A charge made by a Minnesotan yesterday that Tim Pawlenty was “personally” pro-choice was dismissed as “crazy” by a Minnesota pro-life leader.

The accusation was made by Shawn Lawrence Otto, a screenwriter, in a MinnPost piece where he recounted a conversation he allegedly had with Pawlenty in the late 90’s when Otto was considering a House run:

Pawlenty is a very talented guy, and I respected his opinion. His first question was, “What’s your position on choice?” I hadn’t ever been asked the question quite so pointedly. “You’ve got to take a stand on that first,” he said. “Well,” I said, “OK. I don’t like abortion; I think it’s a really tough personal decision, but not something the government should be getting into one way or the other, so I guess I’m pro-choice.”
He looked at me over his lunch and said, “Well personally, so am I, but here’s the thing. You’ve got to find a way to get your mind around the language of saying ‘pro-life.’ It’s in how you phrase it.”
I’ve since learned I’m not the only one Pawlenty has said this to.

The piece is currently making the rounds of liberal publications, getting reprinted on Salon and quoted by Mother Jones.

For context, Otto’s wife, Rebecca, is state auditor of Minnesota — and a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party. The couple was accused of distributing false campaign materials in 2003, although the charges were ultimately dropped (a judge questioned the constitutionality of the statute involved).

“It’s insanity. It’s crazy,” Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesotan Citizens Concerned for Life, says of the piece’s accusation that Pawlenty is personally pro-choice.

Fischback, who has worked with Pawlenty for twelve years, says there’s not “a prayer’s chance in hell” that Pawlenty is pro-choice. “Tim stood for the unborn every chance he could. His commitment to life is unquestionable,” Fischback adds.

Asked if Pawlenty made the comments Otto cites in his piece, Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant e-mailed, “Gov. Pawlenty has been consistently pro-life and has the record to show for it.” He also pointed out Lifenews.com editor Steven Ertelt’s piece on NRO lauding Pawlenty’s “remarkably strong pro-life record.”