Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has taken sides on many of the raging debates of this summer: the Arizona immigration law (good); English only (in favor); change the 14th Amendment's birthright provisions (yes); and the Ground Zero mosque (against).

But after a day of pork chops, cheese curds and corn dogs at the Iowa State Fair, Pawlenty declined to take sides on the perennial Iowa-versus-Minnesota State Fair competition, telling Radio Iowa he's "proud of both." "My first impression is this is a fabulous state fair and I think Iowa and Minnesota have two of the best state fairs in the country," he told the radio network. (He also cut a YouTube video talking about his experiences at the Iowa State Fair). Pawlenty, in his fourth public trip to the Hawkeye State in the past year, also spent some time raising money for Republican candidates in Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state which would loom large in any run for president in 2012.