Readers Write for Sunday, Sept. 13

REMAKING TIM PAWLENTY

Grass-roots Minnesota voters have his number

Albert Hunt's Sept. 6 column is just the first wave in a series of articles by moderate Republicans attempting to sell Gov. Tim Pawlenty as a conservative, just like they did with John McCain in 2008. It appears that if you increase your state budget from $28 billion to over $34 billion in six years (far exceeding inflation), you somehow have "impeccable conservative credentials."

Minnesota grass-roots Republicans nearly turned their back on Pawlenty in 2006 as they did Norm Coleman in 2008. Pawlenty barely won by only 21,108 votes. His "Party of Sam's Club" conservatives were angry over his caving in during the government budget shut-down in 2005, using state money for a baseball stadium and the cigarette tax increase he labeled as a "health impact fee." Since 2006, they abandoned Pawlenty and the Minnesota Republican Party by the thousands.

By the end of 2010 Minnesota will face an estimated $7.3 billion budget deficit. While a leadership summit was attended last week by DFL, Independent and previous GOP leaders to discuss ways of solving this budget crisis, Pawlenty and his administration were AWOL. He preferred to play politics and dump the problem in the next governor's lap.

Pawlenty has been spending more effort chasing his political ambition for national office then he has dealing with problems back home. Perhaps his style of absent leadership is why Republicans are much more passionate over Sarah Palin.

JOE REPYA, EAGAN

Kersten on Kennedy

Obsessed with failings, blind to his good deeds

It is easy to agree with Katherine Kersten on Mary Jo Kopechne (Sept. 6), but I'll take the word of Sen. Orrin Hatch and many other Republicans as well as 600 bills Ted Kennedy was involved with passing over her opinion on whether Kennedy was bipartisan and earned some redemption over the years.

JIM WALDO, PENGILLY, MINN.

•••

Yes, Ted Kennedy pressed the hard line on the Senate floor, but off the floor, he got the job done through compromise. Kersten simply ignores the facts.

I had the privilege of serving a Kennedy Fellowship in D.C. in 2004, the foundation run by Eunice Kennedy Shriver with Ted as the board chair. I met with her frequently and with Ted four times. Both were amazing public servants, doing work they did not have to do long after most people retire. The world is a lesser place without them.

JOHN F. HETTERICK, PLYMOUTH

Obstructionist at work

Wilson typifies the president's roadblocks

Does anyone actually think that what U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson said after calling the president a liar on Wednesday night sounded anything like an apology?

Wilson, R-S.C., stated that the Republicans told him he should apologize. That is not an apology! And then Wilson actually went on to defend his statement and position on the issue concerning illegal immigrants and health care.

President Obama has tried to negotiate with these Republicans since he took office. He has gotten nothing but screaming, shouting, lying and naysaying in return. Hopefully, smarter, cooler heads will pass some meaningful health reform without any help from the likes of Wilson.

DARLENE THYEN, PAYNESVILLE, MINN.

Middle-school success

It's definitely beyond the best wardrobe

According to the subheadline on a Sept. 6 article about middle-school outfits, "With girls, it's completely, absolutely all about the clothes."

Well, I'm going into eighth grade and here's what I did this summer: I helped build a cabin, worked my way through a cool math book, entered an art project in the State Fair, sewed a pair of pajama pants, did my first triathlon, went to hockey camp and helped my sixth-grade sister build a computer.

I'm not against having fun with fashion; I just think that shouldn't be all that girls are supposed to care about! Not to mention that it should be OK for boys to enjoy caring about fashion. The Star Tribune should rethink the article and the messages it carries.

ELLEN LIGHT, ST. PAUL