Pawlenty Runs Right

I've got nothing against Hermann Cain. He seems a likeable chap, and he's got the principles of governance down solid, at least rhetorically. But he may not have the resume for the job (Emphasis: May not. The guy was a director of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank). Tim Pawlenty, on the other hand, has a record that sound just about right:

I signed a budget that actually reduced state spending in real terms for the first time in the 150-year history of our state. I led the charge to move Minnesota out of the Top 10 highest-tax states. I passed market-based health care reforms and introduced merit pay for our teachers.

It wasn't easy. We had a brief government shutdown and had one of America's longest-ever public employee strikes. I also set a record for vetoes and for using executive power to force spending cuts. We balanced every budget during my time as governor while cutting state taxes.

It would be nice to get an idea of what "market-based reforms" meant, and how well they're doing in Minnesota. But this sounds like the best resume we've got going right now. If he comes through with telling hard truths about farm subsidies in Iowa, he might be the Real Deal.