Craziest Republican of the Day: Tim Pawlenty

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a veep contender in '08 and a possible Republican presidential nominee down the road, told Fox News's Greta Van Susteren the other day that hospital emergency rooms should be able to turn people away:

Well, for one thing you could do is change the federal law so that not every ER is required to treat everybody who comes in the door, even if they have a minor condition. They should be -- if you have a minor condition, instead of being at the really expensive ER, you should be at the primary care clinic.

Even Van Susteren thought that was nuts (which is really saying something): What if what's deemed to be "minor" -- say, chest pains, which could suggest indigestion or something much worse -- isn't?

Furthermore, what if you don't have adequate insurance coverage to pay for a clinic? What then? Do you get no treatment at all?

Aren't Republicans just so wonderful? And this is one of their stars!

(h/t: C&L, which has the video)