In the event that McCain picks Tim Pawlenty we need to be prepared in who we will be waging the fight of our lives against. The GOP and Fox News/AP (one and the same these days) will try to make this guy out to be a choir boy.
Have these facts, and many others out there, at the ready.
Much of the information below has been posted by a web site, that backs up all information, called Pawlenty Unplugged. I have supplied some links but democrats need to visit the site and read all the information.
There are other articals out there but in just a short time I was able to come up the information posted below.
Since the MSM is saying that Tim Pawlenty has canceled all upcoming events it sounds like he may be the one to enter the worst ride of his life with McCain. If not? No harm, no foul since he is out there saying that going up against Joe Biden? Is no big deal.....I want a front row seat for that one if this guy is the GOP VP cookie of the day.
The Fix by Chris Cillizza
The Case against Tim Pawlenty
‘http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/06/the_case_against_tim_pawlenty.html?hpid=topnews
Looks like McCain may be looking for anyone who could be considered a boy scout and this guy has done so little he may fit the bill.
Political Operation Incognito
For a guy who has spent six years in the governor's office and was a leader in the state House before winning that post in 2002, Pawlenty has an almost non-existent political operation either in the state or nationally.
Pawlenty Unplugged
YO-YO ON SEX OFFENDERS
http://www.pawlentyunplugged.com/...
STATEMENT: As a candidate for governor, Tim Pawlenty said that, "We won’t have a catch-and-release program for violent criminals...."1 And, as Majority Leader, Pawlenty criticized Governor Ventura for not spending money on criminal justice initiatives, saying, "If you have children being abducted and murdered because repeat offenders are falling through cracks in our criminal justice system, I’d say that’s a pretty good emergency. You ask regular people what bugs them most...and this is right up there."2
YO-YO: In January, 2003, Governor-elect Pawlenty said that with the state facing a budget deficit, the corrections budget would be on the table for cuts, like every other area.3 True to his word, in his 2004-05 biennial budget recommendation, the Governor proposed "significant budget reductions" in such core services as sex offender evaluation and sex offender notification.4
In May, 2003, Dr. Anita Schlank, head of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, resigned after being told that the program was growing at an "unsustainable rate" and being directed to draw up a list of 40 civilly committed sex offenders to place in community housing in order to save money.5 Governor Pawlenty’s Human Services Commissioner initially called Schlank’s claim outrageous, but later recanted after another employee corroborated Schlank.6
In December, 2003, the Pawlenty Administration was severely criticized for releasing Alfonso Rodriguez from prison, rather than referring him for civil commitment as a sexual psychopath, where he would have been confined in a secure mental hospital. Rodriguez, a convicted sex offender, allegedly kidnapped and murdered Dru Sjodin. It was recently noted that referrals to the sex offender program have surged since Dru Sjodin’s murder.7 This is because the Pawlenty Administration had been allowing dangerous sex offenders like Rodriguez to leave prison without being properly referred for civil commitment prior to the Sjodin murder. Indeed, even today, the Pawlenty Administration ignores its statutory mandate to issue recommendations to county attorneys as to whether a particular sex offender should be civilly committed.
Here we go again. Another Republican willing to sell out just to gain political favor.
http://www.pawlentyunplugged.com/index_files/Page558.htm
Governor Pawlenty recently said that he would continue to support George Bush even if his approval rating fell to 2 percent.1 The comment is troubling because leaders are supposed to put the best interests of their state ahead of political cronyism.
The governor has a long record, however, of rewarding controversial political friends with appointments to key regulatory positions, notwithstanding questionable behavior by those appointees.
http://www.pawlentyunplugged.com/index_files/Page558.htm
The Commerce Commissioner Is Selected By A Pawlenty Cohort Whose Troubled Companies Are Regulated by the Commerce Department. The Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce is responsible to regulate several financial industries in Minnesota, as well as the telecommunications industry. Aggressive regulation by the Commerce Commissioner is necessary to protect consumers from fraud and deception in the marketplace.
The governor allowed a political supporter whose telecom companies had been sanctioned by regulators in numerous states to recommend and interview his Commissioner of Commerce. Pawlenty then installed his campaign manager in a top Commerce post in which he was responsible to regulate the telecom sector. The campaign manager had previously been the marketing director of a telecom company that was fined $200,000 by California regulators. He had also previously been found by a Minnesota district court judge and the Minnesota Court of Appeals to have engaged in telemarketing fraud in connection with a PAC he ran. Yet, Pawlenty saw fit to allow his "good friend" to regulate the telecom industry. (Click here to read more about this.
"A wink and a nod won’t cut it."
-Doug Kelley (Former US Attorney and Republican Candidate for Governor), speaking as Chairman of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, about Tim Pawlenty’s unlawful collusion with the Republican Party to violate campaign finance laws, resulting in the Board’s imposition of a $600,000 fine. (Associated Press, "Setback for Pawlenty and Finance Board’s ruling on ad," October 10, 2002.)
http://www.pawlentyunplugged.com/index_files/Page558.htm
"If they were willing to cheat at the campaign to win, then they’d be willing to cheat when they get in there."
Former Governor Jesse Ventura, commenting on the $600,000 fine (one of the largest in State history) the Pawlenty campaign received in 2002 for illegally colluding with the Republican party to circumvent campaign spending
This one really strikes home as it shows he is no different than McCain.
"He sold his soul to get the endorsement."
Jack Uldrich, then Chairman of the Independence Party, speaking about the promises made by Tim Pawlenty to secure the Republican Party endorsement for Governor. (Star Tribune, "2002 State GOP Convention," June 16, 2002.)
I think that time is short and we need to be prepared with the facts when McCain releases his VP. I think others might consider doing a diary on each of the known prospects.
Information is power and we need to be able to hit the ground running when we have a name.