Tim Pawlenty, R-MN Presidential candidate

Republican Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty will be making the rounds in western Iowa this week. The two-term former Governor of Minnesota will be in Sioux Center, LeMars and Sioux City on Tuesday, and in Council Bluffs, on Wednesday.

His first stop a “Coffee with Governor Pawlenty,” will be 8:30-a.m. Tuesday, at Casey’s Bakery in Sioux Center. Later that afternoon, he’ll visit the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Shop in Lemars, beginning at 2:30-p.m. And, at 7-p.m. Tuesday, Pawlenty will appear at the Sioux City Library.

On Wednesday, “T-Paw,” as he’s called on his website, will stop at Tish’s Restaurant in Council Bluffs, for a Town Hall meeting that begins at 9:30-a.m. Pawlenty kicked-off his campaign last week in Des Moines, with the announcement he intended to run for President in 2012.

Pawlenty told the crowd at the state capital the country is “in big trouble” and it will take a “new and better president” to fix things. He said that means phasing out federal subsidies for ethanol. That statement prompted a response from the ethanol industry: go to the heart of oil country and give a speech there about ending petroleum subsidies.

For more on Pawlenty’s positions on the issues, surf to www.timpawlenty.com.