With the widely-anticipated Ames Straw Poll less than two weeks away, Politico reports that former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty will be taking television and radio campaign ads off the air 72 hours prior to the table-setter event for next year's Iowa caucuses.
Pawlenty adviser Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Politico that the decision to pull the spots comes as an attempt to reallocate campaign funds to turn out supporters to the Hawkeye State straw poll. The campaign indicated that the move is not the product of the political operation running short on cash.
HuffPost's Jon Ward reported last month on Pawlenty's second quarter campaign finance filings:
The New York Times reports GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty [had] spent more than half of the money he raised in the second quarter.
The Pawlenty campaign released its numbers early to the Times. While it revised its second quarter fundraising total to reflect an increase from $4.2 million to $4.5 million, the campaign also said it spent $2.45 million during the period from April to June.
The AP reported last week:
Months ago, Pawlenty suggested that he needed to win or do very well in Iowa, and a number of top Iowa Republicans say he will have a hard time continuing in the race if he doesn't win the caucuses next winter. Among them is Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who argues Pawlenty shouldn't be counted out just yet.
"He's kind of like the tortoise that just keeps going," Branstad said in an AP interview. "He's putting a strong organization together. He's working at it. He's putting the time in here. That's why I'm saying `don't just write him off.' That effort and getting the right people on board – come January he might be in a much stronger position."
On Thursday, the AP reported that a Republican businessman whose support was trumpeted by Pawlenty two months ago is stepping away from a policy position within the campaign.
Indiana executive Al Hubbard won't be chairman of Pawlenty's national policy efforts as previously announced. Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant said Wednesday that Hubbard "became busy with work and isn't operating in that role."
Hubbard was seen as a big get for Pawlenty in June because he led a White House economic panel during President George W. Bush's administration and has close ties to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Hubbard also had a top job in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. He runs an Indianapolis-based acquisition company.
Conant says Pawlenty is grateful that Hubbard gave him the maximum campaign contribution.