The Hill News

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) sharpened his political rhetoric on Monday, calling President Obama "chicken" when it comes to the issue of entitlement spending.

Pawlenty has faced questions about whether he has enough fire in the belly to run for president. His tougher tone could represent a pivot toward addressing those concerns of Republican primary voters.

"He's got all this soaring rhetoric, but the fact of the matter is he's chicken to address the real issues," Pawlenty said Monday on Fox News.

The former Minnesota governor lamented that Obama basically skipped talking about entitlement reforms in his State of the Union address last week, which he said was an example of the president's cowardice on the issue.

Pawlenty faced a question a! bout whether having called the sitting president "chicken" meant that voters could expect more barbs from him.

"As I try to remind people ... don't confuse being nice with being weak," Pawlenty responded. "You can be hopeful and optimistic and strong, but you've also got to back it up."