Pawlenty To Make Iowa Debut

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is heading to Iowa in a key early test of his ability to build support among potential Republican caucus goers.

Pawlenty, who recently announced a new political action committee will be the “featured guest” at the Nov. 7 Leadership for Iowa event at the state fairgrounds.

Matt Strawn, Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, issued a release praising the Minnesotan as “innovative” and “conservative,” and noted Pawlenty was known for balancing the state budget, reducing spending and enacting health care and education reform measures.

Pawlenty will be joined by Republican candidates for governor hoping to oust Democrat Chet Culver in 2010. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased here.

Late update: The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party took a cue from the national Democrats who have been hammering Pawlenty as an absentee governor lately, and put out tongue-in-cheek statement.

DFL Chair Brian Melendez offered a long quip about “Governor Pawlenty’s visit in Minnesota this afternoon.”

“Governor Pawlenty will make an appearance in Minnesota today, taking a break from his hectic schedule of traveling the country with his campaign team of Bush advisors. Spending most of his time on the road these days, Governor Pawlenty’s more-of-the-same mentality and personal ambitions have made him little more than a suave hit man pandering to right-wing extremists. The governor refuses to engage on the issues even when he does occasionally visit Minnesota, and he has left Minnesotans to deal with the historic budget deficit that he is dumping on the next governor. But his brief appearance today raises an interesting question: When the governor is away, who is minding the shop?”

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