[UPDATE]  Whoa, whoa, WHOA.  Tim Pawlenty’s going to start off his candidacy by ‘speaking truthfully about farm subsidies‘?

Speaking truthfully about farm subsidies?

In IOWA?

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty released this video (“A Time For Truth”) last night:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i66q1f3M3w[/youtube]

…and he’s going to be formally announcing his candidacy at a town hall today in Iowa.  My basic take from both the video above, and the excerpts from his planned speech that I’ve seen: Pawlenty’s going to be focused primarily on going after the President, and not worry quite so much about his fellow-Republican candidates.  At least, that’s the impression that I get from him taking the opportunity in both to essentially call the President a liar…

“President Obama’s policies have failed.  But more than that, he won’t even tell us the truth about what it’s really going to take to get out of the mess we’re in. … I’m going to take a different approach.  I am going to tell you the truth.”

Not to mention, a coward.

“We need a President who understands that our problems are deep and who has the courage to face them.  President Obama doesn’t.”

All of which at least feels like it’s already more hard-hitting than Sen. John McCain ever managed in the last election cycle*.  But possibly I’m just allowing my natural optimism to show.  Or, possibly, I’m still remembering all the screaming that we did in 2008 behind the scenes, begging that campaign to come out swinging…

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Yes, I know that’s a kind of depressing statement, really.