Pawlenty just disclosed that he will not run for re-election!!!!

[secondwind]

I wonder if he is going to rule on the Franken-Coleman fiasco now............

[hobbit709]

1. He has bigger ambitions

[grantcart]

4. Right --- Talk show on Fox

All of these guys know that they don't have a chance in hell at national office and they can make the big bucks on Fox.

[Honeycombe8]

6. If he wanted to run for Prez, he'd run for gov again, since sitting governors have an

advantage, don't they?

I wonder if he's hoping for a VP slot. But with Romney? Two middle aged rich white men? That doesn't sound like a winning ticket.

[MADem]

16. Mitt Romney got the hell out of the state as soon as he could.

He left the state to his LT GOV, who lost to Deval Patrick (the Patrick campaign was the model for the "Yes We Can" Obama campaign, FWIW--down to the signage and everything).

Mitt Romney spent twenty million and could not BUY votes. He gives people the creeps. He's the only person who can't see that!

[tabbycat31]

24. I know other people blinded by Romney too including my parents

my BIL worked on his campaign. Since then my parents (who are Democrats) have had this love affiar with him. They won't listen to me when I tell them who he really is...... a corporatist who is cruel to dogs.

[MADem]

25. Send them the Globe and TIME magazine articles about poor Seamus.

I can't imagine an asshole who will let the LUGGAGE ride in the back of the car, and put the dog on TOP for a twelve hour drive.

I just can't fathom it. Why not strap the suitcases to the roof, and put the damned dog in the wayback of the station wagon?

Horrible man. Cold like a dead fish (with apologies to the insult to dead fish).

[tabbycat31]

28. oh I did

they're still blindsighted. And to think these are people who told me at 18 "when in doubt vote democrat"

[AndyTiedye]

23. He'd Settle for a Cabinet Position in a Future Repiggie Administration

He will never be elected to anything again and he knows it.
But the Repiggies owe him big time.

[MADem]

26. Maybe their "dream team" is Mittsy-Pawly???? I don't think Sarah P will leave the stage though! nt

[sarah553807]

22. It's not that Minnesota got to small for him

its that he got to big for Minnesota




I wanna know the guy who told him he had a chance with a straight face.

[Renew Deal]

2. Which term is he in?

Why isn't he running?

[vaberella]

3. Hoping to run for Pres 2012 would be my guess. n/t

[havocmom]

10. All those people laughing at him?

:shrug:

[Raine1967]

5. I just saw this here:

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/06/2012_pawlentys_not_running_for_re-election.php

[DrToast]

7. That doesn't look good for Franken

Now Pawlenty will probably let Coleman appeal to the federal courts before seating Franken.

[secondwind]

9. damn! I can't believe this!

[DrToast]

13. I'm just speculating, but that's how I would interpret things

Pawlenty isn't running for re-election, he has no motive to seat Franken after the state supreme court rules.

I mean, other than doing the right thing, but we're not really going to count on that.

In fact, not certifying Franken would go a long way in boosting his standing with Republicans.

[MADem]

17. My mind followed the same process that yours did. NT

[Perky]

18. ONe could also conclude the opposite.

He could make a run for prex as a moderate. Or "New Republican" in which case he needs to curry favor and money with moderates rather than the RW.

[CK_John]

8. Probably will appoint himself to the Senate in place of Franken. n/t

[WI_DEM]

11. It's because he's planning to run for president in 2012--somehow he got that bug

and thinks the nation will demand more PEWlenty!

[valerief]

12. Can he appoint himself senator? nt

[Perky]

19. No. That would piss everyone off, I mean everyone. No upside to this scenario IMHO

[Cary]

14. Interesting.

Here in Illinois Mark Kirk, who could have given an interesting run for the Senate seat, declined. Relatively speaking Kirk, like Pawlenty, is moderate.

Moderate Republicans seem to be laying low. Is this strategic?

[MADem]

15. IF.... or HOW. He could be an asshole and certify Coleman, and then

resign before he could be impeached. Now THAT would be a piece of work.....

[jenmito]

20. IF he's doing this so he can be free to run for president in '12, he'll HAVE to certify Franken as

the winner (if the MN SC says he is) or he will not get any Dem. or moderate Repub. support.

[Orangepeel]

21. Dem and moderate support isn't useful until after the Republican primary

Coleman's put him in a no-win situation.

[Odin2005]

27. I want Timmy the Tool to just GO AWAY and quit fucking up my state.

If he keeps this BS up Minnesota is going to go the way of California.