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Friday, Aug 12, 2011 12:13 PM UTC

Pawlenty’s awkward Bachmann moment

Watch the Minnesota governor's embarrassing interchange with the tea party darling during the Iowa debate

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Topics: Morning Clip, War Room, 2012 Elections, Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., Tim Pawlenty,

Pawlenty's awkward Bachmann momentRepublican presidential candidate former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, right, speaks as Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. listens during the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate at the CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, Pool)(Credit: AP)

As our own Steve Kornacki noted about Thursday night’s Republican presidential candidate debate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty gave a “stammering, incoherent response” when asked about the criticisms he’s levelled against Michele Bachmann on the campaign trail, with the congresswoman standing right next to him.

Both candidates attacked each other’s political records (Pawlenty as governor; Bachmann in Congress) and as Kornacki put it, “her words were strong, but so was her delivery.. Pawlenty’s delivery, on the other hand, called to mind a hostage tape, a man saying words that he knows he has to say, but doesn’t really want to or know how to.”

We thought you might want to see the clip of the most heated moment in the Iowa debate, via Mediaite: 

Natasha Lennard

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com. More Natasha Lennard.

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