“This state is too small for him…”

Those were the comments from Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, President of the National Council of Churches. He was made the tongue in cheek comments (

) about Gov. Pawlenty after Pawlenty addressed the 2009 General Assembly of The Churches of Christ in Minneapolis this morning. The comments may have caught the governor off guard since he sat down to hide himself when Aykazian was making the comments. Pawlenty hasn't ruled out a run for president in 2012.

You can listen to Pawlenty's full speech to the group here:

By the way, a Minnesotan is set to take the helm of the National Council of Churches. Peg Chemberlin, with the Minnesota Council of Churches, will lead the organization over the next two years.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.