Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney’s attack dog

By Dana Milbank,
WashPost
Published: January 23

During his brief and ill-fated presidential bid, Tim Pawlenty pursued the role of attack dog about as well as you would expect a golden retriever to do.

The former Minnesota governor was just too cuddly. When he fleetingly referred to rival Mitt Romney’s “ObamneyCare” health legislation, he was invited to repeat the accusation to Romney’s face during a debate — and he awkwardly demurred.

Belatedly, Pawlenty has found his venom sac. And on Monday morning, he poured it on Newt Gingrich during a conference call with reporters.

“For Republicans and conservatives all across this country, a question is going to have to be as they consider Newt Gingrich as a potential nominee for president: Really? I mean, really?”

Pawlenty went on to dub Gingrich a lobbyist and “influence peddler” and demanded that he release his client list and contract with the mortgage provider Freddie Mac.

(More here.)