Boehner denies interest in being part of 2012 GOP ticket

A run for president or vice president isn't in the cards, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) made explicitly clear.

Boehner, the top Republican in the House, adamantly denied interest in a spot on the 2012 GOP ticket, saying he's too focused on maintaining his personal life.

"No!" Boehner exclaimed during an interview Monday with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review when asked if he might be interested in running for president or vice president.

"I'm telling you, I'm not doing it! Look at me! Can you see this? It's on tape! You got it!" said Boehner, who has his eyes instead on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) job in this fall's midterm elections.

The GOP leader said he wanted to preserve what little bit of a normal life that he has.

"Listen, I don't have much of a life, but I have a little. And that little bit of life I have — I like to cut my own grass, wash and iron my own shirts, drink some red wine, smoke a few cigarettes from time to time, play golf," he said. "And frankly, I'm not willing to give up that little bit of life that I have for some job I don't need."

While Boehner might not have his eyes on a spot down Pennsylvania Avenue, another member of the House Republican leadership just might. House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) has pointedly refused to rule out a presidential bid in 2012, and said he would decide next year. In the meanwhile, Pence has made some trips to Iowa and New Hampshire to bolster his 2012 profile.