Pawlenty's inner circle shifts in high- and low-profile ways

Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced several moves in his cabinet on Monday, including naming Mark Holsten as his commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, a position likely to face a flurry of high-profile activity over issues such as clean water, limitations on access for all-terrain vehicles and dedicated funding for the outdoors.

In addition to naming Holsten, a former legislator who had been deputy DNR commissioner, Pawlenty announced the resignation of his chief of staff, David Gaither, who was said to be leaving "to pursue other opportunities."

Gaither, a former first-term state senator, was Pawlenty's third chief of staff. His departure confirmed rumors that had circulated for weeks that Gaither may be on the way out as Republican Pawlenty begins his second term facing DFL majorities in the House and Senate.

Additionally, Pawlenty appointed two acting commissioners permanently to commissioner posts: Cal Ludeman at the Department of Human Services and Brad Moore at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The DNR job is perhaps the most visible of the new moves. The agency serves often-competing interests and passions of groups such as environmentalists and sporting groups over such things as land and water access.

Holsten, an avid hunter and fisherman, is a Republican who served for 10 years in the Minnesota House, including as chairman of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. He has supported a proposal to dedicate sales-tax funding to the outdoors, an incendiary issue that is likely to emerge quickly in legislative debate.

He replaces Gene Merriam, the administration's highest-ranking DFLer. While some advocates had urged the selection of someone with more of a natural resources background, Holsten's appointment did not come as a surprise to sporting groups.

Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, the new chairman of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Committee, was supportive of Holsten's appointment.

"He does understand wildlife and habitat issues," said Juhnke, who worked with Holsten in the Legislature, "but I also think he's willing to sit down and work with folks like me and the agriculture community to find common ground on these issues."

Key role for chief of staff

The effect of Gaither's departure may be less public but should be seen as a significant barometer of where Pawlenty wants to take his second term.

A governor's chief of staff often serves as the lightning rod and acts as a hatchet man for a governor, particularly as a liaison with the Legislature.

Gaither, who had a reputation as a micromanager, told the Associated Press that the decision to leave was his own and that he had informed Pawlenty he was ready to move on soon after the election.

Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said the governor expects to name a new chief within the next month. The legislative session starts Jan. 3.

The role will be particularly important with the DFL's legislative majorities. Pawlenty has signaled an interest in setting a more moderate tone, especially after successive scalding sessions that included a partial government shutdown.

"The election reshuffled the deck," said David Strom, president of the conservative Taxpayers League of Minnesota. "The governor is going to want to be seen as reaching out to the Senate and to make a considerable effort to reach out to the House."

Strom predicted that Pawlenty's next chief of staff might serve as the hard-nosed "bad cop" to Pawlenty's "good cop" with legislators. A replacement could come from the ranks of Republican legislators who were defeated in November, particularly among former House colleagues of Pawlenty's.

With the recent departure of several other cabinet members, Strom said Pawlenty seems to have surrounded himself with what he described as "more team players."

Mark Brunswick • 651-222-1636 • mbrunswick@startribune.com