Policy-Wonk Pawlenty Steers Clear of Wackos

He will be Romney's National Co-Chair, rules out VP run

(NEWSER) - Tim Pawlenty didn’t wait long to throw his weight behind a candidate in the GOP primary race. The former Minnesota governor told Fox News today that he is endorsing Mitt Romney, adding, “I think he’s going to be a transformational and great president for this country.” And we know what you’re thinking, but Pawlenty insists he’s not angling for a VP nomination. More»

First expense reports offer a glimpse into each campaign

(NEWSER) - Want to get to know your 2012 candidates better? Take a look at what they're spending campaign cash on, courtesy of expense reports obtained by the Washington Post . The first major spending reports of the campaign reveal that the candidates have spent about $32 million so far.

• Tim Pawlenty: You can tell the "upstart" candidate is focused on Iowa because he's spent $200,000 at businesses in the state. Total spent so far: $2.5 million, and a large percentage of that went toward payroll—odd since his top aides are working for peanuts . (Funny tidbit: He spent $7.07 at a Godfather's Pizza restaurant—that, of course, is the pizza chain formerly run by his opponent, Herman Cain.)
• Mitt Romney: The "establishment" candidate spent money on, not surprisingly, security and consultants—plus $750,000 at businesses in New Hampshire. More of his budget—18%—goes to administrative expenses than any of his GOP opponents. Total spent so far: $5.7 million.

Obama is clobbering Republican candidates in money race

(NEWSER) - Fundraising reports are starting to trickle in from the GOP presidential field, and the results look great—for Barack Obama. Even Mitt Romney’s vaunted money machine collected only $18 million in the first true quarter of fundraising, a big step back from his 2008 showing, Politico reports. The results only get uglier from there, with Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman not even cracking $5 million, and the Republican National Committee $18.5 million in debt. More»

Pawlenty, Romney hawkish as Huntsman calls for faster withdrawal

(NEWSER) - The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan could become a major bone of contention among the GOP's 2012 hopefuls, judging by their differing responses to President Obama's speech outlining the US drawdown.

• Tim Pawlenty took the most hawkish position, calling the decision to bring all the surge forces home by the end of next summer a "grave mistake." "Look how he phrased the outcome of this war: He said we need to end the war 'responsibly,'" Pawlenty told Bill O'Reilly. "When America goes to war, America needs to win. We need to close out the war successfully."

Bachmann impressed while Romney held firm, say pundits

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney and, more surprisingly, Michele Bachmann looked like the big winners in last night's Republican debate in New Hampshire, analysts say.

• Bachmann, who announced her candidacy during the debate , was "at ease and forceful without looking at all crazy or out-of-control," writes EJ Dionne Jr. at the Washington Post . Romney, meanwhile, "did not lose anything," he notes, "which means that, since he leads in the polls in New Hampshire, he is a kind of winner."
• Romney "couldn't have scripted an easier debate for himself, writes Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman at Politico . He went in "looking strong and emerged from it stronger, as his opponents repeatedly passed up opportunities to go on the attack—and even inflicted damage on themselves as they tried to avoid confrontation."