T-Paw on Health Care

Add health care to the issues that Republican Punk loves Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, on for the 2012 election. Politico has a new article on the way the good governor has thrown himself into the health care debate as the middle ground between the Massachusetts model of Mitt Romney and the harsh rhetoric of Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich:

Pawlenty said he has three major objections to Democratic plans: the public option, possible tax increases on small and medium-sized businesses and the “massive spending disaster” that would result if health care were added to a federal budget.

The Minnesota governor also supports the right to pool insurance risk across state lines, opening up private insurance markets to allow consumers to buy a policy from nearly anywhere, creating an electronic billing and prescription system, the prohibition of coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions, portability guarantees and incentivizing hospitals and patients to reduce the cost of individual visits.

His approach doesn’t always land him in the headlines, but it’s winning him notice as a serious voice in the debate without damaging his Minnesota Nice brand.

This approach is almost identical to what this blog would like to see done, and is almost certainly a middle ground that could pass through the Senate (though probably not the current House, which has too many liberals to accept giving up the public option while allowing people to buy across state lines.) The article is highly recommended reading for those who haven't already jumped on the Pawlenty band wagon.

P.S.
There is also a great one sentence description of the man I've come to adore:

“That’s Tim’s nature. He’s a quieter sort, he’s more about policy. I just don’t think it’s in his nature to use heavy rhetorical flourishes,” said Donatelli. “I think if he becomes a candidate, his message will be that he has been a successful conservative, pro-free market governor in a very blue state. That would be the one-sentence description of his political career.”