Pawlenty Downplays Iowa

Talking Points Memo reports:

Tim Pawlenty and his top staff are increasingly downplaying the importance of Iowa in interviews, a strange turn given its central importance to his campaign so far.

Pawlenty told reporters that "this week is the first time that I've campaigned in earnest in Iowa," according to theDes Moines Registerdespite the fact that he's been pouring huge amounts of time and resources into the state for months.

Earlier this week, top aide Vin Weber lowered expectations for the campaign by labeling Pawlenty's rival Minnesotan Michele Bachmann the frontrunner, who has been surging in the polls.

"It's going to be very hard to beat Michele in Iowa. Period," Weber told The Hill. "She's got hometown appeal, she's got ideological appeal, and, I hate to say it, but she's got a little sex appeal too."

The comments drew heavy attention for his use of the phrase "sex appeal" (he later apologized), but far more significant was Weber's apparent concession that Iowa might be beyond Pawlenty's reach. Nor were his comments an isolated instance: Pawlenty offered an even more explicit version to the Christian Broadcasting Network earlier in the week.

"I don't know that we need to win Iowa, but i think we need to do well there," he said. "There's going to be other really strong contenders. Michele Bachmann is from Iowa, she's got a strong social and tea party connection."