TIM 12:

Pawlenty: Health care reform 'a monstrosity' (JOHN DISTASO, 12/17/09, Union Leader)

Potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty came to the leadoff-primary state today urging the GOP to return to its conservative base and then practice what it preaches if it hopes to regain the lost trust of Americans.

"We've got to explain using conservative principles, conservative ideas and values, why our approach, even if it may not be instant gratification, is better for families and individuals and regular working people all across this country on those kind of issues, those bread and butter, meat and potatoes issues," he told the New Hampshire Union Leader in an interview. [...]

"President Obama was here in New Hampshire on New Hampshire primary night and said he was going to fix health care by bringing Republicans and Democrats together," he said. "Well, here we are in New Hampshire and now what we see is a monstrosity being jammed down our throats on almost a purely partisan basis and maybe entirely partisan basis." He called the Democratic-led process on Capitol Hill that has led to the likely passage of a health care reform package "one of the largest political bait and switch tactics in the modern history of the country." He said the Minnesota health care system, while imperfect, gives participants broad market choices. He said the state employee plan has kept cost increases at or near zero percent for the past five years.