Any Minnesotan who believes the bad blood between the Republican governor and DFL leaders dissipated when the Legislature shut down has been out in the sun too long.

Just how bad the blood remains can be seen in an Aug. 11 letter from Gov. Tim Pawlenty to Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher. In the short missive, Pawlenty turns down an invitation to participate in a DFL-sponsored “Minnesota Leadership Summit” in early September.

It might come as no surprise the governor would decline the invitation. But the governor’s note was less than friendly. It was a terse, biting reminder that, in his view, DFL leaders failed when they did not prepare an acceptable state budget. DFL leaders vigorously disagree with the governor’s assessment.

Nevertheless, Pawlenty took the opportunity to remind them the state already has a “leadership summit.” ‘’It’s called the legislative session, and it lasts approximately five months,” he wrote.

He further chided the DFL leaders for wasting the first few months of the session and waiting until “the last few minutes before midnight on the final day of session” to pass a budget bill. With all the subtlety of Paul Bunyan hacking down a forest, he said the delay “was indicative of how you managed the situation.”

The DFL invitation was an opportunity for the governor to again hammer on what he sees as the Democrats’ leadership failure.

He also avoided what could have been a political trap. Call it a “leadership summit,” but it likely will be little more than a wall-to-wall DFL critique of the Pawlenty administration.

Why would the governor and his people agree to participate? Still, the DFL gets a small win because the governor’s decision to decline the invitation will be fodder to allege that the governor is not interested in cooperation.

Frankly, Pawlenty has no interest in compromising with the DFL because he might be preparing a presidential bid that must appeal to his party’s uncompromising base. Several DFLers are in the running for governor; their campaign touchstone will be criticism of the Pawlenty administration. They, too, are not interested in cooperation or compromise.

Minnesota’s political saga slogs on. Meanwhile, schools, cities and universities cut teachers, services and programs because of the state’s financial crisis. Clearly, there is plenty of leadership failure to go around.

— Red Wing Republican Eagle, Aug. 17