Paulsen has recently endured pressure over his moderate stance on the shutdown, though that pressure came from right-leaning Republicans.

If you hear political activists calling for change in the 2012 state House and Senate elections, you won’t be faulted for thinking that the rhetoric must be coming from DFLers. After all, Democrats lost control of both chambers in a 2010 election that saw a conservative tide roll across Minnesota and the rest of the country.

Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty's presidential campaigns will face a critical test with next week's Iowa straw poll. Both candidates are looking to use it as a springboard to victory in next year's first-in-the-nation caucuses.