Pawlenty Returns to Iowa

It's T-Paw, II. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and likely 2012 presidential candidate (can I call him that yet?), is returning to Iowa in April. He will headline an event with the Iowans for Tax Relief. Four candidates for governor are also scheduled to appear. All 3 Repubs and Democratic former Des Moines school board member Jonathan Narcisse confirmed to be there. ITR said Governor Chet Culver's campaign never responded. Pawlenty is looking more and more like he is interested in Iowa (and running for president, of course).

Pawlenty last came to the metro for Republicans' Leadership for Iowa event November 7th at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Although, his visit did get overshadowed a bit. The Republican candidates for governor also spoke that night and much of the attention focused on how former Governor Terry Branstad did in his debut (would it be re-debut?) before some Polk County Republicans. You might remember, I reported that weekend the reviews weren't all that impressive from him from the majority of people who talked to me about it.

Speaking of Governor Chet Culver... I first reported Wednesday that Culver's deputy campaign manager, Jesse Harris, was leaving the campaign to go work for Secretary of State Michael Mauro. It looks like I only had 1/2 of the departures though. Tom Beaumont of the Des Moines Register reports Grace Van Cleave, Culver's finance director, is also taking off. Culver's previous campaign manager, Andrew Roos, had already left the campaign.

This all happens as Culver deals with a recession, continuing downward poll numbers, talk that Democrats may not want him to run again and other talk that he could face a primary opponent (Narcisse? Someone else?)

Pawlenty for President

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty had his "coming out" before more than 500 Iowa Republicans Saturday night at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. He has been here before, of course. But in 2008, he was here as John McCain's sidekick and cheerleader in McCain's ill-fated presidential run, both in Iowa and in the U.S. This was his first Iowa visit as the main attraction. He told Iowans he is also from the heartland, he shares their values and he won't be afraid to use the word, God. He also went out of his way to praise his wife, and in doing so, became, I presume, the first possible presidential candidate to come to Iowa and quote Ricky Bobby from "Talladega Nights" (I'm told from a Minneapolis reporter, this is a line he has used often...what? A politician recycles an applause line from audience to audience?) This morning Pawlenty's Twitter account tweeted a behind-the-scenes-look at the event last night, which includes the joke about his wife. Watch it below, along with original. Can anyone really deliver it as well as Ricky Bobby?

One clip you won't see is what can happen when an out-of-state politician comes to town to do the obligatory praise of that state's politicians. Pawlenty mistakenly called Iowa Sec. of Ag Bill Northey, "Dave", and called State Auditor Dave Vaudt, Dave "Voyt". Oops. He did correct Vaudt's name. I bet Pawlenty will get another chance to get it right:)

2 Iowans Help Pawlenty for President

Jonathan Martin, who wore out who knows how many pairs of shows trudging around Iowa following the candidates, posted a piece on the The Politico that shows possible 2012 presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty could have an Iowa touch with his early efforts. Jonathan writes that Pawlenty has brought on Sara Taylor and Terry Nelson. Taylor is a Dubuque native, Drake grad and President George W Bush's former political director. Nelson is a Marshalltown native, Univ of Iowa grad and former political director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign.