Pawlenty of Buzz

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, GOP powerbrokers - including wingnut leaders like Weyrich and Norquist - are buzzing about Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty as a presidential candidate. Given that he's hit-or-miss at home and that his only Big Idea lately has been a metro-area casino co-run by the Indian tribes and the state, this scenario seems like further proof of the power of the Peter Principle.

It's an absolute shame that Minnesota's so far from having been the place that put Walter Mondale and Paul Wellstone on the national stage. Pawlenty's a callow politician, someone who's helped create a situation in which the state won't give cities and counties enough money to keep their libraries open, but will considering dropping half a billion dollars to get into the casino business. For shame...