Give The Captain Some Air

We want to extend our congratulations to our NARN colleague Captain Ed for landing a new gig:

Today brings exciting news and an end to a time in my life that has proven far more successful than I ever dreamed. Beginning on March 1, I will begin working for Michelle Malkin, a friend, mentor, and writer I have long admired. She has offered me a position as writer at Hot Air, and my blogging will appear exclusively there.

Isn't the mentor usually the older one? Just askin'.

With every new beginning comes some other beginning's end:

That means that I will close out Captain's Quarters sometime in March.

No more Captain's Quarters? This is like finding out that your neighborhood bar is closing and the owner will be working at Applebee's (or Krabby O Mondays). But I'm sure the tips are much better and Ed has made a wise move.

I am a little worried though that all the excitement may have caused him a moment or two of light-headedness. How else to explain this post on VP possibilities for McCain?

Pawlenty and Sanford both give gentle but firm opposition to McCain's efforts on both in this interview -- which normally would signal a presidential nominee to avoid them as running mates. However, in this instance both men could make excellent emissaries to the conservative wing of the party. They can lay out the thinking conservative's case for enthusiasm in McCain better than anyone else, and at the same time lay out their own cases for higher public office in the post-McCain phase. It promises a means to influence in the next administration and grooming more palatable conservatives for the future.

I read this sort of thing about Pawlenty being a good conservative in the national media all the time and I'm become accustomed to it. But Ed lives here in Minnesota and has for some time. He should know better than to traffic in the conventional (and very incorrect) wisdom on T-Paw.

Memo to national political pundits (and apparently Ed): Governor Pawlenty is not a rock-ribbed conservative by any means. In general, I like Pawlenty and think he's done a decent job holding the line against the excesses of the DFL. I can't even imagine what a nightmare it would be to have Mike Hatch leading the state right now. But make no mistake about it, Pawlenty is not the guy to warm the hearts of conservatives disaffected by having McCain on the top of the ticket. On many issues that most rile conservatives, Pawlenty shares the same views as McCain. Adding him to the ticket as VP will not bring any measure of ideological balance.

Now Sanford, well that's another story entirely.