Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is a stepping down after two terms.
At a news conference to announce his decision, Pawlenty said, “I still have a lot of ideas and energy left, but being governor should not be a permanent position for anyone.… It’s time to give someone else a chance.”
Partisan Democrats are quick to charge that Pawlenty doesn’t think he can win a third term. They point to a poll wherein 57 percent of Minnesota respondents think the governor should not run for a third term.
But hey: That poll may show more about the public’s thinking on term limits than on Pawlenty. A Rasmussen Reports poll shows the governor with a 53 percent approval rating.
Pawlenty told
Sean Hannity on Fox News: “In Minnesota, we don’t have term limits, but we do have common sense and good judgment and we’re also good about taking turns.… [L]ike with everything else, there’s a season in life and eight years is enough.… I think we’ve got a lot done and now it’s time to pass the baton to someone else.”
Pawlenty was on John McCain’s short-list for Vice President and is now being talked about as a likely GOP presidential contender come 2012.
Asked to speculate on his next position,
Pawlenty offered, “My dream job is to be an NHL defenseman, but at 48 and having no skill, it’s tough.”
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.