Picture 3If a public option ends up in whatever health care reform bill is passed, Gov. Tim Pawlenty says he’d prefer Minnesota not participate. Appearing on ABC’s Top Line today, he said he’d lead the charge to have the state opt out because he “doesn’t believe in government-run health care.”

He told ABC’s David Chalian:

“Well, I don’t know if we would opt out, but I personally would like to opt out because I don’t like government-run health care. And we shouldn’t call it the public option; we should call it what it is, which is government-run health care. They are desperate — the Democrats are thrashing about trying to find some way to get government-run health care into the final package, to embed it in the final package.

“And the rationale is, ‘We have to keep the private sector honest.’ So what’s next then? If you don’t like the price of toilet paper and toothpaste, are we going to have a government-run Target or Wal-Mart to keep the private sector honest? I mean, it’s a ludicrous proposition that government’s going to come in in this space and compete directly with the private sector. Whether it’s opt in, opt out, trigger — I don’t care. I don’t like the idea.”