Bloggosphere Abuzz With Pawlenty for Veep Talk

The term "conventional wisdom" may be just a bit premature with reference to the idea that Senator McCain should choose Governor Pawlenty as his Vice-Presidential running mate, but the bloggosphere and even the mainstream media is certainly abuzz with discussion of all the reasons it is the perfect fit (oddly enough, many pundits and analysts seem to agree with our T-Paw Top Ten)

Aside from a healthy discussion of this topic on today's "Meet the Press" here is a small sample of some of the discussion from around the bloggosphere.

Steadfast McCain ally sparks veep talk (Jonathan Martin, Politico)

Even through the McCain campaign’s darkest days in 2007, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty remained a steadfast ally to the Arizona senator in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Vin Weber, a Minnesota congressman-turned-Washington-lobbyist who is one of Pawlenty’s biggest boosters, ticks off the list of appealing traits.

“First of all, his age is attractive,” Weber says, hinting at the nearly quarter-century difference between his fellow Minnesotan and the 71-year-old McCain. “Second, he’s from outside Washington. Third, he represents a battleground part of the country. And he has a nice balance of, on one hand being totally acceptable to the conservative wing of the party, especially to social conservatives, but at the same time sharing a couple of key maverick strains of thought with McCain.”

Weber isn't Pawlenty's only Washington admirer. Sara Taylor, former White House political director and a veteran of both Bush-Cheney campaigns, contacted this reporter to offer unsolicited observations on the governor.

Declining to say how she got wind of the story, Taylor lavished praise on Pawlenty. "By far, he's the strongest candidate" to serve as McCain's running mate, she said.

"He's a conservative, rock-n-roll Republican and is counterintuitive to the party stereotype that we're old and rich,” says Taylor, who recalled visiting St. Paul and finding the governor jamming in his office to recording artist Bruce Springsteen. “He's young and blue-collar."

And, Taylor said, in a potential race against the 46-year-old Barack Obama, Pawlenty would be "as good as our party has for that [matchup]."

There is another key factor working in Pawlenty’s favor. Unlike Weber, until last week a top policy adviser to Mitt Romney, the governor was an early and active McCain supporter, helping to lobby fellow governors as early as December 2006, and he stayed loyal through the unpleasantness last year.

“He stuck with us through thin,” says senior McCain adviser Charlie Black. “He went anywhere we asked and did anything we asked him to do.

“He is a rising star in the party,” adds Black. (Excerpts from article. Click here to read in its entirety).

Governor Tim Pawlenty- The Right man for VP

Many news sources are reporting that Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is near the top of most of Senator John McCain’s lists for Vice President of the United States. I am one person who thinks that he should be at the very top of all
of those lists.

I became a fan of Governor Pawlenty last year when I had the opportunity to see him speak at CPAC. At that time I did not know much about him other than he was the Republican Governor of Minnesota and a steadfast supporter of my candidate for President Senator John McCain. I was impressed by his articulate speech and ideas for the Republican party.

After coming home from the convention I took the time to look into Pawlenty’s past and learned that he came from a working class background and was the first in his family to go to college. Pawlenty did not rely on anyone but himself to make himself someone, which is one of things I think is a fundemental Republican principle. When many people think of Republicans they think of country club rich people, but that mold most certainly does not fit Pawlenty who still from time to time plays pick up ice hockey.

So Pawlenty is young, smart, energetic, charasmatic, and conservative. It is for these and many more reasons that I hope that Senator John McCain chooses Governor Tim Pawlenty to be his running mate in this crucial election. I urge my fellow Republicans to do some research on Governor Pawlenty and i believe as well you will become a supporter of his too. (Excerpts from Article. Click here to read in its entirety).

And there is so much more.

We'll continue to track this developing story of bloggers and Conservatives all across the country beginning to advocate form Governor Pawlenty to be chosen as Senator McCain's running mate this fall.

T-Paw Top Ten

Obviously there has been a lot of buzz all across the country about Governor Pawlenty being chosen as Senator McCain's Vice Presidential running mate. It is becoming widely recognized that he is the natural choice (and in fact, would have been for a few of the candidates before McCain became the presumptive nominee).

I'm no David Letterman, and in fact none of these are even vaguely funny, but I thought it would be good for our readers to see a top ten list of reasons why Senator McCain should (and I believe must) choose Governor Pawlenty has his running mate.

T-Paw Top Ten

1. Fiscal Conservative Leader – During the last few years when many have felt the GOP has lost its way on spending and fiscal discipline, Governor Pawlenty solved an historic budget deficit (the largest per capita in the country) without raising taxes. (while keeping a lid on spending too!)

2. Unabashed Social Conservative – Governor Pawlenty signed into law three of the most important pieces of pro-life legislation in a generation, stood steadfast in support of the marriage amendment, and has dramatically reshaped the Minnesota Supreme Court; appointing Conservative Justices who strictly interpret the Constitution rather than making law from the bench.

3. Minnewissawa Votes and Media – Not only will Governor Pawlenty be an effective advocate in the key swing region of the upper Midwest, but he has already run and won statewide twice in a media market that covers significant portions of Iowa and Wisconsin (along with Minnesota). If the GOP needs to pick a southerner just to win the south this election, we’ve already lost. (Click Here)
   

4. Young and Energetic Voice – Governor Pawlenty is a 47 year old hockey playing, marathon running, roller blader who is known for being a tireless campaigner and more importantly a tireless public servant. (Seriously, his young staff can’t keep up).

5. Attractive to the Conservative Base – Governor Pawlenty can effectively rally the Christian Conservative part of the GOP base as an Evangelical Christian who attends one of Minnesota’s largest Mega-Churches where his pastor is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals.

6. “Sams Club Republican” – Governor Pawlenty, the son of a truck driver in a blue collar neighborhood, can take our economically conservative message directly to the economically disadvantaged and downtrodden with credibility and persuasiveness (he’s done exactly that time and time again). He is the first member of his family to graduate from college and remains closely connected to his blue collar roots.

7. Loyal Team Player – Governor Pawlenty was a McCain supporter when it was hard, and not necessarily cool to be a McCain supporter. We don’t need a fair-weather friend campaigning as McCain’s running mate. Governor Pawlenty is a friend and a believer in the leadership of Senator McCain.

8. Executive Leadership – Governor Pawlenty is a Conservative outside-the-beltway maverick executive who is a perfect compliment for an inside-the-beltway maverick leader. He can help fix Washington!

9. Straight Talk with a Smile – Governor Pawlenty is known in Minnesota as an exceedingly honest, boy scout-like public servant. He tells it like it is, and whether you agree or disagree with him, you end up liking him and believing he is doing what he believes to be right.

10. Mrs. Pawlenty – And of course we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out his amazing wife (his Red Hot Smokin’ Wife as the Governor likes to say) who is an articulate former Judge currently sitting on the board of a conservative Christian college. Mary Pawlenty is a great asset on the campaign trail!

Check back often to "Party of Pawlenty" as we track the legislative session and the Vice-Presidential selection process.

State Of The State: Pawlenty’s Veto Pen Is Inked Up And Ready

During his 2008 State of the State Address delivered today in St. Cloud, Governor Tim Pawlenty had a clear message for DFL legislators: don't even think about raising taxes on Minnesota families and businesses. It's clear that the Governor is fired up and ready to fight for taxpayers. The only surprising thing is the DFL's extraordinary desire to hit Minnesotans with a number of tax increases — gas tax, license tab tax, sales tax, income tax, etc. — when citizens are already facing $3 a gallon gas and other burdens.

I encourage all of the dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed and Party of Pawlenty who support the Governor's tough stand against tax increases to email him today at tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us and thank him for protecting Minnesota taxpayers…and email your state legislators and ask them not to attach the "jumper cables to your wallet."

Here are some excerpts from the Governor's State of the State Address today:

"As we tackle the deficit, we must remember that Minnesota'shardworking families are already squeezed enough. They're paying morefor gas, food, and health care. The last thing they need is government rummaging around in their pockets looking for more. Government must learn to live within its means. We should not add to the burden on Minnesota families by raising their taxes."

"The well-being of the people we serve depends on their ability to have good-paying jobs. That, in turn, depends upon the willingness ofcompanies to invest, stay, and grow in Minnesota. However, Minnesota's tax policies, job climate, and large government discourage economic growth. We need to reduce taxes and regulations thatdiscourage job growth, income generation, investment, entrepreneurialactivity, research, and exports."

"I still have an important tool to restrain taxes and spending. I call it the taxpayer protection pen, otherwise known as the veto pen. As you know, I will not hesitate to use it to stop government fromdigging into your wallets."

"We should also protect homeowners from unreasonable property tax increases. So once again, I call for Minnesota to join the many states that have capped property taxes."

MN GOP Press Release: “Republican Party Of Minnesota Commends Governor Pawlenty’s State Of The State Address”

St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today issued the following statement regarding Governor Pawlenty's State of the State address.

"I commend Governor Pawlenty for his strong opposition to Democrat tax increases on Minnesota families and businesses. At a time when many Minnesotans are being squeezed, the last thing we need are more Democrat tax hikes. By making government live within its means, Governor Pawlenty continues to hold government accountable for results."

Governor Pawlenty to Deliver "State of the State"

Governor Pawlenty will deliver the annual State of the State Address from St. Cloud this morning.

As the gavel fell this week to begin the session, a flurry of tax hikes and regulations seem to define the road ahead from the legislative body. I will be watching for how Governor Pawlenty addresses these and other issues when he steps up to the mic in St. Cloud.

Here are all of the details of the address. You can watch the speech live via Webcast by clicking on the link towards the bottom of this post.

Feb. 13. 11 a.m. STATE OF THE STATE _ Gov. Tim Pawlenty delivers State of the State address. Media should RSVP to obtain credentials by 5 p.m. Feb. 5

Location: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 S. Fourth Ave., St. Cloud

Contacts: Alex Carey, (651) XXX-XXXX

Click here for State of the State live webcast, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 11:00 a.m.

Click Here for Replay of the Speech

Pawlenty Shows Leadership on Illegal Immigration

As most Minnesotans know (for our readers across the country, indulge me) a good barometer of strong, common sense public policy is when it is soundly criticized by Star Tribune's anti-intellectual "journalist" Nick Coleman.

Today, Nick levels some heavy criticism against Governor Pawlenty for taking a strong stand against Illegal Immigration today.

Ergo, Governor Pawlenty got it exactly right.

Well, I suppose it isn't enough to judge what is right and correct based solely on finding out how Nick Coleman sees things and choose the opposite. But it is a pretty good gauge.

The point is that Governor Pawlenty stood before the people of Minnesota today and laid out a common sense plan to manage the current and growing problem of Illegal Immigration in Minnesota (hopefully using his mega phone as the chairman of the National Governor's Association to take his plans nationwide).

Before I go through the specific proposal, let me first highlight a word that is often lost in this debate among some (read: Nick Coleman).

That word is "Illegal."

il·le·gal /ɪˈligəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[i-lee-guhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective

1.	forbidden by law or statute.

2.	contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.: The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.

One would assume that a clear understanding of the essence of the word would lead towards general and widespread opposition to "Illegal Immigration." But alas, that isn't the case.

Not one proposal established by Governor Pawlenty today targets lawful immigration. I can't speak for the Governor, but I know him to have a good heart, and I am pretty sure he has an unparalleled level of compassion and respect for good people from other parts of our small world who seek to immigrate to the United States respecting the laws governing that process.

If the very first act upon arriving to our open and welcoming country is to break the very laws designed to welcome them, what can we expect of their time here thereafter? Perhaps it isn't a perfect gauge of future behavior, but it should certainly give us pause.

So Governor Pawlenty has developed a handful of common sense proposals to help deal with this issue:

• Forbidding city policies that restrict local law enforcement from asking about immigration status as part of routine business. Minneapolis and St. Paul currently have such policies. Barring such a prohibition, Pawlenty wants to reduce the state aid to cities with such policies.

• Fining employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

• Increasing the penalties for identity theft and use of fraudulent documents.

• Expanding the definition of human trafficking.

Pawlenty also announced today that he used his gubernatorial power to:

• Require the state to check the immigration status of all new employees using the federal e-verify system, an electronic system designed by the federal government to help employers easily check a potential employees' immigration status.

• Strengthen the partnership between state law enforcement and corrections officials and federal immigration officials.

Pawlenty said the steps are necessary to respond to illegal immigration.

"If you have a country that's based on the rule of law and the rule of law gets knowingly cast aside and we allow illegal behavior to continue then the rule of law is diminished and one of the cornerstones of our country gets eroded in a pretty pronounced way," he said.

"These are the types of steps we believe that Republicans, Democrats and a broad cross section of Minnesotans can agree are reasonable steps towards better enforcement of illegal immigration and our country and our state need that," he said.

(Excerpted from Article)

Much of this was bold, executive orders, but much of the rest requires legislative action.

When the legislature gavels down in February, perhaps they will have the foresight and wisdom to follow the Governor's lead on this issue.

Serious Private Compassion

I love this time of year.

We are reminded of the importance of family and friends. And we are reminded of what it means to be truly compassionate. And all because of the celebration of the birth of Christ.

That is why this article is so heartening during this Christmas season. (click here)

A plan to end chronic homelessness in Minnesota by 2010 got a boost today when a coalition of business, non-profit and religious leaders announced a commitment to raise $60 million in private donations over the next three years and to coordinate public and private efforts through a new umbrella organization, HeadingHome Minnesota.

"The announcement today is a going to be a huge piece of really turbo-charging that effort," Gov. Tim Pawlenty said at a news conference at the Camden Apartments, a housing program for homeless families in North Minneapolis. (emphasis mine).

The worries, of course, are either 1) that the Government will screw this up by interfering too much in what private groups are participating in, 2) that some Leftist will file a lawsuit to prevent the religious organizations from playing a role.

True compassion comes from the heart and soul, not from the state. In fact, Government would be best served staying out of the compassion business because business, places of worship, non-profits and neighbors do a far better job of lifting the human spirit while lifting the economically depressed. In this case, the announcement today by Governor Pawlenty is truly meaningful for the goals we all have of seeing an end to chronic homelessness.

HeadingHome will stress three strategies to end homelessness, said Jim Frey, president of the Frey Foundation and the other co-chair of the new organization.

Participating groups will provide emergency assistance to people who need help to pay for housing, Frey said.

They will offer services to address the underlying causes of homelessness, he said. Those services include mental health counseling, job training and childcare.

And they will reach out to homeless youth and adults on the streets to provide the help they need to get into housing, he said.

"One of the great beauties of this plan," Pawlenty said, "is that, while it is a moon-shot plan, it gets everybody coordinated toward the same goal with a common set of objectives and tactics."

What a great story of serious private compassion as many of us prepare for the Christmas season.