The world didn't end this weekend, but the stars seem aligned for Tim Pawlenty, with Mitch Daniels' decision to stay out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. The former Minnesota governor had every reason to sound genial, and perhaps even a tad relieved, in a statement this morning praising the Indiana governor as an "intellectual powerhouse." That same powerhouse would have pulled well with many of the same party heavyweights looking for a strong general election candidate, as opposed to one that will just fire up the Tea Party base in the primaries. Daniels was that man, and now he's out of the way, pointing increasingly toward the possibility of a sharpened rivalry between Pawlenty and presumed front-runner Mitt Romney. Pawlenty could hardly have received better news on the eve of his scheduled announcement Monday in Des Moines.