GOP Presidential Primary

K Street lobbyists are still mulling which contender to support in the 2012 GOP presidential primary. Our colleague, Kevin Bogardus, explains the significance of having these Washington professionals on a candidate's campaign team.

Lobbyist support for a candidate can be key to a White House hopeful because of their help with fundraising and outreach to members of Congress, as well as the policy and political advice they can offer.

Two potential GOP contenders have strong connections to K Street — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour — having both worked extensively in town. But some of the other possible candidates also have their own camps of lobbyists.

Bogardus reports:

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has his own batch of K Street supporters, including Sam Geduldig of Clark Lytle & Geduldig and former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.) of Clark & Weinstock, who co-chairs Pawlenty’s political action committee and helps with policy advice.
Erich Mische of the Bockorny Group would also back Pawlenty.

Drew Maloney of Ogilvy Government Relations is handling congressional outreach for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). In addition, Wayne Berman at Ogilvy is helping Romney with fundraising. And if Romney runs, Bob Marsh of the OB-C Group and Alex Mistri at the Glover Park Group would support him.

Another Romney supporter, Ron Kaufman, chairman of Dutko Worldwide, said the former governor fits the White House bill.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) will be the featured speaker at a Tea Party summit in Arizona next weekend. 

The likely 2012 GOP presidential hopeful is headlining an event hosted by the group Tea Party Patriots, one of the nation's leading Tea Party groups. Titled the American Policy Summit, the gathering will take place Feb. 25-27 in Phoenix and will celebrate the second anniversary of the founding of the Tea Party movement, according to organizers. 

As he continues to edge closer to a presidential run, Pawlenty has been courting Tea Party supporters. In his speech to last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, he highlighted the movement's role in pushing for deeper spending cuts to reduce the deficit. 

Pawlenty also drew a line in the sand on the debt ceiling, arguing that congressional Republicans shouldn't vote to raise it.  

At least two other potential 2012 hopefuls are set to speak at the event — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and conservative talk show host Herman Cain. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is also on the guest list. 

"Tea Party Patriots values won the day in November, and we are now taking steps to make sure that these values are reflected in public policy," said the group's national coordinator, Mark Meckler. 

Tea Party Patriots bills itself as a national grassroots coalition with more than 15 million members nationwide. 

On its website, Tea Party Patriots is promoting the summit with the words of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who says it "offers a terrific opportunity for true American patriots to hear from experts on issues like lowering taxes, balancing the budget and repealing ObamaCare." 

Palin will not be among the speakers.

— Updated at 9 a.m.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hinted at a presidential bid Thursday, saying she's still weighing a run and that no one would be more qualified for the job in 2012 than "a woman."   

"I am still thinking of leading this country," Palin said in front of a group of business leaders in New York, according to CNN. "I am still thinking about it. I haven't made up my mind."  

Palin's comments came during a rare Q&A session that saw the former governor answer questions from the head of a Long Island business group for nearly an hour. 

The former governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee didn't offer a timetable for deciding on a run next year, but it's the first time in weeks that Palin has discussed a potential White House run at length.  

Palin criticized the media and brushed off a recent Gallup poll that showed her negatives above 50 percent.

"The poll you're referring to was taken after the Tucson tragedy," she said. "I don't think I ever went through more negative press than after Tucson."

The former governor was swept into a political brouhaha after the Jan. 8 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in Tucson, Ariz., after it was revealed her political action committee had targeted Giffords's district using cross-hairs on a campaign map for the 2010 midterm elections.

Palin acknowledged Thursday: "In a lot of these polls, I get my butt kicked." 

During her appearance, Palin laid into both President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. Palin again criticized the president's proposed budget, saying it doesn't even come close to enacting the sorts of spending cuts needed to get the nation's debt under control. 

As for the first lady, Palin said, "No wonder Michelle Obama is telling people to breast feed their babies, because the price of milk is so high right now."

U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) is likely to decide on a presidential bid in the coming weeks, his brother said Thursday.

Peter Huntsman, the CEO of the family business, Huntsman Chemical, said that his brother, a former GOP governor of Utah, would make his intentions known in the near future.

"He'll be announcing that soon, one way or the other, I hope in the next couple of weeks," Peter Huntsman told Reuters.

Jon Huntsman is set to resign as President Obama's top diplomat in China on April 30, a move he announced as a possible precursor to pursuing the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

The former governor has added staff to his political action committee (PAC) in preparation for a possible run, furthering speculation that he might formally explore running. Huntsman had been thought to be out of the running due to his relatively centrist stances as governor, and for his decision to go to work for Obama, who's in turn joked about how that might saddle the ambassador during a primary.

Huntsman's timeline wouldn't put him too far out of whack with most of his possible opponents, almost all of whom haven't declared their candidacies, and many of whom are expected to wait until spring.

"I personally think that he'd be a very attractive candidate," Peter Huntsman told Reuters. "With his business background and his experience around the world, I think he's exactly what we would need in this global environment and somebody that would be focused on charging our economy."

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) appears to be well-positioned in Florida, a possible early primary state.

Pawlenty was in Tallahassee on Wednesday for a speech at the state capitol. He told reporters there he would decide in the next six weeks about whether to run for president. If he does decide to get in, he's already made some solid connections in Florida's fundraising community.

The St. Petersburg Times reports:

Pawlenty's political committee, Freedom First, has raised $3.4 million, much of which has been spent. Pawlenty donated to more than 80 Republican candidates for Congress last year, including Florida U.S. Reps. Sandy Adams, David Rivera and Allen West.

Pawlenty collected about $95,000 in Florida, including donations from Joe Fogg of Naples, a top fundraiser for former presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani; Hoe Brown of Tampa, a GOP fundraiser and Mitt Romney supporter in 2008; and Christopher Ruddy of West Palm Beach, the CEO of Newsmax.com.

Pawlenty was guided around the Capitol by Phil Musser, a senior adviser with ties to former Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. Musser also worked on Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.

Pawlenty wouldn't weigh in on the conflict over Florida's presidential primary, which is scheduled for January 2012, much to the chagrin of national party officials who want it pushed back.

"I don't purport to give other states advice on how they run their elections or their primaries. That's up to them," he said.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wants his home state to keep its early presidential primary next year, telling the Republican National Committee (RNC) that if it wants to dictate the date, the national party can pay for it. 

"I think if the Republican Party wants to pay for the elections in Florida, they can have them any day they want," Rubio told the Palm Beach Post. "But as long as the voters of Florida are going to pay for this election, it should be on the most meaningful day possible. An election in late January costs the same as an election in April, but it’s a lot more meaningful."

For the 2008 cycle, while Rubio was still serving as Speaker of the state House, lawmakers decided to move Florida's primary to January in an attempt to increase its clout. Now the Republican National Committee is demanding the state shift its primary out of that early window to accommodate new rules passed by both national parties last year. 

The RNC and the Democratic National Committee are in agreement: Other than Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, no states should hold a presidential nominating contest before March 1. 

Earlier this month, new RNC Chairman Reince Priebus told Florida lawmakers that he wanted the primary moved. 

"I would encourage the Legislature to do everything they can to abide by the rules passed by both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee together to make sure we can bring some order into the presidential election process," Priebus said during a trip to the state in early February. 

The state is currently debating whether to move its presidential primary from January to March. 

While Rubio said that he respects the role of the traditional early states in the primary process, he warned the RNC that it would be a mistake to punish Florida for not moving its primary date. 

"If the RNC thinks the way to win Florida — which they cannot win the presidency without — is to sanction the most important swing state in the country, then good luck to them," Rubio said.

"I think there are issues that people feel deeply about, and they’re profound issues," said Sen. John Thune.

"Apparently, I actually have to commit suicide to convince people I’m not running," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has a decision to make, and it’s not just about running for president. 

The Iowa Republican Party scheduled a second debate for GOP presidential candidates the week before Iowa's caucuses next February.

The Iowa GOP said it will co-host a debate with Fox News set for early February before the caucuses. The party has already scheduled a debate in August as a precursor to the Ames Straw Poll, an early indicator of voters' preferences among candidates before the Feb. 6 Iowa caucuses.

"Iowa is once again taking center stage as Republican voters embrace their responsibility of starting the nomination process, and I am proud to bring an historic piece of that process to Siouxland,” state GOP Chairman Matt Strawn said in a statement. “No longer will Republicans in Northwest Iowa have to settle for watching high-profile caucus debates hosted hundreds of miles away, they will be active participants in the process.”

While many potential Republican presidential candidates have been reluctant to formally declare their candidacies so far, by August the 2012 field should largely be settled on the GOP side by the first debate. Moreover, participation in the debate could send signals about which candidates intend to participate in the Iowa caucuses.

The second debate, scheduled right before the caucuses, could be the last major opportunities for GOP candidates to showcase themselves before caucusgoers.

Updated 1:00 p.m.