Pawlenty Takes On Romney
By JONATHAN WEISMAN
Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, lagging behind in polls and stung by criticism of his debate performance, is going on offense against Republican front-runner Mitt Romney with what aides said will be a sustained attack on Mr. Romney’s backing for a state health-care law as Massachusetts governor.
Mr. Pawlenty says Mr. Romney’s work to shepherd the Massachusetts plan into law undermines his ability to attack President Barack Obama’s national health-care law, given similarities between the two.
“I don’t think you can prosecute the political case against President Obama if you are a co-conspirator in one of the main charges against the president,” Mr. Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor, told Fox News on Thursday. He also accused Mr. Romney of being “involved in the development and construction” of Mr. Obama’s health plan.
Mr. Pawlenty’s comments marked a turning point in a Republican primary campaign so far characterized by collegiality, not combat.
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Mr Pawlenty’s comments also mark a turning point in the campaign from truth-telling to smears and lies. To say that Romney was a “co-conspirator” and “involved int he development and construction” of Obamacare is beyong the pale and, in my mind, places Pawlenty into the 2nd and 3rd tier (yipping Chihuahua, nipping at heels) of the candidacy, if not into the fringe / whack-job tier. Wasn’t Pawlenty’s meme supposed to be the truth-teller … this is so way-out there (even people that don’t like Romney certainly don’t believe that he was INVOLVED in the creation of Obamacare – that’s sheer lunacy) that nothing he says from now on can be taken seriously .. imho ..