Pawlenty has busy travel week

by Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Gov. Pawlenty has a full travel schedule this week to several locations out of the state.

The governor is scheduled to be in Washington D.C. Monday to attend a meeting of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Pawlenty will give a speech to the group at noon.

On Tuesday, he heads to Austin, Texas for meetings of the Republican Governors Association meetings. Pawlenty, who is vice-chair of the association, is also scheduled to speak to that group during the week. He's due back in Minnesota on Friday.

Pawlenty, who has not ruled out a run for president in 2012, has been widely criticized by Democrats for focusing on politics outside Minnesota. They say he should be working on issues here like the state budget.