Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced today that he wouldn’t seek a third Governor’s term in 2010. The question is why?
Most of the press thinks it’s because he intends to run for the Republican Presidential Nomination in 2012 and needs the time to push towards that run.
I think, however, that the miserable publicity and lack of concern for State residents having a full Congressional representation which Pawlenty has built up while supporting Norm Coleman’s attempt to steal the senatorial election from Al Franken is the real cause. The people, even those who didn’t support Franken in the first place, are pretty pissed-off that Pawlenty didn’t certify Franken after the recount, or after the recount review that gave him even more votes, but has backed Coleman’s taking the recount to the State Supreme Court where arguments wereplayed out yesterday.
The press and observers don’t think Coleman has a chance after Jurists seriously questioned the lack of rel information he was using. When they come back, probably in the next couple of weeks, with a verdict, and if it supports Franken, which most of the press assumes it will, Pawlenty will be stuck on a spear through the butt! At that point, Franken can probably get seated by Harry Reid and won’t need Pawlenty, and Pawlenty’s participation in a stall that didn’t work will make him appear much weaker.
Will he go hand and hand with Coleman to the US Supreme Court? If he does, he’ll be screwed in front of a much bigger National audience… and there goes the Presidency.
