Browse
Minnesota Jobs
Direct from Company Websites!
Unadvertised,
Current,
Highest-quality

Start Searching Now!

ERIC BLACK INK

TPaw and Hannity, and is Pawlenty a candidate of the gut?

By Eric Black | Published Thu, Jun 11 2009 11:17 am

Our guv continued his I'm-not-running-for-anything tour yesterday with an interview on Sean Hannity's Fox show. (Just below, it lasts just 5:25).

Hannity tried harder than Bob Schieffer did the other day to get Pawlenty to admit that he's at least thinking about running for prez, but no go. Still not ruling anything in or out.

One more thing that I keep noticing. In every every single recent appearance Pawlenty has used the same odd phrase to describe what he wants to do for his party: "lend voice." He usually says it twice per appearance, and did so on Hannity:

"I am gonna go out and try to lend voice to the ideas and values of our party..."

"Try to lend voice to the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement..."

Lend voice? From whence cometh this phrase? I googled it and most of the references seem to be to actors who lent voice to characters in animated films. Anyone?

His latest denunciation of Obama's "runaway spending."

"It's unsustainable, it's irresponsible, it's reckless.

Pawlenty did come up with a great new line to explain why he chose not to go for another term as guv (even though he has said that he would have won:

"I learned long ago in the blue-collar town of South St. Paul where I grew up, a meatpacking town, that there's less joy and more trouble in that last slice of pizza or that last glass of beer."

My friend Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post was so taken with the line, he used it in a post this a.m. to classify TPaw as the current Republican candidate of the "gut." (He has Newt Gingrich as the candidate of "the head," and Sarah Palin as the candidate of "the heart.")

The Cillizza comment that will have Minnesota liberals howling:

"Pawlenty's positioning is not fundamentally ideological; it's about standing up for the little guy and ignoring traditional party labels to get things done."

What think?

| Thu, Jun 11 2009 11:17 am | 9 Comments

Like what you just read? Support high-quality journalism in Minnesota by becoming a member of MinnPost.

9 Comments: Hide/Show Comments

(#1) On June 11, 2009, Brian Simon says:

I think, and have said so at The Fix (Cillizza's blog), that Mr Cillizza is somewhat misinformed regarding Gov Pawlenty's record.

What I suspect, and have not posted there, is that Cillizza's impression comes from some sit down interviews with Gov Pawlenty. What is absolutely true - and has been said by Mr Black here at MN Post & Cillizza at the Wa Post - is Gov Pawlenty is very likeable. He seems to me (we've never met) like a nice guy. But there is a vast difference between the guy he comes across as in press conferences & public appearances compared to how he governs. For Gov Pawlenty, bipartisanship seems to mean "Agree with me and we'll get along just fine." Leadership means talking big - but not following through. The state faces, today, the same systemic flaws with the budget that existed when T-Paw (as Cillizza likes to call him) was first elected. That isn't leadership, and its certainly not evidence of getting things done.

If nothing else, I do have to congratulate the governor at pulling the wool over the national media's eyes.

(#2) On June 11, 2009, Phil Dech says:

Are you "bsimon1" of the WaPo political comment community? If so, you are a voice of reason amongst an increasing amount of vitriole.

I commented on that Fix post. Here's what I said:

["Pawlenty's positioning is not fundamentally ideological; it's about standing up for the little guy..."

Yeah, he stood up for little guys this spring by vetoing healthcare funding for some of the poorest and most vulnerable Minnesotans. We'll see how the little guys fare when he unilaterally "unallots" 2.7B from the state budget so he can honor his "no new tax" pledge. He'll be leaving office just as the full implications of those unallotments hit.]

(#3) On June 12, 2009, Beryl John-Knudson says:

Slap rapping to T.P.

Last pizza, last beer here..."lend voice", T.P.?

Lend an ear here; make a choice.

Yup, guv's a "gut man"...hear his rumble.

"Unalottment, unallottment!" hear him grumble.

"Meatpacking, blue collar" he doth mumble.

That was a gaff Tim...don't make me laugh.

You're no care bear for the working man,

Lend an ear good, here T.P.....you're no fan.

No free pass. No class man...so,

Guv is the guy who knows when to leave.

Don't sneeze...Geshhuntite!

Cold pizza, warm beer.

Bottom of the glass.

(#4) On June 12, 2009, Paul Brandon says:

All I wanna know is:
What interest rate is he charging for the 'loan' of his voice?
The use of the USA; payable in 2012?

(#5) On June 12, 2009, Brian Simon says:

"Are you "bsimon1" of the WaPo political comment community? If so, you are a voice of reason amongst an increasing amount of vitriole."

Thanks. There tends to be an ebb and flow of vitriole there. Threads referencing Palin tend to be the worst.

(#6) On June 12, 2009, Jean Nelson says:

This is another example of the media's lack of even the most routine investigative reporting and taking a candidate at face value, just as they did with George W. Bush. One only to review his record as the Governor of Texas to understand that his "compassionate conservatism" was a joke, as is Pawlenty's "voice of reason" schtick. Please.

(#7) On June 13, 2009, John E Iacono says:

B Simon says:

"Agree with me and we'll get along just fine."

A fine summary of the dem legislature's position in the last session.

And that even though Pawlenty -- as usual -- told them at the very start of the session that he was open to any adjustments they wanted to make EXCEPT raising taxes.

I guess, as politicians who had never run up against a pol who says what he means and means what he says, they refused to believe him.

Still, because they had seen this from him before, one has to wonder: perhaps they were just so fixated on forcing him to break his promise they just couldn't resist trying to put him in a box anyway.

I, for one, am reassured that he did not cave.

(#8) On June 15, 2009, Howard Miller says:

VERY affable but VERY conservative governor running for president of the country ... why is there a deja vu feeling to this story?

And why, after the experiences during former governor and president bush's terms would the American people want to sign up for another batch of that disaster in governance?

Being antitax isn't a governing philosophy, it's just a form of petulance about paying the bills for the government we keep seeking for ourselve. What will Mr. Pawlenty actually do that moves America in a positive direction, should he win the White House?

(#9) On June 16, 2009, John E Iacono says:

VERY affable but VERY liberal candidate running for president of the country ... another deja vu moment.

Government run health care reform, anyone?

Forgot Password? | Register to Comment

MinnPost does not permit the use of foul language, personal attacks or the use of language that may be libelous or interpreted as inciting hate or sexual harassment. User comments are reviewed by moderators to ensure that comments meet these standards and adhere to MinnPost's terms of use and privacy policy.

We intend for this area to be used by our readers as a place for civil, thought-provoking and high-quality public discussion. In order to achieve this, MinnPost requires that all commenters register and post comments with their actual names and place of residence. Register here to comment.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED POSTS

minnpost.com/ericblack

Eric Black is a former reporter for the Star Tribune and Twin Cities blogger. He writes about politics and government of Minnesota and the United States, the historical background of topics and other issues. Click here to view Eric's previous postings at former blog, Eric Black Ink. He can be reached at eblack [at] minnpost [dot] com.

ERIC BLACK INK

TPaw and Hannity, and is Pawlenty a candidate of the gut?

RECENTLY PUBLISHED POSTS

minnpost.com/ericblack

Recent Posts by Eric Black