Pawlenty announces Presidential Bid

Tim Pawlenty announces his run for the White House.

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced today that he is running for President. “I’m Tim Pawlenty, and I’m running for President of the United States,” said the former Governor. “I know the American Dream because I’ve lived it. I’m running for President to keep that dream alive,” he added.

Pawlenty began by criticizing President Obama’s polices. “President Obama’s policies have failed,” he said. In reference to the condition of the Economy, Pawlenty said “President Obama doesn’t have an economic plan. He just has a campaign plan and the United States of America deserves much much better.”

He told a large crowd at the Iowa Historical Building he would be ready to lead and unite the nation. “Someone has to lead. I will,” he said. “I’ll unite our party and I’ll unite our nation because to a solve a $14 trillion problem, we’re going to need 300 million people,” Pawlenty also said.

Pawlenty focused on his Washington outsider status as a reason why he would be a good leader. The former governor also touted his record of cutting spending and appointing conservatives to the Minnesota Supreme Court while he was Governor.

He also spoke about taking on the public employee’s union. A resulting strike occurred. “It became one of the longest transit strikes in the history of the country. People picketed my house, the media trashed me, and the buses didn’t move. But neither did we. On the 45th day of the strike, the union came back to the table, and taxpayers won. Today, we have a transit system that gives commuters a ride without taking the taxpayers for a ride.”

In addition to speaking about his plans, Pawlenty acknowledged that it would not be easy. “This is America. We don’t do easy,” he said. “If prosperity were easy, everyone around the world would be prosperous. If security were easy, everyone around would be secure. If freedom were easy, everyone would be free. They’re not, but American’s are because our founding fathers generations before us chose to be and insisted, sacrificed, and risked everything so that we could be.”

Finally in closing his announcement speech, Pawlenty said “In 2008, President Obama told us he would change America, and he has. In 2012, we’ll change American again, and this time it will be for the better.”