Tim Pawlenty went on to say this:

Conservatives could learn a lot from that bridge that collapsed in Minnesota. Instead of doing their job and letting people get stabilty and uplift from their government to get from point A to point B in their everyday lives, Republican should just decide that they aren’t going to provide that uplift and should just collapse and say “no”.

I think I can state with absolute certainty that NO ONE in San Francisco drinks “chablis”.

As a Minnesotan who didn’t vote for the guy we now call Governor Gutshot, I’m sorry.

Figurative language tends to short out the fuses of right-wingers.

He should grow the mullet back. It suits him, and his odd views.

Not so big on the brie either anymore.
Now, lavender-enfused goat cheese? Yummy.

Heehee.

Anyway, Teabaggers think Velveeta and Tater Tot Casserole is fine dining.

Is CPAC the biggest collection of wingnuts ever assembled, or am I missing something?

Oh yeah. The “teabagger” rallies in DC ran into the trillions, as Glen Beck dutifully reported, after which his crew shot him with the thorazine tranquilizer dart and put him back in the straightjacket.

Does he get to keep his chalkboard in the nuthouse?

his crew shot him with the thorazine tranquilizer dart and put him back in the straightjacket

LOL. I needed that.

Salut, BT! Like minds.

And in other news, Obama’s holding a town hall…see CNN.

While MSNBC is debasing its anchors into covering Tiger’s penis.

“We should take a page out of her playbook and take a 9-iron and smash the window out of big government.”

Pawlenty forgot to add that part about making the government crash into the tree.

I’m pretty sure it’s in his contract…one of those “dealbreaker” type things…

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Blue Texan:

All a these small time hoods, failed governors and lunitics who are runnin around CPAC and the Tea Party are simply space eaters and momentary distractions…the real corporatist standard bearer is right now the military commander in Iraq.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WE HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING YET!!

It’s funny because it’s condescending.

I wonder if his health insurance carrier reimburses for the thorazine darts?

Never mind. CNN’s joined the Tigerpenis coverage, too.

Terminally self absorbed, irredeemably unempathic and incomprehensibly tone deaf. These are the elements of the true republican purity test.

What ever happened with that Bridge that fell? If it was a design flaw have they found similar problems in other bridges with the same design and of the same age?
If not then we should look further. We need some engineers to weigh in on this one.

You know he’s got the primo coverage. I’m guessing he doesn’t even go generic. Brand name all the way…and then back to the padded cell…

I want Obama to stand next to that bridge and ask for a real Stimulus Bill to fix all the Bridges before they fall down.

Citizen TCU:

Pawlenty had cut state funding for bridge repair and had resisted goin after federal funds since day one of his first term…it turns out that this bridge had been on the danger list for at least 10 years so you can hang that terrible accident right around Tiny Tim’s neck and use it as am example of what “fiscal consevatism” has in store for all of us.

My teevee told me that the Mothman was responsible for that bridge collapse. Supernatural causes of disaster must be prayed away.

Wouldn’t that make sense, to see O in front of crumbling infrastructure saying “Let’s fix this and create some jobs at the same time”? Why don’t they do that?

With that kind of record why aren’t the victims families suing Tim? Government officials doing their jobs are immune from lawsuits I think.
However I don’t think they are immune from not doing their jobs. Victims Families on TV asking why Tim let the bridges collapse would make Tim’s life hell and kill his dream of the Presidency.

Lets hope Rahm’s trolls bring the idea to their boss.

The problem with that bridge was that the weight on the bridge was increased over the decades. In fact, MNDOT was in the process of putting on more concrete when it collapsed, and they had a lot of equipment parked on it. Some engineering reports I saw said the trusses were undersized from the beginning, but definitely there was corrosion over the decades. Pretty much it was known the bridge was hazardous, but bad-government Governor Pawlenty ignored it.

After it fell and people died, a few other bridges in Minnesota were basically immediately shut down and replaced or repaired.

So, the anchors have to play wankers.

Pawlenty was at pains to differentiate himself from Romney, referring to his blue-collar roots and to “elites” who eat brie and drink Chablis “at parties in San Francisco.”

GOP Civil War starting along with Dark people, Gays, Women etc the GOP is going after their Corporate Wing. Any bets the Corporate wing is going to strike back? Didn’t a bunch of Mitt’s ex staffers working for the McCain campaign leak a bunch of dirt on Sarah?
Is this why the Dems are beating the GOP in the Polls even though unemployment is 10%. Normally the party in power takes a hit and drops below the other party in the polls when unemployment gets this high.
I must admit I am mystified maybe Tim and the GOP’s Obama bashing is having opposite the intended effect?

The increased weight must have been approved by the state’s engineers. Also have they found the a specific design flaw in other bridges of the same design. If not then Tim’s neglect gets the blame.

corrosion over the decades.

Rust is easy to spot and easy to fix if you catch it early long term it becomes impossible to ignore and much more expensive to fix.

On November 13, 2008, the NTSB released the findings of its investigation. The primary cause was the under-sized gusset plates, at 0.5 inches (13 mm) thick. Contributing to that design or construction error was the fact that 2 inches (51 mm) of concrete were added to the road surface over the years, increasing the dead load by 20%. Also contributing was the extraordinary weight of construction equipment and material resting on the bridge just above its weakest point at the time of the collapse

“If it is good enough for the founding fathers, it should be good enough for each and every one of us” -TPaw

ya know, like slavery

Speaking of Things coming Undone..
Some general info at
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/i35wbridge/pdfs/factsheet.pdf
More at ASCE site.

I think I can state with absolute certainty that NO ONE in San Francisco drinks “chablis”.

I’ll bet Tpaw knows that, too. Always remember that GOP screwheads wear their cultural ignorance as a point of pride.

Our traveling show governor likes to claim he never raises taxes. However the truth is that he simply vetoes tax increases for highways, education and healthcare funding, while lowering taxes on the highest income earners in Minnesota which pushes taxes up elsewhere. MN cities have cut spending and raised property taxes to balance city budgets each year under TPaw. The Minnesota state auditor reported some interesting tax history this week (See below)

http://www.rebeccaotto.com/news2010/news021710.htm

Of course property taxes are a much more regressive source of funding than the income taxes that our traveling show governor refuses to raise for necessary investments for our state’s future.

I recall about a year ago that Tiger Woods was a Conservative icon- the apolitical black (well Amerindocaucthaisian) that succeeded under the free-market system. He had such wealth that he could get anything he wanted. That was the goal of every Republican, wasn’t it? To become King David?

Now they find him, somehow, the avatar of “big government”? And Elin somehow represents the “little people”? Somehow I can’t relate to a privileged daughter of a wealthy Swede (isn’t that a Euro-Socialist nation) who is now sitting atop one of the greatest fortunes of the world by marriage. I wish I were so lucky!

Oh wait…mixed race celebrity with charisma who fools everyone…Woods = Obama! And Elin is the symbol of porcelean white America! Very subtle! Maybe the Swedes in Minnesota got the code?

I guess Pawlenty will try to explain that he wasn’t implying that the tea-baggers should really use 9-Irons to destroy the BMW’s of the State? “I was trying to imply that we would rescue our government…that’s what I meant.”

Tax-cut Timmy has been running ’round decrying the Stimulus plan that he’s using to fix Minnesota’s budget problems.

Link is to Think Progress;

Yesterday, Pawlenty revealed his proposal to balance Minnesota’s budget. The proposal would cut “$250 million from aid to cities and counties and $347 million from health and human services programs” while lowering taxes for businesses. The Minneapolis Star Tribune notes that “nearly one-third of the governor’s budget fix would rely on $387 million in federal stimulus money. That money isn’t yet in the bank and, if it doesn’t come through, the cuts could be far deeper.”

He’s also delaying delivery of state school funds and in some cases just plain canceling those funds.

The asshole is dreaming if he thinks he has a future in political life beyond Minnesota.

He hasn’t technically quit like Palin, but in all other ways he’s pure do-nothing.

‘If it is good enough for the founding fathers, it should be good enough for each and every one of is.‘ -TPaw

i do wonder what the founders’ opinion would be on forced corporate arbitration/mediation rules for employees… as in, the company that his wife works for…

The state approved adding that extra weight maybe Tim should hire better engineers which costs money. Also evidence of those plates failing should have been noticed during a routine inspection. A few plates failing might cause part of the bridge to fall for the bridge to fail like it did suggests lots of plates failed too many not to be noticed during an inspection.

Thanks I’ll look later have to go but we need an engineer to weigh in a good one.

Evidently, Pawlenty did NOT listen to Tiger’s mea culpa this AM.

Woods categorically denied that his wife EVER attacked him,nor was there EVER any violence in thier marriage, contrary to what others have reported, so says El Tigre.

So, looks like the last laugh is on Polenta.

Seven years of engineering education, a MS, a PE ….and they still won’t let me drive the train!

Citizen TCU:

A lotta families were pissed as hell and some threatened but there was a consolidated effort on the part of the political establishment especially the Independence Party and the GOPers to throw the “everyone is responsible” and “they did it too” and the state DFL ran and hid. And of course there IS the immunity of state officials thing. But I have been VERY disappointed in the state DFL and the national party for not usin’ this thing from the beginning as a warning about what happens when politics gets swallowed up by Reaganomics.

He could have said eating brie and drinking Chablis in LA or NY or DC, but he said San Francisco. That is totally a seventh-grader wink-wink nudge-nudge line.

It’s so ridiculous. California has a blossoming cheese industry that is gaining a good reputation around the world. And of course there is Napa Valley wine. He knows this – he was reaching for the lowest ground he could. His words tell us that he thinks he will find his supporters wallowing in hate, fear, ignorance, and lack of empathy, and being not well-traveled.

Ignorance is ignorance until you add hate, then it is stupidity.

that describes a narcissistic personality… disorder.
Even I can see that.
This may be part of the old “me generation” phenonoma, I think it deserves more study, because it is a huge part of what is at the bottom of the sickness.
Somewhere at bottom there must be some silver billit, sp some simple fix, the complexities of today, are not going to be solved by more obsuritanism.
There is a cult of narcissistic that agree on no looking deeply ever, no rocking the boat ever. etc.

David Dayen has a fresh cross-post ready: Ellsworth A Go For IN-Sen, But Cannot Announce Until May

Hah! I wonder if Pawlenty even knows just how contentious the origin of his own state actually was because of the “Founders” (either set). The fact that the original Founders did not deal with the issue of slavery and the inherent contradictions of continuing that “institution” while promising human freedom led to the Minnesota almost being denied status as a State.

After Dred Scot claimed that he was “free” because his owner had brought him into “free territory” (Minnesota) the issue of statehood became a very strong issue for Southern states, who tried to block further admission of those states that prevented slavery. They tried to use bogus “economic” arguments.

Kentucky Sen. John B. Thompson argued that new states would cost the government too much for roads, canals, forts, and even lighthouses (implying that Territories should not have facilities to protect shipping and citizens, or enhance commerce). Thompson and 21 other “Southern” senators voted against Minnesota statehood. But the Statehood act was still passed on February 26, 1857.

The Republicans and Democrats Territorial representatives could not agree on a state constitution at the constitutional convention of July 1857. In fact, the parties formed two separate constitutional conventions and drafted separate constitutions. So much for commonality of “vision” and non-partisanship. Eventually a conference committee worked out a common framework. But Republicans refused to sign a document that had Democratic signatures on it, and vice versa. One copy of the constitution on white paper bears only the signatures of Republicans, while a blue-tinted copy is signed by Democrats. Fortunately Minnesota residents were not so petty. On October 13, 1857, 30,055 Minnesotans residents voters approved the constitution, while only 571 rejected it.

Probably just painted over it with pretty bright colors.

The democrats are so weak in their response to this nonsense its pathetic. Some democrats might have an aura of elitism, but its really the republicans that are the elitists, looking out for the interests of the money brokers on Wall Street, the tax cuts for the wealthiest of the wealthy… how easy it is to turn that attack around on its head…

Democrats are weak. They should be on the attack, indefinitely.

And Californians drink wine because the industry has succeeded and expanded so much that decent wine is available out there for the price of bottled water. It’s not simply elites that drink wine…but middle-class families at meals.

And to put down cheese? That’s not very Minnesotan.

“What ever happened with that Bridge that fell?”

Congress was nice to Minnesota, voted up about 250 million dollars, and we rebuilt it (actually two independent spans) lick-it-tee-spit. We had new bridges open just about the first anniversary of the fall down. Nice bridge, built in de-icing systems, very fancy electronic system that provide for constant inspection of the bridge.

The estimated damage to business as a result of the collapse is about equal to the 200+ million it cost to replace it. It cut off a major N-S Interstate for about a year, requiring a lengthy detour for over-the-road truckers, major re-routing of commuter busses, to say nothing of the impact of the closure on downtown businesses.

We had one other bridge built on the same design in St. Cloud that had the same weaknesses, and it was torn down immediately, and replaced, opening last summer.

We raised the money to do bridge replacements by passing a six cent increase in the gas tax, which Pawlenty vetoed, but the Legislature wisely over-rode his veto. Only time in the Pawlenty Years that they have managed to do that, but it seems that the image of cars and people falling in the drink even gets to a few Republicans. However, those Republican Legislators who voted to override all got thrown out of the Republican Party in the next Caucus. One who got thrown out two years ago, and couldn’t win as an independent, will be back running this year as a new proud member of the Democratic Farmer Labor Party — running in a generally Republican district.

Pawlenty actually pulled this again today. Yesterday the Legislature sent him a bill that replaces General Assistance Medical funds for a particular catagory of very very poor people, most of whom are mentally ill. Pawlenty had line item vetoed that fund last summer after the Legislature had ended the session, and so while he was at the C-PAC convention, he sent his veto back to the legislature on yesterday’s bill electronically.

Just an hour or so ago, Pawlenty’s spokesperson on this, one Cal Ludeman who once ran for Governor — spoke to the veto saying the current clients of General Assistance would just have to use their ingenuity to get medical care. Yep — the Mentally Ill (most of whom depend on GA for their meds) need to use ingenuity…. I think we might need to consider getting the Republicans mentally committed for that one.

Right now the DFL in the Minnesota House is looking for three Republican Votes to override this veto. When it passed the house, 38 Republicans voted for the General Assistance package — but leadership is now saying that Party Discipline will be imposed, and they will all switch their votes and support the Governor’s veto.

Apparently we are going with the program of letting the Mentally Ill solve their problems with ingenuity.

Apparently we are going with the program of letting the Mentally Ill solve their problems with ingenuity~Sara

Why is the first thing that came to my mind at reading this statement,the man who just yesterday flew into the IRS building in Austin?

As another Minnesotan, we can’t be rid of the guv’ soon enough. Minnesota was really something unique when I moved there in the late 70′s. Over the last decade it has really changed. Bring back someone who will be willing to invest in the state, rather than bankrupt it with gimmicky accounting tricks. I still wouldn’t wish him on the GOP, but I never voted for him before and wouldn’t in the future.

“elites” who eat brie and drink Chablis

While conservative Minnesotans are having American cheese and Mad Dog 20 20 one might suppose.

Brie obviously being French, while American is well, some sort of product that has milk in it.

Chablis on the other hand is a kindred spirit to Mad Dog, so no serious conflict on that front.

“Bridge to nowhere”
So bridges must rate at near top of the list of boondoggles, and pork things. They are great symbols of man’s triumph over obsticals anyways. And they show up the weaknesses of all the finely made things… and plans.
When they fall, and that they do, the blame is hard to fix.
Perfect, that’s the sign of a good scam. Everything long covered over, the things will last a few decades.
“A bridge too far.” Enough bridges already, look at the imazing replacement of the SF Bay bridge, and costs.
It may someday resemble what happened to Easter Isle, where the culture expended itself making 80 foot tiki s.

And to put down cheese? That’s not very Minnesotan.

But cheese comes from WISCONSIN, which is almost as bad as California.

Somewhat related – a woman who was widowed by the 2007 MN bridge collapse was able to locate and adopt her children from Haiti last month.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/09/minn-bridge-collapse-wido_n_456106.html

That’s good Timmy..So let’s do a test run with you and a troop of Minn. National Guard MP’s that beat the CRAP outta you since you ASKED for this treatment..You said it should be used on everyone else so your testing it first – get it??

Then, we can come in the hospital room at the military base where they’ve been holding you for the last 30 days for inciting violence (you moronic ass) to see if you want to re-state you’re request. If not, we can start again..Maybe your buddy that showed up at the conference last night could come by to manage your treatment plan – Cheeney does fine in those settings.. You may even get to go to the Hague with him.. You mental midget.

Well, the Minnesota State Dish is Hotdish. You can put lots of things in it, but the required elements are some sort of pasta, and CHEESE.

Minnesota would wither away if the cheese supply disappeared, for without Hotdish, no Minnesota.

The name ‘Chablis’ has become too low-market for any vintner to put it on a bottle label. Brie can be excellent but often is nothing but spreadable cheese curds with that strong whiff of ammonia we treasure so. I’ve had waitresses named Brie and Chablis! I guess Tim has viewed the underside of a low bar to qualify as elite. What hootch is his beverage of choice, to get that low?

Tim Pawlenty- a living breathing death panel for the poor. Those of us who live here have an endless job of fact checking his nonsensical smoke and mirror show as this political season progresses.

As for the so called biapartisan bill to save general assistance here?

I call hogwash on the Republicans.

When the vote took place, the house minority leader said it was a “great step forward” and then voted to approve it.

Last night before the ink was even dry on Pawlenty’s veto letter this same house minority leader said, ” We will uphold the governor’s veto no matter what the issue”.

Disgusting.

Kind of interesting that they downplayed all of the inspection/status reports (known bowing in the gusset plates,rust packing, etc) to place the blame on a 40+ yr old design issue. The gusset design appears to be within ASD methods and common practice for the time. In any event, the modifications made to this structure should have triggered a reanalysis of the members. Of course, that would cost some money that could be better spent blowing up someone else’s bridges./s

Anyone who’s interested can find the NTSB report at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2008/HAR0803.pdf

Hamm’s Beer, of course. It’s from the land of sky blue waters.

I’m surprised you had to ask.

We have a winner for the best YouTube linky of the day!

This guy is a self serving moron