Pawlenty gets warm welcome in Washington

WASHINGTON -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty received four standing ovations during an impassioned speech in the nation's capital on Friday that focused largely on his socially conservative views and offered a searing criticism of the president's agenda.

Following a day of speeches from GOP heavyweights such as Mike Huckabee and Bill O'Reilly, Pawlenty addressed a packed room of about 2,000 people at the Values Voter Summit, a conservative conference hosted by the Family Research Council. The Minnesota governor offered a rundown of several "values" that he said need to be translated into results.

"As you know, you're gathered here because you share a belief in values," he said. "Those values are under attack. These are not just conservative values; our values are American values."

Pawlenty listed some examples, beginning by saying that "at every turn, at every gathering, we should start first things first by thanking and acknowledging God. ... This is not politically incorrect, it's not politically sensitive, this is what our nation was founded on."

Near the end of his speech he began reading a Bible passage featured at Ronald Reagan's inauguration. Within moments, the crowd began reciting it with him from memory.

He brought the audience to its feet twice when he responded to attacks from Minnesota's DFL Party that he said were spurred by President Barack Obama's statement that he will start calling out people by name on the health care debate:

"Here's my message [to Obama]: Stop spending the country into bankruptcy. 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 are putting on their shoulders."

Wading into foreign policy -- a key topic for presidential contenders -- Pawlenty criticized Obama for nixing the missile defense systems in the Czech Republic and Poland and cutting the defense budget.

Building a national image

Pawlenty has been traveling the country in recent weeks appearing at events and on TV to bolster his national image. A good indicator for his progress so far might be the outcome of a straw poll being conducted at the conference, which will be announced today.

On Thursday in Minnesota, Pawlenty downplayed his potential showing in the poll. "Nobody really knows who I am in terms of the national scene, so I wouldn't expect to do very well," he said.

He might be right. About a dozen people interviewed leaving the straw poll on Friday afternoon before his speech said Pawlenty was not their top choice. Many knew his name and thought he was a viable candidate, but said he hasn't yet effectively projected his positions on the issues and plans for the future.

But Pawlenty's speech seemed to have an impact, especially on religious voters. Bren Gibson from South Carolina said she appreciated his focus on religion, something she hasn't heard from other candidates. "You have to get back to the Bible," she said.

A new aide in the mix

Pawlenty was joined at the conference by his usual contingent of aides who were working on a volunteer basis. A new face, however, was Greg Mueller, president of CRC Public Relations, listed as Pawlenty's media contact for the event. Mueller runs the conservative Arlington, Va., firm and was press secretary to GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. CRC coordinated the Swift Boat attacks against John Kerry in 2004 and led efforts to discredit Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Pawlenty aide Alex Conant said Mueller was working the event for free because "he likes the governor" and is more familiar with the conference's type of media environment.