Minnesota governor and aspiring Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty created plenty of fodder for his potential campaign run when he announced his refusal to apply for federal funding for comprehensive sex education, instead preferring to ask for hundreds of thousands of dollars in abstinence-only sex ed funds that required a state funding match.  Then, to ensure an even greater media reach, Pawlenty issued an executive order commanding the state to opt out of all grant money provided through the federal health care reform plan, catapulting him to the front page of every conservative news outlet in the country.

But now, a week later, the governor is still receiving a lot of criticism for his actions and his motives locally, and appears to be caving into the pressure.  Were the sex-ed funding plans and the executive order really just political stunts?

Pawlenty received plenty of criticism over the rejection of comprehensive sex ed funds from both groups concerned with teen pregnancy and democrats alike.  But surprisingly, he also got some blow back from a Repubicans for Choice group, who called him “inconsistent” in his policies.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty rejected an $850,000 federal grant for sex education programs.  Pawlenty explained the decision to turn down the grant is part of a principled boycott of the recent health care legislation that funds said grants.

The Governor’s gesture would be deserving of praise, had it harnessed a consistent message.  However, Pawlenty rejected the $850,000 grant only to approve an abstinence-focused grant, which requires, “$379,000 in matching state funds in order to receive $500,000 in funding from the same federal health bill.”

In the case of sex education in Minnesota, it is a shame to see that the Governor believes the costs outweigh the benefits.

Of course, the governor no doubt felt that the harsh words from a small section of his own party was worth it for the fawning adoration of groups like The American Family News Network and conservative networks like the Minnesota Family Council:

Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota Family Council (MFC), applauds the move, pointing out that the Republican governor has never supported mandating “condom education” in the schools.

“He’s being very consistent, and I think that he realizes that this is a bad policy; it’s unhealthy, it’s not in the best interest of kids, and he’s taken a good stand on it,” the conservative decides.

Prichard remarks that he is not surprised that groups like Planned Parenthood are angry with the Pawlenty. “They’re obviously trying to discredit anything which would have that ‘abstinence until marriage’ message because that undermines their message of the condoms,” Prichard notes.

Also to the MFC president’s liking, Governor Pawlenty has ordered the state to reject the new federal healthcare law “to the fullest extent possible.”

“I think it’s wise not to get hooked into ObamaCare and the greater government control of healthcare,” Prichard notes.

Twin Cities metro newspapers have been harsh critics of the governor’s latest moves, but surprisingly, even the editorial boards of more rural outlets are piling on as well, especially once Pawlenty took the additional step to try and remove the state from all federal health care funding.  Forum Communications is known for its conservative leanings, especially when it comes to political endorsements, but even the Bemidji Pioneer is turning on Pawlenty:

[I]t is clear Gov. Pawlenty is taking a unilateral decision which is clearly partisan and unwarranted. We have three branches of government, not one, but the governor does not recognize that.

He is also inconsistent in turning away $850,000 in federal sex-education grant with no state match but then accepting $505,000 in federal funds for an abstinence-only program which requires a state match of $379,000. Again, a decision that caters to a special interest group.

Most of the affected programs are in human services, an area which the state budget needs the most shoring up.

The governor has often said that Minnesota doesn’t receive its share of federal funding back for residents’ tax dollars sent to Washington, D.C. His executive order just made that worse — sending Minnesota’s share to other states just to make a political point for his upcoming presidential campaign.

But it only took a week for Pawlenty to back pedal on his promise to keep health care reform dollars out of Minnesota.  Despite big words (and numerous media interviews) to the contrary, the governor has now decided to accept the government assistance.

From ABC News:

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has changed his mind and decided to accept major federal medical assistance.

This only one week after directing all state agencies to avoid federal grants associated with federal healthcare reform. Pawlenty said he’s now ready to get $250 million in federal medical assistance.

The Governor sent a two page letter to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, basically outlining his decision to accept $250 million in federal medical assistance.

Unfortunately for Pawlenty, making so much public noise out of rejecting the money means everyone notices when you take some in the end.  Including his fellow Republicans. 

From FrumForum:

Over the past year, much has been written and televised about the tea party and the RINOs and the demands for ideological purity. The fact that today, Tim Pawlenty requested $260 million in stimulus money from a jobs bill that Pawlenty described as “reckless” should give anyone that advocates for this sort of ideological purity pause.  Governing, it turns out, does not lend itself to the neat ideological distinctions that the far right would like to believe its candidates should…and can deliver.

As most of you know, Tim Pawlenty is the only Republican that we can safely say is running for the nomination. Pawlenty has spent most of the year trotting back and forth to big primary states, meeting with the individuals and the voters whose support is so crucial for any candidate that hopes to have a shot at the nomination.  He has made trips to Iowa and New Hampshire.  He has also dialed up the rhetoric to appeal to the right.  He made a show of rejecting stimulus money from the Obama healthcare bill and he recently described the president’s jobs bill as “reckless.”

Well, as you also are surely aware, there is a recession and like most states, Minnesota could use a little help.  The Mayo Clinic, the state’s largest private employer, didn’t respond so well to the governor’s refusal of the healthcare money and pressure has been mounting on the governor to accept some of the government’s assistance.  Today, Pawlenty swallowed hard and requested $260 million from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  He, and Minnesota, will get the money.

As one commentor on the site noted, “It’s sad what he’s willing to do to his state in a quixotic bid for the Republican nomination. I have about as much chance as he does to win the presidency.”

Even worse, now people are wondering how much money Pawlenty spent in order to see how much money he could reject.  As The Uptake notes:

Commissioners for the Governor today told legislative leaders that the law required them to apply for “one or more”, but not “all” grants from the recently passed federal health care reform legislation.

Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher said that was not the intent of the law, and suggested to legislators who will “be here in the future” to learn from the experience. Kelliher is not running for re-election to the House.

She then wondered how long Governor Tim Pawlenty’s lawyers had worked to figure out a way not to apply for the Federal grants

All in all, it seems as if this political will be as ineffectual as Pawlenty’s “abortion recovery month” shtick was a few months earlier.  And neither action seems to be getting him any closer to the White House.