Tim Pawlenty to announce presidential committee

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Event March 7, 2011 in Waukee, Iowa.

/ Photo by Steve Pope/Getty Images

Updated 11:47 a.m. Eastern Time

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty plans to announce Monday afternoon that he is forming a presidential exploratory committee, CBS News has learned - the likely precursor to a full-blown run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

Pawlenty will make the announcement, which an aide to the candidate confirmed to CBS News, on his Facebook page at 3:00 p.m. Eastern today. Only those who have elected to "like" Pawlenty on Facebook will have access to the message.

Pawlenty confirmed his plans on a conference call with supporters Monday morning. He said he will file the paperwork for the exploratory committee today, adding that he expects a full announcement of a presidential run will "come soon enough."

Pawlenty will be the third candidate - and the first seen as a legitimate contender for the nomination - to announce an exploratory committee, following talk show host and businessman Herman Cain and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer.

Pawlenty has been working feverishly behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for a candidacy, making allies in early-voting states, hiring staff and courting key activists. He has struggled to get his name better known to a wider audience, however, which may be one reason he is announcing an exploratory committee ahead of his potential rivals. 

The 50-year-old conservative Republican has cast himself as a strong candidate in part by pointing to his success in relatively-liberal Minnesota. He has also tried to position himself as a consensus candidate, someone around whom both fiscal and social conservatives can rally. 

On the call with supporters Monday morning, Pawlenty said America is "in trouble" and "needs new leadership."

"With all due respect for President Obama, I think he's taken this country in the wrong direction," he said, criticizing the president for an "expansive, overreaching, burdensome view of the role of government in people's lives."

He also expressed concerns over America playing a secondary role in world affairs, pointing to the military action in Libya.

"When we have [French] President [Nicolas] Sarkozy dictating the pace and terms and conditions for security initiatives in the world, we know that we've entered a new era in terms of America's place and leadership and vision for security around the world, and that concerns me greatly," Pawlenty said.

Forming an exploratory committee allows Pawlenty to hire staff and raise money more aggressively; it also means he will have to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. His campaign is asking donors to hold off until the new fundraising quarter to donate to Pawlenty in order to avoid reports of weak first quarter fundraising. The new quarter begins April 1. 

Other likely Republican candidates in the wide-open race for the 2012 GOP nomination include Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour and Rick Santorum. 

15 Photos

Tim Pawlenty

[trimrider]

Anyone still supporting Obaam at this point is a very very sick person indeed.

[noloyalisti]

We should have them run the Republican presidential campaign from some prison where they all belong.

[daffy64]

Other likely Republican candidates in the wide-open race for the 2012 GOP nomination include Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour and Rick Santorum.

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Ho boy. Ouch.

[daffy64]

"When we have [French] President [Nicolas] Sarkozy dictating the pace and terms and conditions for security initiatives in the world, we know that we've entered a new era in terms of America's place and leadership and vision for security around the world, and that concerns me greatly," Pawlenty said.

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***? What's this supposed to mean? "If anyone's gonna kick arse...it's the USA! USA! USA!"

What an idiot.

[bantamei]

The list of republitard candidates is a joke.

[IL-Independent]

So are you, so what is your point.

[No_Absolutes]

9 comments. Tim, you don't excite the right and you don't p*ss off the left...Good luck making it past Super Tuesday.

[Birdman04]

That was honest and to the point. I would almost vote for someone who would do no harm and do no good.

[jowand1]

Better than Obama, but no good enough to make a difference.

[pr_boxer]

I heard that Pawlenty is smarter than Bachman & Bush......of course so was Elmer Fudd!

[jowand1]

Pawlenty isn't bankrupting the nation though is he?

[IL-Independent]

Well that leaves you off that list. Bush is smarter than you will ever be

[superdem1]

Oh, great (yawn) ...Pawlenty..for..Prezzzzzzzzzzzzz.. snore

[RealiteBites]

hahaha - I opened up the thread just to add my two cents about Pawlenty having the appeal of a piece of wet cardboard, but everybody's beat me to it.

Funny posts :)

[sully36]

compared to the bozo we have in office now, this guy looks GGGGGRRRRRRRREEEEEEEAAAAAAATTTTTTTT! we need substance not Flash!