Pawlenty's In

No real surprise - former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is running for president:

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced his candidacy for president in a in an Internet video on Sunday night, highlighting his blue-collar roots and pledging to be candid about the country’s economic challenges.

The video precedes a speech Monday in Des Moines, Iowa, where the former Minnesota governor had been expected to make the official announcement of his campaign.

“Tomorrow, my first campaign stop will be in Iowa, and that’s where I’m going to begin a campaign that tells the American people the truth,” Mr. Pawlenty says in the video. “I’m Tim Pawlenty, and I’m running for president of the United States.”

The video can be seen at: http://www.timpawlenty.com/

Mr. Pawlenty says in his announcement that “we need a president who understands that our problems are deep and who has the courage to face them. President Obama doesn’t. I do.”

He's going to have a hard time generating a lot of excitement for his campaign, though at this point he's probably the best of the announced candidates.