Rep. Ellison: Pawlenty has drank right-wing Kool Aid

Rep. Keith Ellison told ThinkProgress on Friday that former Gov. Tim Pawlenty is interested in making sure the David Kochs of the world have their way and that Pawlenty has no connections to his blue collar upbringing. Earlier in the week, ThinkProgress asked Pawlenty about corporations such as Back of America that use tax loopholes to attain a zero tax liability. Pawlenty said that corporate taxes are still too high.

To that, Ellison said, “In other words, he’s saying, we need to pay them because that’s the only way we can do better for them, right? Tim Pawlenty is one of these right-wing ideologues who has a vision of America that is completely inconsistent with the interests of the middle class.”

Ellison added, “He is out there to make sure that the David Kochs of the world, you know, have it their way, right. And their vision has nothing to do with if you get a Pell grant, and their vision has nothing to do with, you know, they can get water purifiers at their private estates. They don’t need the EPA.”

“He is operating on their behalf and he has drank the Kool Aid,” Ellison said.

Ellison also asserted that Pawlenty has lost his blue collar cred. Pawlenty often touts his working class background in his stump speeches around the country.

“And he’s going to get up there on the course of this presidential campaign and tell you all about how his father was a truck driver in south St. Paul,” he said. “Well you know what, that was a long time ago. And he has no connection to that any more.”

Here’s video of the exchange: