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In a video interview with MinnPost, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman said that although Sarah Palin is “an exciting choice,” he would have preferred Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as John McCain’s running mate. “I would have picked Pawlenty,” Coleman said.
Coleman made his comments as delegates gathered for the Republican national convention, which gets underway in St. Paul Monday.
As Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast, prompting President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to cancel plans to attend the convention, Coleman outlined what he hopes the convention will accomplish this week.
Convention planners face the unprecedented task of figuring out how best to handle a political celebration while Gustav hammers the Gulf Coast. They also must deal with the potential political problem of the hurricane reminding voters of the Bush administration’s missteps in providing aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
As mayor of St. Paul, Coleman was instrumental in convincing the state to fund the Xcel Energy Center and helped to return of NHL hockey to Minnesota. These were successes that revitalized the capital city and, in the minds of many, paved the way for the GOP convention coming to St. Paul.