The Conservative Political Action Conference heard from another likely presidential candidate for 2012 on Friday – Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. Mr. Pawlenty offered a series of what he called principles for the conservative movement that have become familiar here: Reducing the size of government, opposing President Obama’s health care plan, denouncing Mr. Obama’s handling of terrorist.

But at a conference where there has not been a lot of talk about social issues, Mr. Pawlenty raised one as he laid out the principles conservatives should follow.

The Minnesota governor, widely believed to be mulling a 2012 White House run, hit the administration on spending and terrorism, appealed to the Tea Party movement, proudly invoked God and even weighed in on the Tiger Woods situation.

On spending: "If government spending were an Olympic sport," Pawlenty said, President Obama would "be a gold medalist." And: "If the U.S. government was a bank regulated by themselves, it would shut itself down."

(Alexandria, VA) – The 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has given Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty a “thumbs-up” this week for embracing tax and budgetary reforms for the coming year. In his State of the State address last Thursday, Gov. Pawlenty called for tax cuts on businesses and a limit on the growth in government spending. NTU has more than 7,000 members in Minnesota.

President Obama has asked Republicans to bring ideas to a health-care summit on Feb. 25. This is an opportunity for Washington to start fresh and for conservatives to lead the way after the apparent defeat of the Democrats' plan. In response to the president's challenge, here are five common-sense ways to tackle runaway health-care costs: