When Tim Pawlenty was Minnesota's governor and Brian McClung was his spokesman, the pair went through a running mate selection process that bears similarities to this year's. McClung expects his former boss would accept a spot on Mitt Romney's presidential ticket if it's offered. But he doubts such an offer would come until after the Olympics are finished.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been doing a lot more than stumping for Mitt Romney and being a oft-mentioned vice presidential candidate lately. He has joined the boards of seven corporations in the past year, opening a new, private-sector chapter in his life that could leave vice presidential vetters with lots of new questions, the Star Tribune reports. Pawlenty will be on two Sunday morning political talk shows.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is rising on the list of potential running mates for Mitt Romney. But he's not No. 1.

After being passed over twice as a vice presidential pick, where does Tim Pawlenty go from here? Time magazine explores his options. If Mitt Romney wins, perhaps a cabinet post? Or a run against Sen. Al Franken in 2014? And there's always the private sector. The former Minnesota governor sits on seven corporate boards.

A Democratic super PAC has unleashed reams of information on top prospects to be Mitt Romney's running mate, including a 493-page file on former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Romney has said he'll pick someone before the late August GOP convention.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty played the role of attack dog in his speech at the Republican National Convention. Pawlenty focused mostly on President Obama rather than Republican candidate Mitt Romney or vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. He sprinkled biting or sarcastic humor through the speech, although pundits thought his jokes mostly fell flat.