Smart Distraction

The Strib discusses Mike Hatch's allegations about budget cuts and sexual predators and his claims that Pawlenty's "no tax" pledge is behind the cuts to the State Gang Strike Force.

Here's the money quote:

Hatch on Monday defended his actions, describing as a "smart distraction" suggestions that political ambitions were motivating him.

"The issue is not whether sexual predators should be put in halfway houses as part of their treatment plan because of budgetary costs. No, the issue is that the attorney general is political," Hatch said sarcastically. "The issue is not politics, the issue is not the governor's race. I'm not running for governor; I'm being attorney general."

"Smart Distraction?"

Let's see: The Attorney General is:

• Playing the "Sexual Predator" story for all it's worth; the Strib article is good enough to note "At a news conference Monday, Pawlenty asked why Hatch, the state's highest-ranking DFLer and, officially, the governor's lawyer, didn't walk across the hall at the Capitol to ask about the implications of the story."
• Accusing the governor of being soft on crime because of the funding cuts to the Gang Strike Force, which was allegedly a DFL action in the first place (more on this later)
• Allegedly used the American Bankers Insurance story for political leverage (see the first part of a five part series on this story).

What conclusion would anyone make?

More on the Gang Strike Force and ABI stories in this space later this week.

Posted by Mitch at June 24, 2003 06:19 AM