Surprised? T-Paw Iowa-bound

Photo: house.gov

Presidentially ambitious Gov. Pawlenty has traveled greater distances to destinations offering lesser political rewards, so it’s hardly a surprise he’ll make the short trip next month to all-important Iowa.

T-Paw’s excursion to the south to attend a “Leadership for Iowa” event is couched purely in terms of Republican gubernatorial aims by that state’s party organization.

But no one — from the Washington Post to the National Journal — is missing the significance of Iowa (and its caucus) to Pawlenty as the first testing ground for 2012 presidential candidates.

The news of T-Paw’s impending trip comes on a day that the Wall Street Journal carries a pronouncement on Pawlenty from a GOP sage. He’s “all that,” says former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia — but not in the slang sense of hip praise. Davis’ full evaluation:

Pawlenty is still too undefined. “He’s from Minnesota, he’s pro-life and all that,” Davis said.

[Via Politics in Minnesota]