Tim Pawlenty's campaign...

...for president is off and running. (Although at least one Republican, former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, is not impressed.)

According to the Times, T-Paw is presenting himself as:

...a candidate willing to confront tough political choices, pledging to reinvent or dismantle programs like ethanol subsidies, Medicare and Social Security to address the nation’s fiscal burdens.

“We need to cut spending, and we need to cut it big-time,” Mr. Pawlenty said. “The hard truth is that there are no longer any sacred programs.”

But the hard truth, also, is that none of those are Republican sacred programs.

Or, as Walt Wendland, president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said, “Iowans look forward to Governor Pawlenty further detailing his plans to phase out petroleum subsidies, perhaps in a speech in Houston, Texas.”

If T-Paw really wanted to "confront tough political choices," he could start by taking on that most sacred of Republican sacred cows, revenue increases. After all, everyone knows that has to be on the table sooner or later.

Now that would demonstrate the "courage to stand."