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Pawlenty hit Obama on the porkulus bill, ever-rising unemployment, broken promises of bipartisanship, and the enormous federal deficit. "We've got a Democrat-controlled Congress messing around with a miserable healthcare bill. They should be focused like a laser on jobs, not acting like a manure spreader in a wind storm," Pawlenty said to laughter and applause.

DES MOINES – Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty used his Iowa debut as a potential presidential candidate Saturday to excoriate President Obama and congressional Democrats for not doing more to address the still-wheezing economy. “They should be focused like a laser on jobs, not acting like a manure-spreader in a wind storm,” Pawlenty told Iowa Republicans gathered in an exhibition hall at the state fairgrounds, criticizing Democrats for their efforts on healthcare and energy.

Minnesota Governor and 2012 Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty needed to make an impressive showing in his first major speech in front of Iowa's most influential Republicans. He accomplished that goal. Pawlenty's speech at the Iowa GOP's fall fundraiser was peppered with humor, stiff jabs at Barack Obama, and well-placed, straight right wing points

For conservative political junkies in the Hawkeye State, Saturday is a great opportunity to get your fix. Three major events take place throughout the day and they are spread out enough that you can check out all them. The first is the Iowa Tea Party Statewide Convention...

2012 peek at Pawlenty's PAC fundraiserJonathan Martin – Fri Oct 23, 12:26 am ET Hundreds of mostly young Republicans gathered Thursday night at a Washington brewpub to lend their support to, size up or just catch a glimpse of Minnesota Gov. and 2012 prospect Tim Pawlenty. Over beers and pretzels, the committed and the curious saw what amounted to an informal debut in the capital for the potential presidential candidate. The fundraiser was ostensibly to support the PAC Pawlenty opened earlier this month, yet for the after-work crowd of Republicans strolling around the terrace of the Capital City Brewing Company...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has enlisted a number of GOP strategists from John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, another sign that he’s planning a run for president in 2012. . . . . . Among those interested in getting to know Pawlenty are Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Randy Scheunemann, two top policy advisers from the McCain presidential campaign who have joined the Minnesota governor’s host committee.

An all-star list of GOP strategists for his PAC’s first fundraiser. Hey — I thought Mitt was supposed to be the RINO candidate this time! Among those interested in getting to know Pawlenty are Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Randy Scheunemann, two top policy advisers from the McCain presidential campaign who have joined the Minnesota governor’s host committee… While Romney has a team of tested veterans to rely on if he runs again, Pawlenty is using his PAC to show off some who might come to his aid if he enters the race. Other McCain veterans teaming up with Pawlenty’s PAC are...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has enlisted a number of GOP strategists from John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, another sign that he’s planning a run for president in 2012. Pawlenty has snagged a stable of well-known Republicans to help host his first fundraiser for the Freedom First PAC, his new political action committee, according to an invitation to the kickoff event in Washington obtained by The Hill. ---SNIP--- “Lots of folks want to learn more about how Gov. Pawlenty successfully governed as a conservative in a traditionally liberal-leaning state,” said Alex Conant, Pawlenty’s spokesman. “His innovative, conservative leadership is drawing...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, impressed with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s recent rollout onto the national political stage, is urging him to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. “Governor Pawlenty is a terrific talent, he’s a very attractive guy and he has a good reform record,” Gingrich told POLITICO over the weekend after his speech to the annual Americans for Prosperity conference in Washington. Pawlenty is “certainly going to be a player. There is every reason he should run, there is wide open field right now,” Gingrich said. “He’s an example that the future of the Republican Party...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been quietly assembling the blueprint of a presidential campaign and will announce Thursday the support of a group of high-level political strategists and donors... Pawlenty, under the radar of D.C.’s political community, has locked up some of the key operatives who engineered then-President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign — a significant feat for a little-known Midwestern politician. The moves underscore, and will lend credence to, the emerging belief among many establishment Republicans that Pawlenty is becoming the sole viable alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential Republican primary rival. The Minnesota governor has...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is launching a political action committee and Web site Thursday as he continues to lay the groundwork for a potential presidential bid in 2012.

A majority of Minnesotans don't want to see Gov. Tim Pawlenty run for president in 2012, but nearly as many say they would give him a look if he were nominated, according to a Star Tribune Minnesota Poll. The poll shows that only 30 percent of adults want to see the two-term governor make a try for the White House three years from now, while 55 percent do not. But in a mixed message for Pawlenty, 25 percent of Minnesotans said there was a "good chance" they would vote for him if he became the GOP nominee, while another 25...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is preparing to launch a national fundraising committee, another signal the Republican may be positioning himself for a possible 2012 presidential run. The 'Freedom First' political action committee will be formalized in the next few weeks, Pawlenty adviser Alex Conant said Tuesday. He described it as a logical step for the governor, who has been giving speeches and campaigning for Republicans around the country. While forming such committees is a typical step for politicians who aspire to higher office, Pawlenty downplayed any link between his new PAC and a 2012 presidential...

Mike Huckabee may have won the straw poll at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit, but Tim Pawlenty may have done himself the most good. I saw the major contenders give their speeches and thought, like Mark Hemingway of NRO, that Pawlenty showed he had the goods. Pawlenty's presentation of his own record as a budget-balancer in MN was impressive and he sounded like the kind of conservative candidate who knows how to handle himself in a debate. The Minnesota governor came off as smart, tough, and ready for prime time. If he keeps making the rounds speaking the...

Here’s the text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s (R-Minn.) speech from the Values Voter Summit, annotated to note when the audience applauded. Thanks to the VVS organizers for providing it. Well, thank you very much. And no, Brett Favre is not part of the cash for clunkers program so – (laughter) – it’s going to be a Super Bowl quarterback this year. I’m delighted to be with you tonight, and I’m honored to be the governor of the great state of Minnesota. And of course, one of the privileges and perks of being governor of a state is you get to...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) sent a letter to his congressional delegation raising concerns about the current healthcare measure House Democrats have moved through several committees. He also took a veiled shot at one of his potential rivals. Pawlenty urged Minnesota's seven Democrats and three Republicans to focus on cost containment and quality of care rather than simply expanding access

Minnesota's governor and Alaska's former governor may have the same aspirations, but the two are taking very different steps to get there. Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin both are mentioned often as possible Republican candidates for president in 2012. But while Pawlenty finishes his second term, after announcing ion June that he wouldn't seek a third, Palin quit her first term a year and a half before it was supposed to end. "Some still are choosing not to hear why I made the decision to chart a new course to advance the state," Palin said Sunday, explaining that she doesn't...

Early on the morning of June 2, Gov. Tim Pawlenty began calling his political allies. Speculation had been escalating—it was good form to let friends know his future plans before he announced them to the whole world. At 10:22 a.m., the governor's press office sent out a mass email: Governor Pawlenty to hold press conference today regarding his future plans. Reporters sprang into action, making calls, blogging and Twittering, and by the time Pawlenty stepped behind the podium of the Governor's Reception Room at the state Capitol, every journalist in town knew what he would say. Pawlenty opened with a...