edwards-pawlentySimilar responses by two national political figures to very different but apparently tough questions were in the news Thursday. Elizabeth Edwards’ response (”that’s … complicated“) to Oprah Winfrey’s question about whether she still loves her philandering husband John seems to have inspired Gov. Tim Pawlenty. He took a similar tack with his answer (”it’s … involved“) to a reporter’s question about whether he will sign an election certificate after the Minnesota Supreme Court rules in the Al Franken-Norm Coleman U.S. Senate dispute.

Excerpts from the interviews linked above:

WINFREY: Is it a day by day thing? 
EDWARDS: Neither one of us is out the door so I guess it’s day by day, but
maybe it’s month by month. 
WINFREY: So you are still living together? 
EDWARDS: Still living together. 
WINFREY: Are you still in love with him? 
EDWARDS: You know, that’s a complicated question. 

REPORTER: But you are saying it may go beyond the state court process.
PAWLENTY: It’s one of many scenarios. So if the question is will you sign the certificate exactly the day the Minnesota Supreme Court decides, well if the court process at the state level is continuing than I am prohibited to sign it. So it is more involved than just that one day that one moment. There are other factors here.

Both answers are made more complicated or involved by presidential politics. The high-office aspirations of John Edwards are now relegated to history by his admitted marital infidelity. Pawlenty’s, however, may get a boost or a dent depending on how he handles his responsibility of issuing an election certificate to either Al Franken or Norm Coleman.