Pawlenty Isn't Worrying about Sarah Palin
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty insists that the kick off of his book tour is not the start of his presidential campaign, but his interviews -- and the content of his book -- seem to suggest otherwise.
"There is no doubt in my mind I'd be prepared to be president," Pawlenty said in an interview with ABC's "Nightline" in which he discussed his new book. He says he'll probably make a final decision about running for president around March or April.
If he does run, Pawlenty said he'll be more concerned about introducing himself to the American public than his potential competition from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
"I've got a long way to go to get people to even know my name, much less worrying about whether I could beat, you know, the force of nature that is Sarah Palin," he said.
Pawlenty said Palin would be a strong contender but dismissed the idea that other Republicans are "afraid" to criticize her. "I don't think it's fair to say people are afraid of her," he laughed. "It's fair to say she is somebody who's got a lot of influence and can use it for good, if she chooses to."
Palin could present a challenge for Pawlenty as he tries to build up his reputation as the "regular guy" in the Republican primary. By establishing his persona as a a "Sam's Club Republican," Pawlenty sets up a clearer contrast with the wealthy Mitt Romney, another potential primary opponent.
In his new memoir "Courage to Stand," which will be released Tuesday, Pawlenty takes a jab at Romney, to contrast the differences between them.
"In one section of the book that describes Pawlenty being vetted as John McCain's possible running mate, he writes that he and his wife were practically buried in paperwork late one night without staff help," Minnesota Public Radio reports. "They joked that, 'no way is Mitt Romney doing this by himself.'"
Politico reports that "Courage to Stand" is "chock full of blue-collar anecdotes," such as the fact that Pawlenty likes to visit the website hockeyfights.com to relax. Pawlenty writes he loves "watching two guys, gloves down, helmets off, pounding each other while the ref stands back and lets it happen."
He writes that hockey fights "don't just break out without warning" and that the unspoken rules of hockey fights can be applied to politics: "If you give your word, you've got to keep it...sometimes it's up to you to enforce those agreements...You want to win, but you don't want to destroy your opponent. And if you're the one getting pummeled, you also don't want to show your weakness, because if people see you being pushed around, they're going to know you're someone who can be pushed around, and it won't stop."
