"The only thing growing faster than the federal government's deficit is Chris Matthews' man-crush on Barack Obama"

This quote by Tim Pawlenty is an amusing way of expressing his disapproval of the Obama administration's financial policies. He is suggesting that the federal government's deficit is growing at a disconcerting rate, which Chris Matthews, a political commentator, has an extreme adoration for Barack Obama. Pawlenty is most likely trying to make a point that Matthews' affection for Obama is so strong that it is eclipsing the fact that the Obama administration is refraining from doing enough to minimize the federal deficit. This quote is a creative method of slamming the Obama administration's financial policies while also poking fun at Chris Matthews' adoration for the former president.