True North

Excuse me, Governor Pawlenty? I know you’re very busy running around the country on behalf of John McCain, and the business of electing a President is very serious, but I’d like to draw your attention to something.

Tim (may I call you Tim?), I’m a member of the Minnesota Republican Party. Perhaps you’ve heard of us?Well as a political party we have a platform, and I’m certain you know what that is. One doesn’t work their way up through the ranks without important knowledge of this sort.There’s a plank in the Minnesota GOP 2006 Permanent Platformthat you need to read carefully.

Section 7

Enjoying and Protecting Our Natural Resources

The Republican Party believes that proper stewardship of our natural resources and agricultural lands will be best achieved through sound science and adherence to Constitutionally guaranteed property rights.Therefore we support:

A. Maintaining clean air, water and land by addressing only those threats proven by peer-reviewed scientific research, using sensible and economically reasonable solutions.We oppose radical environmental proposals such as the Kyoto global warming treaty; we reject the imposition of United Nations environmental regulations, such as the Rio biodiversity treaty, by any state or federal government agency unless ratified by Congress.

Tim, you seem to have gone off the reservation on this one (If I may be allowed a Native American allusion). So may I emphasize a few key phrases?“Peer-reviewed scientific research”, “Sensible and economically reasonable solutions”, “Radical environmental proposals”. I think it’s really important to keep in mind.

Mr. Governor, there are two major parties in this state. One of them is inclined to hysteria and bandwagon mentalities. Ask yourself which one you identify with.

Cross-posted at Anti-Strib. Comments welcome.