Thanks,
Mary,
for
your
very kind words and for your tremendous love and
support. After serving eight years as Minnesota's Governor, I was
very
much looking forward to life with Mary, and our daughters, in the
Midwestern home we love. But with Mary's encouragement and wise
counsel, we came to a different conclusion. And that brings me
here
today with this announcement.
See below for coverage of the DNC’s video asking “Why?” exactly Tim Pawlenty is running for President since he doesn’t seem to know.
Democratic National Committee releases Pawlenty attack
Politico // Juana Summers
Tim
Pawlenty is in the race, and the Democrats are rolling out the welcome
mat. Ahead of his official announcement Monday afternoon, the
Democratic National Committee released a new video that paints the
former Minnesota governor as in the dark about why he's running for
president. The focus is on a quote taken from a Time Magazine's profile
of Pawlenty out earlier this month to explain his candidacy.
DNC ad attacks Pawlenty as he prepares to made candidacy official
Daily Caller // Alexis Levinson
Tim
Pawlenty will formally announce his candidacy for the Republican
nomination for president Monday afternoon in Iowa, and in preparation,
the Democratic National Committee has prepared an ad attacking Pawlenty
as a candidate who is trying to be everything to everyone, and failing
to be all of those things. The ad — entitled “Why?” — plays on a recent
statement Pawlenty made in an interview with Time magazine. He was
asked “when he first imagined himself worthy of the history books,
ready to send soldiers to their deaths and endure the national stage’s
harsh toll.” “I don’t know,” replied Pawlenty. “I wish I had a good
answer for you on that.” “Why is Tim Pawlenty running for President?”
says the script on the screen, as the type of music that generally
accompanies a clown plays.
CNN // Gabriella Schwarz
Democrats
continued their attacks against Tim Pawlenty with a new video Monday.
On the same day former the Minnesota governor will announce his
candidacy for president, the Democratic National Committee released a
web spot questioning the Republican's intentions. Monday's video
focuses on a quote Pawlenty gave to TIME magazine earlier this year
explaining his run. "I don't know. I wish I had a better answer for
you," the ad reads. "So do we!" In the interview Pawlenty said he first
considered running for president 15 or 20 years ago but he felt obliged
to "go make some money and play hockey and drink beer."
Roll Call // Shira Toeplitz
The
Democratic National Committee went on the offensive Monday against
former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, just hours before the Republican
was expected to officially kick off his presidential campaign, by
questioning his “rationale” for seeking the White House. “Despite
spending the last two and half years putting aside his duties as
Governor to set up his campaign, Tim Pawlenty doesn’t have a compelling
rationale for his candidacy,” DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a
statement released early Monday. “He can’t run on his record as
Governor, where he cut services, raised taxes and left his state with a
$6 billion deficit and plummeting approval ratings.” The DNC also
posted a video to YouTube attacking Pawlenty’s record.
2012: Daniels is out, T-Paw and Cain are in
MSNBC // Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
The
DNC is questioning why Pawlenty’s running at all. Spokesman Hari
Sevugan: “Despite spending the last two and half years putting aside
his duties as Governor to set up his campaign, Tim Pawlenty doesn’t
have a compelling rationale for his candidacy. He can’t run on his
record as Governor, where he cut services, raised taxes and left his
state with a $6 billion deficit and plummeting approval ratings.”
As Tim Pawlenty Steps Into Presidential Race, Democrats Step Up Attacks
ABC News // Michael Falcone & Amy Walter
And
as ABC’s Matthew Jaffe points out, the Democratic National Committee
released a new video this morning arguing that Pawlenty needs to do
more than just say he's in the race -- he needs to explain why. The new
DNC spot makes the case that he can't run on his track record as
governor or as a Tea Party candidate or as a moderate alternative to
the Tea Party. And it concludes by surfacing an answer he gave to Time
Magazine’s Michael Crowley who asked Pawlenty about the moment he
thought he could be president. "I don't know,” Pawlenty said. “I wish I
had a better answer for you.” In their video, the DNC exclaims, “So do
we!” http://bit.ly/jNjASP
Pawlenty announces presidential run in web video
AP // Brian Bakst
Democrats planned to counter Pawlenty's town hall meeting Monday by bringing in Minnesota officials who say he handed off deep budget problems to his successor. The Democratic National Committee didn't let Sunday's video go unanswered. "After running for president for over two years, the question isn't whether Tim Pawlenty is running or not. It's why — a question he has yet to find an answer to," said DNC press secretary Hari Sevugan. He added that Minnesota residents are coping with reduced services and ongoing deficits: "They're scratching their heads, too.