Wednesday's Starting Lineup

By Reid Wilson

Good Wednesday morning. Anybody getting tickets to DC's EagleBank Bowl matchup between Temple and UCLA? We can't wait to boo Rick Neuheisel.

Here's Hotline OnCall's Starting Lineup, identifying the people who will matter today in DC:

MN GOV. TIM PAWLENTY: The potential pres. candidate makes his next visit to an early state today, raising money for local GOP candidates. His speech will focus on spending, contrasting his record with the federal budget, an advisor tells OnCall. In an appearance in IA a month ago, Pawlenty focused on his opposition to health care legislation working its way through Congress.

Pawlenty remains largely an unknown to early state voters, and though he appears to be the only obvious rival to ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R), he has a long way to go before he can be considered the GOP frontrunner. But with ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin, ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee and several other candidates looking less likely to run, Pawlenty could find himself as Romney's chief foe sooner rather than later.

We've heard complaints about Pawlenty's speaking style and his inability to fire up a crowd, and a high-profile shout-out from ex-House Maj. Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) was based more on Pawlenty's room to grow than any kind of base he might already have. It's early yet, and Pawlenty still has to visit SC before his early state tour takes round 2. A day of headlines in the Granite State will do him some good.

EX-DNC CHAIR HOWARD DEAN: Bypassed twice for the top health post in the Obama admin., Dean has become a chief proponent of the most aggressive form of health care reform. He said in an interview in his home state that the best option would be to kill the bill and start over in the House, using reconciliation to move through the Senate.

Liberals have blamed Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Joe Lieberman and others for killing the public option, but Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) spoke for a growing number of lefties when he blamed Pres. Obama.

Dem legislative strategists now have a tightrope to walk between placating the liberal set in the House and giving centrists enough of an opportunity to show their independence. Otherwise, the party will find itself unhappy and in terrible political shape next year. As for Dean, with WH CoS Rahm Emanuel urging a compromise with Lieberman, maybe we haven't seen the last of the shouting matches the two were famous for when they led the DNC and the DCCC, respectively.

HARLEY LAPPIN: The director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons will soon cut a check to the state of IL for a prison near the Mississippi River, a prison that will eventually become the home of detainees currently spending time at Guantanamo Bay.

The proposal to send prisoners to Obama's home state comes amid the race to fill his old Senate seat, and the leading candidates quickly came out on opposite sides of the issue. Rep. Mark Kirk (R), the GOP frontrunner, offered opposition but little in the way of fiery rhetoric. State Treas. Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Chicago Urban League Pres. Cheryle Robinson Jackson (D) welcomed the new jobs that will head to IL and said he trusts the military to keep the area secure (Full statements below). We didn't hear back from ex-Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman (D), but an earlier statement from his campaign slammed Kirk for his opposition.

The issue will play a role in the IL race, and Dems' jobs argument is essentially a defensive one. How Lappin, and the DoD, which will lease part of the prison from the DoJ in order to house Gitmo detainees, handle any moves in the next year could determine just how much defense the eventual Dem nominee has to play.

Giannoulias' statement on the plan to purchase the Thomson Correctional Center: "Holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has been a recruiting tool for Al Qaeda and puts our soldiers in the field at higher risk. It must close. While some have resorted to fear-mongering to score political points over housing detainees at the supermax prison in Thomson, the facts are clear: this is a state of the art security facility and will be further upgraded by the federal government in order to accommodate these prisoners. I welcome opportunities for jobs in Western Illinois and I trust the U.S. military to keep us safe."

Kirk's statement: "On November 20th, members of the Illinois congressional delegation asked detailed questions about the administration's plan to bring al Qaeda detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Illinois. Nearly one month later, we are still waiting for answers. Without a vote, public hearing or detailed plan, the administration is moving quickly to force the citizens of Illinois to accept this unnecessary risk. The citizens of Illinois deserve better."