Friday, February 6, 2009

Pawlenty: I'll take and use the stimulus $

You can add T-Paw to the list (2 strong!) of Republican governors/2012 prospects willing to forgo political gain.

Let's see if the others are as defiant about not taking the $ as they are about protesting it.

We've already put up the xcript and summary of this i/view (which took place last Sunday), but now there's video. Pawlenty's a bit more assertive than normal here -- it becomes him. If he's going to be a serious national player (and not just at the theoretical level), he needs to watch some Huey Long and maybe a little Chris Rock. Put those two together and you've got a politician.

Summary:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Michigan's Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm were pitted against each other today on John King's State of the Union.

John King asked T-Paw the question of the week -- will you take the $?

"We're not going to be bashful about getting our fair share."

King then turned to Granholm, and listed some of the more non-stimulative provisions within the current bill.

a. $400 million for HIV and STD prevention
b. $650 million for TV converter boxes
c. $345 million for Agriculture Department computers
d. $75 million for anti-smoking campaigns

King: Care to defend?

JG equivocated like Blago and OJ's love child, and ultimately pseudo-conceded that HIV prevention isn't terribly stimulative to the economy:

"I know that's going to change as it goes through the Senate... if things there are not related to job creation, perhaps they should be put in another bill."

UPDATE!: Transcript here.