Gail Collins on "T-Paw"

Pawlenty Makes The NY Times

It's always a kick when a national columnist takes a poke at local, Minnesota politician.

In this case, The New York Times' Gail Collins has a little fun in her column this morning contrasting Governor Tim Pawlenty's angry, "red meat" rhetoric to conservatives with his decidedly mild manner -- and not-so-fearsome nickname, "T-Paw" ("The Wages of Rages").

Except that I'm not aware of anyone who actually calls him that (admittedly, I'm not exactly in the Governor's inner circle).

Sort of like people who've never lived in the Bay Area referring to San Francisco as "Frisco" (the locals refer to it simply as "the city").

P.S.: sure glad no one told Collins that the state university's mascot is a gopher. Make that "golden gopher."

"Hand me Down" Political Slogans

Somebody's Got it Wrong

If you don't live in Minnesota, you're excused for not knowing that our Governor, Tim Pawlenty, is not standing for re-election, and is instead running for President.

His platform: he cleaned up the mess at the (state) Capitol, imposed fiscal discipline, and united both parties -- and can do the same for the country.

So, who just won the Minneapolis precinct caucuses to replace Pawlenty?

Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak.

His message?

The state needs someone who . . . wait for it . . . "can clean up the mess at the Capitol, impose fiscal discipline, and unite both parties" (I just saw Rybak interviewed on the local public TV station, and he uttered that line verbatim).

Must be a popular slogan!

(For the record, I haven't endorsed a candidate for either President or Governor.)