Is Tim Pawlenty taking sides? This is from a Friday article in the Eden Prairie News (and lifted entirely from a Paulsen press release).
Governor Tim Pawlenty has invited State Representative Erik Paulsen to join him and a delegation of Minnesota business executives on a trade mission to India in October.
Funny that this announcement should be made just days after Congressman Ramstad’s retirement and with Erik Paulsen considered a leading contender for the Republican nomination.
This could have been planned for awhile now, so it could be nothing. But I wonder what Brian Sullivan and Geoff Michel think of this announcement.
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Paulsen has been involved in China and India trade issues for years. He has traveled to both countries before as part of US policy missions. I doubt he’ll even be able to go because of the campaign. The Governor is a friend to Paulsen, but don’t look for him to become involved in this race before endorsement.
What’s also interesting is the sudden open seat on the delegation’s plane. Then cross reference the members of the delegation with their names and employers at the Campaign Finance Board.
Paulson is going to the same brothel where Timmeh works.
Paulsen is very interested in trade issues, has been House Majority leader in past years, and still seems to have a lot of clout on the Republican side of the line.
Plus, if you buy into the theory that Seifert is the suicide squad, Paulsen is kind of a ‘majority leader/speaker’ in waiting if the Republicans take back the House. (the theory being Seifert was elected minority leader to gum up the gears impede any and all legislation the DFL brought forward to provide election fodder for the GOP. If the GOP takes back the house, he gets dropped as divisive, or simply because there are aspects of Seifert that would preclude a majority of the Republican caucus from ever voting him in as Speaker in that event.
So there are Minnesota related reasons that Paulsen would go. Plus, T-paw is to much of a wuss to stick his neck out for another politician until its a sure thing - doesn’t seem so eager to be McCain’s VP anymore, does he?
I gather EP is in Ramstad’s district.
I’ve noticed that this is one of a couple of the “go-to” papers that Pawlenty hits anyway, when he’s looking to spin something to a red base. Must be the water.
He gets support from a few really odd ducks on the right there.