Mulling 2012 run, Pawlenty hits "union-coddling" Obama

Tim Pawlenty, former Republican governor of Minnesota, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington February 11, 2011.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Not known as a hard-hitting conservative, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty got a standing ovation from Tea Party activists on Saturday as he praised small government, the U.S. Constitution and took a swing at "union-coddling" President Barack Obama.

Pawlenty, who is expected to announce that he will run for the Republican nomination to challenge Obama next year, took aim at the president on Saturday at a Tea Party Patriots summit in Phoenix.

"The Constitution was not written to limit freedom, it was written to limit government," he said to cheers and whistles from activists packed into a convention center in downtown Phoenix.

"We don't want a bigger government shoving mandates down our throats. (Obama has) got it completely backwards. They, the bureaucrats, don't tell us what to do. We, the people, tell the government what to do!" he said.

Pawlenty is among Republican contenders considering throwing their hat into the ring to take on Obama next year, although he has said he will not announce a decision to run for several weeks.

Usually mild, he took a more combative tone on Saturday, taking aim at Obama and praising Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, in his battle to curb state union bargaining rights.

"It says in the Constitution: 'In order to form a more perfect Union.' ... Mr. President, that does not mean coddling out of control public employee unions.

"And Mr. President, Wisconsin does not need a lecture from somebody who's never balanced a budget in his life," he said, calling for applause from the floor for Walker "for standing strong against overreaching unions."

Known as "T-Paw" by his supporters, he was a popular governor in Minnesota, slashing a $4.3 billion budget deficit without raising taxes and has been a staunch voice against abortion and stem cell research,

In "Courage to Stand," a memoir timed to coincide with his expected campaign, Pawlenty denounced "runaway spending" in Washington and blamed Obama for a mountain of debt, although critics were divided on his conservative credentials.

'A FEW TOO MANY CLICHES'

After Pawlenty hit popular notes pledging support for balanced budgets, tossing Obama's healthcare overhaul, and embracing God-given freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, activists got to their feet in a standing ovation.

But some among the 2,000 activists who registered for the Tea Party American Policy Summit had mixed feelings about his performance overall.

"I think he did just fine (although) I think he had a few too many cliches," said retiree Kathy Morris, from Arizona.

California insurance executive Paul Johnson, meanwhile, said he liked what he heard from Pawlenty, and remained open to voting for him should he run in Republican presidential primaries.

"It would depend who else is running, but I'd consider him, sure. He's a very sincere guy, he's a smart guy, and he'd serve well in that position," Johnson said.

"I think he's got a lot to say ... He embodied the ideas of the conference, that we have to reduce the size of government, because they are misusing our money," he added.

Among other possible candidates who may run against Obama in 2012 are former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former Alaska governor and conservative favorite Sarah Palin.

The field narrowed last week when Republican U.S. Senator John Thune, long seen as a rising political star, announced he would not run. No one has stood out so far as the most likely candidate for 2012.

(Editing by Greg McCune)