T-Paw Stands With Walker, Paints Ominous Picture Of Protesters (VIDEO)

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Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is fully behind Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) plan to strip many state workers of their collective bargaining rights. And he’s pretty sure a number of the protesters pouring into Madison over the past few days to stop Walker are Democratic or union plants.

That’s the message from a new web video and petition drive launched by Pawlenty’s PAC on Thursday. Like most of the potential 2012 presidential contenders, Pawlenty’s gone on record in strong support of Walker’s so-called Budget Repair Bill, which critics call plain and simple union busting.

Now he’s doubling down, launching a web petition and video campaign to support the embattled Wisconsin governor.

The video’s style — that of an action adventure/thriller movie trailer — is becoming something of a trademark for Pawlenty. Earlier this year he launched his book with a trailer straight out of Michael Bay’s editing booth.

This time, shots of a proud Scott Walker and ominous warnings of Democrat-led protests featuring uninterested students shuttled to the capitol by union teachers replace the first video’s shots of Pawlenty generally saving planet Earth.

The idea that the thousands gathered in Madison are outside agitators has become something of a meme for Republicans in recent days, with Walker suggesting the throngs chanting in the State Capitol have “come in from Nevada, Chicago and elsewhere.”

As Dave Weigel reported, Pawlenty’s videos are being brought to you by the same team who made the controversial “Remember November” campaign for the Republican Governors Association last year that gave a nod to Guy Fawkes.

Watch Pawlenty’s newest movie trailer web ad:

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