Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota's wunderkind Republican Governor, has looked to many on the fringe right to be a perfect dark horse candidate for the 2008 GOP Presidential nomination. But as the St. Paul Pioneer-Press' Bill Salisbury reports, the situation is rapidly changing.

A prominent national conservative leader appears ready to scratch Gov. Tim Pawlenty's name off his list of possible 2008 Republican presidential candidates following the governor's proposed 75-cents-a-pack "fee" on cigarettes.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and a conservative strategist with close ties to the White House, on Monday said Pawlenty's cigarette proposal "is a tax increase," and national Republicans are looking for potential standard bearers who oppose tax increases.

Just last week, Americans for Tax Reform named Pawlenty "Hero of the Taxpayer" for May because he had promised to veto any tax increases.

While Norquist stopped short of taking Pawlenty off his list of rising stars, he said the emerging 2008 Republican national field consists of about 10 governors and senators who have fought against tax increases.

"Republicans look for some sign that the elected people they run for president or vice president will hold the line against pressure" to increase taxes, he said.

The right wing's fetish of constantly cutting taxes and fighting even the most minimal revenue increases borders on the comical. Pawlenty can no longer be supported because of his advocacy of a cigarette tax increase? Please. I'm no fan of Pawlenty, but this is just ridiculous. If the Republicans want to cannibalize their own on a regular basis, far be it from me to complain. Just watch out in 2006, though, because if the anti-taxers do enough damage, they could prevent Pawlenty from serving another term as Governor -- let alone blocking a possible 2008 bid.