Pawlenty calls out Obama at Values Voters Summit (OneNewsNow.com)

Pawlenty calls out Obama at Values Voters Summit

Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 9/19/2009 8:40:00 AM

Values Voter Summit logo WASHINGTON, DC - Potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty is once again calling out President Obama, demanding that he "stop spending the country into bankruptcy."

While addressing the Values Voter Summit in Washington Friday night, the two-term Minnesota governor laid out six "wise values" that conservatives should promote: thanking and acknowledging God; respecting life at all stages; respecting and defending the Constitution; living within one's financial means; realizing that America's weaknesses, not its strengths, "tempt" its enemies around the world; and finally, letting individuals and families make their own healthcare decisions.

Speaking as if the 2012 campaign were already under way, Pawlenty touted his conservative fiscal credentials, informing the audience that he had reduced spending in Minnesota by 7.6 percent -- the most in modern Minnesota history.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota) Pawlenty also took the opportunity to blast President Obama's healthcare plan, warning conservatives that it will impose hefty mandates on individuals and employers and raise taxes on manufacturers of life-saving healthcare technologies. He argued that a new government-run healthcare plan is a foolish idea, given the government's inept handling of existing entitlements such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

The Democratic National Committee has produced a new web video that suggests Pawlenty is moving farther to the right to prepare himself for a future Republican primary, and has become a cross between conservative Christian politicians Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee. Pawlenty said because the DNC chose to attack him, he would once again call out the president.

"My message to the president is stop spending the country into bankruptcy. Stop spending us into oblivion. And the next time you address young people in the classroom, apologize for putting a crushing debt on their soldiers," he declared.

After being interrupted by a prolonged applause, Pawlenty added one more challenge to Obama: "On taxpayer-funded abortion, don't duck, don't bob, don't weave -- put the language of the Hyde Amendment in the healthcare bill." The Hyde Amendment prohibits taxpayer funding of abortion.

The Minnesota governor closed his address by reading from the Bible, specifically II Chronicles 7:14. As he began reading, the crowd joined him in reciting the scripture verse, which Pawlenty called "a great verse for healing the nations."

Fox News' O'Reilly honored
Prior to Pawlenty's speech, Bill O'Reilly, the host of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor was recognized by the Family Research Council for his critical reporting on notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller, who was slain earlier this year.

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins presented O'Reilly with a "Media Courage Award" for his willingness to expose and decry the gruesome late-term abortion business Tiller once operated.

O'Reilly's speech was briefly interrupted by a protester with a bullhorn who started shouting, "While Bill O'Reilly's wife was pregnant with his child..." The protester's words were drowned out by boos while security personnel quickly had him removed from the building. O'Reilly, who appeared unbothered and even amused by the disturbance, said it was probably just "another MSNBC host."