It’s not difficult to take a dig at the political contribution refund program, with “welfare for politicians” being an easy slam.

And Gov. Tim Pawlenty said it was an obvious decision to eliminate subsidies for political candidates as he looked for places in the state budget to trim. The Republican governor later said he was never much of a fan of the program, which allows Minnesotans to get a refund for the first $50 in donations to candidates for state office or to state political parties.

But supporters of the program say a deeper look shows it as a valuable way to get Minnesotans involved in the political process and gives challengers a fighting chance to raise money necessary to compete against incumbent office-holders.

“This program allows candidates to raise money from average Minnesotans and thus focus on their issues, instead of just the issues of wealthy or special interests,” said Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, in a statement criticizing Pawlenty’s action.

And Dean noted that Pawlenty collected more than $236,000 in contributions refunded to donors through the program.

Rep. Kathy Brynaert, DFL-Mankato, remembers moving to Minnesota decades ago and being impressed that the state had a program specifically aimed at getting average people involved in political campaigns. Even people who couldn’t afford to make a contribution had a chance to choose one candidate or party organization for a small donation each year, something that would get them thinking about and involved in local politics, she said.

“It made Minnesota stand out as a strong supporter of grass-roots democracy,” Brynaert said.

The program also levels the competitive field somewhat between challengers and incumbents, according to supporters, who say office-holders have easier access to special interest money and tend to have an ever-growing database of contributors.

“This, in a way, is the ultimate incumbent-protection program,” said Chris Johnson of Pawlenty’s elimination of the $10.4 million program. “It’s going to make it really tough for challengers.”

Johnson, a Janesville attorney who has served as campaign treasurer for several Republican campaigns, predicts that the Legislature will try to resurrect the program early in the next legislative session.

“I would be very surprised if this isn’t remedied in 2010,” he said.

But Rep. Tony Cornish, a Good Thunder Republican who doesn’t accept political action committee donations and uses the refund program extensively, said it won’t be easy for lawmakers to restore the money when other portions of the state budget have suffered deep cuts.

Cornish defends the program as a way to allow candidates to focus on the contributions — and issues — of average Minnesotans rather than fall under the influence of special interests in the quest for big donations. That defense of the program might have a tough time competing with criticisms centered on “welfare for politicians” if lawmakers attempt to restore the funding.

“It would look awful self-serving,” Cornish said.