Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty this morning added to the political debate about the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords by taking exception to Sarah Palin's use of cross hairs on a 2010 election map.  A map on a Palin website about lawmakers targeted for defeat depicted cross hairs over the Arizona district of Giffords and 19 others in swing districts. Rebecca Mansour, an aide to Palin, dismissed criticism that the imagery was intended to provoke violence.  Pawlenty, who could find himself running against Palin in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, said "it wouldn't have been my style to put the cross hairs on there" in an interview on ABC's Good Morning America.  He then added: "But again there is no evidence to suggest that it had anything to do with this mentally unstable person's rage and senseless act in Arizona."  Pawlenty is promoting his memoir on talk shows and other appearances. He has said he'll decide this spring if he will run for the White House next year.  Metaphors and words associated with war have long been part of the political lexicon and used by both political parties.  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for example, used red bull's eyes on a map to show the GOP candidates in its sights. Ryan Rudominer, a spokesman for the DCCC, told the Palm Beach Post over the weekend that the Democratic map was not threatening since it used an image that is also associated with Target, the national retail chain.  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Pawlenty criticizes Palin for cross hairs  - On Politics: Covering the US Congress, Governors, and the 2012 Election - USATODAY.com