Just wondering: was Pawlenty governor of MN when that bridge fell down?

[CTyankee]

He was on Morning Joe today touting his executive skills...

[trotsky]

1. Yes.

Saving money by double-dipping, er, I mean appointing his Lt. Governor to be the head of the Dept. of Transportation.

[Scruffy1]

7. She got a new highway by her farm

Then sold the farm for big bucks. She had no transportation training or experience nor any executive experience. the law now clearly states that the head of the D.O.T. must have an engineering license.
Pawlenty whole game was to pass on the massive debt to the next governor. I call it the Bush plan. he was a dimwit loser who never got a majority of the votes and only could win with massive amounts of money behind him and much help from religious fanatics. A lot of the dough came from out state, especially Texas. I am sure he is wholly owned by some big money players and is is just a shill. Running for president is much more lucrative than being a second rate lawyer. Ditto for Bachmann. When she saw how rich Palin got she headed for the money. After all the more money you have the holier you are in the eye of God. It's just God's way of approving.

[hifiguy]

9. +1

Correct in every particular.

Timmeh the tool sucks like a vacuum cleaner.

[Angry Dragon]

12. 'Timmeh the tool sucks like a vacuum cleaner'

That would be a cheap vacuum cleaner
because he left all the dirt behind for someone else to clean up

[SharonAnn]

13. If I recall correctly, he signed a budget bill that cut maintenance

on infrastructure shortly before it fell down.

[Brickbat]

2. Yes, which is why I can't believe he thinks he can run for anything anymore.

[CTyankee]

4. I think there ought to be signs made up using a pic of that bridge

and "Pawlenty was governor when this happened" or something similar. They should be displayed everywhere Pawlenty goes on the campaign trail.

Of course, the guy is so boring he doesn't have much of a chance in getting the nomination, but it puts the conversation back on how republicans govern with all their "small government" rhetoric.

[mod mom]

5. Pawlenty FAILED to keep Minnesota safe...how would he protect the US as president?

sound like a good ad to me.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. He certainly was.

And while the actual cause of collapse was attributed to defective design, it is also true that Pawlenty's policy of starving state government, MNDoT in particular, led to fewer inspections, and the deterioration of the bridge went undiscovered until it collapsed and killed 13 people. Pawlenty turned Minnesota into a cold Alabama. Fortunately, he has no chance of getting the nomination. Unfortunately, a number of equally insane people do.

[krispos42]

6. Oh yes

In fact, if memory served that very morning he had issued a press release touting his budget cuts. It got crowded out with the bridge collapse news.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. T Paw failed as gov, he failed this morn.

If he was trying to be interesting and look like a viable candidate, he failed. Utterly.

[malaise]

10. Yes but he did build a new arena for the sphere of

socialist sports.

[struggle4progress]

11. all our bridges falling down falling down falling down! all our bridges falling down thank pawlenty!