Pawlenty Officially Announces Retirement, Not Ruling Anything In Or Out For 2012
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) just officially announced that he is not running for a third term in 2010.
A reporter asked him whether he is running for President. "I don't have any plans beyond serving out my term," he said. "So I'm not ruling anything in or out."
He did, however, offer some wisdom for the Republican Party on a nationwide level. "We're the party of the marketplace. The marketplace has been signaling movement to our competitors, so we need to do better." He later added: "My party needs new ideas, new policies, and I think I can contribute to that."
A reporter asked how this decision will affect the controversy surrounding an election certificate to the U.S. Senate for Al Franken, and Pawlenty's response was in line with previous public comments. "I think you guys have really over-baked that issue, you're spinning out of control. I'm gonna do whatever the court says," Pawlenty responded. And if a courts tells him to sign the certificate, "I'm not gonna hold it up or delay it in any fashion."
Late Update: It's worth noting that Pawlenty will be speaking to the College Republicans national convention this week in Washington.
Josh
Matt
Eric
"My party needs new ideas, new policies, and I think I can contribute to that."
What, he knows someone with a new idea?
no taxes, and then there's no taxes, and maybe oppose new taxes.
June 2, 2009 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Overbaked? Out of control? Really, Gov. Pawlenty?
Bummer about your memory problems. To refresh:
Pawlenty, in April
June 2, 2009 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I'm gonna do whatever the court says,"
He didn't say which court - Minnesota Supreme Court or US Supreme Court.
June 2, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent point (unfortunately)!
June 2, 2009 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
So many of these people who think they have what it takes to win the White House are simply delusional. They have been surrounded by sycophants to point that I think they actually believe that the country desperately needs them.
Go away PawPaw.
I am SO glad Obama is on our side.
June 2, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hopefully the court, not being hermetically sealed off somewhere, will now rule that he must sign. They'll know this is all the more reason to order him to do so, and Franken's lawyers will remind the court of anti-process riddles like what CT Voter provided (thanks, CT Voter!) above.
When he says he thinks *he* can help the party find new ideas, he means he's planning on running for *something* at least, probably President, but but if doesn't matter what really: he'll thus have an almost overpowering incentive not to sign. Otherwise, any political competitor will say as the first thing that he betrayed the party (and the country!) by signing into law a measure that would put one of their most hated figures in the Senate when he should have waited for Scalia and the kangaroo-court cavalry to impose their political druthers at the expense of voter preference. (They do it in Guatemala and we can do it right here too if we wanna keep America safe from terrorists/socialists/fascists/weaklings like Cheeney reminds us!)
Taking away the choice from Pawlenty will do him a favor and us. Pawlenty can then sign after speechifying how it's a damn shame the courts made him do so (and thus helped terrorists if he wants, whatever). He can even run against the court -- they should never have made him sign, the darned judicial-activist Overreachers!
It's damned unlikely he'll sign unless they force him.
June 2, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
No impact on the Franken mess, imo. I don't think the public would stand for it. In the event he wants to run for national office he has to be aware that he will have to appeal to people outside the southern base.
June 2, 2009 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very informative, thanks! To not sign, all he needs is for one party shill to tell him that the right thing to do is await further court proceedings, and he'll *have* to listen to such an advisor, since they know so much about the law and all. If needed, he can get a friendly law-firm to write a short legal opinion, that's standard fare.
June 2, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink