Minn. governor rides his rapport with McCain

Speculation increasing on Pawlenty as VP pick

Governor Tim Pawlenty (above, right) and Senator John McCain appeared at a town hall-style meeting Thursday in St. Paul. (Jim Mone/ Associated Press)

WASHINGTON - As Senator John McCain campaigned across New Hampshire early this year, one of his favorite traveling buddies was his longtime friend, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

McCain told voters that Pawlenty reminded him of a joke about two men in prison: One inmate turned to another and said, the food was better in prison "when you were governor."

Some politicians might resent being compared to a convict, but Pawlenty, no matter how many times he heard the joke, laughed appreciatively. And, no matter how many times he introduced McCain, Pawlenty lavished praise on the Arizona Republican as if it were his only chance.

The rapport between the two men, evident throughout long days on the campaign trail, now is being cited as one of the main reasons that Pawlenty has risen in speculation as McCain's possible running mate.

While much of the recent buzz has surrounded former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, his bitter primary fight with McCain and the lack of a personal relationship could hurt Romney's chances.

If McCain is looking for a close friend whose loyalty is beyond question, Pawlenty could be his vice presidential pick, political observers said. Pawlenty might also help McCain win Minnesota, where a recent poll showed the race is statistically tied.

"I think John McCain will pick a candidate that he is really, really comfortable with, not as a candidate but as a vice president," said David Durenberger of Minnesota, a Republican who served with McCain in the Senate and is one of Pawlenty's closest friends. McCain wants "somebody he has a natural affinity for, who he admires and would be incredibly comfortable with," a description that fits Pawlenty, Durenberger said.

Pawlenty, 47, first met McCain two decades ago, when he was asked to serve as a driver for McCain, who was campaigning in Minnesota for some local candidates. They hit it off and have been good friends ever since. McCain has encouraged Pawlenty's political ambitions and given him advice over the years, Pawlenty said during his January bus trip with McCain in New Hampshire.

But his downside was also apparent on those campaign swings. It was clear that few people in the audience had heard of the Minnesota governor. If McCain picks Pawlenty, it will take more than a corny joke to introduce him to voters. McCain would have to explain why a little-known governor with little direct experience in foreign affairs is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Pawlenty's low profile even found its way into a Jay Leno monologue last week during the vice presidential buzz. "I Googled him and it said, 'Who?' " Leno joked.

It is also not clear how Pawlenty's home-state persona would play on the national stage.

He has succeeded in Minnesota partly by fostering an image as a regular guy, but he may have gone too far after watching McCain's success in using humor to warm up a crowd. Appearing on a radio show in May, Pawlenty said, "I have a wife who genuinely loves to fish. . . . [and] she loves football, she'll go to hockey games and, I jokingly say, 'Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me.' "

As the hosts of WCCO's "Mike to the Max" radio show burst out laughing, Pawlenty's wife, Mary, could be heard in the background, saying, "I am so sorry. My apologies for my husband."

Tim Pawlenty quickly did a little damage control, saying, "It's a joke, it's a joke."

He is, in many ways, the anti-Romney. Unlike Romney, whose father was governor of Michigan and chairman of American Motors Corp., Pawlenty comes from blue-collar roots of South St. Paul. When he was 16 years old, his mother died and his father lost his job as a truck driver.

Pawlenty worked his way through the University of Minnesota as an undergraduate student and then at law school. He volunteered for Durenberger's 1982 campaign, then worked for the senator as an intern, beginning a mentoring relationship between the moderate Durenberger and the conservative Pawlenty that remains strong.

After serving as a city councilor in Eagan, Minn., Pawlenty was elected to the Minnesota House in 1992 and became the Republican leader in 1999. After being persuaded by Vice President Dick Cheney not to seek a US Senate seat in 2002 - enabling Norm Coleman to seek and win the position - Pawlenty was elected governor and reelected in 2006.

Pawlenty, who declined an interview request, says on his official website that he "is regarded as one of the nation's most innovative, energetic, reform-minded and accomplished governors."

He recently has become a strong advocate for action on global warming, which he said can be tackled by a number of initiatives including the construction of nuclear power plants, in line with McCain's philosophy.

Pawlenty's tenure has been marked by sharp battles with Democrats and against some within his party, particularly a 2005 showdown on whether he could balance the budget while keeping his campaign vow not to raise taxes. He eventually backed a 75-cents-per-pack cigarette tax increase, but insisted that it was a "health impact fee," not a tax that would violate his pledge.

He "lost the sheen of purity on the tax issue," said John Stiles, a spokesman for Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

A poll released last week may have boosted Pawlenty's chances to be McCain's running mate. The survey by Quinnipiac University found Senator Barack Obama leading in Minnesota 46 percent to 44 percent. That represents a dramatic improvement for McCain, who trailed 54 percent to 37 percent in a poll last month by the same group.

Republicans have made a big bet on Minnesota's potential as a swing state, putting the national convention there in September with an eye toward picking off the state's 10 electoral votes.

Yet Pawlenty was reelected in 2006 by only a 1-percentage-point margin, leaving it unclear if he has the political muscle to swing the state to McCain if selected as the vice presidential nominee.

Michael Kranish can be reached at kranish@globe.com.