Jonathan Martin (ea):
Tim Pawlenty moved closer Wednesday to raising doubts about Michele Bachmann's fitness for office.
While repeating his previous comments that he'd defer to doctors on Bachmann's particular health situation, Pawlenty said broadly that presidential hopefuls have to be up for the rigors of the job.
"All of the candidates I think are going to have to be able to demonstrate they can do all of the job all of the time," he told reporters after an event in Indianola.
He added: "There's no real time off in that job."
Pawlenty is playing a dangerous game here.
Already, rumors -- fairly or not -- are circulating that the former Bachmann aides who talked in the Daily Caller story are on board with the Pawlenty campaign.
That's not a helpful rumor for T-Paw.
But by continuing to suggest, however gingerly, that the migraine issue is legitimate, it makes his campaign's link to the original story seem a little more plausible.
It looks even more suspicious, since he's the one who stands to gain the most if Bachmann slips from the fall-out.
Again -- a dangerous game. But ever since he backed off of "ObamneyCare" in that debate, he's been itching to play one.
Here's my question -- if he's asked about the migraines in the next debate, will he back off ala the "ObamneyCare" thing or hit hard?
This thing must be playing in the Pawlenty locker room 24/7.
