The State GOP convention kicked off Friday night with a speaker that's generating buzz nationwide. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has been named as a potential running mate for John McCain, when asked by reporters if he would accept a nod. He described the Arizona Senator as an American hero. He says, “He's one of the most courageous, most bold politicians I've had a chance to be associated with.”
“I'm happy to support him. I don't have any motivations or designs beyond that.”
At 47 and governor of a swing state, Pawlenty is seen my some as a good balance to the 71 year old McCain.
He then spent much of his keynote address drawing comparisons with politics and the free market. In politics he says the ultimate force of “markets” is election. He notes the 2006 election of Democrats winning Congress as a sign of people going to the Republicans “competitors. To win voters, he says rather than imitate the high taxes and spending of the Democratic Party, he urges Republicans to get back to core conservative principles. He mentions Ronald Reagan's optimism and message of hope as something the party should emulate today.
AUDIO: Brian Moon reports (MP3 :70)
