“CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED” VS. GOVERNOR OF “THE CONSENTED”

Gov. Pawlenty endorses Doug Hoffman:

“We cannot send more politicians to Washington who wear the Republican jersey on the campaign trail, but then vote like Democrats in Congress on issues like card check and taxes. After reviewing the candidates’ positions, I’m endorsing Doug Hoffman in New York’s special election. Doug understands the federal government needs to quit spending so much, will vote against tax increases, and protect key values like the right to vote in private in union elections.”

Some have said Pawlenty is late to the Palin Party, but as a sitting Repub governor, he should be deliberate. The only mark against him in my book is that he’s said Global Warming is real, (although he’s against Cap and Trade.)

Even as a matter of politics, McCain’s bashing of energy companies left the United Mine Workers just enough wiggle room to tell coal miners he was against them. Today’s mine closures have proven that it’s Obama bent on bankrupting coal miners, just like he said he would in San Francisco–and just like Gov. Palin said he would, too. Bullet. dodged. whatever.

Pretending for just a moment that it is real, you simply can’t address Global Warming and still have Limited Government.

Global Warming is Government saying to the Weather “You’re Too Big to Fail.” That philosophy hasn’t been working out too well.

Warming is not like air pollution, where at least there are some scientific metrics. They had to reclassify the CO2 you exhale as a pollutant to get Global Warming on the map. You might as well call oxygen a pollutant, too.

Here’s the thing; the “cure” involves resetting the earth’s thermostat, a chore for megalomaniacs, Greek gods and noted fantasy authors like Jules Verne, H.P. Lovecraft and Howard Dean’s speechwriters. We’ll all be living in caves before we ever budge that thermostat.

A Government big enough to Control the Weather is a Government big enough to Control the Weather. And crazy enough to try.

That said, I still like T-Paw much better than some governors I could name…

Reihan Salam:

…[T]he Miami Herald asked Crist about the virtues of [Porkulus], he said, “I think it’s fantastic. Are you kidding me? We don’t have to raise taxes.” Moreover, Crist continued, “we might be able to cut property taxes some more. We have more money for education, so we can increase per-student spending. We can spend more money on our roads and infrastructure. We can provide health care for our people. I mean, it’s remarkable.” Indeed, something is remarkable, namely Crist’s rigid adherence to an ideology more pernicious than orthodox progressivism or conservatism or nudism or anarchoprimitivism. I’m referring, of course, to free-lunchism. [...]

Incredibly, Crist demanded that Florida use one-time funds to pay for 12% of the state budget. When Republicans in the state legislature took the difficult step of passing a budget that included unpopular spending cuts, Crist turned around and vetoed hundreds of millions in cuts, despite the continuing deterioration of state revenues.

Leaving those Republicans out to dry after they stepped up to do the right thing.

It could be that Crist believes that the federal government will simply pass a stimulus plan every year, one that will grow ever larger without consequence to Florida taxpayers. This, of course, can’t possibly be true. As a result, Crist has committed Florida to a fiscal nightmare, one that will lead to draconian tax hikes and spending cuts long after he makes a break for the U.S. Senate or finds some other comfortable sinecure thanks to the good graces of his many wealthy friends.

Crist is trying to buy a Senate seat with Porkulus money.

Marco Rubio is far from flawless. He had a mixed record as a state legislator, and he gives the impression of being a better communicator than policymaker. The real struggle for the soul of the Republican Party isn’t between Crist and Rubio [in the Senate race]. It is between free-lunchism and realism. If Rubio turns out to be a truth-telling realist, he will do all Americans, Republicans and Democrats and independents, a tremendous favor by bringing Crist’s political career to an ignominious end.

That’s an endorsement I endorse, too.