Pawlenty: Nation Must Move Toward God

Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney made their pitches to the CPAC convention, even though a Sarah Palin impersonator stole a bit of their thunder. Some highlights:

• Pawlenty reminded the audience that the nation's motto is In God We Trust, "and we should stand on that foundation as our founders intended. Ladies and Gentlemen, we as a nation must move towards God, not away from God." He also blasted Obamacare (in contrast to Romney, who steered clear), and, as Politico's Ben Smith points out, became the first Republican to raise Egypt: "We appease Iran, Russia, and adversaries in the Middle East, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. President, with bullies, might makes right." More from Real Clear Politics and CBS.

• Romney: He largely stuck to criticism of Obama's financial policy, calling the unemployment rate a "moral tragedy." He wondered how Obama “went from change you can believe in, to can you believe this change?” More at Bloomberg.
• Palin? No, she didn't show, but impersonator Patti Lyons did, and caused a brief ruckus by parading around answering questions—right about the time Romney was speaking. She looked the part but didn't sound like it, notes Politico. Click here to see video.

(More Mitt Romney stories.)