Tim Pawlenty Endorses Former Rival Mitt Romney for President

A month after he ended his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota endorsed former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for the GOP nod.

Pawlenty, who pulled out of the race after a disappointing third-place showing in the Iowa Republican straw poll in Ames last month, appeared on Fox News on Monday morning to back his former rival. He also sent out an e-mail to Romney supporters on Monday attacking President Barack Obamas economic record and praising the former Massachusetts governor. During his bid, Pawlenty had attacked the health-care law that Romney signed during his tenure in Massachusetts, arguing it was the inspiration for the federal law backed by Obama.

Mitt Romney is running for president, and I am proud to endorse him, Pawlenty wrote in the e-mail. Alone among the contenders, he possesses the unique qualifications to confront and master our severe economic predicament. His abiding faith in our country's exceptional historical position as a beacon of freedom will make him the most important leader in a world that depends upon a strong America to stay at peace.

Having served as governor of Massachusetts, he turned that state's budget around from deficit to surplus while simultaneously cutting taxes, but that is not the full measure of what he will bring to the presidency, added Pawlenty. His time in government was a moment of service -- a way to give back to our country -- following a distinguished career in the private sector, where he launched companies and turned around troubled ones.