A RATHER SUCCINCT DEMOLITION:

POLITICO Interview: Gov. Tim Pawlenty (ANDY BARR, 8/20/09, Politico)

POLITICO: What is your main objection to the Democrats’ health care plan?

PAWLENTY: First, if they are going to go forward with the public option, that’s a really bad idea. We have an economy and a country here that prizes the private sector approach and to have the government directly competing with the private sector interests is an unwise and misguided direction.

Second, I don’t like the fact that there would be a massive tax increase on small and medium-sized businesses across this country at a time when the economy can’t afford it. They’ll be penalized up to eight percent if you don’t provide health insurance to your employees. Many employers are saying that if they do provide insurance currently they’ll just dump it because they’d rather pay the eight percent rather than continue to pay the insurance for their employees. So you’d see this off loading of private insurance onto the government roll.

And then, if you’d indulge me with a third one, this thing is a massive spending disaster. The CBO is saying this could cost between a trillion and two trillion dollars, depending on which version they ultimately pass. They have no ability pay for it. Even their tax the wealthy scheme isn’t going to pay for part of it and then the rest they say they are going to wring out with a bunch of savings and efficiency. I think that’s a bunch of hooey. They’re not going to do that.