Minnesota’s political graybeards, having decided that some adult supervision is needed to solve the state budget crisis, are assembling a committee of former legislators and other budget experts to craft a settlement that will get the support of both Republicans and Democrats. It appears to have the support of the governor, but the GOP is already dismissing it as a stunt. That doesn’t forebode well for the committee’s stated goal of bipartisan support. But at this point, any ideas that might end the shutdown are worth considering. Unfortunately, the Minnesota GOP has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Tea Party Insanity, Inc. and may simply not be capable of entertaining grown-up proposals. We may just need to muddle through with a temporary fix and give Minnesota voters another opportunity to express a clear opinion about the role of government in Minnesota. Of course, that’s assuming they have a clear opinion.
