Romney's loss on mandate may be Pawlenty's gain

MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) defied recommendations made to him by advisers twice in the last 6 years about working to install individual mandates for health insurance coverage -- and in doing so may have stockpiled some points he can use to score with the GOP base.

The likely '12 WH contender has been avidly opposed to the health care legislation signed into law by Pres. Obama last week and maintains that it should be repealed. He has kept up a harsh critique of individual mandates - a piece of the issue that separates him from likely '12 WH GOP rival/ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney.

Pawlenty appointed ex-Sen. David Durenberger (R) to chair the Citizens Forum on Health Care Costs in '03 largely to advise him on cost containment. Later, Pawlenty empaneled a Health Cabinet. In the report Durenberger and his team issued to Pawlenty on Feb. 23, '04, he noted that the state's uninsured rate of 5.4% was among the nation's lowest, and that state residents understood the need for buy-in.