Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty made a stop in Pittsburgh Friday, day two of their two-day bus tour of northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. The pair was following the two-day campaign tour of President Barack Obama.
Jindal, Pawlenty and some area Republicans addressed a modest crowd gathered at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland. Chairman of the Republican Party in Allegheny County Jim Roddey said a Pennsylvania win is a must for Mitt Romney.
"We believe that no one can win this contest, certainly not Barack Obama, he cannot win the presidency unless he wins Pennsylvania," he said.
During this stop of the "Middle-Class Promise Gap Tour," Pawlenty and Jindal criticized the president on his economic, energy and health care policies, especially the recently upheld Affordable Care Act.
"I think what the Supreme Court did was awful," said Jindal. "I think they have now given Congress unprecedented taxing authority. I think this is going to be one of the largest tax increases on the middle class, but quite frankly, I don't care if you call it a tax increase, a penalty, a lien, a fine — we just need to repeal this bad law. It's bad policy and it needs to come off the books."
Jindal called Mr. Obama "the most liberal, incompetent president since Jimmy Carter." Pawlenty also tackled the president's policies, which he said have failed, and added he should be a one-term president. "President Obama's had his chance. He got his policies enacted. The stimulus bill didn't work, the health care bill — I think an impending economic disaster and drag on the economy — he's had his other policies approved in many ways. It's not working," Jindal said.
President Obama is speaking on the CMU campus Friday afternoon.
