Minnesota governor in Oklahoma to campaign for Mary Fallin

Tim Pawlenty says he won't make a decision about a presidential bid until early 2012. He visited with Oklahoma business and energy leaders and stumped for Mary Fallin's gubernatorial candidacy.

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Pawlenty is not seeking re-election as governor and said he won't make a decision on running for president until early 2012.

In 2008, he was mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee.

Pawlenty, 49, spoke in support of the Oklahoma gubernatorial bid of U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, and attended a fundraiser for her Tuesday night.

During a news conference at the Capitol, he criticized President Barack Obama's administration for the handling of events leading up to and during the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

A federal agency in April 2009 waived an environmental review of the blown-out deep-sea well owned by British oil company BP, Pawlenty said.

"We don't know yet whether that would have prevented this from happening, but we do know that a corner was cut,” Pawlenty said.

The president didn't seem engaged with the crisis early on, Pawlenty said.

"It took him and his administration too long, and too many days transpired before it looked like he was fully focused on the response and recovery effort,” he said.