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Pawlenty tops Ohio GOP showcase

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By Amy Biolchini, Staff Writer Updated 1:47 AM Sunday, September 20, 2009

MASON — Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minnesota, spoke at the First Leading Ohio Dinner hosted by the Ohio Republican Party to a crowd of nearly 500 Saturday, Sept. 19.

Held at the Great Wolf Lodge, the event featured Pawlenty, as well as the Ohio GOP’s top candidates for statewide offices in 2010: Mary Taylor, Jon Husted, Rob Portman and John Kasich.

The sold-out event served as a showcase for the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsed candidates for statewide office.

Mason Mayor Tom Grossman introduced the evening’s speakers, indicating they would be a prominent national voice for the party.

The last speaker of the night, Pawlenty talked about anecdotes from his family and his experiences in his home state of Minnesota and called for unity within the Republican party. Minnesota, a typically Democratic state, elected Pawlenty as its governor in 2002 and re-elected him in 2006.

“If you can do it in Minnesota, you can do it anywhere,” Pawlenty said.

He has made his intentions to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2012 clear, and is stumping across the country to build his national image.

Pawlenty critically addressed health care issues: “The federal government has on the pathway to bankrupt every major retirement program they run currently.”

He also replied to the issue of foreign policy, after President Barack Obama’s recent decision to abandon a missile defense system in Europe.

“Appeasement didn’t stop the Soviets, and appeasement didn’t stop the terrorists before 9/11, and appeasement isn’t going to work now,” Pawlenty said.

Pawlenty’s remarks were met by applause, but the audience reacted more enthusiastically to John Kasich. Kasich is the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio in 2010.

“We’re a vehicle tonight,” Kasich said, “This election is only step one and phase one.”

Kasich’s lively speech also called for the re-election for Auditor of State Mary Taylor: “Thank God we’ve got a woman there and we’re gonna keep her there as long as she wants to stay.”

Also in attendance was Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who held up a “Stop Pelosi” bumper sticker.

“Our goal is to retire (U.S. House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi,” Sessions said.

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