Joined by state Guard's adjutant general, Larry Shellito, and the man who will command the troops overseas, Col. David Elicerio, Pawlenty said every Minnesotan should "find their own personal way to support these Guard soldiers and their families."

He also said he wouldn't discourage any member of his staff — or even his two young daughters — from enlisting in the military or joining the National Guard.

"I'll tell my staff right now that anybody who has a sense of service … that's a high calling," the governor said. "It's a high calling and I don't think we should ever discount it or discourage it in any way."

That's an odd choice of words, isn't it? No one should be discouraged from joining up, Pawlenty says. We should never discount or discourage it in any way. That seems like a pretty tepid endorsement from a governor who's all gung-ho to send troops to Iraq, isn't it?

Here's a question I wish someone at the pro-war Pioneer Press had had the guts to ask the pro-war governor: would you actually encourage any member of your staff to join up? Have you encouraged your two young daughters to enlist? If military service is such a high calling, why are you not using the bully pulpit of your office to drum up recruits?

Shouldn't the elected officials who support this war provide more than half-hearted, mealy-mouthed platitudes about the nobility of military service?

What are they afraid of?