Tim Pawlenty

ST. PAUL, Minn. - For Republicans living in heavily blue states, crafting the right message is the key to success, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R- Minn.) told the Maryland delegation Wednesday morning.

"Please don't quit," Pawlenty said during a breakfast at the at the Embassy Suites hotel.  "Persistence matters. Ideals matter. Character matters. We have the best ideas. We just need to make sure we communicate them in ways that are effective."

Pawlenty said he knows a thing or two about being a Republican in a state that sways heavily Democratic.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) said he didn't believe President Bush would affect the Republican National Convention if he were or were not to attend.

Pawlenty, who the main host of the convention and spoke to the Ohio Delegation this morning, was asked by PolitickerOH.com if it was a good for the party that Bush would not speak tonight. Pawlenty said it didn't matter either way if Bush attended, even though his approval rating is about 30 percent.

"I think Senator McCain has established his own identiy and his own brand so I don't know that President Bush's presence being here or not being here is oging to effect that one way or the other," Pawlenty said.

Pawlenty said Bush is still fairly well-liked inside the GOP.

No matter who is trying to spin it one thing is undeniable John McCain has long been his own man.  All you really need to do is look at how the base of his party has treated him and you will realize McCain is not the darling of his party.  McCain has differed from his party on things such as immigration reform, the Bush tax cuts, the gang of 14 and campaign election reform. 

The “independent maverick” has done it again.  Based on back and forth email conversations from two of McCain’s closest friends it is clear McCain made this decision on his own.  The McCain inner circle, which is small, was looking for McCain to go a different direction.  Part of McCain’s circle, the more conservative part, was looking for McCain to go with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.  The other part of McCain’s circle really wanted McCain to shake it up and go with Democrat turned Independent Joe Lieberman.  Lieberman was closer to being the pick than many conservatives would want to believe. But McCain had plans of his own.

McCain not only went against what many in the Republican establishment thought was the wise pick, he also went against what his own inner circle thought was the wise pick. 

Should we ever be surprised at what our senior senator does?

DENVER -- In Minnesota for next week’s Republican National Convention, Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-Richwood) told PolitickerKY.com that many of his colleagues expected a different pick for U.S. Sen. Jon McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential ticket.

“Most people up here thought it would be Romney or Pawlenty,” said Grayson, referring to two oft-rumored names: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Still, Grayson said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin – McCain’s actual pick – was in the “top five” and not a “total surprise.”

Grayson sees the McCain-Palin ticket appealing to many in Kentucky – a state which heavily favored U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) over the eventual Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in the May primary. The second-term secretary of state argued many disaffected Clinton supporters could be attracted to McCain’s bid with the addition of Palin.

“I can’t help but think it’ll cause them to look at a McCain-Palin ticket,” said Grayson. “They were excited about having a woman president; maybe they will be excited about having a woman vice president.”

“It certainly won’t have people turning against the ticket,” added Grayson. “It will attract more votes from women.”

Dan Billings, a Waterville attorney and Republican activist, said that while Gov. Sarah Palin brings balance to the Republican ticket with John McCain, people still will vote for the top of the ticket, not the Vice Presidential pick.

If she came to Maine to campaign, however, residents would relate to her.

“Gov. Palin in Alaska has done a lot of things Barack Obama claims he wants to do,” Billings said, such as working across the aisle and getting past presidential politics.

“Most people she’s had problems with in Alaska are Republicans,” he added.

Last night we went to bed under the impression that Tim Pawlenty was the likely running mate for John McCain while Mitt Romney was still a possibility too.  One thing Inside Edge was told is it would be a “safe pick.”  This morning we wake up and the impression is Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the pick.  But could this all be just for media attention.  Maybe we need to look at yesterdays report where McCain backer Sid Rosen said Meg Whittman was the choice.  While there is no way that could be considered a “safe pick” it can’t be ruled out.

Speculation continues that John McCain will announce either former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney or current Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty tomorrow as his running mate.  McCain’s people seem to be telling others the choice is a safe and traditional choice.  But will that choice cost McCain a few bucks?

Earlier today the Arizona Republic reported McCain fundraiser Sid Rosen was betting on the choice being Ebay head Meg Whitman.  Rosen was so convinced he told donors he has been working on raising money from that he would not ask for another donation if the choice was not Whitman. 

Either Rosen had a real good reason to think it would be Whitman, or he may have been just looking for an out. 

Fox News Channel is confirming that John McCain has decided on his choice of a running mate, with Carl Cameron reporting that Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman and several other top VP contenders will all be present in Dayton, Ohio tomorrow as a show of unity.

PolitickerOH.com confirmed that Portman would be in attendance over a week ago.

Romney was last seen at a San Diego airport.

Who does former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele think will be John McCain's running mate?

Hoping to break through the media's focus on the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix) will join other Republicans Thursday morning at a "Not Ready '08" press conference to "discuss why Barack Obama is not ready to lead."