In Arizona, Pawlenty thanks tea party for ‘standing up to the ruling class’
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:42 am
- 18 Comments
Tim Pawlenty made a splash at the Tea Party Patriots American Policy Summit on Saturday in Arizona. The former governor scored a close second in the event’s straw poll and threw plenty of red meat to tea party activists in his speech Saturday evening, including thanking the tea party for “standing up to the ruling class” which includes unions.
Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain was the favorite of the summit attendees with 22 percent of the straw poll vote. Pawlenty finished second with 16 percent, followed by Ron Paul at 15 percent, Sarah Palin with 10 percent, Mitt Romney with 6.5 percent and Rep. Michele Bachmann with 5.6 percent.
“The mood at this summit shows that Tea Party activists are looking for leaders who share our principles of fiscal responsibility and limited government and who will vow to uphold policies that reflect those principles once in office,” Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator of Tea Party Patriots, said in a statement.
“I’m here today to say, ‘Thank you.’ Thank you for standing up to the ruling class,” Pawlenty told the crowd. “Thank you for standing up to the liberal power brokers, guardians of the status quo and the royal triangle of greed: big government, big unions and big bailed-out businesses.”
“The Constitution was not written to limit freedom, it was written to limit government,” Pawlenty said. “It appears President Obama has forgotten what this says. It says in the Constitution: ‘In order to form a more perfect Union.’ Mr. President, that does not mean coddling out-of-control public employee unions. And Mr. President, Wisconsin does not need a lecture from somebody who’s never balanced a budget in his life.”
He added, “Speaking of Wisconsin, will you join me in applauding Governor Walker for standing strong against overreaching unions?”
Pawlenty also shared a joke about Obama’s citizenship, one he’s told at several stump appearances.
“Now, I’m not one who questions the existence of the president’s birth certificate. But, when you listen to his policies, don’t you at least wonder what planet he’s from? We don’t share President Obama’s worldview.”
He also took a dig at Al Franken. “Big government spenders come with excuses. They say, ‘Oh, Governor, how do you do that? It’s too hard. The politics are difficult and the unions are too tough,’” Pawlenty said. “I know something about the spenders — and I know something about difficult. I’m from the state of United States Senator Al Franken, but we cut government in Minnesota. If we can do it there, we can do it anywhere. It wasn’t easy. I set a record for vetoes.”
Finally, he borrowed a line from Jimmy McMillan, a 2010 candidate for mayor in New York City who ran on the “Rent is too Damn High” ticket.
“Do you remember the guy who ran in the NYC mayor’s race who ran his entire campaign on a simple motto: He said over and over: ‘The rent is too damn high.’ So here’s our simple motto: ‘The Government’s too damn big!’”
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter18 Comments
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 8:55 am
The “ruling class”? Didn’t the teabaggers take the last election, thanks in part to those other ruling elites, the Koch brothers? Leave it to the tea party folks to have helped their own get to political power, while bowing before the moneyed class, and then still feel victimized and powerless.
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 9:19 am
He almost got it right.
The Tea Party is standing up FOR the ruling class.
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 9:41 am
Herman Cain? The field for the possible Republican candidate couldn’t be more Balkanized. Who will be the next nutjob, failed businessman and demagogue to come up on top of some extremist straw-poll?
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 9:49 am
UFF DA.
Our former governor has become rather hysterical these days. How embarrassing!
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 11:07 am
He should have called them the “Entitled Class.”
I mean, how much more entitled do they have to feel when they refuse to leave the WI legislative chambers until they get the taxpayer money they’re demanding?
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 11:08 am
What’s the matter Richard? Mr. Cain not white enough for you?
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 12:15 pm
I hate to break it to you T-Paw but the Koch Brothers and the rest of the dirty devotees on C Street are the ruling class. They may use you, Roger Ailes and his cronies to distract us. But I’d be more concerned about the fundamentalist theocracy they have in the works than some trust fund kids that support unions to exorcise their own upper class guilt complex. Fear the American Taliban not liberals.
Praise Jebus, God hates helping the poor and hungry, Amen.
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 12:29 pm
Pawlenty’s masters have spoken and have ordered him to bark.
Bark, little dog, bark!! OBEY your masters!! You are no longer your own man!!!!!
I am sure your lakeys, Dennis and Tim, will defend you while you all defile yourselves!!
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 1:46 pm
And for all his effort, for all his a$$ kissing, for all the time (over a year now) and money Tim has devoted to getting somewhere in his bid for the nomination – he’s still way-down-there near the bottom. Bachmann accomplished as much in a month as Tim has in a year.
Timmy – face reality. You ain’t going anywhere with these folks. You’re dull. Just plain dull.
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 4:49 pm
If the Egyptian people can bring down a dictator after 30 years of police state rule, why can’t state employee unions bring down this Governor or at least start a Governor recall effort. This is the United States of America, re-learn how to do it yourself.
Comment posted February 28, 2011 @ 5:51 pm
The people in Madison’s statehouse aren’t asking for money. They are excerising their rights to free speech and assembly to hold on to another right. Those chambers belong to the citizens. Contrary to popular right wing beliefs, everyone else has rights too. Given the rhetoric of the right, these protests fit the “don’t take our rights”, “don’t take our freedom” Tea Party cause to a ‘T”.
Comment posted March 1, 2011 @ 12:42 pm
Wow. A former governor whose wife is a judge, who has millions in campaign coffers … HE IS the ruling class. I am so sick of career politicians talking about how evil politicians are (look in the mirror), and how elitists are taking over the world (look at your financial portfolio). Can he just go away now?
Comment posted March 1, 2011 @ 12:59 pm
Timmy, this just proves you have a Koch habit. You really need to break it.
Comment posted March 1, 2011 @ 1:19 pm
Tim Pawlenty continues on the self mockery tour. It is becomong more apparent that Tim Pawlenty has been bought, lock, stock, and smoking barrel by the Kochs and othr Big monied people.
Comment posted March 1, 2011 @ 1:43 pm
Wasn’t Mr. Pawlenty governor for two terms recently? Doesn’t that make him a front-and-center member of that “ruling class” that he praises the Tea Party folks for “standing up to …”?
Mr. Pawlenty left the state in much worse shape when he left office than it was in when he took charge as governor. If that’s a record that earns the presidency, we’re in deep trouble as a nation.
Pingback posted March 1, 2011 @ 8:56 pm
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Comment posted March 2, 2011 @ 10:51 am
The only good thing about pathetic Pawlenty running for prez is that mouthpiece Michelle is running also. Shows a discord within the Tea Party that two folks from the same state are running. Hope they spend katrillions trying to oust each other.
Comment posted March 2, 2011 @ 11:04 pm
Geez, as a Tea Party member myself, it’s clear that this crowd doesn’t understand the root cause of the movement, and instead only reacts to media and careless rhetoric.
Stop letting the conservative right blur the Tea Party movement. The conservative right is LOUD if you haven’t noticed, but the original Tea Party folks are still active. We just speak with more intelligence, and thus are ignored – unfortunately, by everyone, since Palin and Beck hijacked our bandwagon.
Proof that you are all wrong about what the REAL Tea Party is all about: Read my post http://minnesotaindependent.com/78344/tempers-flare-over-anti-gay-bullying-at-anoka-hennepin-school-board-meeting/
Never stop learning.
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