Pataki for President

Pataki for President: The Polk County Republicans are getting some more company for dinner. Organizers heard back from the campaigns of Texas Congressman Ron Paul and Michigan Congressman Thad McCotter that both would attend. But this week the guest list has grown. Finance Director Darrell Kearney said he got a call from former New York Governor George Pataki’s people. Pataki was taking him up on the invite to appear at Saturday’s Second Annual Summer Picnic at Jalapeno Pete’s on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. And Kearney expects Pataki will make a major announcement. He said, “They told me I could not say he was a candidate. They told me that might come at the end of the week, implied they had a very important announcement to make.”

Pataki briefly explored a presidential run in the 2008 election. (I think the first time I ever interviewed him it happened at the fairgrounds in 2006).

Kearney said after he found out Pataki would come to the dinner he got a phone call announcing a change of plans for Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry’s spokesperson had told him previously Perry would not come to the dinner. But Tuesday morning, Kearney got a call to say Perry would come after all. Kearney, a long-time party activist, said, “A lot of times it takes only one candidate to start it rolling. Then, all of a sudden, all the other candidates feel they want to get in on the crowd.”

Kearney said he already heard back from the campaigns of Herman Cain and Rick Santorum that they wouldn't be attending. He said he still hadn't heard back from Michele Bachmann's people, so he has no idea what she is doing. Kearney said he also reached out to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's people but no response.

Pawlenty and Pataki

TPaw and GeorgePa (doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?) are both headed to the Des Moines metro in the next few days. Is it an early 2012 Iowa caucus match up? Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty headlines the Iowans for Tax Relief's Iowa Taxpayers Day event Saturday afternoon in Urbandale. That event could be a fight for the headlines. Not only will TPaw be there, so will 5 men who want to be Iowa's next governor: Republicans' Terry Branstad, Bob Vander Plaats and Rod Roberts, along with Independent Jonathan Narcisse and Libertarian Eric Cooper (the Iowa State professor not the Major League Baseball umpire from Ankeny). That will be a lot of people trying to make it into the news cycle for Saturday night/Sunday morning. Will TPaw push out everyone since he's a possible presidential contender for 2012? Will one of the Republican candidates for governor edge his way in? Is there enough room for more than one major story out of this event? Stay tuned.

Former New York Governor George Pataki comes to Des Moines on Tuesday. I think it's his first trip here since he came last April as part of the American Future Fund speakers' series at Drake University. USA Today has a backgrounder on Pataki's new project. He is working with a group called Revere America. It's a 501 (c) 4 group that aims to get 1 million signatures to repeal President Obama's new health care law. The group has an ad that will run in Iowa. It's supposed to be Paul Revere riding his horse.

Of course, any visit to Iowa, the home of the first-in-the-nation caucus gets people wondering if Pataki will again consider running for president. What do you think?