August 11, 2011 9:50 PM

Gloves come off between Pawlenty and Bachmann in GOP debate

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Campaign 2012
Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann

Republican presidential candidate former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, right, speaks as Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. listens during the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate at the CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011.

(Credit: Pool,AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The gloves came off in the feud between former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in Iowa's first 2012 Republican presidential debate Thursday night.

"It's an undispatuble fact in Congress her record of accomplishment and results is nonexistent," Pawlenty said of his fellow Minnesota Republican. "The American people are going to expect more."

Pawlenty said that Republican voters want a presidential candidate who can compete with President Obama when it comes to results. For instance, he said he tackled health care reform "the right way" in his state.

Bachmann rattled off a list of charges against Pawlenty that she's cited before: That Pawlenty as governor "implemented cap and trade," that he supported an "unconstitutional" health care mandate, and that he once said, "the era of small government is over."

"That sounds a lot like Barack Obama to me," Bachmann said. By contrast, she said, "I have fought all of these unconstitutional measures against Barack Obama."

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Bachmann's team was ready for the confrontation: Her staff handed out to members of the press at the debate a two-page document entitled "The Big Government of Tim Pawlenty." The document, among other things, charged, "Tim Pawlenty was for government bail-outs before he was against them."

Pawlenty shook his head in exasperation as Bachmann criticized his record, retorting that she had different things to say about his leadership while he was serving as governor. He added, "She's got a record of misstating and making false statements."

Furthermore, Pawlenty pointed out that while Bachmann has been vocal in her opposition to policies like raising the debt ceiling and the bank bailouts, those policies were nevertheless implemented.

"It's not her spine we're worried about, it's her results," he said. "If that's your view of effective leadership with results, please stop, because you're killing us."

Pawlenty refrained from attacking Bachmann on one issue -- he said he never criticized the congresswoman following reports that she suffers from debilitating migraine headaches.

"I have not questioned Congresswoman Bachmann's migraine headaches. I don't think that is an issue," he said. "The only headache I hear about on the campaign trail is the headache Barack Obama has given the people of this country with his lousy leadership and this lousy economy."

The Iowa debate, along with Saturday's straw poll, are critical for both Pawlenty and Bachmann. For Bachmann, her best chances of solidifying her status as a strong presidential contender may lie in Iowa, where conservatives have been drawn to her social and fiscal conservatism.

For Pawlenty, a victory in Iowa would give a much-needed boost to his campaign. When questioning Pawlenty about his past attacks against Bachmann, the Fox News debate moderator Chris Wallace asked, "Is she unqualified, or just beating you in the polls?"

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Add a Comment See all 44 Comments
by jimtim981 August 12, 2011 7:15 PM EDT
I see that gov. Perry called on god to help the country. Isn't he too busy at the other end of the universe?
Reply to this comment
by meandeanKK August 12, 2011 4:17 PM EDT
Record Unemployment, Record Deficits, Record Partisan Politics, Record Spending, President Obama is like Carter at the end of his Term, completely ineffective, confused lost, lashing out at the american electorate. I am waiting for the white house to anounce that Mr. Obama is due to release his next childrens book, "green Jobs and Ham I am"

Gov. Perry will landslide Sen. Obama, obama and his 'eat your peas' 'pay our fair share' even though I had a Super Majority in the Senate and Majority in the house, I was Afraid to push a budget through, cuz I umm I ummm was pretty sure it would hurt our midterm elections... as well, umm... well we did lose 60 plus seats, gbut, umm it might have been worse, after you know, umm, that christmas eve vote for cloture on healthcare reform which you know cuts $500 Billion from medicare so wasn't really popular with the people who have to pay for it, taxpayers, who you know. uummm tend to vote... in midterms, whereas you know, the poor who would benefit from my healthcare, they you know, ummm well, are just less likely to vote in a midterm'
Reply to this comment
by nearl451 August 12, 2011 8:25 AM EDT
by jhallard August 11, 2011 10:45 PM EDT
We can castrate Pawlenty, but what can we do to Michelle? ......

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Really noneed to be violent. Besides, re. Tim, could you really tell the difference?
Reply to this comment
by nearl451 August 12, 2011 8:20 AM EDT
by Kenny777_y August 12, 2011 7:27 AM EDT
i agree at least RON PAUL makes some sence, these other clowns hate OBAMA so much thats their only focus . big mistake.

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Correction: All these others pretend to hate Obama as their only campaign strategy....Kind of like "Not Bush" was to elections past.

Romney and Pawlenty cannot truly hate Obama, because they are largely like him. Bachman has Obama to thank for here tea party opportunities....she's riding the anti-O wave.

Paul, is an independent thinker, and Libertarian ideals are attractive. However, one only need to scratch the surface to discover his zanier thoughts. The ideals are great, but don't exactly pass muster in our world economy and I see really no true ideas on fixing the economic model that is so inept at present from him.
Reply to this comment
by nearl451 August 12, 2011 8:06 AM EDT
Oh oh, both put on their big girl panties and came out for a cat fight.

Mr. Milquetoast Pantywaistlently can't touch Romney, so he focuses on beating up the mentally challenged.

Par for the course.
Reply to this comment
by nearl451 August 12, 2011 8:11 AM EDT
BTW, both of these candidates are finished in the race. The bigger players of the GOP are not even here.

And Romney.....well he just has nothing better to do.
by chetthor August 12, 2011 5:24 AM EDT
Where are we going? ... gay cure clinics, bridges to no where, unwanted, unfunded pipelines, right to life... pregnat kids, protect the rich, screw the poor, no experience, no plans, mentally incompetent.... sink the economy... teapartys 98% sucess on the debt...

My goodness folks, when are we going to get to the stuff of demonstrated leadership... ?
Reply to this comment
by blank2012 August 12, 2011 1:53 AM EDT
In major post-debate polls Ron Paul wins by a landslide.

http://www.topix.com 8/12/11 total votes 21,952
Ron Paul 42.8% 9,398 votes
Mitt Romney 8.7% 1,911 votes
Michelle Bachhman 8.5% 1,874 votes

http://politics.newsvine.com 8/12/11 total votes 13,223
Ron Paul 33.2% 4,962 votes
Mitt Romney 14.6% 2,189 votes
Michelle Bachhman 6.8% 1,014 votes

http://www.foxnews.com 8/12/11 total votes 5038
Ron Paul 61.83% 3,115 votes
Mitt Romney 9.25% 466 votes
Michelle Bachhman 4.8% 242 votes

http://www.therightscoop.com 8/12/11 total votes 782
Ron Paul 49.74% 389 votes
Michelle Bachmann 11% 86 votes
Mitt Romney 7.29% 57 votes

Of all the candidates in the Iowa GOP presidential candidate debate Ron Paul is the clear winner.
Reply to this comment
by realtimecoffee August 12, 2011 2:45 AM EDT
Well that's it then. President Paul. Has a nice sound to it.
by user000049586849302948603 August 12, 2011 3:25 AM EDT
What about when he said that we should let Iran get the bomb and mind our own business.
by John_Rational August 12, 2011 12:51 AM EDT
One should never be upset by dogs barking, or lunatics howling at the Moon. It is in their nature. Republigoons can't help being crazy, it's become a prerequisite for party membership. Right wing-nuts, try them, you'll hate them! And 2012 is the end of them. If you have never voted before you need to vote Democrat in 2012 if you don't want to live in a third world country where the top 2% have all the money, and the bottom 98% are paupers and do all the work. That is the only place their insane 18th century thinking can lead us. Send the RepubliCONs to hang with the Tories and Wigs in the dustbin of history where they belong!!! We must stomp these insane beliefs right out of existence or they will stomp US all out of existence!
Reply to this comment
by realtimecoffee August 12, 2011 1:35 AM EDT
Without that 2% to feed and house the Demcrat party base, the Democrat party would literally die out. Dog, meet hand that feeds you.
by DocD--2008 August 12, 2011 12:47 AM EDT
They are all idiots with their heads up their *****.
Reply to this comment
by kaylag04 August 12, 2011 12:29 AM EDT
At least Ron Paul supporters can only vote once in a real election...unless they become Democrats...deceased, convicted felon, illegal alien Democrats. Then they can vote a lot of times.
Reply to this comment
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