Pennsylvania: Tim Pawlenty

PHILADELPHIA -- After a weekend in which he seemed to relish the role of playing host, Gov. Ed Rendell this morning was formally named chairman of the National Governors Association, continuing a political rise that has gained steam in recent months.

Assuming the organization's leadership during the closing meeting of its annual conference here, Rendell reitereated that the emphasis of his year-long tenure as chair would be on repairing the nation's crumbling infrastructure. Infrastructure has long been a pet issue of his in Pennsylvania.