A Pawlenty cool customer in Denver

Tom Curry National affairs writer • Profile • E-mail

DENVER - On the eve of what may be the most important event in his life — being chosen as Sen. John McCain’s running mate — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty showed up here in Denver Thursday seeming like one remarkably cool customer.

The 47-year old two-term governor gave no indication of what, if anything, he knew about McCain's decision making, even as many speculated he would be the one making a dramatic debut by McCain’s side Friday in Dayton, Ohio.

A new development driving some of the speculation: Pawlenty cancelled all his scheduled media interviews for Thursday afternoon.

Minnesota media types who have covered Pawlenty for years say his demeanor and “vibes” didn’t seem to indicate he is McCain’s pick.

But perhaps the Minnesotan is just a masterful dissembler.

Asked how Republicans would react to Democratic/independent Sen. Joe Lieberman as McCain’s running mate, Pawlenty seemed to pour cold water on the idea.

“Republicans would be expecting that somebody within the broad range of the Republican Party would be selected.” That would surely include Pawlenty, an anti-abortion fiscal conservative.

Thursday morning in Denver at a GOP press conference, Pawlenty was loose and relaxed, a glibly effective dispenser of anti-Obama sound bites.

'A roll of the dice'
He reminded reporters that Bill Clinton had just a few months ago warned that an Obama presidency would be “a roll of the dice” because the Illinois senator has a slim career dossier.

Pawlenty fact-checked Clinton’s Wednesday night convention speech, saying that Clinton himself had served for 12 years as governor of Arkansas before becoming president, so in fact he was far more seasoned when elected president in 1992 than Obama is now.

Pawlenty said he would not answer vice presidential questions, but he could not resist noting that he himself had served for six years as governor and “commander-in-chief of the Minnesota National Guard for six years.”

Video McCain to unveil VP Friday Aug. 28: Speculation continues to swirl around several men and women who could be chosen to be John McCain's running mate. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports McCain will make his pick known Friday. MSNBC

He mocked Obama for claiming as a bipartisan credential his work with Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind. on strengthening the program to round up loose nuclear material from the former Soviet republics. “Who’s against rounding up loose nuclear weapons? How controversial is that?” Pawlenty asked.

He said that by contrast an example of real political bravery was McCain’s advocacy of the troop surge in Iraq, which “is now the stuff of history …. He foresaw the need for the surge, but more importantly, he had the courage to say it, even in the face of being criticized by his own party.”

All an illusion?
But what if Thursday’s veep fever is all just an illusion? What’s ahead for Pawlenty?

Whether or not he’s McCain’s running mate, Pawlenty has gained a valuable eight weeks of intense news media exposure as one of the Republicans on McCain’s short list.

His gubernatorial term ends in January 2011, and he said Thursday he’ll make his plans known early next year.

If McCain were to lose in November, Pawlenty could hop across the state line to Iowa and spend the next few years visiting every Hampton Inn and Marriott in the Hawkeye State, running for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

If he has a future in national politics, what sort of criticism and opposition research do Democrats dish up about him?

Democrats say one symbol they would seek to use against Pawlenty and Republicans generally is the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis last year.

Have Republicans, both in Washington and in the states, neglected infrastructure? Last February Pawlenty vetoed a transportation funding bill because it included an increase in the gasoline tax.

The state legislature overrode his veto, with six Republicans voting to defy him.

He said Thursday, “It’s fair to say the country is behind on infrastructure; I think everybody recognizes that on both sides of the aisle…. Most Republicans do not believe, particularly in these times, that raising the gas tax is a good idea.”

MORE FROM DECISION '08

Decision '08 Section Front

Palin campaigning in Ga. for Sen. Chambliss Palin to campaign for Sen. Chambliss Minn. board refuses voided absentee ballots Palin to stump with Sen. Saxby Chambliss Ohio Supreme Court to decide provisional votes Senate recount recalls lengthy '62 gov race Newsweek: Battleground Georgia 4 in hot water over 'Joe the Plumber' searches New Yorker: (Proposition) Eight is enough Disputed Senate ballots hold key to Minn. win Decision '08 Section Front   Add Decision '08 headlines to your news reader: