

Your right on Indy…….

King

If you make more, you should pay more taxes !
You only need so much to live well.

jd

evidently my comments are now blocked–but I have more emails! Why do we need to hear what Pawlenty has to say–he’s the one who created this mess and now he’s running for president hahahahaha–I predict he won’t carry this state the state he shat upon.
steve

rest assured….if pawlenty becomes president…I’m moving to Juarez ….where it’s safe……They’re all morons
See BS

Did the Native Americans need union workers on camp grounds to go camping? Before white people showed up?

Wu

I ALTO!
Just Cause

What’s your point?

irritated

I guess compromise is a foreign concept….I suppose he won’t be happy til all the state employees are on welfare, since at least people on assistance are still getting a paycheck.
jimbo

Pawlenty, you have done enough damage to this state, mostly for your own personal presidential ambitions. Please do us all a favor and stay away from Minnesota and its politics. Please go far far away.
Stacey

Pawlenty needs to just keep his worthless mouth shut. He’s the one who got us onto this mess and now no one can agree on how to fix his mess. Do us a favor Pawlenty, don’t embarrass yourself by running for president. God help this Nation if he’s elected as president.
Interesting

I don’t have an opinion
wootieup

Go away Pawlenty…
Living in Reality

I have to agree with all of you land o’ lakes Democrats however, you have short memories if you can’t remember who put together all of the spending legislation that Pawlenty signed. The Democrats had been in control of legislation for over 30 years. So maybe it’s time to face reality and admit who is really just as much at fault for your current budget crisis.

dotherightthing

Sorry but your wrong, pawlenty had democrats in power the last two years of his term, I know I had to live with the reality

leatherneck

Shut it down. This all falls squarely on Dayton’s shoulders. Face it, the man is in way over his head. He is an idiot, he is incapable of making a decision. Shut it down…….all you liberals can kiss my a$$, I’m going to bed…

Deb

stay there, your sick!
Carla

Let’s see. How long has Dayton been in office? Pawlenty figuratively left us way before his term was over. He was already planning his run for President and left us with this disaster, much like Bush did with the debt and war. Thanks for nothing Pawlenty. Your opinion is worthless. Hop back on the plane.
Flat Tax

It falls on them all!!!!! Once again we all suffer for electing these pricks! they should all be ashamed of the job they did. We all suffer now. Thanks, enjoy you pay checks for a bad job.

Andy

The only thing the Republicans want from you is your vote. They have pledged their ideology to a group of people that are not elected and could also care less for the people of MN or the U.S. As long as they can get you to come out to vote on wedge issues, they don’t give a rat’s patute about you.

Like a fish, you bit on their sound bites to create jobs, lower taxes, etc. Next on their agenda is selling off state infrastructure and utilities. Watch in WI for no-bid sell offs. Same is in line for MN. Problem is people vote on their words, and ignore their real actions. If you are not a corporation or the wealthy – they don’t represent you. They only sucker you out of your vote.

The uniformed get the government they deserve. There is no one as deaf as one that refuses to listen.

dphilips

must be one of those worthless marines

Indy

Pawlenty created this mess and Minnesota does not need his worthless 2 cents to create more problems. Get the H#ll out of Minnesota politics Pawlenty. You did enough damage to Minnesota already.
Carl Popham

Tim Pawlenty did away with budgets for infrastucture and road repair, and re-allocated the money to a pay raise and promotions for His Republican cohorts, like giving lieutenant-governor Carol Molnau the position of boss at Minnesota Department of Transportation., not because She knew nothing of how to do the job, but because she was Pawlenty’s attack dog, she could get an extra bloated paycheck for taking lots of vacations and basicly being a huge waste of taxpayer money, whose scandal was exposed with the 35W bridge disaster. Pawlenty is a flaming hypocrite.
Indy

A 12.5% tax across the boards is only fair. Republicans protect the rich and cut funding to the poor. Only a Republican cannot have remorse for such evil tactics. The top 2 of wealthiest Minnesotans would only see a slight drop in a depost into their saving accounts vs. the Middle class loosing their homes. All this over the republicans refusal to use a balanced approach to fixing our dept. Save the rich by cutting funding to the middle class and the poor is the republicans way.
Indy

How about the middle class pay only 9% on their income like the rich man? Huh? Give me a break!!!!
edward bosella

God what an ass. Just like Weber who’s running his campaign. They create the mess and then point fingers at others. You can fool some of the people…
Indy

Deb, your right it does not work.The richer one is the more loop holes they can use. The top wage earners DO NOT pay their fair share. Making 50,000 dollars a year would be senseless to hire an attorney to try and find loopholes even if there were even any for me. I would pay more for an attorney then II would save on taxes. Now as for making several million it would be lucrative to try and worm out of paying taxes and they do it.
Mike M.

What a bunch of liberal jerks…misinformed children. All I hear is gimmy, gimmy, gimmy. Everytime I read about all the bad things going on it’s the same old song and dance. Realize that the only time government is effective is when it is completely gridlocked…constapated cant pass a damn thing. That’s when things go well. There is a Republican figure head and a Democrat controlled house and Senate. Nothing gets done and Who is to blame. Or Vise Verse. It’s time for people to look at an individual, what they stand for and know the difference between right and wrong. What is good for the people and the Republic in which we live. YES this is a REPUBLIC not a democracy. If I hire you to do a specific job and then do everything in my power to keep you from doing that job and then fire you because you “did’nt get anything done” who is to blame? Oh and I just read the stats on taxes. The top 50 % of wage earners pay 96% of the income tax so, really? Should they pay their fair share? I barely made over 20k last year and I got a break. Now I’m unemployed because business owners are being run out of business by the have not’s who are the will not’s who think they should get a gov’mint check and suck their thumb!

carla

it’s gimme gimme gimme and it’s constipated, not constipated You don’t capitalize “who” in the middle of a sentence..It’s visa , not vise and again, not capitalized in the sentence. I can’t keep going. There are so many errors in this rant that I can’t keep up. Go back to school, but not on state or federal grants please.
SnowFire

Misinformed children = GOP children with blind faith that is part of thier religious brainwashing. Your comment about “If I hire you to do a specific job and then…”, this is exactly what wealthy business owners do to employees everyday – double standard/GOP, business as usual. We are a republic and a socialist government – don’t want to admit that do you. Top 50%, this is not in the conversation, the number to discuss is the top 2% in wealth – always coming injecting unrealted info and representing it as pertinent. The business owners/wealthy created this mess and of course they will run, run to where ever they can to make more money – that is all that matters and they can afford it, what is your point. My point is that there are many others waiting to jump right in and replace these businesses as soon they leave so – goodbye!

Indy

Dream on Leatherneck you old round mouth.
Mr. Mustache

Look at all the whining Liberturds tonight. There welfare is going to be cut off. Thats all the liberals can do is take take take take. They have no concept of a budget because someone else is paying for it. Go ahead and tax the 1700 millionaires in MN. I guarantee their money will be yanked out of this state by the end of next week and then you know who gets to pay for the new liberal causes. Governor Goofie shipped his fortune to South Dakota years ago to avoid the same thing.

carla

Can’t anyone spell anymore? As soon as I see that, you lose all credibility in your argument. The name calling is real mature b the way. I hope you’re not going to collect social security or receive medicare when you are 65. That would be government handouts. We all gain from government. Roads, our police and firefighters etc;. You don’t want taxes and yet where would be without them. Oh yeah, they are called “fees” now. Everything has a fee. As far as those 1700 millionaires? I’m pretty sure they have their money in the Caymens anyway. They do know how to hide their money and find all the loopholes to not pay their fair share of taxes.

billionaire dayton

“The name calling is real mature b the way”, “and yet where would be without them” (no question mark?), “Caymens” ????? get more than a public education before criticizing someone else’s post. LMAO

Len

Wrong spelling of the Cayman’s or not, she’s right.
Anyone worth several million has a huge advantage “and” does indeed keep their money off shore, in investments and or has built in loopholes to not pay their fair share of taxes. Heck, just about everyone looks for ways to do this come tax time.
It’s just that people worth millions has a much larger advantage.
A good example is someone like Senator Lillie having a resort worth several million. It’s pretty plain to see who he’s trying to protect. He doesn’t give a rip about anyone except him self…
I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to own and run a resort worth millions…I just know “he” doesn’t want to pay more taxes, and LOVES his big tax breaks!
Follow the money trail. Most times it leads to multitudes of “all” politicians hording, getting major tax breaks, hiding money, graft and etc…..

Len

Correction, I meant DeKruif not Lillie

Michele

Aren’t Liberals paying taxes, too?

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June 30, 2011 8:48 PM

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