As others see it: Pawlentys make difference for troops

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It’s been a tough 10 days in the war on terror.

First came the news that two U.S. sailors had inexplicably left their base and driven into a Taliban-controlled area of Afghanistan, with predictable results. ...

Then came word that more than 90,000 classified documents concerning the war in Afghanistan had been leaked ....

Finally, Congress approved a war-funding bill that, among other things, will send a surge of 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan. ...

But on the bright side, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and first lady Mary Pawlenty were in Rochester (July 28) to announce an expansion of the Military Family Care Initiative that Mary Pawlenty launched in 2003. The program provides support and volunteer services to families before, during and after a deployment.

In a certain sense, what took place in Rochester was a hand-off. With the Pawlentys about to leave office, the Minnesota National Guard’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program will take responsibility for coordinating the family care initiative and will also develop a list of businesses that will offer discounts for military families.

Regardless of one’s politics or views on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s no denying that the Pawlentys have played a leading role in making Minnesota a shining example of how to support those who leave their families and jobs to defend our freedoms. ...

As the Pawlentys leave, the governor’s detractors will say that his “no new taxes” stance put personal political ambition ahead of his state’s needs. His defenders will say that he put Minnesota’s bloated budget on a much-needed diet.

But we hope all will agree that the first family’s support of Minnesota’s military families is a legacy that must be maintained.

Post-Bulletin of Rochester

Tags: opinion, editorial, pawlenty, post-bulletin