An aversion to being second fiddle?

(From colleague Tim Nelson)

There's a lot of speculation this year about Gov. Tim Pawlenty's possible place on a Republican presidential ticket with U.S. Senator John McCain. Pawlenty is even being called to answer for the all-but-GOP-nominee's comments on the potential root cause of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

For his part, Pawlenty politely demurs whenever asked about his political future. But if Pawlenty's state ride is any indication, he may not be ready to move into the Naval Observatory or any other secure, undisclosed location next January.

The SUV sports a trademarked, not to be used without written permission of Ricky Bobby Inc., license plate frame. It's straight from the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, starring Will Ferrell.

"If' you're not first, you're last," it says on the front front bumper of the official car of the state's chief executive. It's Bobby's signature line.

And as Ricky Bobby's best friend and teammate Carl Naugton, Jr., says, you can't have two number ones: "'Cause that would be 11."