Pawlenty Tired of Palin Bus Tour Talk

The Hill reports:

GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty said Friday that people should be less worried about Sarah Palin's political future and more concerned about debating the issues.

Pawlenty was asked about his lagging poll numbers and whether he thinks Palin (R), the former Alaska governor, will enter the field, considering her upcoming nationwide bus tour.

"Who knows? I don't know if she's running or not," Pawlenty said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" during a campaign stop in New York City. "We need to quit worrying about polls and bus tours and get onto the issue of how we're going to fix the country and get the country back on track."

Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, downplayed talk about Palin as he looks to gain attention for his campaign in an up-for-grabs GOP presidential field.

But several Republicans have expressed unhappiness with their choices, prompting speculation a dark-horse candidate could enter the race. And should Palin run, her presence could dramatically shake up the field.