Tim Pawlenty promises "truth" about the nation's challenges
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty just wrapped up his official presidential campaign kick-off in Des Moines this afternoon, saying he will be "telling the truth" to voters about the problems America faces -- and how he could fix them.
Pawlenty mentioned the word "truth" more than a dozen times in his 25-minute speech, which he delivered atop the Iowa Historical Building. He took some subtle digs at presumptive Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney -- and some direct jabs at President Obama.
"Leadership in a time of crisis isn't about telling people what you think they want to hear, it's about telling the truth," Pawlenty said. "President Barack Obama refuses to do that. He has a simple and cynical plan: pretend there is no crisis, then attack those of us who are willing to stand up and try to solve it.
"In Washington, they call that 'smart politics.' But I'm not from Washington," he said, in one of the more effective lines of the speech. "I grew up in Minnesota, in the hard-working blue collar town of South Saint Paul."
CBS Interview with Pawlenty: In my campaign I'll tell hard truths
Pawlenty then talked about his working-class background -- how his mother died of ovarian cancer when he was 16 and how his father subsequently lost his job -- and how he "learned the value of leaning into my faith in God... the value of hard work and the responsibility for doing my part."
He also detailed his record in Minnesota, saying he could lead America through similar challenges.
"In Minnesota, I cut taxes, cut spending, instituted health care choice and performance pay for teachers, reformed our union benefits, and appointed constitutional conservatives to the Supreme Court," Pawlenty said. "The problems we face as a nation are severe. But if we could move Minnesota in a common sense, conservative direction, we can do it anywhere -- even in Washington, D.C."
After the speech, Pawlenty took questions from the crowd in a "town hall" style briefing in which he said he would name conservatives like Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court.
