Red meat from T-Paw

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty offered up his own round of sharp-edged zingers in remarks to the College Republican National Committee Friday night, POLITICO's Zack Abrahamson reports.

“The only thing growing faster than the federal government’s deficit is Chris Matthews’ man-crush on Barack Obama,” he said.

Pawlenty had earlier stopped short of ruling out a run for the nomination, telling reporters “I’m not trying to be cute, but just to tell you genuinely, I don’t know what I’m going to be doing three years from now.”

“I could be running a nonprofit or a charity,” Pawlenty said Friday. “I could be working in the private sector, I could be still in public service in some capacity, I genuinely and honestly just don’t know.”

In remarks to the College Republican National Committee Friday night, Pawlenty characterized the Obama administration as a “tyranny” responsible for “nationalizing” the mortgage, banking and automobile industries.