Today's deluge of political/campaign news continues unabated:
Two sources have confirmed that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will announce that he will not seek re-election in 2010.
The sources confirmed to WCCO-TV political reporter Pat Kessler that the announcement about Pawlenty's future plans will include an announcement that he will not seek a third term.
The announcement is expected to be made at a 2 p.m. press conference.
This could be a sign that he is interested in the White House in 2012. After all, polls taken earlier this month showed him in a potentially precarious position against two potential challengers: former Senator Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. Independent candidates had been Pawlenty's savior in both of his gubernatorial bids, as he won with 44% and 47% of the vote.
You don't see too many presidential aspirants who earn the office fresh off losing a statewide election, of course, which is why Pawlenty might not have been eager to bet his national ambitions on a toss-up statewide election.
Of course, there is another angle to this--what Pawlenty is going to do if and when the state Supreme Court, as expected, sides with Al Franken and demands an election certificate from the governor's office. Will not being burdened with a re-election campaign make Pawlenty more likely to issue the certificate? Or will having national ambitions make him more likely to do the bidding of the NRSC?
There is no shortage of intrigue accompanying this afternoon's press conference. Expect both Franken and Pawlenty's 2012 ambitions to come up.