When Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty released his budget in February, the DFL-controlled Legislature scoffed. In the proposal, he relied on nearly $400 million in federal Medicaid stimulus dollars that had yet to be approved by Congress. DFL leaders said they would wait to finish their budget until they were certain that the money, meant to help states battered by the sluggish economy, was going to come through.

Brian McClung, who has been Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief spokester for most of his two terms in office, is leaving to start his own communications shop and run a pro-business political group. His last day is Friday.