Pawlenty, Obama butt heads over health care, spending

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is ramping up his criticism of President Barack Obama on a variety of issues--from health care to defense spending.

Pawlenty took several shots at the president Friday night in front of an approving audience at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. The Republican governor also acknowledged being called out by Obama via the Democratic National Committee for his recent comments about death panels in the health care reform proposal. Pawlenty said he had a return message for the president.

"Stop spending the country into bankruptcy," Pawlenty said. "Stop taxing us into oblivion. And the next time you address a group of young people, maybe you should apologize for the crushing debt you're putting on their shoulders."

Pawlenty also compared Obama's decision to stop a missile defense project in Eastern Europe to appeasement. He accused the administration of pulling the rug out from under Poland and the Czech Republic. Pawlenty is scheduled to make another political speech Saturday night in Ohio.

Democratic National Committee spokesperson Hari Seugan responded to Pawlenty's speech in a statement to Politico.

"It looks like Tim Pawlenty isn't even going to offer the pretense of being anything but an extreme right-wing radical anymore. At least it's honest, and if you've seen what he's said on health care lately you know that's a rare feat," the statement said.

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