‘Top Line’: Pawlenty 2012 — the Romney Alternative?

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty today launched his political action committee and a new Website — in the latest signals that he’s gearing up for a likely presidential run in 2012.  Politico’s Jonathan Martin today documents the impressive array of advisers Pawlenty, R-Minn., has already attracted to his side, building a team filled with extensive presidential resumes — including Terry Nelson, Sara Taylor, Phil Musser, Alex Conant, and Patrick Ruffini — plus other veteran Washington hands, such as Sam Geduldig and Michael Toner. On ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” today, we chatted with Martin about the political operation Pawlenty is already building — and how he’s trying to make an early splash to position himself as a viable alternative to former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., the once and almost certainly future presidential candidate. “He’s trying to send a statement to kind of a political community of donors, of operatives and of journalists, ‘Look I’m here to play ball, I’m going to be the establishment alternative to Mitt Romney,’ ” Martin told us. “Everyone knows Romney is taking all the necessary steps you take to a second run, but there’s really sort of a drop off after that, there’s no clear center-right establishment figure. I think Pawlenty is moving very quickly — amazingly, quickly.” While Pawlenty says his new PAC is about helping Republican candidates in 2010, and not his own potential ambitions beyond that, there’s a Wall Street Journal story linked prominently on his new Web site. The headline: “Gov. Pawlenty Paves Way for a 2012 Run.” Click HERE to see the discussion with Jonathan Martin. (Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., was scheduled to be on the program but had to cancel because of committee votes. We’ll work to get him on the show again soon.)