I'm not sure if Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has any historical relationship with his 1990s predecessor, Republican Arne Carlson, but the latter had some choice words for Pawlenty this week amid Minnesota's struggle to deal with its budget deficit: "do the job you were elected to do." Pawlenty's trips out of state are "a criticism that Minnesotans have been dancing around," Carlson said, as reported by local news station KARE 11, the subtext here being that Pawlenty, who will not seek reelection in 2010, is already off and running for president. Meanwhile, a Pioneer Press op-ed suggests economics is not his strong suit, particularly that he "has preferred borrowing money (called bonding at the state level) or kicking the fiscal can down the road with budget gimmicks or by shifting the burden to local government"--a damning accusation while there's a budget crunch in the state, and, more significantly to Pawlenty's presidential aspirations, as economic conservatism dominates as the national Republican zeitgeist.
Pawlenty has decent numbers at home--a 53 56 percent approval rating in a recent Rasmussen poll--and
it's always hard to tell how much a criticism like Carlson's (or, for
that matter, the points about his economic record) will resonate with
state residents. But it's definitely out there.
UPDATE: Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant responds: "When Governor
Pawlenty announced he wouldn't seek re-election, he said in addition to
finishing his term strong, he would help other Republicans candidates.
That's exactly what he's doing. Arne Carlson has said he doesn't
consider himself a Republican anymore and endorsed Barack Obama in
2008, so his comments are no surprise. Governor Pawlenty's record of
balance budgets without raising taxes in a state that traditionally
leans left is exactly why so many conservatives around the country are
eager to have him visit."
Sounds like Pawlenty is pulling a Romney. When he's on the road, does Pawlenty use the state that elected him as a punch-line, the way Romney did?