Cato desaconseja a Pawlenty

El Cato Institute, principal soporte ideológico de las corrientes libertarias dentro del Partido Republicano, cuestiona las aptitudes del Gobernador Tim Pawlenty, de Minnesota, para acompañar a John McCain en el ticket republicano. Expone su historial, y lo describe como un populista económico. A Big-Government Running Mate for McCain?

(...) *Supported government subsidized health care for all children as the first step toward universal health insurance, and opposed President Bush’s veto of a Democratic bill that would have expanded the State Children’s Health Insurance program (SCHIP) to families earning as much as $83,000 per year;

*Supports Massachusetts-style health care reform, including a “health care exchange” and an individual mandate;

*Has called for banning all prescription drug advertizing, and seeks government imposed price controls for drugs offered through Medicare;

*Proposed a $4000 per child preschool program for low-income children;

*Pushed a statewide smoking ban smoking ban in workplaces, restaurants and bars;

*Increased the state’s minimum wage;

*Imposed some of the most aggressive and expensive renewable energy mandates in the country;

*Was an ardent supporter of the farm bill;

*Received only a “C” ranking on Cato’s 2006 Governor’s Report Card, finishing below such Democrats as Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and tied with Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. (...)