Minnesota governor speaks at CPAC

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty laid out four conservative principles as he spoke Friday to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

Pawlenty, expected to be a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2012, got a lukewarm response from those attending the conference, USA Today reported.

The Minnesota governor outlined what he called "four ideas that should carry us forward."

"The first one is this: God is in charge," Pawlenty said, moving on to quote the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence.

The next two ideas involved government findings. Pawlenty said the government must live within its means, giving up deficit spending and he warned that people spend differently when it is someone else's money.

He also attacked U.S. President Barack Obama's handling of terrorism, saying "bullies prey on weakness." Ignoring the large number of civilian trials of terror suspects during the Bush administration, Pawlenty called for military tribunals.

"I have a message for President Obama ... Mr. President, no more apology tours and no more giving Miranda rights to terrorists," he said.