Republican National Convention 2012: Governor Tim Pawlenty

Mr. Romney has reached a decision, his friends believe, and he may disclose it as soon as this week.

◼ In Pawlenty, Romney Campaign May Find Down-to-Earth Appeal - Jeff Zeleny/New York Times

...The vetting of possible vice-presidential candidates is approaching an end. It has been a deeply secretive process, but several Republicans close to the campaign believe Mr. Pawlenty and Mr. Portman stand out among those being considered....

◼ Obligatory “Romney may have already picked his running mate” post of the week - Ed Morrissey/HotAir

Pawlenty has received a lot of attention in the Veepstakes, and for good reason. The former Minnesota governor connects well with working-class voters, has excellent message discipline, is unquestionably prepared to be President should the need arise, and can play well in the Midwest and probably the Rust Belt, a quality Romney will need in November. Pawlenty gets a lot of criticism for not being exciting enough on the stump, but he improved his game considerably over the last two years, and delivers impressively in speeches.

ABC, on the other hand, hears that if Romney has made his decision, it may be Bobby Jindal who gets the nod:

◼ Veep Beat: Pawlenty Gets Second Look, Jindal Stock Rising - Arlette Saenz/ABC @ArletteSaenz

◼ Romney adviser: 'No decision's been made' on VP - Emily Schultheis/Politico

◼ Romney Camp: No Veep Pick Just Yet - Sara Murray/Wall St. Journal

"Romney supporters are energized."

◼ Cash Rules at Romney Retreat While Condoleezza Rice Steals the Show - ABC/Yahoo

If the majority of donors who attend this weekend's gathering of hundreds of high dollar fundraisers go back home as fired up as Rodger Young, the Romney campaign will be in quite strong a financial position and the investment in time and effort for the event will be paid back many times over.

"I am going to bundle every penny I can bundle," said Young, a donor at this weekend's mixer for Romney donors, GOP stars, and Republican leaders.

Herman Cain expected to appear at California GOP Party confab

◼ California Republicans gathered for the state party convention in Burlingame are expected to hear from a surprise guest this weekend -- former GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain. - Sacramento Bee

Cain...is expected to appear alongside presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame on Saturday. The former House Speaker is the keynote speaker at Saturday's lunch banquet.

(Chairman Tom) Del Beccaro said conservative radio host and commentator Michael Reagan is also expected to join.

Former presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, is scheduled to address convention attendees during the Saturday dinner program.

Pawlenty endorses Romney

◼ Tim Pawlenty endorsed his former opponent Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday morning. - Daily Caller

“I know all the candidates in the race for president in 2012 … I respect them. But the next president is going to have to lead on the economy and jobs in a historic way, and there’s one candidate in this race who is unmatched in his skills and experience and talent when it comes to turning around this economy and growing jobs. That’s Mitt Romney,” said Pawlenty on Fox and Friends. “I’m proud and excited to endorse him for president of the United States.”

Pawlenty will serve as the national co-chair for Romney’s campaign.

Tim Pawlenty to Michelle Bachmann:

Congratulations Congresswoman Bachmann on your win tonight in the Ames Straw Poll. Our campaign needed to show progress and we did just that. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. This is a long process to restore America -- we are just beginning, and I'm eager for the campaign. ◼ Tim Pawlenty on Facebook

And – Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has issued the following statement in response to Governor Tim Pawlenty’s decision to drop out of the race for the Republican nomination for president:

“This morning I spoke with Governor Pawlenty to express my respect and admiration for him, and to wish him and his family well. Running for the presidency requires enormous self-sacrifice. Governor Pawlenty brought an important voice and ideas to the campaign, and he served the people of Minnesota and our country well. Our party and our country are better as a result of his service and commitment.”

Tim Pawlenty quits race for president after disappointment in Iowa

◼ "We needed to get some lift to continue on and have a pathway forward and that didn't happen, so I'm announcing on your show that I'm ending my campaign for president," the former governor said on "This Week." - twincities.com

"I wish it would have been different, but obviously the pathway forward for me doesn't really exist, so we're going to end the campaign," Pawlenty told ABC's Jake Tapper.

◼ Mike Huckabee Encourages Tim Pawlenty To Stay In Race No Matter What - Huffington Post
◼ Tim Pawlenty Quits! - The Other McCain

Full GOP Debate in Ames, Iowa - Aug. 11, 2011

Reactions to the Iowa Debate

◼ GOP candidates go after Obama - and each other - Yahoo
◼ Fireworks Erupt at GOP Presidential Debate in Iowa - FOX
◼ Newt Gingrich: Take your 'gotcha questions' and ... - Politico

“There’s too much attention paid by the press corps to the campaign minutiae," and not enough attention "to the basic ideas that distinguish us from Barack Obama.”

◼ At GOP Debate Michele Bachmann Asked Whether Wives Should Be Submissive - Gateway Pundit
◼ Video: Pawlenty and Bachmann slug it out - HotAir
◼ THE SPIN ROOM IS OPEN! - The Other McCain

6:00 Eight GOP candidates on final lineup for tonight’s Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa

Fox News, the Washington Examiner and the Republican Party of Iowa are sponsoring the first debate in Iowa for the Republican presidential contenders - the two-hour Republican Presidential Debate takes place tonight, Thursday, August 11, at Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University... The debate, with commercial breaks, starts at 9 p.m. Eastern tonight... Moderators will be Byron York and Susan Ferrechio from the Washington Examiner newspaper, one of the debate co-sponsors, and Fox News anchors Chris Wallace and Bret Baier.... Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn will address the audience briefly before candidates take the stage.

◼ Eight candidates have qualified for the Fox News/Iowa GOP debate Thursday night. - desmoinesregister.com

Eight candidates have qualified for the Fox News/Iowa GOP debate Thursday night.

Expected to appear on the nationally-televised stage in Ames are: Massachusetts’ Mitt Romney, Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann, Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty, Texas’s Ron Paul, Georgia’s Herman Cain, Utah’s Jon Huntsman, Pennsylvania’s Rick Santorum and Georgia’s Newt Gingrich, according to Michael Clemente, Fox’s vice president of news.

Rules required eligible candidates to have an average of at least one percent in five non-online national polls by a deadline of 4 p.m. today.

Much to their dismay, some candidates were shut out, including Michigan’s Thaddeus McCotter, who is the most recent to enter the race, and California’s Fred Karger, an openly gay candidate. McCotter’s name will still be on the ballot for the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday because his campaign paid the $15,000 necessary to participate in the Republican Party of Iowa fundraiser.

◼ Big Expectations for Debate: One Stage, Eight Different Challenges - FOX
beyond the big stakes for the party and the nation tonight are seven men and one woman who come to the stage with their own baggage, opportunities and needs for this debate.... Here’s a look at the expectations for the field
◼ Tonight's Panelists: Ready to ask - Washington Examiner (image source)

◼ Candidacies on the line in tonight's debate - Washington Examiner (image source)
◼ REPUBLICAN DEBATE: SETTING THE STAGE - Dick Morris

Governor Tim Pawlenty's Statement on Speaker Boehner's Debt Limit Proposal

◼ Statement on Speaker Boehner's Debt Limit Proposal

"President Obama has run up a dangerous amount of debt since taking office, and I greatly appreciate Speaker Boehner for courageously leading the fight to stop him from running up even more. Speaker Boehner has now put forth two plans; that would be exactly two plans more than what the President has offered. The debt limit is a line in the sand where Republicans can force the tough decisions to fix our nation's finances, and taxpayers cannot afford for us to back down now. I am for the plan that will cut spending, cap it, and pass a balanced budget amendment, but unfortunately this latest bill does not accomplish that."
__________________
Tim Pawlenty

Iowa Politics Insider: Pawlenty tops field in cash-in-jar poll

◼ The winner of the Dallas County GOP "put your money where your mouth is" jar poll at the county fair last weekend: Tim "T-Paw" Pawlenty. - desmoinesregister.com

Undeclared Candidates Rick Perry, Sarah Palin left off Ames Straw Poll ballot

◼ Iowa GOP leaders decided on Saturday the nine names to include on the ballot for next month’s straw poll in Ames, leaving off Rick Perry and Sarah Palin, but including the names of most declared candidates — even several who have opted not to compete in the vote.... Declared candidates Buddy Roemer and Gary Johnson were left off the ballot....

Perry is expected to decide whether or not he’ll run shortly after the straw poll. Not having him on the ballot means that Pawlenty and Bachmann will not have to compete with him for votes, but recalibrates how many votes they’ll have to get to seem strong.

“It helps them because they don’t face that competition,” longtime Iowa GOP activist Doug Gross told POLITICO. “It’ll be a race between Bachmann, Pawlenty and Paul.” - Politico

Campaign coffers and fundraising

◼ Bachmann raised just $4.2 million in second quarter - HotAir
◼ Romney raises $18M in race for the Republican nomination - Washington Times

(F)ormer Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney amassed an $18 million campaign war chest that dwarfs that of other Republican presidential candidates, financial disclosures released late Friday show.

Yet two firebrands mounted last-minute campaigns that seemed to effortlessly raise funds in small increments in weeks while requiring little spending, leaving significant amounts stored away as candidates prepare for the Iowa straw poll next month.

Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Republican from Texas, raised $4.5 million and has $3 million on hand. Rep. Michele Bachmann, his second-term colleague in the House, focusing all resources in a newly created presidential campaign rather than her House vehicle, was in a similar position.

Though former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s haul of $4.5 million beat that of Mrs. Bachmann, also from that state, he seemed to burn up most of the take as soon as it landed in his bank account, leaving him with less money heading into the third quarter.

...Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum had a poor showing of $580,000 raised and $230,000 in the bank. Wealthy businessman Herman Cain raised $2 million, but spent nearly all of it, and loaned his campaign half a million dollars in personal funds in order to have cash on hand.

The flailing campaign of onetime House speaker Newt Gingrich raised $2 million, but spent nearly all of it, and closes the quarter with more than $1 million in debt.

This week’s horse race on the road to the White House

◼ Erick Erickson's take on where things stand right now - Redstate
Bachmann is down this week, but only slightly.... Herman Cain has bottomed out, but still can’t find momentum to get in the air again....Newt Gingrich’s campaign is over.... Jon Huntsman is like the Duke of York, neither up nor down.... McCotter has no long term viability as a Presidential candidate... There is now a growing sense that Palin might run... Ron Paul gets a bump up this week in the horserace.... Pawlenty is back up for the first time in weeks, his chances at the top slot are fading while his chances for Veep are growing... I think Perry runs.... Mitt Romney is the front runner and continues holding steady.... The only relevant question regarding Rick Santorum is whether he drops out before or after Newt Gingrich. He’s done.

Bachmann Grabs the Lead in Iowa

◼ Bachmann received support from 25 percent of likely Iowa caucus goers in the poll, while Romney is backed by 21 percent. - reddogreport (image source)
◼ Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has surpassed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in a recent Iowa poll that was conducted by TheIowaRepublican.com. With Bachmann now leading in Iowa, Romney has fallen to second place, but he is still well ahead of third place finisher Tim Pawlenty, who has overtaken Herman Cain - The Iowa Republican

FULL CNN Republican GOP presidential debate 2011 - New Hampshire

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PART 2:


PART 3:

CNN: THE NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE TONIGHT 5:00-7:00 PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will participate in the debate on the campus of St. Anselm College, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 13.
◼ CNN debate: What to watch for - CNN

CNN hosts the first New Hampshire Republican presidential debate Monday night from Manchester at 8 p.m. ET (5:00 ON THE WEST COAST). Follow all the issues and campaign news about the debate on CNNPolitics.com and @cnnpolitics on Twitter. Watch the debate on CNN TV, CNN.com and mobile devices. And participate with your questions on the live blog on the CNN Political Ticker.

◼ DICK MORRIS will be posting his play-by-play reactions LIVE during the Republican debate tonight - dickmorris.com
◼ "Republican Debate Prep: What to Watch For in New Hampshire." - Althouse (will be live blogging the debate as well, ◼ here)
◼ On the scene in NH: What “they’re” saying about tonight’s GOP debate - HotAir (will have updates throughout)

Tim Pawlenty: @BarackObama sorry to interrupt the European pub crawl, but what was your Medicare plan?

◼ Romney and Pawlenty Channel Palin With Latest Campaign Moves - Riehl World View

Tim Pawlenty says he'd sign Ryan budget

◼ Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty said on Thrusday that he would sign Rep. Paul Ryan's budget if his own plan couldn't pass. - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner