Capitol View: October 7, 2009 Archive

Pawlenty is bound for Iowa

Posted at 9:50 AM on October 7, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is heading to Iowa next month for another political appearance.

Pawlenty is scheduled to address Iowa Republicans in Des Moines on Nov. 7. He is the featured speaker for the party's "Leadership for Iowa" event at the State Fairgrounds. Tickets are $25 per person. Iowa holds the nation's first presidential caucuses, and Pawlenty is widely viewed as a likely 2012 GOP candidate.

Here's the news release from the Republican Party of Iowa:

Des Moines, IA - Matt Strawn, Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, today announced that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will be the featured guest for the Party's signature fall event, titled, "Leadership for Iowa," which will be held Saturday, November 7 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Governor Pawlenty, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will be joined by Iowa Republican candidates for governor as the Party starts a 12-month countdown to new leadership that will culminate in the election of a Republican governor and legislative majority in November 2010.

Strawn said, "During his two terms as Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty effectively worked to balance the state's budget, reduce spending, and enact important health care and education reform initiatives.

"Governor Pawlenty is an innovative, conservative leader and, as Iowa Republicans prepare for a robust gubernatorial primary election and nationally-watched general election for governor, his message of balanced budgets, lower taxes, and market-based reforms for health care and education will resonate with all Iowans," said Strawn.

The "Leadership for Iowa" event will be held at the Elwell Family Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Event details include:

Saturday, November 7, 2009
5:00 p.m. - Doors Open
5:30 p.m. -- General Reception
6:00 p.m. -- Program
Elwell Family Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds
Des Moines, IA

Strawn concluded, "On November 7, 2009 the countdown to new leadership in Iowa begins in earnest. Tim Pawlenty and our exciting field of Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidates will set the stage for a 12-month conversation with Iowans about the competing visions for our state's future. This is a conversation in which we are anxious to engage and it is one that will ultimately result in the election of a Republican governor in November 2010."

DFL mocks Pawlenty's travel

Posted at 2:27 PM on October 7, 2009 by Tom Scheck

On the same day the Iowa GOP announced that Gov. Pawlenty will visit Iowa, the DFL Party welcomed him to Minnesota. Here's the release:

Pawlenty to Visit Minnesota

Taking a break from his fundraising-and-campaigning circuit, Pawlenty spares a few moments for his constituents

St. Paul (October 7, 2009) -- The DFL Party released this statement from Chair Brian Melendez on 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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