Pawlenty of Dumbass to Go Around

Anyone who watched Meet the Press today got a heapin’ helpin’ of dumbass in the form of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he just wouldn’t answer the damned questions. His answers reminded me of longstanding schoolyard retorts: “I’m rubber, you’re glue…” and “I know you are, but what am I.”

He just couldn’t bring himself to answer questions about McCain’s selection for VP nominee. Specifically, Brokaw questioned her experience. Pawlenty’s “answers” were awfully political for someone so close to a “maverick.”

Here are some of the questions, some of the answers, and my humble comments.

MR. BROKAW: Let's share with our viewers and with you as well an editorial in the Fairbanks Alaska Daily News-Miner. "[Palin] has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land. Republicans rightfully have criticized the Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama, for his lack of experience, but Palin is a neophyte in comparison; how will Republicans reconcile the criticism of Obama with the obligatory cheering for Palin?

"Most people would acknowledge that, regardless of her charm and good intentions, Palin is not ready for the top job. McCain seems to have put his political interests ahead of the nation's when he created the possibility that she might fill it. It's clear that McCain picked Palin for reasons of image, not substance."

Same question raised by your hometown newspaper, The Minneapolis Tribune. "McCain surprises, but is Palin ready?" Fay Palin, her mother-in-law, in Alaska, said, "She enjoys hearing Barack Obama's speech. She still has not decided which way she'll vote." Then she went on to say, "I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket other than that she's a woman and a conservative." So there are substantial questions that remain out there.
GOV. PAWLENTY: Well, in fairness to Governor Palin, let's do the same analysis as to Senator Obama. He's basically…
Timmy never did address Palin’s inexperience directly. He deflected to Barry and did a status-quo, political dance around the issue.

MR. BROKAW: And people who have looked Alaska--at Alaska and her executive experience have pointed out, it's a small state and gets most of its money from oil revenue.
GOV. PAWLENTY: Well, it's...

MR. BROKAW: It doesn't have the same kind of tough choices that you have to make here in Minnesota, even.
GOV. PAWLENTY: It's bigger than the enterprise that Barack Obama worked for as a staffer in Chicago.
Jesus, dumbass. It ain’t about Obama. It’s about Palin. That’s why you were asked on the show!

MR. BROKAW: We're still learning a good deal about her, and I know we will continue to. In the...
GOV. PAWLENTY: I would also say on that, Tom, if I could, you never hear Barack Obama getting asked whether he would pick a pro-life candidate for his ticket...

MR. BROKAW: …All this sounds too much like Bush 3, the label the Democrats are trying to hang around the Republican neck.
GOV. PAWLENTY: So if you want to hook Senator McCain to an--President Bush, then we'll hook Senator Obama to a Congress that is half as popular as the president and say that he's going to be a rubber stamp for a Congress that is even less popular.
And how many Republicans are in Congress Mr. Pawlenty? There are 249 in the 110th. That’s 46 percent sir. So climb down off your horse and STFU.
GOV. PAWLENTY: Well, first of all, I think Senator McCain, of course, one of his main attractions and assets and strengths that he's a maverick with a record of reform. She's a maverick with a record of reform. And if you look at her background and I know her a bit as a fellow governor, she's an individual who is smart, she's strong, she's capable, she's dedicated, she's diligent and she has executive experience. She's functioned as a governor, she's the commander in chief of a national guard, she's a former mayor, she's the former chair of an energy commission in Alaska, which is one of the more high-profile issues and operations in Alaska. She's deeply involved in the energy issues, which is really one of the foremost national security issues we have in our country in terms of its connection to transference of wealth to places like the Middle East and Russia and Venezuela. So she is somebody who I think is very capable to be in the executive position. And one last thing, Tom, she's running for vice president. She has as much or more experience as Barack Obama, who's running for president.
1. Commander in Chief of what? Eight thousand or so Alaska National Guardsmen? Give me a break.
2. Mayor of what? Wasilla, Alaska? Population of around 8,000?
3. Governor of what? Alaska? Population 683,478? The mayor of my hometown, San Antonio, Texas governs more people than that.


She may well be able to handle the office of VP, but I damn sure think McCain is a hypocrite for picking her after all their inexperience scare tactics with regard to Obama.