Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Bad Chihuahua — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:22:35 GMT

Pawlenty wouldn't be a bad choice, given what we have in there now.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Terry, Disabled Vet, Des Moines, IA — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:23:53 GMT

Since the election and its ongoing battle between Coleman and Franken, this could be a signal as to what his intentions might be when the state's supreme court makes its decision? He knows he is between a rock and a hard spot on this particular issue, one way or another folks are not going to be happy with his decision!

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:28:16 GMT

Firebrand speech you say??? The guy was about as ‘mealy mouthed’ as they come! He was still mourning the loss of his mullet! Paw Lent E will have plenty of time to grow it back and run for dog catcher cause that’s about the only thing he MIGHT be elected to!

If this is the best the GEENOPEE can come up with for a candidate in 2012 I say BRING IT ON! Got $100 bucks right now that says after his little side show of refusing his own state proper representation – he won’t even carry MN in a primary!

My condolences to the fine people up there in the State of 1000 Lakes – you deserve better!

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

JustMyObservation — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:28:43 GMT

Once the Court rules in Franklin's Favor the Senate needs to seat him any way.

It's time to play hardball folks. If the Senate can seat that Serial Loser Roland Burris the Clown they can surely seat a Al Franklin who was actually wanted and vote in by the people of his state.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Anita, Birmingham, Alabama — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:28:53 GMT

You think? Was I surprised? No. I wouldn't be surprised to see him may a run for the 2012 or 2016. However, the stench of is record will still be etched in the minds of American's as the Governor that upheld, stalled and spent taxpayers money in Minnesota, just to please his party. The Governor with no voice or mind of his own.
******
Republicans, more than Democrats, like their runners up. Four of the last five Republicans, who eventually won their party’s nomination -- Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole and John McCain -- also ran for president and lost in primary races in earlier years.
*****
That was then and this is now and every one of them stunk...so this is their legacy? As the World Turns?

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Virginian — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:28:57 GMT

I don't know that much about him, but you have to think any Republican who can get elected to the governor's office in a deep blue state like Minnesota must have something going for him.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Chris, Dorr, MI — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:31:28 GMT

Pawlenty wouldn't be a bad choice, given what we had in there before the current administration.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

MSierra, SF — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:32:19 GMT

Pawlenty's popularity has waned due to his (non)handling of the Minn Senate election

Bridges have FALLEN DOWN during Pawlenty's tenure

WHAT has he accomplished for Minnesota ???

'...faced sharply skeptical questioning on Monday from justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court in a crucial hearing on the case...'

'...“no concrete evidence to back it up.” He said, “In my experience, I’ve never seen an offer of proof like this.”...'

If I say it, it's true !!!

From the NYT via HuffPost:

'...Minnesota Justices Are Skeptical in Senate Case

ST. PAUL — A lawyer for Norm Coleman, the Republican who is fighting a recount battle with Al Franken, a Democrat, for a Senate seat, faced sharply skeptical questioning on Monday from justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court in a crucial hearing on the case.

Mr. Coleman, who served one term before the November election, is challenging the rulings of a state recount board and a lower court, which declared Mr. Franken the winner of the race by hundreds of votes.

Associate Justice Christopher J. Dietzen said Mr. Coleman’s argument that thousands of absentee ballots had been wrongfully excluded had “no concrete evidence to back it up.” He said, “In my experience, I’ve never seen an offer of proof like this.”

The lawyer for Mr. Franken was also questioned about whether the differences in the acceptance of ballots did not show some evidence of the deeper electoral problems that the Coleman team described.

After an election with 2.9 million votes cast, it is these final five votes on the court that could settle the seven-month battle.

The court has seven members, but two of the justices served on the canvassing board that conducted the mandatory recount in the too-close-to-call race and did not participate in the hearing.

If the justices rule in favor of Mr. Franken, an author and former comedian, they could order the governor to issue a certificate of election allowing Mr. Franken to be seated in the Senate. If they agree with Mr. Coleman’s arguments, the case would bounce back to the lower court for a new vote count using more relaxed standards of inclusion than some counties in the state used on Election Day.

In his argument, Mr. Coleman’s lawyer, Joe Friedberg, did not contend that there had been fraud at work in the election, but that thousands of voters had been blocked from having their votes counted by inconsistently applied rules about accepting absentee ballots. Whether a person’s vote was counted depended “on where you sleep,” Mr. Friedberg said. “We have significant disenfranchisement.”

The presiding justice, Alan C. Page, pushed Mr. Friedberg to prove that the inconsistencies were so egregious that they went beyond what might occur in any election, and rose to the level of a constitutional violation of equal protection and due process.

Mr. Friedberg responded that the ballot problem was “horrible,” but Justice Page, who continued to press the point, did not seem satisfied with that answer.

The issue of consistent rules also played a significant role in the United States Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore, which decided the presidential election of 2000. In the hearing, Mr. Friedberg argued that the 2000 case showed that differences between some counties in the handling of ballots could show statewide problems.

The lawyer for Mr. Franken, Marc Elias, argued that Bush v. Gore did not apply to the issues before the justices. Differences in the acceptance of ballots statewide did not show deeper electoral problems that the Coleman team described, Mr. Elias said, but were examples of the reasonable discretion used by local officials to satisfy state requirements for the review of ballots — “the grease in the joints, so to speak, that allows the election to take place,” he said.

A decision could come within weeks. The outcome will determine whether Senate Democrats gain the 60 votes necessary to end filibusters. But Justice Page noted that the Senate, ultimately, decides whether to seat a candidate, and suggested that the court’s eventual ruling might merely be “an advisory opinion.” He asked Mr. Elias, somewhat rhetorically, “Do we have authority to do anything here?”

Mr. Coleman attended the hearing, but not Mr. Franken. Afterward, Mr. Coleman told reporters that the case had reached “a critical point in the process,” and that “our goal has been to enfranchise those Minnesotans whose votes have not been counted.” He declined to say whether he would continue to fight if the justices ruled against him. “Let’s see what this court does,” he said. ...'

“no concrete evidence to back it up.” He said, “In my experience, I’ve never seen an offer of proof like this.”

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Doug in Renton, WA — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:33:21 GMT

So much for any chance that Pawlenty will will seat Al Franken before the US Supreme Court gets a say. He is officially no longer working for the best interest of Minnesota. From here on out he will be kissing up to the GOP base, and you can forget about him seating Franken short of being forced to do so.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Ron Indiana — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:33:47 GMT

Pawlenty may want to make a practice run in 2012. He faces the Republican dilemma of being "pure" conservative, or creating a bigger tent. The GOP will be severely beaten in 2012, which should weaken the conservative leadership positions, which may open the door for 2016. It will be then that Pawlenty may have a slim chance. If Pawlenty was smart, he would let Romney run in 2012, watch him lose, then start picking up the broken pieces of the GOP.

Watching Romney, he will run after conservative voters, and the religious right will reject him.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

eagle1776 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:36:04 GMT

Smart move as he probably would have lost anyway. Nothing like quitting while you're ahead (well, sort of ahead...you know what I mean)

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:45:27 GMT

Mittens/PawPaw 2012

How cute is THAT?

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

DG, Houston, TX — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:48:39 GMT

Pawlenty should leave that wacked out state. It makes him look bad. First Jesse Ventura, now Al Franken. Wow! I wonder who Minneota will vote in as Governor next, Dave Chappelle?

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Pete - Albany, NY — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:55:07 GMT

I don't know that much about him, but you have to think any Republican who can get elected to the governor's office in a deep blue state like Minnesota must have something going for him.
Virginian (Sent Tuesday, June 02, 2009 1:28 PM)

-----------------------------------------

I would hardly call Minnesota "deep blue". Look at the history of who they have elected as governor and you'll see they're pretty moderate.

Besides, if they're "deep blue" how do you explain Minnesota giving us a political hack like Michele Bachmann?

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Fixed News Translator — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:07:40 GMT

"Pawlenty gave a firebrand speech at the Republican Governor’s Association meeting in Miami, a week after the party’s sound November election losses. He gave some tough medicine to the party, saying, “It needs to get younger, more diverse and build a broader coalition,” we wrote at the time."

Pawlenty is asking for a miracle. Younger and diversity in the republican party. To bad its just a pipe dream considering who is running the party right now.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Fern Doe, Minneapolis MN — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:21:45 GMT

Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Greg Remington — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:24:20 GMT

Pawlenty running for president in 2012 now that is really funny considering he will lose as well as palin loses, romney loses or much less jindhal. the republicans are out of power for a long long time!!!! That is a fact that they have to used to, and used to it they will get!!!!

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Nashville_fan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:36:54 GMT

I think Governor Pawlenty is going to join the Obama Administration as the Ambassador to Cuba! :)

(Now the funny part is, you can't rule it out! lol)

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Al, KS — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:10:42 GMT

He was between a rock and a hard place if he was planning a run for president. I guess this answers that question. Obviously if he certifies Franken he could win in MN and lose nationwide (among Republicans). Almost guarantees a presidential run, doesn't it. And I guess Franken's position just got a lot worse.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Clara Kansas City, MO — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:21:08 GMT

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it." Fern Doe, Minneapolis MN (Sent Tuesday, June 02, 2009 2:21 PM)

And while we are crossing, let's pray like hell that there isn't any deferred maintenance on it.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Joe Don, Topeka, KS — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:42:39 GMT

Let's hope the Crazy Lady decides to make a statewide run. We'll all need a good laugh by next year.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

Evelyn - Florida — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:25:05 GMT

I doubt that he could get elected dog catcher after his abysmal performance and handling of the Franken/Colemen election. He is a has been.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

R.St.Germain,St.Paul,MN — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:26:48 GMT

Timmy might as well run for President or V.P., he'll never get elected in Minnesota again. He wouldn't even carry his state if he ran.

Pawlenty will not seek re-election

newdayDawning — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:57:33 GMT

Pawlenty has destroyed the state. He is not running for Governor since there is a good possibility that he would lose here. Not good for his aspirations.