The Democratic National Committee went on the offensive Monday against former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, just hours before the Republican was expected to officially kick off his presidential campaign, by questioning his “rationale” for seeking the White House.

“Despite spending the last two and half years putting aside his duties as Governor to set up his campaign, Tim Pawlenty doesn’t have a compelling rationale for his candidacy,” DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement released early Monday. “He can’t run on his record as Governor, where he cut services, raised taxes and left his state with a $6 billion deficit and plummeting approval ratings.”

The DNC also posted a video to YouTube attacking Pawlenty’s record.

Pawlenty plans to officially announce his candidacy in Iowa on Monday morning, before heading to Florida on Tuesday and Washington, D.C., on Wednesday for additional campaign stops.

In a slick video posted on his website Sunday, Pawlenty previewed his campaign theme, “A Time for Truth.” The video portrays the former governor as a candidate who would not sugarcoat the country’s financial woes in his bid for the presidency.

“We need a President who will tell the American people the truth about the severe challenges facing our nation and how we can get America back on track. President Obama won’t do that. I will,” Pawlenty wrote in an e-mail to supporters Sunday.

Watch Pawlenty’s preview video and the DNC video below.