Playing Chicken with I-35 funding... and other MN legislative notes

On the way home from here, while listening to KTLK, I heard that the DFL was planning on bringing up the transportation bill for one vote, and one vote only, thus giving Republicans little chance to negotiate on pork or other problems usually associated with DFL-generated bills and budgets. Steve Gottwalt notes that the DFL will tie funding for the I-35W Bridge to the transportation bill, thus they will be able to blame Republicans for not supporting I-35 W if they disagree with a pork-laden, tax-increase heavy bill. The DFL are reportedly banking on a hope that they can get enough Republicans to override a near-certain Pawlenty veto of the bill, but Marty Seifert has made it clear that Republicans will side with the governor should he use his veto pen.

Steve Gottwalt made it clear that, "There is clearly middle ground on transportation that would move things forward but the DFL leadership has indicated that they will not go there."

And so, a repeat of last year's DFL debacle is already in full swing, with the session only one day old, as the democrats, in full taxpayer-as-ATM mode, continue to bite off more than they can chew. The meaning of the word, "moderation," it seems, is still a lesson to be learned with these bozos.

At least one bright light on the horizon-- Larry Pogemiller, with Tarryl Clark and Larry Hosch agreeing, stated that "nobody wants single-payer health care."

And finally, in the "where have I heard that before?" department, Larry Pogemiller told an all-too familar fable prediction that, "...we will absolutely balance the short term without tax increases. to 3,000 Minnesota CoC 2008 Priority Session."

Yeah. Right. And elephants are flying out of my butt right now.