Good To Know: Pawlenty's Presidential Chances

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Washington Post columnist George Will wrote a column Sunday featuring Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty in the subject line. The subtext was Pawlenty's Presidential aspirations. Don Shelby says, Will covered familiar ground, and stepped over some fertile soil.

Will's piece ends by pointing out that only two Republicans have won the Presidency on their first try, George W. Bush and Dwight David Eisenhower, adding that Pawlenty has enriched his resume by visiting Iraq five times, Afghanistan three times and Iowa six times this year.

Will says Rush Limbaugh has Pawlenty second only to Sarah Palin.

Will says Pawlenty has true conservative bona fides -- holding spending, cutting budgets, fighting unions.

But, Will leaves out that Pawlenty has been a fierce advocate of renewable fuels. Even in the conservative conscience there is room for government subsidies for corn ethanol.

Under his watch, Minnesota outdistanced all others in stations selling E-85. He was one of the first governors to ring the alarm bell of global warming, though he opposes cap and trade on economic grounds.

Question is, will the conservationist conservative Pawlenty ever be heard from again?