Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced his bid for the White House in March of last year.
And what a difference a year and some change makes.
Pawlenty -- who during the campaign famously and contentiously coined the term "Obamneycare" in regards to Massachusetts health care reform under Mitt Romney -- is now co-chair of Romney's campaign and naturally no longer has the subdued vitriol for his once-opponent.
Pawlenty joined Morning Joe today to discuss a number of subjects -- from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's comments on the current state of the GOP, Romney's campaign and what he considers to be President Obama's broken promises to the country.
"I have a great deal of respect for Jeb Bush," Pawlenty said when considering Bush's comments that neither his father, former President George H.W. Bush, nor Ronald Reagan would feel comfortable in the current Republican Party.
"The Republican Party and the conservative movement isn’t a monolith; it’s a coalition of various pieces," he said.
When it comes to Romney's campaign and the anticipation of his Vice Presidential pick, Pawlenty deflected any notions he was in the running by saying it was campaign policy to not discuss such matters. "Anyone would be honored if they were asked," he did say.
Pawlenty did freely discuss the president's shortcomings and why Romney deserves a spot in the White House.
"Obama has made a ton of promises and broke a lot of them," Pawlenty said before discussing how Obama "tripled" the deficit and changed his positions on the "marriage issue," presumably a comment on the president's recent statement he's in support of same-sex marriage.
He’s the president, we’re not going to re-elect him because he got a participation ribbon. You actually have to do something. He’s the participation-ribbon president. It’s not good enough to get re-elected with this economy and these challenges having just occupied the office. You have to do something....He inherited a difficult and challenging situation, obviously. But then the question is did his policies subsequently add to or subtract from the efforts toward recovery? I think that’s a legitimate debate. We would say his policies on energy – stifling American energy development – on health care, on taxes, on labor issues have stifled job growth and economic growth.
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As opposed to the GOP controlled Congress who are a non-participation ribbon party. A point the GOP and the media just don't want to discuss. They sure do like to whine and point fingers though.
I do not think he even deserves that ribbon. What a waste of four years.
It is the sorry gop goobers and teabag poopers who don't deserve ribbons nor do they deserve a salary from taxpayers when they have been so willing to take us hostage and destroy the economy. Just shut up Tim Palenty.
I love morning Joe. Most of his political views sound similar to my beliefs. I am a moderate democrat. I use to vote back and forth all across the ballet. I am an union member that retired with 30 yrs from AT&T. I believe I earned every penny. That was a very tough company to work and it was a roller coaster ride with constant change. I feel I kept an open mind. I would study the judges and vote for the most experienced. I did vote for Reagan and was disappointed with what he did to the mentally ill. They dumped bus loads out in the middle of downtown Houston. I would drive over and give them sandwiches after work. They threatened to fine us because we didn't have a food license. I quit going because some of them were dangerous because they were scared and confused. I complained to the FBI about one of them and they laughed and said a million of them across the nation are the same on the streets. I will never forget that Reagan cut back their funds. Reagan also weakened the unions. I started looking more toward the democrat side. Now, everytime I think about voting republican, someone says something that reminds me that they don't like me. So, I agree with Jeb Bush. How do you vote for someone that really doesn't like you?