Yesterday evening, the NARN had a special one-hour show live on AM 1280 The Patriot from Lifeway Christian Stores in Coon Rapids, where former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty held a book signing for Courage to Stand. Mitch Berg and I spent the greater part of the hour talking about Libya and the protests in Madison, but we were able to finish with this 15-minute interview with Pawlenty, and covered a wide variety of topics.  Pawlenty told us that most of the feedback he’s received from public events has focused on economic issues, especially debt, and the way our foreign financial obligations tend to hamstring the pursuit of our interests overseas:

Pawlenty had plenty to say about Libya and the string of crises in the Middle East, accusing Obama of being “slow and confused” in its reaction, especially with Egypt.  “We have to stand for our principles,” Pawlenty says, criticizing the lack of response until just yesterday evening on Libya from the White House.  “What takes the President of the United States this long to speak to that about a place like Libya?”

On the issue of Democrats in Wisconsin abandoning the Senate, Pawlenty blasted the Fleebaggers for “dereliction of duty.”  “They cut and run,” Pawlenty told us, and said “they are AWOL, and … should be recalled from office.”  He urged Wisconsin voters to pursue recalls of the Fleebaggers as soon as possible, which would be the first of next year by Wisconsin’s laws.

We also talked budgets at the state and local level, and Pawlenty urged Republicans to stand firm.  He believes that the GOP has voter support in drawing the line on spending, and that a government shutdown is the only real leverage the GOP has.  Unlike in 1995, the GOP only controls one chamber of Congress, which Pawlenty believes will make Harry Reid and not John Boehner the poster boy of a shutdown.  In between the segments, where it’s hard to hear because of the commercials, watch Pawlenty answer the phone of a man who wanted his book signed and chat with the man’s wife for a minute, which amused the crowd around the booth no end.

A few minutes ago, Pawlenty’s team released this video, Standing With Scott, along with a petition to sign in support of the Wisconsin governor: