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Tim Pawlenty enters 2012 race

Tim Pawlenty kicked off his bid for the White House today with a campaign stop in Iowa.
Tim Pawlenty giving a speech in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday.
Tim Pawlenty giving a speech in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday.

Tim Pawlenty kicked off his bid for the White House today with a campaign stop in Iowa. The former Minnesota governor, who announced his candidacy yesterday, is billing himself as the guy who’s willing to tell is like it is to the American people.

"I'm going to try something a little unusual in politics. I'm just going to tell the truth. Washington is broken, our country is going broke, and our long-term financial outlook will make the pain of the recent recession pale in comparison," he said in today’s speech. "It's long past time for America's president — and anyone who wants to be president — to be straight with the American people."

Example number one: He told a crowd in Des Moines, the heart of corn country, its prized federal ethanol subsidies should be phased out. That's guts.

It’s not as shocking as things said and done by louder-mouthed counterparts in the Republican field. T-Paw’s generally thought of as a super nice guy, just a little boring.

Still, he needs Iowa voters to like him. He’s currently lagging behind in polls, but he hired about 10 field staffers, a state director, deputy state director and state chairman in Iowa to help pick up the slack.

The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for February 2012.

He plans to give a speech changes to Social Security tomorrow in Florida.