All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

With the 2009 elections proving to be fruitful for the Republican party but less so for its conservative wing, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) is once again in the spotlight as a representative of the GOP's moderate branch.

Snowe has earned considerable attention over the course of the year for her willingness to work with Democrats on health care reform -- something that has made her an exception in her party. As the GOP considers how it will define itself in the coming years, prominent Republicans like Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are debating whether or not Snowe represents the right direction for their party.

On MSNBC this morning, Steele said Snowe was welcome in the GOP.

"Each member of this party has a unique footprint," he said. "And it's different from region to region. I can't win in the Northeast with a candidate best suited for the South and vice-versa."

As Politico points out Steele's comments diverge from an earlier statement he made indicating he would be open to supporting challengers to moderates like Snowe.

Earlier in the week, Pawlenty, a potential presidential hopeful for the Republicans, suggested Snowe may not be conservative enough for the Republican party.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has joined another potential 2012 Republican presidential aspirant, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in backing conservative-party candidate Doug Hoffman in the race for a Congressional seat in upstate New York.

The choice by Pawlenty and Palin to weigh in on next week's special election in New York's 23rd congressional district – and their choice of Hoffman over moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava – has driven chatter about the future of the GOP and to what degree it will or will not seek to be a "big tent" party that welcomes more moderate members.

Steve Chaggaris: Palin Snubs Republican Candidate in House Race

Pawlenty told the conservative blog RedState in an emailed statement that "we cannot send more politicians to Washington who wear the Republican jersey on the campaign trail, but then vote like Democrats in Congress on issues like card check and taxes."

“After reviewing the candidates’ positions, I’m endorsing Doug Hoffman in New York’s special election," he continued. "Doug understands the federal government needs to quit spending so much, will vote against tax increases, and protect key values like the right to vote in private in union elections.” (Last Thursday, for what it's worth, Pawlenty told CNN he hadn't been following the race at all.)

RedState points to what it calls "real conservatives" who back Hoffman, among them Fred Thompson, the Club for Growth, Dick Armey, Rick Santorum and Steve Forbes.

Not on that list is Newt Gingrich, who is backing Scozzafava. "My number one interest is to build a Republican majority," he said. "If your interest is taking power back from the Left, and your interest is winning the necessary elections, then there are times when you have to put together a coalition that has disagreement within it. We have to decide which business we are in. If we are in the business about feeling good about ourselves while our country gets crushed then I probably made the wrong decision."

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is setting the stage for a presidential run in 2012.

The Republican today officially announced the launch of his Political Action Committee, "Freedom First," which "will offer financial support to candidates committed to putting freedom before government, and provide organizational support for Pawlenty to promote his innovative, conservative message."

In a release announcing the PAC, Pawlenty previewed his potential line of criticism against President Obama, saying, "Right now, our freedoms are being challenged on many fronts."

"This organization is dedicated to putting freedom first again in America," he said. "By helping candidates and translating our ideas into policies that everyone can relate to and support, we can turn back the growth of Washington and renew the promise of freedom."

Launching a PAC is a standard move for politicians laying the groundwork for a presidential run. Pawlenty has announced he will not run for a third term as governor next year.

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Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

** The president makes an Olympic bid...

** Conflicting opinions on Afghanistan...

** Tim Pawlenty gets a PAC...

PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY: The president will speak to a Democratic Governors Association fundraiser and hold closed meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner before heading to Copenhagen to help pitch Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

First lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey are already in Denmark and the Chicago Tribune's Philip Hersh and Kathy Bergen report that Mrs. Obama "wasted no time in captivating some of the International Olympic Committee members who will decide a 2016 Summer Olympic host-city race considered too close to call.

"As she passed through the lobby of the Copenhagen Marriott, where the IOC members are staying, she gave two thumbs up and a hug to one of the first members she encountered, Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba.

"Not only that, Hoevertsz said later, but the first lady congratulated her on having been named Tuesday as secretary to Aruba's council of ministers.

"It is that sort of preparation and attention to detail as much as the case she makes for her city that the Chicago 2016 bid committee hopes will make her a key player in Copenhagen. The second big name to arrive Wednesday, Oprah Winfrey, also hopes to influence the IOC's voting, which she called 'a decision that could be a landmark in Chicago history.'" On Friday, the IOC will choose Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo or Madrid."

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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who is seen as a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, is launching a Political Action Committee called "Freedom First."

"I expect it will launch within the next few weeks," Pawlenty adviser Alex Conant said. "When the governor said he wouldn't seek re-election, he said in addition to finishing his term strong, he would help other Republicans candidates, and obviously a PAC is one key way to do that."

Launching a PAC is a standard move for politicians laying the groundwork for a presidential run. Pawlenty has announced he will not run for a third term as governor next year.

"Pawlenty setting up this PAC is a clear indication that he's eyeing federal office - perhaps a 2012 presidential run," said CBS News political director Steve Chaggaris. "And setting it up provides him with money to financially support Republican candidates around the country - picking up political chits along the way - as well as fund his own political travel. Fellow potential candidates Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin all have their own federal PACs up and running."

"To truly gauge what his intentions are, it'll bears watching to see how he spends his PAC money over the next 18 months: which political candidates he contributes to (and which important presidential primary/caucus states they represent) and which states he travels to," Chaggaris continued. "Once the likes of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina start showing up on those lists, it'll be clear that a presidential run in 2012 is on his mind."

The first fundraiser for Pawlenty's PAC will be November 4th in Minneapolis; entry to the reception is $1,000, and entry to the dinner is $5,000. To become an event chair for the event, a person must raise $100,000, which entitles them to two tickets to a private dessert reception with the governor as well as 20 tickets to the reception and dinner.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican seen as a potential 2012 presidential candidate, on Friday criticized President Obama's planned speech to schoolchildren, calling it "disruptive" for schools.

"At a minimum it's disruptive, number two, it's uninvited and number three, if people would like to hear his message they can, on a voluntary basis, go to YouTube or some other source and get it," he told reporters at the Minnesota state fair, according to CNN. "I don't think he needs to force it upon the nation's school children."

The president will speak about the importance of working hard and staying in school, according to the White House. He will not address policy or political issues. Some school districts, citing logistical concerns as the school year gets underway, are opting not to show the speech.

There has also been ideological opposition to the address, inflamed by an initial recommendation from the Department of Education that students write a letter to themselves on how they could help the president. That recommendation has since been removed and other language in the guidelines was also changed.

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The Republican Governors Association announced today that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been elected to serve as vice chair, a position that gives the governor a chance to raise his national profile ahead of a potential 2012 bid for president.

In his new role, Pawlenty will seek out support from Republican donors and party activists on behalf of the 39 Republican gubernatorial candidates who will be running for office this year and in 2010. Pawlenty said he will stress fiscal conservatism in the upcoming races.

"Winning these races is key to rebuilding the GOP and strengthening our economy," he said. "We have a tremendous opportunity to transform the political map."

RGA Chairman Haley Barbour highlighted Pawlenty's tenure as a Republican governor outside of the South.

We're two and a half years away from the 2012 Iowa presidential caucuses but that's not stopping the fevered pitch of speculation about who's up and who's down in the GOP, who might be running and who isn't.

Case in point: Gallup is out with a poll today that shows, "About one in four Republicans and Republican-leaning independents make Mitt Romney their top choice for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, giving him a slight edge over Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee.

"Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is the choice of 14% of Republicans, with much smaller numbers choosing current Govs. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Haley Barbour of Mississippi."

Now, while the blogosphere will light up about this "news," we should all take a deep breath before we start planning for the Obama vs. Romney debates.

Let's go ahead and turn on the time machine and go back and look at some early presidential polling in past years.

Gallup, Aug. 9, 2005: "There are two leading candidates for the GOP nomination at this point (should they end up running, of course): Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Twenty-seven percent of Republicans who are registered to vote pick Giuliani as their nominee, while 24% pick McCain. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice comes in third with 19%, followed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist with 9%, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 4%, and New York Gov. George Pataki and former Virginia Gov. George Allen with 3% each."

Friendly reminder: Giuliani didn't get past January 2008's primaries.

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In only his second interview since announcing he will not seek a third term, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) will talk to Bob Schieffer about the future of the Republican Party as well as his plans for 2012 on this week’s edition of “Washington Unplugged.” Could a run for the White House be in the cards?

Also on the Web-only broadcast will be an interview with Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Associate Editor Michele Dunne, who will discuss the impact on U.S./Arab relations of President Obama’s closely-watched address to the Muslim World.

In addition, CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Chip Reid will report from Germany, where he is travelling with the president. Mr. Obama plans to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and also mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day on the beaches of Normandy, France.

Finally, Schieffer will sit down with Newsweek's Richard Wolffe to discuss Wolffe’s new book, "Renegade: The Making of a President." The book offers an intimate view of Obama on the campaign trail, shedding light on his life before he took office. "Renegade" is already making waves in Washington.

Tune in this Friday at 2pm ET at www.cbsnews.com/washingtonunplugged to check out new episodes of “Washington Unplugged,” and send your questions to be asked during the show to washingtonunplugged@cbs.com.

A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

**President Obama arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia just after 7:30am ET...

**Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor continues meeting with Senators; Newt Gingrich says his labeling of her as "racist" was "too strong and direct"...

**Gov. Pawlenty's retirement announcement raises speculation about his political future...

PRESIDENT'S OVERSEAS TRIP: "President Barack Obama began his latest bid to open a dialogue with the Muslim world by paying a call Wednesday on Saudi King Abdullah, guardian of Islam's sacred sites in Mecca and Medina," reports the Associated Press' Mark S. Smith.

"The monarch of Saudi Arabia greeted Obama at Riyadh's main airport with a ceremony when the new U.S. president arrived after an overnight flight from Washington. ... Perched on ornate chairs behind a flower arrangement, Obama and Abdullah then chatted briefly in public and shook hands, with cameras capturing the scene. Then, they retreated to hold private talks on a range of issues."

Regarding Mr. Obama's speech in Cairo tomorrow, writes the Washington Post's Anthony Shadid, "he will face the legacy of names like Haditha, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, places that have become more symbol than geography over nearly a decade of perhaps the most traumatic chapter in America's relationship with the Muslim world.

"More than any other president in a generation, Obama enjoys a reservoir of goodwill in the region. His father was Muslim. His outreach in an interview with an Arabic satellite channel, a speech to Turkey's parliament and an address to Iranians on the Persian New Year have inclined many to listen. Just as important, he is not George W. Bush.

"But Obama will still encounter a landscape in which two realities often seem to be at work, shaped by those symbols."

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