rybak_largepawlentyvp1While Gov. Tim Pawlenty acknowledged on Friday that Republican candidates have been getting their “tails kicked” in elections, he didn’t take kindly to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s statement on the Fox Business Network on Friday that if Pawlenty were to run for president in 2012 he would “get his butt kicked by Barack Obama.” On the same network this morning, Pawlenty said, ”As to Mayor Rybak, since it is early in the week we want to be Minnesota nice. I think he was trash-talking there a little bit and we will let it go at that.”

Video after the jump.