| Taking a look at Tim Pawlenty |
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By T.W. Budig ECM Capitol reporter They called him Timmy. Former Republican state representative Kathy Tingelstad of Andover, who was a good friend of one of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s sisters and two years ahead of Pawlenty in high school in South St. Paul, remembers the dark-haired teen as quiet, intent on hockey. “He use to set out the fruit in the fruit area,” said Tingelstad, recalling the young Pawlenty working in a local grocery store. Although critics of the Republican governor and possible presidential candidate have long depicted Pawlenty as captive of his personal ambition — plying a style of governance more tailored to appeasing a national Republican audience than assisting the school teacher in Anoka or uninsured family in Little Falls — Tingelstad recalls nothing about her friend’s little brother as suggesting simmering ambition. “If someone would have said, ‘Point out a future governor,’ he would not have been on my list,” said Tingelstad. Tested political waters as college student Pawlenty did begin to test the political waters as a college student, in the summer of 1980 interning in the office of former Republican U.S. senator David Durenberger. The story is told that Durenberger’s office was looking for an intern from South St. Paul or St. John’s University. Pawlenty got the nod. “I always took a lot of pride in hiring people who were smarter than I was,” said Durenberger. “He fit. He really fit. He’s inquisitive,” said Durenberger of Pawlenty. “He wanted to learn — I think he’s still like that. He’s always exploring,” he said. Pawlenty was a lot of fun — his children liked Pawlenty and have stayed in touch, said Durenberger. Pawlenty seemed to like the camaraderie of the office, of the campaign, he explained. Just exploring Durenberger did not sense that Pawlenty was plotting his own political future. “No. I don’t think he did. I think he was just exploring,” said Durenberger. “I don’t know if he had a lot of ambition for himself in the early days,” he said. Pawlenty worked on two campaigns for Durenberger during the 1980s. In the late 1980s, Pawlenty, now a practicing attorney, was appointed by former Eagan mayor Vic Ellison to the city planning commission. Ellison wondered how long the successful attorney would remain in local government. Spending the time was a financial sacrifice for Pawlenty, he said. Won Eagan City Council seat Pawlenty ran for the Eagan City Council, winning a seat on the five-member body. Former Eagan Council Member Theodore Wachter, who logged some 27 years on the council, remembers Pawlenty for seconding a motion that he had made to ban billboards along I-35E going through Eagan. He was great to get along with, Wachter of Pawlenty. “We never had no arguments,” he said. Did Pawlenty strike him as a man on the move? “No. Never had that idea at all,” said Wachter. Former Republican state auditor Pat Anderson, who when serving with Pawlenty on the Eagan city council was known as Pat Awada, said she did not know Pawlenty well at that time. She only served on the council with him for a year, said Anderson. She knew he was making preparations for a run for the state house. “Did he think beyond the Legislature? I have no idea,” she said. Not thinking about being governor “But I think at that point when we were young, serving on a city council, we weren’t thinking of one of us, or both of us, being governors,” said Anderson, a Republican gubernatorial candidate. But former Eagan mayor Tom Egan, now a Dakota County Commissioner, believes that Pawlenty was following a plotted political course. “I think the governor’s strategy was very well scripted back then, and I think it’s scripted to date,” said Egan, whom Pawlenty reappointed to the Met Council. “I think even back in those days he had plans for higher office — very little doubt in my mind,” said Egan. “Tim is a very gifted person — a very bright, very ambitious person,” he said. Pawlenty was elected to the House in 1992 in District 38B, but for six years served in the minority. He found it frustrating, explained Durenberger. “I know in the Legislature he became discouraged after a while not being able to change things,” he said. “We talked about that from time to time,” said Durenberger. “I think he wanted movement. I think he wanted to shape things,” he said. Opportunity knocked in the 1998 election when Republicans gained control of the House. Pawlenty later was elected House majority leader. Leadership skills began to shine “I think when he was majority leader his leadership skills really started to shine,” said Tingelstad, elected to the House in 1996. People were expecting Pawlenty to run for something, she said. “If you have aspirations for higher office, it’s (majority leader) a great place to be,” she said. But a planned run for the U.S. Senate crumpled for Pawlenty when the Bush White House tapped St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman on the shoulder. “(Republican strategist) Karl Rove and the guys in the White House screwed it up,” said Durenberger. Pawlenty would have made a very good U.S. senator, Durenberger said. And he would have been re-elected last year, Durenberger opined. But Pawlenty rebounded, winning the governorship in 2002, winning despite a whopping campaign violation fine being leveled at his campaign. Pawlenty won re-election in 2006. Admiration for Sen. John McCain Pawlenty’s admiration for Republican U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona began taking on greater and greater implications in more recent years as McCain nudged closer to a presidential run. Although Pawlenty ultimately failed to make the final cut as McCain’s running mate, Anderson believes the experience was an eye-opener for Pawlenty. “All of a sudden doors opened to some possibilities and maybe opened his (Pawlenty’s) eyes to possibilities that he might have on the national level,” said Anderson. “Until McCain came around, I don’t think Tim was thinking in terms of national office,” she said. Anderson, for one, sees no evidence that Pawlenty has molded his style of governance to attract the attention of national Republican leaders. Former Eagan mayor Ellison doesn’t buy the idea either, saying the things Pawlenty talks about now — smaller government, lower taxes — are the exactly same things he talked about in Eagan 20 years ago. Dealt a difficult hand Durenberger, too, dismisses the notion that Pawlenty caters to the Republican elite. “No — I think he was dealt a difficult (state budget) hand,” he said. Pawlenty does make decisions with at least some consideration to national politics, Tingelstad said, but it’s a minor part of the overall process. But Egan suggested that ambition could guide the governor’s hand. “I’m cynical,” said Egan, who prior to a recent interview had been looking at a power point on budget cuts. Pawlenty is leaving a state budget situation — one that he “created,” said Egan — that is more dire than it has to be. “In other words, there’s going to be a lot baggage left for his successor,” said Egan. “Whether that’s for good or for bad, I don’t know. But he’s certainly leaving it for other people,” said Egan of the deficit projected to shroud the budget. “I think the jury is still out on some of those questions,” Egan said of the relationship between ambition and judgement in Pawlenty. Durenberger in looking back sees coincidence shaping Pawlenty’s career. And perhaps more. More evangelical “Some people who are more evangelical in their faith say, that when you’re in the right place at the right time, you don’t know necessarily which direction you’ll be led,” said Durenberger. For her part, Tingelstad sees something methodical, workmanlike in Pawlenty’s course. “I don’t think there was any grandiose plan,” she said. “I think he took one step at a time, and he found success — people encouraged him,” she said. “Again, in his career, he’s been at the right place at the right time,” said Tingelstad. “And that’s sort of been the story of his life,” she said. Comments (0)
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