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Gov. Pawlenty got off an international flight from Iraq and Afghanistan and immediately took to the domestic airwaves. The health care reform plan is a “joke” he told Fox News, and President Obama is ”scamming the American people” — with “false advertising,” he added on Minnesota Public Radio. On his WCCO-AM show this morning, Pawlenty interviewed Colin Powell on a variety of topics but without a word about the GOP’s future or the Henry Louis Gates affair.
Former Secretary of State Powell told Pawlenty that improving education “takes much more investment of money.” In Iraq, Powell said, “We’ve probably done as much as we can,” while Afghanistan situation is “difficult and complex.”
Pawlenty introduced a question about what the United States should do about Iran with his view that “it’s inevitable that that situation is going to come to a head.” Powell said recent political turmoil has revealed “fissures,” as people press their desire for “liberalized government.”
Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Powell said the United States had two choices: Take out nukes militarily, or warn them, Cold War style, that any nuclear aggression on their part would bring greater retribution against them.
One area of shared interest wasn’t touched on in Pawlenty’s talk with Powell: the future of the Republican Party.
Also left unmentioned: Powell’s views on the recent arrest of Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, and President Obama’s nationally-televised response in which he referenced racial profiling.
Only last week, the NAACP centenary brought Powell together with Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, whose “nation of cowards” speech in February marked the Administration’s other rhetorical milestone on race.
(Idle question: Would Minnesota DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller have broached that timely issue of race with Powell, given the equal time from WCCO that he has asked for?)
Here’s the video of Pawlenty on Fox on Thursday, responding to Obama on health care:
[Via Political Animal]
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5 Comments »
Comment posted July 24, 2009 @ 12:52 pm
I would like to invite Pawlenty to either put up a plan of his own or shut up. As a person who works in the welfare office of Minneapolis I can tell you how well his unallotment went over with a lot of people. We are still getting calls from terrified residents who are under the impression that Pawlenty has canceled all of their benefits. Frankly I’m surprised their is not a plan to unallot Pawlenty from office going on.
Comment posted July 24, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
Statistics I’ve heard from a someone I trust, but I don’t know, and would like to know, the sources, just so I can prefix these with “according to…”
Every week universal health care is delayed, 40,000 people lose their insurance, 17,000 go bankrupt due to medical bills, and 400 die from medical problems untreated due to lack of insurance.
It should seem obvious the lack of insurance is a crisis, but apparently not, so let’s pound home the basics. Even if those statistics aren’t precise, how close do they have to be to prove the need?
Comment posted July 24, 2009 @ 4:49 pm
“Statistics I’ve heard from a someone I trust, but I don’t know, and would like to know Even if those statistics aren’t precise, how close do they have to be to prove the need?”
That gets my vote for the mose inane comment of the week. Congratulations.
Comment posted July 25, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
The language really troubles me. It’s one thing to have a difference of opinion, but to call it a scamming or a joke really is wrong. There is no arguing on the merits with such an attack. Really doesn’t sound like a real national candidate to me.
Comment posted July 25, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
Oh dear. King Timmy is going to do his version of Sarah Palin for us now. (We can see Canada from our breakfast tables!) Only he won’t be nearly as amusing or fun to watch, unfortunately. Tow that party line, Timmy. .What a fake.
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