DFL Party: Governor Pawlenty's Sarcastic Attack on Leadership Summit Is Off-Base and Out of Line

Posted Aug. 12, 2009 at 7:03 PM

http://www.dfl.org/index.asp?SEC=%7BBB64F6EA%2D94CE%2D43DA%2D93B9%2DB26FF9EFFE0B%7...

The Governor should set aside his national ambitions and help deal with Minnesota's worst budget crisis since the Great Depression

ST. PAUL (August 12, 2009) -- Governor Tim Pawlenty went out of his way yesterday not only to decline his invitation to the bipartisan Leadership Summit in September, but to sarcastically mock the contributions of past and present Minnesota leaders in their efforts to solve the state's serious fiscal problems.

"The governor's travel schedule has taken him to California, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and soon Puerto Rico, to raise money for his national ambitions. But somehow he can't spare half a day to come back to Minnesota and work with his home state's present and former leaders to find a lasting solution to our budget crisis," said DFL Chair Brian Melendez. "This leadership summit is an opportunity for the governor to set aside his national ambitions and work with leaders of all parties to solve the worst budget crisis in state history. But once again, he chose ambition over leadership."