Pawlenty: Mitt Romney has 'paid a lot of taxes'

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is defending Mitt Romney's refusal to release more of his income tax returns, arguing ''there is no claim or no credible indication'' he's done anything wrong.

Pawlenty, whose name has figured prominently in speculation about who will be the Republican vice presidential candidate, tells ''CBS This Morning'' he thinks the news media have been obsessed by questions about Romney's taxes.

And he accuses President Barack Obama of ''hanging shiny objects before the public and the press, and the press is taking the bait.''

The former governor called releasing two years' of returns ''the standard for Republican nominees.''

Says Pawlenty: ''I don't think there's any secret to the fact that Mitt Romney has been successful and he's achieved success and he's paid a lot of taxes.''

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