Capitol View: September 12, 2011 Archive

Pawlenty backs Romney

Posted at 7:03 AM on September 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, U.S. House

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who dropped his bid for the White House last month, announced today that he's backing Mitt Romney for president. Pawlenty first announced the endorsement on Fox and Friends this morning.

"Romney is running for president because he is deeply committed to our country, troubled by its current condition, and I believe he can turn it around," Pawlenty wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

The move will help Romney more with campaign structure and prospective donors. Pawlenty spent months building a national campaign structure. The support never materialized in grass-roots support for Pawlenty but could help open up more connections to Romney.

Pawlenty will also serve as national co-chair to Mitt Romney.

The Pawlenty endorsement could also help Romney in Iowa, should the former governor of Massachusetts decide to make a play to win the Iowa Caucuses. Pawlenty had a strong network of donors and campaign staff in that state.

The move is also a slight to GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann since Pawlenty and Bachmann both hail from Minnesota.

Romney has been looking to reclaim momentum since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race. Perry has been leading in recent national polls.

Pawlenty's announcement comes on the same day that the GOP candidates will meet in a debate in Florida. Pawlenty has been active in raising money in Florida since he's been governor.

Here's part of the e-mail from Pawlenty (full e-mail can be read here):

Romney is running for president because he is deeply committed to our country, troubled by its current condition, and I believe he can turn it around.

He's formulated an economic plan-a set of alternatives to the government-oriented programs that Barack Obama has put in place-that is unparalleled in the history of American electoral campaigns. By pressing for fundamental change in the way that Washington taxes and spends, issues regulations, uses energy, interacts with our major trading partners, and deals with our labor force, he fully envisions a way to place America back on the path toward rapid economic growth and full employment.

And at his core, Mitt Romney is a man of great character. He and his wife Ann have been married for more than four decades. She is the love of his life. Together, they have five sons and sixteen grandchildren.

But he's not only a family man, he is a man of principle. He believes in the bedrock conservative ideals of limited government and free enterprise. He will stand up for America's allies when they are threatened, with fortitude. And he will face down our adversaries. He is a formidable person, and he will certainly be a formidable president. Our allies can count on it, and our enemies should expect it.

Crises indeed produces great leaders. Sometimes it just takes awhile.

I am proud to stand with Mitt. Will you join me?

Begich backs Nolan

Posted at 3:06 PM on September 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

Rick Nolan, a DFL candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, picked up a key endorsement today. Former Eveleth Mayor and long-time Minnesota state Rep. Joe Begich backed Nolan's bid. The endorsement will carry some weight on the Iron Range, a DFL stronghold that could determine the DFL nominee.

"With unemployment across the Range and throughout the Eighth District in double digits, with hardworking middle class families losing jobs and homes and hope, Iron Rangers need a leader and a champion again in Washington, and Rick Nolan's the one," Begich said in a news release.

Nolan, who served in Congress between 1975-1981, is vying for the DFL endorsement against former state Sen. Tarryl Clark and Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson. The eventual nominee is hoping to challenge GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack. Cravaack is serving in his first-term after his surprising upset of DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar.

One outstanding question is whether Nolan or Cravaack will live in the 8th. The courts are expected to release new set of political maps in February that will change the makeup of the state's eight congressional districts.

RNC Chair says Minnesota in play in 2012

Posted at 5:32 PM on September 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

RNC Chair Reince Priebus is in Minnesota today to hold private fundraisers for the RNC and the Minnesota Republican Party. Priebus held a briefing with reporters this afternoon to emphasize that he believes Minnesota will play a factor in the 2012 presidential race.

"Make no mistake about it, Minnesota will be a battleground state in 2012," Priebus said over and over. "I believe Barack Obama will lose here in 2012."

Priebus is bullish that his party will defeat President Obama in 2012 but Republicans have to pick a candidate first.

The true test, however, will be to see if Priebus is right about Minnesota voting for a Republican candidate for president. The RNC Chairs that have preceded Preibus have been wrong about similar predictions since 1972.