shovel.thumbnail.jpgAwwww. I see that our illustrious governor, Smilin’ Tim Pawlenty, has already done a Lieberman and whispered into his would-be running mate’s ear, because John Sidney McCain III’s doin’ the ol’ walkback again:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Thursday backed off his assertion that pork-barrel spending led to last year’s deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

With Democrats criticizing him for citing wasteful spending as the cause of the disaster, McCain told reporters in Cleveland, "No, I said it would have received a higher priority, which it deserved."

That statement was in contrast to McCain’s remarks to reporters aboard his campaign bus as it rolled through Pennsylvania on Wednesday: "The bridge in Minneapolis didn’t collapse because there wasn’t enough money. The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects."

Um, sorry, but no:

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board suspect a design flaw — undersize steel plates — and heavy loads of construction materials as the cause of the disaster Aug. 1, according to preliminary findings.

Democrats accused McCain of using a tragedy that killed 13 people and injured 145 others to make a political point.

"The last thing we need is a misinformed presidential aspirant posturing at our expense," said Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., said, "He is manipulating a tragedy that took 13 lives in order to advance his election campaign."

Even Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota said McCain was wrong.

"The bridge didn’t collapse because there wasn’t enough money," Coleman said during a conference call with reporters.

When our local news media, normally quite polite to Republicans, is openly aghast, you know McCain screwed up. And the local members of the reality-based community have cut loose with some fine screeds on both McCain and Pawlenty (such as this one, this one and this one) that make the local mainstream media coverage look positively restrained.

News flash, Johnny: We just got done passing a gas-tax hike — the first in two decades — along with an increase in motor-vehicle license fees. We even overrode Pawlenty the Pothole King’s veto to do it, with several Republicans voting with the Democrats to override.

Wanna know why?

Because we’re friggin’ sick and tired of collapsing bridges, that’s why.

We’re sick of driving around what used to be the best damn’ roads in the country, only to risk breaking an axle because Tim Pawlenty rammed massive tax cuts favoring the rich down our throats back when he ran Minnesota’s lower chamber. These tax cuts, of coursed, cause massive revenue shortages, which Pawlenty solved by slashing state programs across the board. However, Pawlenty has no objection to making local taxpayers foot the bill for a $550 million sports stadium to ease the strain on the pocketbook of Carl Pohlad, the richest man in baseball. The money that went for Pohlad’s playground could have bought two new 35W bridges with a few million left over.

By the way: The cost of the new gas-tax and license fee increases? Around about $50 to $75 for most people; less for some, more for others. That’s a lot less than the cost of a new tire and rim. Or axle. Or wheelchair. Or coffin.

Just keep talkin’, Johnny. Dig that hole a little deeper, eh? Let’s see you lose the state by twenty points in November. Keep talkin’ smack and you will.