Molnau on the hot seat
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The issue of Carol Molnau as the state's transportation commissioner will resurface today The DFL, never a Molnau fan, is holding a news conference, err, media availability, during which legislators will rail against the job she is -- or isn't -- doing.
This is quite the pickle for the Pawlenty administration. She's never been confirmed in the job, a committee voted to oust her in 2004 after a season of pretty cruddy snow removal, she and the governor are quite often not on the same page, and she embarrassed him in particular when giving an answer to the Star Tribune on the subject of the gas tax last month that was -- at that time anyway -- different from the sermon the Gov was preaching.
An overlooked piece last month by Sarah Janecek, no darling of the hard right, took a look at the history of this relationship in a piece advocating her dismissal.
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Molnau's role has always been confused. Pawlenty selected Molnau to be his Lt. Gov. running mate at a time when he was facing a conservative credential showdown for the GOP gubernatorial endorsement against another impeccably credentialed conservative candidate, Brian Sullivan. Her GOP-endorsing delegate bona fides were unimpeachable: An entire legislative record of the right votes on the social issues and the right votes on the fiscal ones, including no funding for the then-highly controversial light rail transit (LRT) and no increasing the gas tax. And, oh, yes, she wore a skirt, not slacks, and lived in the GOP-vote rich western suburbs while at the same time sporting a legitimate rural resume as a former dairy farmer.
Just a few days ago, the Mankato Free Press joined in
Because of the politics involved here, her boss does not really have the power of a normal boss. How could a governor ever “fire” his lieutenant governor, elected by the same people who, by the way, voted for him. What we have here is a boss who, realistically, cannot fire his subordinate, however bad her performance.
That’s a system that cannot work and should not be allowed to exist.
By all accounts, Gov. Pawlenty is a smart politician. He's given no detectable public signal to Molnau that it's time to go, and she's not the type to leave on her own accord. Pawlenty can thank Molnau for helping him get elected in the first place, not once, but twice -- first in staving off a challenge by Brian Sullivan (who had a running mate with equal credentials as Molnau at the time -- conservatism, rural roots, and a farmer), and then again last year when Mike Hatch nearly knocked the gov off.
Today's news conference is certainly part of an elaborate political chess match. The suggestion a couple of days ago that the Wakota Bridge project in Newport may be delayed was met quickly by an attempt to downplay the suggestion for a good reason: that bridge project -- which started in 2002 and will go on for another 3 years once work resumes on it) has been a disaster for Molnau and Pawlenty. While the span that was built (opening a year late and much more expensive because of cracks caused by a faulty design) has made life easier for commuters -- many of whom are from "Republican territory " in the 2nd District -- there is almost no activity at the site now (MnDOT is to rebid the project this fall) and several ramps lead to a dead end.
Which makes one wonder why the DFL chose the Lafayette bridge in St. Paul for today's photo op background instead? It is also "fault critical" as the I-35W bridge was, of course, but doesn't tell much of a story just by the visuals a backdrop is supposed to afford. (Shown: Sen. Steve Murphy)
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