Photo: MnIndy

Resurgent Republican rhetoric was in full flower at the meeting of the state party’s Central Committee on Saturday. Besides Norm Coleman espousing “bulldog” philosophy, U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen were joined in ripping President Obama by Gov. Tim Pawlenty — and when he does it (at length) it sounds a lot like a warm-up for a presidential run.

Bachmann:

We are seeing the unending opening of mass confusion. Since he was sworn into office it’s been nothing but chaos in Washington, D.C. And that’s the opening that we have. This is not the time to be a downer. There is no reason to be a downer right now. We have captured the hearts and the attention of the American people like no other time.

Paulsen elicited partisan jeers by implying that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s had facelifts and cheers by saying he fears for his four daughters’ futures.

Paulsen and Pawlenty both said Obama is “wrong, wrong, wrong” — points for emphasis anyway.

Pawlenty started off with a blue-collar fable that could presage a populist flank attack in 2012, but later stumbled a bit during a riff that tried to use Obama’s oratorical skills against him:

So no matter how good of a speech he gives, huge deficits are bad for the country. And no matter how good of a speech he gives, people who spend– people can spend their own money better than government can spend it. And, uh– [applause] no matter how good of a speech he gives, dangerous leaders in places like Iran and North Korea and Russia are dangerous even if you have ‘em over for tea and a chat [laughter].

Minnesota Public Radio’s Polinaut blog has audio.