Tim Pawlenty: Bill O'Reilly 'Playing The Race Card On Me?'

WASHINGTON – GOP White House hopeful Tim Pawlenty is scoffing at claims that he's too "nice" and too "bland" to take the political fight to President Barack Obama.

Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly said last week that Pawlenty was "invisible" and that "Haagen Dazs could put his picture on vanilla.”

During an appearance on this weekend's edition of "Fox News Sunday," Pawlenty asked host Chris Wallace if O'Reilly really used the word 'vanilla' to describe his persona. After Wallace confirmed the word choice, the presidential candidate joked, "Is he playing the race card on me?"

Wallace replied, "I don’t think so sir. I think he’s just talking about the taste, not the color."

The former Minnesota governor said he had a strong record in running a state, but that "being strong is not the same as being loud."

And Pawlenty said that "if you want the clown in chief, vote for somebody else," adding, "That's not me."

Comments

[Shifu]

06:00 PM on 06/16/2011

I want to see Cain,s birth certificate . He looks muslim to me

[Tom4]

10:48 PM on 06/14/2011

Excellent reply, Pawlenty! The clown in chief currently in office is way more than enough.

[NAW]

11:44 AM on 06/14/2011

Herman Cain isn't too Vanilla is he? HERMAN CAIN IN 2012!! He's not even swirl like B.O.

[ifmd91]

10:37 AM on 06/14/2011

Barack Obama, the candidate for whom many of the media had been waiting their entire elitist careers. Suave, sophisticated, cool — a black combination of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy — and with the most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate at a time when that body contained at least one avowed socialist, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. Close, long-term associations with a virulently anti-Semitic preacher and a self-admitted domestic terrorist were glossed over by most in the media.

Which brings us to Sarah Palin, the most dangerous woman in America to their radical, progressive agenda. From the standpoint of the Left, this woman represents a threat to everything they cherish: abortion on demand, homosexual “marriage,” the fraud of man-made global warming, their agenda to undermine the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution, a massive welfare state, and the government schools that comprise the indoctrination system designed to keep the progressive house of cards standing. And so she must be destroyed.

And she hasn’t even announced that she’s running. Just imagine how deranged the media will become if she throws her hat in the ring.

[NAW]

11:27 AM on 06/14/2011

Problem is Palin just ain't that smart and it would be political suicide for the Repubs to nominate her.THEY WONT.More Dems want her nominated than Repubs wonder why?Because Obama with 10% unemployment 10% inflation and 4.00 a gallon gas would still beat her.She just ain't that smart.

[Tom4]

09:44 AM on 06/15/2011

And you ARE? Or, we should say,"You AINT."

[coreelectric]

08:56 AM on 06/14/2011

Is there one person on this whole planet who gives a rat's hiney what oreily thinks?

[NAW]

11:23 AM on 06/14/2011

His show has more viewers Than the top 4 shows on CNN and NSNBC combined,the second airing of his show at 11 has more viewers than any show on CNN or NSNBC,so a FEW do.

[frank vincent]

08:19 AM on 06/14/2011

here are my two favorite words. Herman Cain. great conservative. great businessman.

[Reuben White]

09:09 AM on 06/14/2011

You, sir, are an idiot!

[NAW]

11:32 AM on 06/14/2011

Do you know who Herman Cain is?The next Republican Canidate for President. Imagine a 100% African American running against a 50% African American.

[vitrioleumjelly]

05:46 AM on 06/14/2011

Any flavor would be better than our milk chocolate President.. even Pecan Praline

[vitrioleumjelly]

05:40 AM on 06/14/2011

Don't let the media pic your president. He is our President not the media darling. They picked Obama and look what we got. Vote for Gary Johnson.. he isn't out to spend all your money and take away all your rights.

[frank vincent]

08:30 AM on 06/14/2011

fanned! you are soooo right. the media are lesftists who will favor the progressive marxist/communist candidate. the sad part is the 5th column is not reporting the news anymore. it reports what it feels will make obama or any lefty for that matter, look good.

[geopoliticsandbeer]

01:32 AM on 06/14/2011

Pawlenty confirms the stereotypes that non-midwesterners have of Minnesota.

[jdrabe]

10:51 PM on 06/13/2011

Is this really the best they have to offer? What a bunch of clowns

[Doyle Perry]

10:59 PM on 06/13/2011

Every one of our clowns is waaaaaay better than your clown.

[vitrioleumjelly]

05:42 AM on 06/14/2011

Obama.. that is even a clown name.. No more CLOWNS!!!!

[Doyle Perry]

08:30 AM on 06/14/2011

C'mon, DON'T insult his name. DON'T insult his appearance. This just lowers you to the level of the liberals. He has soooo many things that matter that you can attack. We need to save out country from even more "fundamental change". Attack his socialized medicine. Attack his quadrupling of the deficit. Attack his mid-boggling growth of the federal bureaucracy. Attack his degradation of America in the eyes of foreign nations. Attack that he blames everything on the previous administration, and will continue to do so.

[jimall3]

09:52 PM on 06/13/2011

Oreilly is way way way off as usual. NonRacist, nonRadical, NonTeaParty Republicans is what the Republican Party needs for the 2012 race.

The Republican candidate should be moderate and progressive on social issues.

Pawlenty is from Minnesota which is one of the most progressive yet moderate states in the midwest. Minnesota does not tolerate racism or homophobia, etc but is conservative in many other ways - both fiscally and morally. But the state would never do what is going on in Wisconsin or Ohio.

[Doyle Perry]

11:17 PM on 06/13/2011

Like a bunch of constitutional conservatives are going to listen to a registered Democrat telling us what our candidate should be like to win. The candidate jimall3 describes is the one who lost in 2008, and is much like the typical democrat before the year 2000. Of course jimall3's vicious, lying insinuation that any of our candidates might be racist or radical drags his or her whole posting into the gutter; not unusual for todays democrats. Choosing someone like he or she recommends would assure a democrat victory, and thereby a loss for America.

I'm not writing this as a response to jimall3, because he or she is just a shill, trying in a wimpy manner to convince people to support a moderate compromiser. What we need is a president who will stem the tide of socialism. If the majority of our country really wants to go socialist, which will happen at an increased pace if Obama is re-elected, then America is through being a great country.

[lsharshon]

12:31 AM on 06/14/2011

I think you're describing a democrat. We need REAL choice, not more of the fool thats in office now.

[Bones Rhodes]

10:07 PM on 06/13/2011

The 1-900 people care: a lot.

[Doyle Perry]

11:19 PM on 06/13/2011

I assume you mean Bill Clinton, but, don't understand why you're posting it here. If you're trying to create another filthy liberal lie, then you're a sick bottom feeder.

[limstillme]

09:29 PM on 06/13/2011

What!!!??? He dared say vanilla? He said vanilla referring to the white race? I am offended! I am outraged! He should be flogged! He should be burned at the stake! Then he should be forced to make forty seven apologies on television and the internet, and grovel and beg for our forgiveness. Then he should be forced to resign! AND that what's you call it ice cream company should sue him in to eternal poverty. That oughta teachem.

[Tom4]

07:39 PM on 06/15/2011

Are you sure you don't mean the 57 states Obama referred to in his campaign speech????

[limstillme]

10:39 PM on 06/15/2011

Tom4, Obama was just getting ahead of himself. He's planning to give some of those muslim countries state hood, then there will be 57 states.

[capricorncarr]

08:52 PM on 06/13/2011

Mr Pawlenty is a little sensitive...this is mild compared to what will come down the road in the presidential election. One must have a "thick skin" for this battle.

[Doyle Perry]

11:20 PM on 06/13/2011

That's why he laughed and joked about it.

[kaykartz]

08:47 PM on 06/13/2011

As usual the leftist Huff Post is trying to cause problems where no problems exist. O'Reilly DID NOT blast Pawlenty and Pawlenty DID NOT accuse O'Reilly "playing the race card". I saw both shows that both of the gentlemen were on...they were JOKING!! As usual the biased Huff Postgot it WRONG!!!!!!!!!

[rebchguy]

09:15 PM on 06/13/2011

You think so??? Try listening again with an open brain....

[aztrukin]

12:10 AM on 06/14/2011

You may try the same.

[NYBill]

12:19 AM on 06/14/2011

You should try following your own admonition...! It was all done with a smile...O'Reilly even stated that he liked Powlenti but said that "he needs more fire." Besides, what do you care what is said between a couple of Repubs?? Worry more about that bunch you worship so much; you cannot help or hurt the Repubs so step off with your little school boy remarks until you learn to deal in fact.

[wme98]

09:17 PM on 06/13/2011

If they were JOKING! it simply proves that Repubs have no sense of humor as neither Pawlenty or Wallace so much as cracked a smile. They wereboth dead on serious.

[aztrukin]

12:12 AM on 06/14/2011

Did you watch the interviews and commentaries or just the excerpts?