AM.MN: Pawlenty meets skeptics at Farmfest

In a Farmfest speech that was as much national as state-focused, Gov. Pawlenty urged ailing dairy farmers to increase demand by selling to China and India and promised to create a Minnesota Farmer Assistance Network (MFAN) for one-stop advice. State Rep. Al Juhnke, a DFLer from Willmar, said the guv’s “words ring true but his actions are different.” Nursing home worker Annette Riestenberg, who lives on a Perham farm, disputed T-Paw’s line that human-services waste hurts state ag aid. Said Phil Olson of Zumbrota after the speech: ”It’s a Band Aid. You haven’t solved anything.” (Pawlenty isn’t spending anything, either: He’ll pay for MFAN by shuffling funds.)

Elsewhere in Minnesota headlines this morning …

FARMFEST: Carol Molnau may be mulling guv run. But the first few days after the anniversary of the I-35W bridge collapse can’t be the best time for the lieutenant governor (and decommissioned transportation commissioner) to announce. [Star Tribune]

FARMFEST: Republicans quash gubernatorial straw poll. Chronic election observer Jimmy Carter wouldn’t approve, but party leaders didn’t want an unsanctioned survey to usurp their official straw poll in October. [Polinaut]

BEMIDJI: Congressman declares, “This is Recovery City.” Okay, U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, but then what’s Center City, home of Hazelden? [Bemidji Pioneer]

ST. CLOUD: Ex-mayor could become ex-lawyer. The Minnesota Supreme Court might suspend John Ellenbecker for losing a client’s audio cassettes, including a mix tape with that one Flock of Seagulls song. [St. Cloud Times]

DULUTH: Cops can’t take tix for golf tourney. The city attorney says accepting free passes as payment for off-duty security service at next week’s PGA Championship in Chaska isn’t kosher — though a plane-ticket gift for a city councilor to visit a Japanese sister-city was fine. [Duluth News-Tribune]

TWIN CITIES: Feds’ suit says drycleaner fired woman for getting pregnant. “Employers cannot restrict women — pregnant or otherwise — from their facilities in anything but the most unique of circumstances,” said an official. Most unique? Does that apply when women are only a little bit pregnant? [St. Paul Pioneer Press]