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Gov. Tim Pawlenty travels to Iowa this weekend to headline a Republican fundraiser, simply the latest evidence that he’s seriously eyeing a 2012 run for president. But according to the latest poll looking at potential GOP presidential contenders, Pawlenty continues to lag well behind his likely rivals. Just 32 percent of Republicans polled would [...]

Last year a website was created to answer the then-burning question, “Is Barack Obama a Muslin?” This morning, news outlets across the land carried the headline: “Woman first Muslin to win Opus Prize.” The Minnetonka-based Opus Prize Foundation awarded $1 million to Aicha Ech Channa, president of the Morocco Association for Women’s Solidarity, who is, [...]

Gov. Pawlenty’s new Freedom First political action committee held its first local fundraiser tonight at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. About 250 people — the same size crowd Pawlenty drew at the PAC’s considerably more affordable pretzel reception in Washington, D.C. last month – paid $1,000 each to attend a reception on the hotel’s third [...]

Is state Rep. Laura Brod still mulling a bid for governor? The Republican from New Prague previously dropped out of the race, citing health concerns, but has long been rumored to be eyeing a return to the contest.
Earlier today, though, Politics in Minnesota reported that Brod is definitely out of the contest and speculated that [...]

An aide to Rep. Michele Bachmann quit her communications position, Politico reported on Wednesday. Michelle Marston had been responsible for helping Bachmann get a copious amount of air time on cable news shows.
While Marston didn’t have much to say on the topic, an unnamed conservative Republican House member told Politico, “When your captain’s crazy, it’s [...]

St. Paul voters narrowly chose to adopt instant-runoff voting on Tuesday. But opponents of the ballot measure plan to challenge the validity of the result.

As expected Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak won re-election by a landslide last night. So what does the mainstream media want to know most about his victory? If he’s running for governor.

Actor Jon Voight dances to Minnesota Republicans’ tune over the next two days, appearing tonight with Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the first local fundraising event for his new Freedom First PAC in Minneapolis and on Thursday with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Washington, D.C., answering her call to storm the U.S. Capitol to stop health [...]

Will Rossbach avenged his electoral defeat from four years ago, ousting Maplewood Mayor Diana Longrie by a 51-39 percent margin on Tuesday. In the previous campaign, Longrie prevailed with 53 percent of the vote.
Rossbach will likely have a friendly city council to work with over the next four years. Kathleen Juenemann and James Llanas, both [...]

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine bristled at Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s litmus test for deciding whether she can call herself a Republican. “I’ve been a lifelong Republican. I haven’t changed. I don’t know what the problem is. I really don’t,” Snowe told the Politico. “Other Republicans could probably borrow more from me … in [...]