Pawlenty held up the U.S. Constitution for effect during a speech in which he stressed his long list of vetoes as governor and a partial government shutdown on his watch. Pawlenty praised governors like Wisconsin's Scott Walker for taking on public employee unions in their states.
Pawlenty drew cheers when he adapted the spoofed "the rent is too damn high" catchphrase of a longshot New York gubernatorial candidate. Pawlenty's motto: "The government's too damn big!"
Texas Rep. Ron Paul also spoke at the Tea Party Patriots weekend summit.
