Stateline: Minnesota gov lands national spotlight

Stateline published a great article today on Governor Pawlenty's ascent to national prominence. It's the top story on their website.

Insiders say that for Pawlenty to keep his job in a year when Democrats swept a majority of the nation's governorships and statehouses — in a state that hasn’t voted Republican for president since 1972 — says a great deal about his appeal.

Supporters say that Pawlenty’s ability to frame budget and other issues in ways that Minnesotans understand helped the governor prevail in last fall’s election and in work with the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

The son of a truck driver and the first in his family to graduate from college, Pawlenty struck a populist theme when he famously said in his first year as governor the GOP needed to be “the party of Sam’s Club, not just the country club.”

On a self-serving note, Party of Pawlenty is mentioned in the article and our own Chris Tiedeman and Michael Brodkorb are quoted in the story. Click here to read the full story.