GOP contender Pawlenty plays Vegas

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a favorite of Sunday political TV talk shows and a man mentioned on the short list of GOP presidential possibilities, was in Las Vegas this weekend to speak at the Lincoln Day Dinner Saturday night at The Venetian.

Saturday afternoon, Pawlenty met with a gathering of Republican Party loyalists at Mundo, the downtown restaurant owned by Irma Aguirre and George Harris. Pawlenty’s focus on the need for fiscal sobriety in Washington found a very willing audience, which included U.S. Senate candidate John Chachas and a host of other candidates.

Pawlenty continued to make the Lincoln Day dinner circuit across the country bringing with him a conservative values message. He received rave reviews in Missouri following his recent St. Louis address.

He also was featured at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. It’s considered another sign Pawlenty has the credentials it will take to fit in with the GOP’s current philosophical renaissance.

As a side note, Pawlenty also took time to drop by a book signing in another part of the restaurant for “Amelia’s Long Journey,” the story of my daughter’s cancer struggle. Proceeds from the book benefit four childhood cancer charities.