Almanac: At the Capitol

 

Gov. Tim Pawlenty went global today officially announcing Minnesota is joining the ONE campaign  to end worldwide poverty and disease.  Pawlenty said his administration was in the planning stages of a possible trade mission to Africa.  The governor noted that Sens. Obama and McCain have been engaged in the ONE campaign.  Pawlenty, however was not willing to engage on any of the vice presidential talk.  He did confirm that he will travel to Ohio and Pennsylvania this weekend.  He doesn't know yet if he'll be going to Denver on behalf of McCain.

 

For about the past month Pawlenty has been his old self again with the press corps (and kids who he never fails to impress):  Laid back, sarcastic, calm.  I've been writing and saying for about a month now that it seems like Pawlenty knows if he'll be #2--not sure if he's it or not.   Ever since he visited McCain campaign headquarters and said he'll no longer speculate on VP talk he has seemed to mellow out.  Today, while he would not take VP questions, he gave us a lot of helpful quotes about the upcoming RNC.  He said he's been in many meetings the past week particularly on security and the "level of preparedness is good...we're ready." He also spoke at length about how the convention will boost Minnesota's future tourism and convention business.  Pawlenty is scheduled to address the convention on Thursday.  To many that means he won't be addressing the convention as a VP candidate.

 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar was also at the press conference in support of the ONE campaign.  Afterwards, I talked to her about her plans to address the DNC not just once but twice.  She said her first talk on Monday will focus on "ethics reforms" and Tuesday with other women her message will be "protecting the family checkbook."

 

 

 

Leading my Campaign Notebook for this week, Pawlenty's national press blitz from "Face The Nation" this weekend, to FOX News earlier the week, from the Wall Street Journal story and sketch over the weekend.  We should know within weeks if he's the VP candidate. What will we talk about if he's not?

The Pew poll this week was big news. It's a good poll and details how McCain is picking up steam with older and blue collar voters.  It appears the same tightening of the race is happening here in Minnesota. Smart Politics talks about that and how Pawlenty's approval ratings have suffered in his home state with his visible national ambitions.  We'll have video proof of Obama's campaign in Minnesota trying to shore up this weakness with Walter Mondale and Josie Johnson launching a talking to seniors tour.

Then the Senate race, took another mudslinging turn as Coleman and Franken's campaigns tried to show the press they were more open and it was their opponents who were holding back details on unpaid utility bills and unpaid taxes.  As the Pioneer Press' Rachel Stassen-Berger so beautifully and bluntly asked each campaign yesterday "Don't Minnesotans have to choose between a tax cheat and a rent cheat?"  

Finally, Rep. Mark Olson just doesn't go away.  Instead of working at the local political level, now prominent Republicans are coming out against him from Sen. Norm Coleman to the Senate Republican Caucus who said he isn't welcome.  Assistant Minority Leader Sen. David Hann told me "We don't believe that Mark Olson should be a candidate."  When I said his local party chose to endorse him he said "I respect local endorsements, but we don't have to support their endorsement."

 

A sad day for sure. Politicians are seizing the opportunity to comment. Here's a round up of what is in my email box this morning.
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