sosbillboard.thumbnail.jpgI saw the billboard yesterday on my way past the airport:  "What Will Pawlenty Choose?  People of Minnesota — or — His National Ambitions?"

Well, if his veto of the compromise state budget bill is any indication, he’s definitely picking "National Ambitions" for $1000, Alex.   He’d rather run up the state’s credit card another $1 billion or so than cause the rabidly nutty anti-tax movement conservatives running the Republican Party to veto his hopes of getting onto the GOP’s 2012 presidential ticket.

Then again, he’s also known for making the big woofin’ noises whilst nervously hoping somebody else does the right thing for him.   This isn’t the first time he’s vetoed a funding bill; back in February of 2008 he vetoed a highway-funding bill — bare months after one of our major freeway bridges collapsed in large part because the state didn’t have the money to replace it at the time even though it was known to be in need of replacing —  and the state legislature went ahead and overrode his veto, which was not a total surprise.   And of course earlier this year Pawlenty was poor-mouthing Obama’s stimulus plan but didn’t turn down Minnesota’s share of the money.  (Meanwhile, Pawlenty has quietly signed on to accept even more Federal stimulus money, this time for commuter rail.)

All this is by way of saying that when it comes to Smilin’ Tim Pawlenty, the slipperiest eel east of the Pecos, what sounds like a "no" or a "yes" may in fact be a "definite maybe" — and that includes what he might say or do with regard to Al Franken.