At Christian book-signing, Pawlenty says he’s ‘seriously considering’ 2012 bid

At the Lifeway Christian Store in Woodbury on Tuesday, Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he’s “seriously considering running in 2012.” Pawlenty has been courting conservative evangelicals over the last week with an appearance on the radio program of the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer and an upcoming trip to Iowa to meet with a group called The Family Leader, which teaches classes called “gay sex kills.”

Pawlenty was in Woodbury to sign copies of his book, Courage to Stand. Lifeway Christian Stores is a network of the Southern Baptist Convention and is made up of about 150 stores nationwide. Pawlenty set the appearance up with the corporate headquarters of Lifeway, the Woodbury Patch reports.

“No, I’m not trying to out-preach my friend Mike Huckabee,” Pawlenty said, according to Kare 11. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and current frontrunner in Iowa, is an ordained Baptist minister.

He said sharing his evangelical background is important. “I don’t think you can be authentic and complete about who you are unless you share with people what your values are and how they may inform your thinking.”

Reporters asked Pawlenty about the possibility of Rep. Michele Bachmann throwing her hat into the 2012 ring. “I like Michele Bachmann. I respect her,” Pawlenty said.