Pawlenty by a hair... for VP?
Posted: Monday, July 14, 2008 10:11 PM by Chuck Todd
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
PHILADELPHIA -- As one of John McCain’s earliest and most earnest backers, Tim Pawlenty appears to have grown accustomed to the speculation that he is on the Arizona senator’s short list. He faces “the question” wherever he travels, especially so this weekend as he headed up the National Governors Association’s Centennial conference in Philadelphia. But even he was surprised to see how a simple trip to the barber was interpreted as a political move.
“I’ve had a long and tortured history with my hair,” Pawlenty said in an interview. “But anybody who says I cut my hair because I somehow had a strategy related to the vice presidency should go back and look at how I cut my hair, say, for example, in 2003.”
Then, as Pawlenty started his first term as Minnesota governor, he sported a simple buzz cut. More recently he had what was described a “mullet,” ditched, it was said, for a snazzier, perhaps more vice-presidential cut.
“I’ve had a whole roller coaster ride of hair over the years, some of which I’m not very proud,” the governor added. “But it was very short a few years ago, long before any talk of vice president. And it’s kind of silly that even comes up.”
With that settled, Pawlenty was eager to discuss more important matters, particularly clean energy, a theme he chose for his NGA chairmanship long before oil topped $100 per barrel.
“I think it’s going to be an issue that’s going to be with us unfortunately for quite a while yet,” Pawlenty said of climate change. “We can debate how much of it is really attributable to human behavior, but some portion of it most likely is.”
Pawlenty was praised all weekend by his colleagues, even would-be foes on a presidential ticket, for challenging the thinking of some in his party. But the governor says it is important to be cautious in discussing possible steps to address the energy crisis.
“I believe we should take reasonable steps to address it, but we cannot take steps to address it that would increase the cost of energy, that would wreck our economy or do other things that would heap even more burdens on our citizens who are already struggling amidst this energy crisis,” he said.
Shrugging off questions about his status as a potential running mate – “I have not been asked to submit any tax returns or documents to the McCain campaign,” he said – Pawlenty spoke at length about his history with the Republican nominee, whom he called “a leader of historic magnitude.”
Pawlenty and his wife met McCain in the 1980s, volunteering to drive him around Minnesota for veterans’ events.
“She and I were both fans of his before that and have a great admiration and respect for him,” he said. “Singularly, I think [he is] one of the most courageous political figures I ever met. And we enjoyed being with him in that time.”
Their paths crossed often, particularly when Pawlenty became governor. He announced his endorsement shortly after Pawlenty’s re-election in 2006, and he stuck by McCain even as his bid for the White House appeared to be doomed.
Now, he again sees a choice as particularly prescient in an environment where Republicans face steep challenges.
“I think it is really quite extraordinary that Senator McCain essentially is tied in this race when he’s up against so many headwinds,” Pawlenty said. “You think about the economy, the public’s concerns about the energy crisis, the public’s concerns about the war, the fact that the current party has had the presidency for eight years and the fatigue that comes with that. The fact that Senator McCain is within striking distance or tied in this race I think is an incredible testament to him.”
One factor weighing into the speculation that Pawlenty could be chosen is the belief that his presence could boost the ticket in Minnesota, which the governor says is “one of the most liberal states in the country” historically. Pawlenty said he didn’t want to speculate about whether his presence would help carry the state, but did say McCain is the unique brand of Republican who has a chance there.
“He’s a straight talker. He’s a straight-shooter. He’s somebody who’s a populist at times,” Pawlenty said. “He’s somebody who’s demonstrated, not just with his words but his actions and his life story, an ability to work on a bipartisan basis. Candidly, Barack Obama has really a strong record of being just a strong partisan, notwithstanding his rhetoric.”
When asked about Pawlenty, McCain has, as he has of others, said that the 47-year-old has a bright future as a leader in the Republican Party. Setting aside the vice presidential question, Pawlenty himself said he has no particular “plans or designs” beyond his current position, though he did say he liked “being in an executive position.”
Aside from his work as a McCain surrogate, Pawlenty is working to sell his party on the idea of “Sam’s Club Republicans,” calling it an updating of the pitch to Reagan Democrats. He said Republicans need to do more to convey ideas in ways average Americans can understand, particularly on the economy.
“There’s a lot of demographic change, cultural change, technological change, economic change that is swirling just underneath the surface of this discussion that I think is going to require the Republican Party, my party, to be even more forward looking than it has been,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve done a very good job as a party anticipating emerging issues, getting ahead of them, leading them, and then using what we know from the Reagan playbook, which is be hopeful, be positive, be optimistic.”
For that reason, Pawlenty says he “cringed” when he saw Phil Gramm’s comments on the recession, criticizing the idea even as he gave him a pass.
“It maybe that he just had an off day or an off moment,” he said. “But his comments were not something that Senator McCain agrees with. They’re not something that I agree with for sure.”
Pawlenty said he’ll further outline the concept of Sam’s Club Republicanism in a speech to the National Press Club next month, a time when McCain will be selecting his running mate. An offer he couldn’t refuse? A question Pawlenty has gotten used to answering.
“As I criticize people for speculating I don’t further engage in the speculation,” he said
