Pawlenty discusses Obama, the budget mess and his political future

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is keeping his name circulating in national political circles. While in Washington for the inauguration, he sat down for a discussion with The Atlantic‘s Marc Ambinder. The interview touched on the looming federal stimulus package, Ronald Reagan’s legacy and Minnesota’s massive budget deficit. How Pawlenty handles the latter will undoubtedly shape his political future, a topic on which he was characteristically coy:

I really have put off any sort of decisions about my political future until we get through this legislative session and this budget crisis, and I want to stay focused on that. I haven’t ruled out running for re-election as governor, either.