After giving a hazy answer on the Boehner debt ceiling plan earlier today, Tim Pawlenty gives a big thumbs-down in a new statement.
"President Obama has run up a dangerous amount of debt since taking office, and I greatly appreciate Speaker Boehner for courageously leading the fight to stop him from running up even more. Speaker Boehner has now put forth two plans; that would be exactly two plans more than what the President has offered. The debt limit is a line in the sand where Republicans can force the tough decisions to fix our nation's finances, and taxpayers cannot afford for us to back down now. I am for the plan that will cut spending, cap it, and pass a balanced budget amendment, but unfortunately this latest bill does not accomplish that."
Pawlenty's non-endorsement is unlikely to sway GOP votes on the Hill, but it's a sign of where the political currents are moving on the right, especially in the wake of a CBO report showing less savings in the Boehner plan than originally advertised.
In the event of a default, though, Pawlenty's position may give him less cover than the vaguely pro-Boehner stance Mitt Romney's taking, or the explicitly pro-Boehner stance Jon Huntsman is taking, when the political recriminations get handed out. Those other candidates can say they were open to one of the available compromises, which is not a luxury Pawlenty will have.
