Tic-toc

Well, it didn't take long for Minnesota liberals to exploit the I-35W bridge collapse for cheap political gain. The rescue effort got barely underway when the "progressive" blogosphere and other "mainstream" media outlets began to infer that the tragedy would not have happened had Minnesota raised the gas tax or if Governor Tim Pawlenty had not vetoed the DFL’s pork-laden transportation bill.

Instead of expressing sorrow and sympathy for the victims of the bridge collapse, liberal politicians wasted no time criticizing and blaming Republicans in general and Governor Pawlenty in particular for the tragic event. Never mind that the investigation on the real cause of the bridge collapse hadn't even begun in earnest. But why waste time waiting for the facts when liberals can start exploiting the tragedy and sowing the seeds of distrust and blame in the minds of potential voters early in the process? After all, the presidential and congressional elections are almost a year away.

The liberal blame game has gone all the way up to the nation's capital. According to The Politico, Harry Reid said that the I-35W bridge collapse was a "wake-up call" and that President Bush was "too distracted by the Iraq war and post-Sept. 11 national security needs to focus on the country’s water, sewer and transportation infrastructure." Shame on the President for keeping us safe from the same terrorists who slaughtered 3,000 Americans on 9/11.

The market place of ideas and issues has not been kind to liberals in the past. When cooler heads prevail and facts are laid out, liberalism loses. Always.At a time when Minnesotans should focus on alleviating the sorrow of victims’ families, the recovery and rebuilding efforts, as well as the real cause of the bridge collapse, liberals have chosen to posture and pontificate. Building support for a partisan agenda on the ruins of the I-35W bridge seems wrong to me.