am.mn logoBusinesses have been so effective with Adopt-A-Highway efforts that Gov. Tim Pawlenty is expanding the program — to Build-A-Highway. T-Paw’s two examples of public-private road projects involve UnitedHealth and Burrill & Co., suggesting a novel reason to oppose health care reform: anything that hurts medical-industry behemoths’ bottom lines could hold back road-building in the state. 

SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Clark letter rips Bachmann. State Sen. Tarryl Clark’s fundraising letter says U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann only shows up at ribbon-cuttings. [DumpBachmann]

STATEWIDE: Pawlenty remembers. The governor opens an interview with “In a nutshell, I’m still the governor of Minnesota” and calls himself Minnesota’s most conservative guv since Ted “Tightwad” Christianson. [Human Events]

STATEWIDE: Not this Tim either. Proving he is no colloquial bad penny, former Congressman Tim Penny says he won’t be back in the running for governor — or anything else. [ECM Publishers]

ST. PETER: And then there were 25. With recent drop-outs and no-gos, that’s the number of gubernatorial aspirants, all of whom are invited to a candidate forum next month. [Star Tribune]

TWIN CITIES: Justice head here to talk crime on reservations. Attorney General Eric Holder will be in the Twin Cities for meetings with tribal officials.  [Associated Press]

MINNEAPOLIS: Local duo wants a piece of Strib. Along with minority shares, Vance Opperman and Glen Taylor would get naming rights to the business and sports sections, respectively. [Braublog]