In a letter to his colleagues, Sen. John Marty said now is the time to "stand up" to Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

"If he becomes known as a governor who needs to send out IOU's to creditors because he has a cash-flow problem that is his problem. When he is ready to resolve the budget crisis that he created, we will work together with him. Until then, we should not destroy this great state in order to help him score political points with the Wall St. Journal," Marty wrote in his "Dear Colleagues" letter. "Please. Stand up to the governor now."

Marty, who ran for governor this year but dropped out after he failed to win the DFL endorsement, wrote: "I write because I am tired of being bullied by someone who doesn't care about the people of this state."

The DFLer from Roseville said Pawlenty is good at "orchestrating a bold image" but lawmakers should make it clear that Minnesota's fiscal problems are "his problem."

"It is a big mistake for the legislature to take it on as the legislature's problem, because that is simply enabling his reckless behavior," Marty wrote.

Update

Here is the complete letter from Marty:


Dear DFL Colleagues,

It is time for the legislature to hold Tim Pawlenty responsible for his problem. Legislators can and should work with him, but he must take responsibility for the problem he created.

Remember that the legislature offered him a balanced budget last year, but he decided to veto the tax bill to pay for it, and rather than negotiate with the legislature, he chose to resolve the matter on his own.

Now, the Minnesota Supreme Court dealt Governor Pawlenty a big defeat in its ruling that he exceeded his authority by unallotting $2.7 billion in state programs and services. That left him with a massive budget problem, and little time to resolve it.

It is a big mistake for the legislature to take it on as the legislature's problem, because that is simply enabling his reckless behavior. It enables him to walk all over the legislature and do whatever he wants.

There is no way that the legislature can solve his problem, because he is unwilling to negotiate. Whatever the legislature proposes, he says no. He understands that the more often he says no, the more praise he gets in the Wall St. Journal and from the national conservative audience he is appealing to.

That's why his two day trip for the fishing opener helps his national stature -- he can remain above the fray and attack the legislature for failing to address its problem. Pawlenty couldn't do a better job of orchestrating a bold image. If he's criticized for being disengaged, one can imagine him ridiculing the legislature -- "It doesn't matter that I'm gone fishing...they'll still be bickering with each other when I get back..."

As long as we facilitate his irresponsible behavior, he gets his way on policy, AND he wins political points at the same time.

What is the alternative? Hold him accountable. Tim Pawlenty is the one who failed to sign a balanced budget. Tim Pawlenty is the one who illegally unallotted entire programs. Tim Pawlenty is the one that the court held accountable. Pawlenty broke the law. Pawlenty failed to balance the budget. Pawlenty preaches "personal responsibility." It is time for him to take responsibility for his own problems.

Tell him to come up with a solution. Now that he has left for the fishing opener -- as Steve Murphy pointed out to our caucus, nobody goes fishing when their house is on fire -- tell him we are not going to waste taxpayer time and money in session until he is ready to face up to his problems. We stand by, ready to work with him, as soon as he takes his job seriously, whether that is before Sunday, or during a one day special session.

If his proposal is that we write his unallotments into law, give him a taste of his own medicine -- tell him which provisions the legislature objects to, and send it back to him. Tell him to come back with a new proposal. If he comes back with the same proposal, don't back down -- ask him which part of "NO" he doesn't understand.

If he thinks it is impossible to meet the legislature's objections, since he has made it clear that he won't accept any new revenues, tell him that that is his problem. Tell him that the legislature is making it clear we are not going to accept any more cuts in health care for the sick and disabled; that we are not going to accept raising taxes on low income renters. It is his problem. If he doesn't want to raise revenues, then he needs to find an acceptable solution that doesn't raise them.

I ask for us to stand up to him, not to score political points (though legislators are going to have an interesting time campaigning on a platform of "we capitulated to the governor because we had to.")

I write because I am tired of being bullied by someone who doesn't care about the people of this state. Pawlenty doesn't care that his illegal unallotment of GAMC throws the lives of thousands of sick people into crisis. Pawlenty doesn't care that his illegal unallotment of the rent credit is a tax increase on those least able to afford it.

If he becomes known as a governor who needs to send out IOU's to creditors because he has a cash-flow problem, that is his problem. When he is ready to resolve the budget crisis that he created, we will work together with him. Until then, we should not destroy this great state in order to help him score political points with the Wall St. Journal.

Please. Stand up to the governor now.

John Marty