Do As I Say, Not As My Wife Does

I grew up in Minneapolis and worked on my first political campaigns there – JFK and a man named Don Fraser who unseated a long-time Republican Congressman, a zealous anti-Communist named Walter Judd, in the 5th Congressional District in 1962. So I’m always amazed that the same state which produced Hubert Humphrey, Gene McCarthy, Walter Mondale and Amy Klobuchar also turns out the likes of Jesse Ventura, Michelle Bachman and Tim Pawlenty.

Thus, I wasn’t entirely surprised when CBS News reported that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty – sometimes said to be a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2012 – got his tidy whities in a bunch because the President of the United States wants to talk to some returning school kids on Tuesday.

“At a minimum it’s disruptive, number two, it’s uninvited and number three, if people would like to hear his message they can, on a voluntary basis, go to YouTube or some other source and get it,” he told reporters at the Minnesota State Fair. “I don’t think he needs to force it upon the nation’s school children.”

Put in language without his dog whistles to the devout, Tim Pawlenty says he ain’t gonna let no darkie Muslim force socialism on his kids. Powerful words, Guv’ner.

But hey, wait: What’s this?

His wife Mary, the state’s first lady, visits elementary schools frequently to teach students about our system of democracy. The first lady focuses on expanding school children’s knowledge and understanding of the three branches of government, providing a special emphasis on the judiciary. She was a district court judge for 12 years, handling criminal, civil, family and juvenile matters.

Yikes! Mary Pawlenty has been running around the state disrupting and indoctrinating the children of Minnesota for years! Couldn’t she just do that on YouTube or something? I demand to see the complete text of each and every speech she gives from now on.

This is a perfect example of Pawlenty’s hypocrisy or, as Minnesotans call it, T-Pawcrisy. It's the same irritating rash that is Michelle Bachman (R-Goofyville), who recently lashed out angrily at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune for writing a flattering profile of her son who is working with Teach For America.

At the same State Fair, Bachman also cried out, “What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists (so insurance and health care reform) will not pass.”

By all means, Michelle, slit your wrists. Please. I think there's still a Chicago Cutlery Store at Knollwood Mall if you need some equipment.