Tales from the Trail

Ah, Tim Pawlenty.

The onetime Minnesota governor seemed for a little while like a promising candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. And then came the deadly Iowa straw poll last August, a contest whose meaninglessness has been confirmed by the fact that Michelle Bachmann won it, only to come in basically last–in her home state!–yesterday when the votes actually mattered (as much as they ever do in Iowa).

It’s safe to say that, while CNN sought the wisdom of departed candidate Herman Cain, and Fox the wisdom of not-quite-candidate Sarah Palin, T-Paw was not exactly overexposed on TV during the voting and counting.

So what exactly did Tim Pawlenty do yesterday? Reuters Opinion senior editor Chadwick Matlin has imagined the day, in this piece for nymag.com.

PHOTO: U.S. Republican presidential candidate and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty speaks at the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa, August 13, 2011. REUTERS/Jim Young

Sexist, biased or just a bad editorial decision?

Whatever it is,  White House hopeful Michele Bachmann is not engaging in the debate  (at least publicly) over the appropriateness of a Newsweek cover photo of her that has generated a lot of buzz.

The only woman in the crowded field of candidates vying for the 2012   Republican presidential nomination, Bachmann has remained focused on her mission, stomping in  Iowa  ahead of  the state’s Republican Straw Poll on Saturday.  (She  announced more local endorsements on Tuesday.)

When the Minnesota Congresswoman and Tea Party star — whom even many of her opponents agree is photogenic — was asked about the controversial magazine cover on Monday, she simply said she had not seen it  and moved on.

Iowa Republicans have differences over the propriety of a conservative group’s effort to raise a $100,000 fee for former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to speak at a banquet next month,  according to Politico.com.

Whether Palin requested a fee (and there’s no indication that she did says Politico) or whether she should be paid may be a moot point — but, more about that later.

First — It’s not the amount of the fee that has some Iowans bothered — it’s that a fee is even being considered at all.