Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty has evidently learned a thing or two from his predecessor, Jesse "The Body" Ventura. He is proclaiming October "Minnesota Twins Month".

This is like skipping the typical gubernatorial black'n'white cookie-for-kielbasa winner-take-all gentlemen's bet and going right to the "It's a foregone conclusion that we're going to kick your hinders and still be celebrating at the end of this month" jugular. Remember what happened when the kid who skipped the Double Dare and went right for the Double Dog Dare in "A Christmas Story", and another kid ended up with his tongue frozen to a pole?

It may be a political embarrassment for the gov. if very soon the Twins end up celebrating their "Month" by watching other teams play in the next rounds of the playoffs. But they do get to keep the half-off coupons from Applebees.