Pawlenty Next Up at Conservatives’ Meeting
Bill Clark/Roll Call
MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Granite Oath political action committee has confirmed former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as its second featured guest, according to PAC founder Ovide Lamontagne.
Pawlenty committed during a private meeting earlier in the week in Lamontagne’s Manchester law office on the second day of the prospective presidential candidate’s two-day New Hampshire tour.
“It will be fairly soon. I’m not sure whether it’s February or March,” Lamontagne told Roll Call.
Lamontagne, a tea party favorite, nearly knocked off Sen. Kelly Ayotte in last fall’s GOP Senate primary. He launched the PAC last month. It is designed to both promote conservative dialogue among the likely 2012 presidential contenders and direct financial resources to conservative state and federal candidates.
The PAC hosted its first meeting with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) earlier in the month. Roughly 150 people attended the meeting, held in Lamontagne’s Manchester home.
