Tim Pawlenty "played bagman" to Texas Swift Boat millionaire

The bag man himself

​Rachel E. Stassen-Berger over at the Strib broke the news that Tim Pawlenty carried a $100,000 check from Texas to Alabama for millionare Bob Perry. Perry was part of the crew responsible for the Kerry-campaign-smashing Swift Boat ads.

Pawlenty told the Strib:

"The donor's name was Bob Perry and he was somebody I was visiting in Texas on behalf of the Republican Governors Association and he noted that I was going to Alabama and asked if I would bring them a check so I said I would."

Pawlenty visited Texas last month to raise money for his Freedom First PAC, which is, of course, no indication that he's running for president in 2012. At all. Promise.

In addition to the Swift Boat ads, Perry's money was involved in attack ads on Mike Hatch, who ran against Pawlenty in 2006, and he's a past contributor to the Republican Governors Association.

Pawlenty says that though he doesn't make it a habit to cart enormous sums of money around the country, he wouldn't mind doing it again. "I would love to deliver other checks...but this one was just a coincidence," he told the Strib.

We just hope he carried it in a briefcase handcuffed to his arm.