Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has formally announced his presidential candidacy.Read his complete prepared remarks for yourself at Washington Examiner.
The key lines, the kicker if you will and something he needs to keep in his speeches is quoted below, because Americans deserve to be treated as adults and be told how things are not a bunch of hope and change promises that make them feel good.
Americans can handle the truth without punishing the messenger just because the message isn't pretty.
It's time for new leadership. It's time for a new approach. And, it's time for America's president - and anyone who wants to be president - to look you in the eye and tell you the truth. So here it is.
Government money isn't "free." You and I either pay for it in taxes, or our children pay for it in debt. The reforms we need are not in the billions, but in the trillions of dollars. And the cuts we need to make - the cuts we must make - can't just be to somebody else's programs.
The changes history is calling on America to make today cannot be shouldered only by people richer than us or poorer than us - but by us, too.
Politicians are often afraid that if they're too honest, they might lose an election. I'm afraid that in 2012, if we're not honest enough, we may lose our country.
I don't know who I am going to vote for, I still need to see the final field and where candidates stand on specific issues and what their agenda is for the big picture.
I will say though I would prefer someone who is going to look the country in the eye and tell the truth rather than making a bunch of "feel good" statements promising things that cannot be delivered.
Pawlenty's website is here and his stances on the issues is here.
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