Pawlenty Hires Campaign Manager

Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota Governor and 2012 hopeful, has hired a campaign manager to lead his exploratory committee.

The duty will fall on Nick Ayers, the former Executive Director of the Republican Governors Association.

“He is without question one of the best political talents in America,” Pawlenty said in a statement. “His leadership and record of winning tough races in every part of our country will provide even more momentum to our campaign to get America back on track.”

Bachmann Disappointed By CR

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) issued the following statement early Saturday morning:

“The negotiations which led up to this vote reaffirmed a simple truth: our troops should not be used as pawns in political negotiations. I am planning to introduce legislation so that our men and women in uniform are never again in the situation of wondering whether or not they will receive a paycheck in the event of a government shutdown. If we reach another impasse like we did this week, our active duty military and their families must know that their paychecks are secure.

“The deal that was reached tonight is a disappointment for me and for millions of Americans who expected $100 billion in cuts, who wanted to make sure their tax dollars stopped flowing to the nation’s largest abortion provider, and who wanted us to defund ObamaCare. Instead, we’ve been asked to settle for $39 billion in cuts, even as we continue to fund Planned Parenthood and the implementation of ObamaCare. Sadly, we’re missing the mandate given us by voters last November, and for that reason I voted against the Continuing Resolution.”

Tea Party Group Blaming Democrats For Impending Shutdown

The Tea Party Express is warning Senate Democrats that if the government shuts down this Friday, members of the conservative movement will be blaming them.

“Big-spending liberal Senators refuse to compromise and agree on a budget solution that addresses our skyrocketing spending and national debt,” Amy Kremer, the group’s chair, said in a statement. “If they continue down this path, they will force an imminent shutdown of the government.”

Invoking the 2012 elections, Kremer warned that Democrats will likely face retribution at the polls.

“The Tea Party is not kidding or taking this casually,” Kremer said. “Cut the budget, or find a box and start packing up. November 2012 is right around the corner.”

Both parties continue to hold zero hour budget negotiations, but no compromise has been reached. Current funding is set to expire Friday.

Reid Calls Tea Party "Radical," "Unrealistic," But Not "Extreme"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) described the Tea Party Wednesday as a “radical, unrealistic, unreasonable and unpopular faction,” but refrained from describing the conservative movement “extreme” following Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) recent gaffe.

During a phone conference Tuesday, Schumer told fellow Democratic Senators to label the spending cuts heralded by Tea Party as “extreme.” Unfortunately for Schumer, reporters were listening in on the call and the advice made headlines.

Reid’s description came in a statement urging Republicans to shirk Tea Party demands and arrive at a sensible budget compromise.

Reagan's Press Secretary To Meet With Carney

Former White House Press Secretary James Brady is meeting with current spokesman Jay Carney Wednesday to mark the 30th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s attempted assassination.

Brady, Reagan’s Press Secretary at the time, was shot during the attempt and left permanently disabled. In the years following, he became a major supporter of gun-control, a message he intends to bring to the White House Wednesday.

Brady’s visit comes shortly after President Obama penned an op-ed calling for a national conversation on gun policy. According to Brady’s organization, the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, the former Press Secretary will highlight H.B. 308 and S.B. 32.

“Those bills would ban large-capacity assault clips, like the kind used by the Tucson shooter on January 8,” a statement from the campaign reads.

The meeting between the two secretaries will take place in the White House briefing room, which was officially renamed in 2000 after Brady.