061212-009“Defend Minnesota” is the slogan of a new website that Democrats are rolling out today. The site is designed to highlight budget cuts being implemented by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the effect on Minnesota residents. It will also solicit ideas on how to eliminate the state’s remaining $2.7 billion deficit.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark said that they’re creating the site because they don’t believe Pawlenty is open to feedback from average citizens. “He’s not listening,” Clark said on a conference call this morning. “There’s a lot of suspicion that the delete button’s being hit.”

Since Pawlenty announced that he intends to unilaterally cut $2.7 billion from the budget, Democrats have largely been left on the sidelines. Clark pointed out that the process by which the governor intends to settle the deficit, known as “unallotment,” has only been used five times in the state’s history and never on such a large scale.

“It really is a power grab,” she said. “This is not something that any other governor of our state would have ever contemplated.”

The web site is slated to go live later today.