Pawlenty: "Government's too damn big"

Posted at 3:33 PM on February 26, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Pawlenty travel, Tim Pawlenty

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty went after government unions this afternoon during a speech in Phoenix, Arizona. In his keynote address to the Tea Party Patriots "American Policy Summit," Pawlenty drew load applause when he ripped President Obama and urged his audience to applaud Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for his efforts to restrict public employee collective bargaining rights. Clutching a copy of the constitution, Pawlenty said the nation's founding fathers intended to limit government, not freedom.

"It says in here in order to form a more perfect union," Pawlenty said. "Mr President that does not mean coddling out-of-control public employee unions."

The head of Minnesota's largest public employee union is accusing Pawlenty of scapegoating public employees for budget problems.

Pawlenty thanked tea party enthusiasts for their energy and referred to them as "modern-day Paul Reveres."

Here's the full speech: Listen

Comments (4)

"The rent is too damn high"

Posted by Rich | February 26, 2011 7:46 PM

Pawlenty heists another cheap cliché. Never in his life has he had an original thought. The man is too damn dim.

Posted by Ralph Crammedin | February 27, 2011 10:03 AM

CC to Tim From Eagan: You entered office in January, 2003 and left in January of 2011. During that eight-year time, you added over 16,000 state government jobs in Minnesota, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisitics,

As the late Sen. Moynihan once famously said, "People are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts."

You can try to run away from your record, but it will eventually catch up and bite you. Enjoy your time on the rubber chicken circuit while you can and hope you have to try to find a real job in the not-too-distant future.

Posted by John O. | February 27, 2011 4:10 PM

"You entered office in January, 2003 and left in January of 2011. During that eight-year time, you added over 16,000 state government jobs in Minnesota, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisitics."

Shouldn't that be part of the news story about Pawlenty's speech?

Posted by Karl | February 28, 2011 9:26 AM

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