Tim Pawlenty is making waves:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, viewed as a possible running mate for Sen. John McCain, brought his ideas for reforming the Republican Party to Washington on Wednesday.

In two appearances here, he criticized the party leadership for sometimes being out of touch with voters in recent years, offered a few kind words for Sen. McCain's Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, and discussed possible new solutions for problems in health care and education -- areas many Republicans have written off as the Democrats' domain.

Pawlenty got into some trouble for seemingly praising Obama during his stint in Washington, but let's look at how his message might fit in with McCain's campaign. First, McCain himself is criticizing the GOP tenure in Washington, saying that the nation is worse off today. Also, the consensus among conservatives is that the Republicans did in fact squander their majority on bigger government and corruption. So it's not as if what Pawlenty is saying is out of left field. The GOP elders might not like it, but for McCain to win in November he has to appear to voters as a different kind of Republican -- and that requires knocking a bit what has happened the last several years.

Finally, Pawlenty is making a play for the kind of vice president conservatives want right now: Someone who can reform a party at its low point. Pawlenty's prescription might not be what some conservatives had in mind, but his reasons for doing it are certainly in line with McCain's strategy and the desires of most conservatives.