The Club for Growth, a group that promotes lower tax rates, less regulation, free speech, and school choice, has issued a review of the political career of Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota.
As Manny Lopez notes nearby, Gov. Pawlenty has come out against ethanol subsidies. He’s not as principled about it as I’d like; in his announcement speech yesterday, his primary rationale was that they are too expensive, given our national fiscal situation. That’s certainly true, but that reasoning–rather than a recognition that they amount to crony capitalism and impose environmental and human costs–suggests Pawlenty is eager, or at least willing, to be a Republican version of a Democratic busybody pol, at least when the public purse is full. Still, give him credit for calling for a phase-out of the subsidies in Iowa, where corn is king.
The Club for Growth, meanwhile, notes that Pawlenty has a troubling record on regulation, and blemishes on his record.
Its conclusion: “A President Pawlenty, we suspect, would fight for pro-growth policies, but would be susceptible to adopting ‘pragmatic’ policies that grow government.”
Based on my having lived in Minnesota during Pawlenty’s tenure as governor, I’d say that’s about right. Based on what I’ve seen in Michigan, I’m glad he was my governor rather than Rick Snyder.
First published by the Detroit News: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=2351