Almanac: At the Capitol

I just spotted Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the front row in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda at Pres. Gerald Ford's funeral. He is right next to the choir and got some serious face time on national television. He's been on camera at least half a dozen times and could be seen wincing as the elderly gentlemen just passed out. So why would a relatively little known Minnesota governor get just such a prominent spot at an important national event? Who knows, but it could have something to do with raising his profile as a national leader and vice presidential candidate.

Tonight, we're rolling out a new feature where we take you behind the scenes of the State Capitol Press Corps for a statewide perspective. My cohort is my dear friend and colleague Don Davis who's the Capitol Bureau Chief for Forum Communications. Many probably know that The Forum (which most people associate with Fargo) now has the largest statewide circulation next to the Star Tribune after purchasing papers including the Duluth News Tribune. Don and I also work just feet away from each other at the Capitol, so you end up either adoring or despising people you work that closely with and I think we probably fall in the good category. Our noses for news line up so closely we often scare each other. We are both the rare reporter that covers the Capitol considering the entire state (Almanac and Almanac: At the Capitol air statewide and in North Dakota). We often joke that on the outside we're completely opposite, he's a big guy and I'm a little gal, but our brains work in much the same way and we love to challenge, push, and engage each other in conversation. Now, you get to eavesdrop on what happens in the Press Corps hallways. A longer version of our occasional conversations will also appear on our big new and improved Almanac: At the Capitol website which we're very excited about. I'll give you more details soon as we prepare to launch it. Think leading opinion makers, bloggers, lawmakers and reporters contributing unique content all on one site that's updated constantly and has the best free political archives in town...