Tim Pawlenty only has a few months left in office, but he remains ever vigilant against the evils of socialized medicine and the threat it poses to the moral fiber of good and decent Minnesotans. Earlier today, he issued an executive order instructing state agencies not to apply for any grant funding under the Affordable Care Act “unless otherwise required by law.” The text of the order was is filled with catchphrases that are the standard fare of Tea Party rallies (“federal takeover of health care”, “intrusions into individual liberty”, etc.), providing incontrovertible and rather vulgar evidence of Pawlenty’s presidential ambitions.
The order also has the effect of jeopardizing Minnesota’s opportunity to receive planning money for the state insurance exchange that must be operational in a few years. Passing up this opportunity will hamstring the state’s efforts to comply with federal law, which might prompt the federal government to step in and operate the exchange on Minnesota’s behalf. Both liberals and conservatives can probably agree that such an outcome would be less than ideal. But if Dayton loses to Emmer–a wholly-owned tool of the Tea Party–that might be exactly what happens.
Booo!
My ThatMan bring back a host of bedbugs from his wanderung about the USA in his quest for the presidency. A pox on his house.