Tim Pawlenty the governor probably wouldn't garner much interest from a swanky men's magazine like Esquire. But Tim Pawlenty the potential presidential candidate, well, that's something else entirely.
In a wide-ranging Q & A in the March issue (released online here Friday), Pawlenty talks about the failures of the Republican Party, offers his thoughts on the financial bailout and weighs in on whether he thinks President Obama is a socialist.
It's worth noting, the Esquire Web site also features an anonymous survey of 75 top Republicans. On the question of who they liked for president last fall, Pawlenty got 13 percent, one point higher than former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Mitt Romney was the top vote-getter, with 31 percent. Thirty-six percent opted for none of the above, or other.
Here's Pawlenty on the state of the Republican Party:
"The Republicans had their shot not long ago to address the real needs and concerns of everyday Americans, and they blew it.... Over the time that they were there and had the leadership opportunity, they blew it. We got fired for a reason."
If you were president, would you have done a bank bailout?
"I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything in those circumstances. The federal government has a role in regulating, overseeing financial institutions to protect consumers and deposits to a certain level, and obviously the Federal Reserve manages the money supply, and there are things it can and should do using that authority, but that is not the same as saying that we're not gonna let any large financial institutions fail. I think some of 'em could have and should have failed. Maybe still will."
Is President Obama a socialist?
