And Republican Governor of Minnesota Speaks

Via Bloomberg:

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has a message for his fellow Republicans: Get over Ronald Reagan.

And:

The old Republican orthodoxy of limited government, lower taxes and conservative social policies needs an update if the party hopes to challenge Democrats on issues such as health care, energy and education, he said.

“We need to develop new Ronald Reagans and new reference points,” Pawlenty said in an interview after addressing CPAC. “It would be as if Barack Obama was going around and constantly talking about Truman or LBJ. It’s just become a reference point that isn’t as relevant for young people.”

And:

In his speech, Pawlenty said his two brothers, who were union members, told him, “‘the conservatives or the Republicans, they’re not for the working person.’ You ever heard that before?”

He said “the face and voice and tone of the Republican Party and the conservative movement needs to be more about bread-and-butter issues for everyday people.”

On the other hand:

In the straw poll, Pawlenty finished behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, among others.

Considering how quickly RNC Chair Steele apologized for his statements about Rush Limbaugh, I wonder how long it'll take Pawlenty to apologize for departing from Orthodox Reaganism.