Marathon Pundit: T-Paw on Radio Iowa: "It's time" to start campaigning against Obama

Former Minnesota Govenor Tim Pawlenty, who has formed a presidential exploratory committee, says the time is now to take on President Obama--especially with the first Republican presidential debate just two days away.

From a Pawlenty press release:

"We've got to get off the sideline." Pawlenty said. "We've got big challenges and it requires a big challenge and, you know, I think the time to engage President Obama is now.”- Gov. Pawlenty on Radio Iowa, May 3, 2011

"You know, it's May and I can understand if people didn't want to start in December or January. I mean, in the past they've said, 'That's too early,'" Pawlenty said this afternoon during an interview with Radio Iowa.

"Well, you know, it's time."

"It's going to require that candidates make the case for why Barack Obama should be dismissed from his position and that's going to require a big effort," Pawlenty said, "and it needs to start now."

Pawlenty is one of the handful of Republican presidential hopefuls who will gather later this week in South Carolina for the first "debate" of the presidential election season. …

"We've got to get off the sideline." Pawlenty said. "We've got big challenges and it requires a big challenge and, you know, I think the time to engage President Obama is now."