Freshmen Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) feels ready to run for president in 2012, saying in an interview that he's not content to settle in as a legislative back bencher and doesn't feel the need to wait his turn when it comes to a run for higher office.

In response to a question about his relative lack of experience as a lawmaker, Paul noted in an interview with Radio Iowa that President Obama faced the same criticism during his 2008 campaign.

"Didn't seem to hurt him, did it?" said Paul.

The first term senator again said he would defer to his father — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) — in 2012 if he opts for another run at the GOP nomination. But Paul said he feels enough urgency about the nation's problems that if his father decided against a run he might not hesitate to launch his own 2012 campaign.

"I feel the passion to fix the problems in our country before it's too late," Paul said. "And so, many who say, 'Why don't you just sit on the back bench and when your time has come in 12 or 15 or 20 years, then you come forward?' I see a shorter timeline not just for me, but I see a shorter timeline for our country."

Paul was in Iowa over the weekend, speaking at GOP fundraiser on Saturday and promoting his new book with a stop in Des Moines.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn was backed by the majority of delegates at the California Democratic Party's special election caucus in Torrance on Saturday. Hahn took more than 57 percent of the vote, but needed 60 to win the party's endorsement in the special election race for former Rep. Jane Harman's (D) seat. Still, she talked up the result as a "game changer."

"It sends a strong message that I am the choice for Democrats in California's 36th congressional district," Hahn said in a statement. "I have always been a fighter for Democratic values -- like healthcare for all, improving our schools, creating more good paying jobs and protecting workers rights, cleaning up the environment, and fighting for civil and equal rights -- and when I go to Congress, I will continue to fight for those values."

Secretary of State Debra Bowen came second with 39 percent of the vote. She said the party was "clearly divided" over which candidate to back.

"I'm proud of the support that I received from my fellow Democrats," Bowen said in a statement.

 "I'm also very pleased with the endorsements my candidacy received this week from former DNC Chairman, Howard Dean, California League of Conservation Voters and Equality California PAC which cited my legislative record and courage to stand up to the special interests as reasons for their backing."

Anti-war activist Marcy Winograd took only 2 percent of the vote.

The primary vote for the seat is May 17. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two will advance to a runoff set for July 12.

After Rep. Martin Heinrich announced his Senate bid, one Republican contender stepped in to run for his House seat. 

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said becoming chairman of the Democratic National Committee is not on his "bucket list."

The DNC's current chairman, Tim Kaine, is expected to jump into the Virginia Senate race shortly and Democrats are quietly searching for his successor.

Durbin said he wasn't interested in the job.

"The idea of traipsing all over the United States is not really on my agenda," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press"

Asked if he would accept the position if President Obama asked him, Durbin sounded reluctant.

"I am not soliciting it, " he said. "I've got a good job in the Senate and a great job representing Illinois."

Other names at the top of the list are former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) is also in the mix for the position.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said the Obama administration shouldn't rule out putting troops on the ground in Libya or arming the rebel forces there.

The freshman Republican wrote to Senate leaders earlier this week seeking support for a resolution that would authorize President Obama to take action to remove Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from power.

"I don't think you go into a military engagement announcing what you will not do," he said on "Fox News Sunday" when asked about using American troops. "I think that the United States has plenty of capabilities, both covert and overt, to help along this process of getting rid of Moammar Gadhafi."

Rubio said he feared a "long stalemate" in that country's ongoing conflict, or a civil war that could invite terrorist groups to come in. Gadhafi remaining in power was the worst-case scenario, he added. "As long as Gadhafi's in power, you can't protect civilians or prevent genocide."

Using U.S. ground troops in the conflict isn't "the ideal scenario," Rubio admitted. "The fact of the matter is that the people working with us there don't want that."

Asked about arming the Libyan rebels, Rubio said that should be considered. "I think the president was right not to take that off the table," he said. "I think we need to learn more about who they are and how they're working."

Rubio again said he wouldn't vote for raising the debt ceiling unless certain conditions are met, a position he expressed in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. But asked if he would still vote no if that position put the country in default, Rubio hedged.

"I don't ever want to vote to put this country in default," he said. "I'm not voting for simply raising the debt limit unless, as I outlined in my op-ed, it's the last time we do it and it's coupled with meaningful reforms that put us on a path towards fiscal sanity. Otherwise, all you are doing is guaranteeing default."

Rubio again ruled himself of running on the national ticket next year.

"I'm not going to be the president or vice president of the United States in 2012," he said. "Or 2013. I'm not going to be the candidate for president or vice president."

After a foreign policy speech in Las Vegas Saturday, Mitt Romney was again confronted with questions about the Massachusetts healthcare law he signed as governor.

Romney has been in Las Vegas for the last couple days. He made an apperance at a North Las Vegas neighborhood hit by the foreclosure crisis Friday before speaking to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Saturday.

During his speech, he criticized President Obama's handling of foreign policy, touching on his engagement with Iran, Israel and North Korea. 

"The consequences of seeing someone learn on the job has not been pretty," Romney said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Obama is either unwilling or incapable of dealing with [Iran's nuclear program]. Israel's very existence may be at stake."

Romney did not mention Libya, where American forces, led by NATO, are conducting a bombing campaign against Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

He did, however, address healthcare, which is considered his achilles' heel in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. While he was governor of Massachusetts, he signed that state's controversial healthcare plan -- which includes an individual mandate -- into law. Romney defended that move during a question-and-answer session after the speech.

But he said the Massachusetts plan does not mirror the legislation passed by Democrats in Congress last year.

"I would never do what President Obama did, which is usurp the power of states and replace it with an overreaching federal hand," Romney said, according to the Boston Globe. "That's the wrong way."

He reiterated his call to grant waivers to states wishing to opt out of the law, and then work to repeal it. The former governor said he wouldn't shy away from the issue.

“If we get the chance to talk about health care, it will be fun," Romney said. "Because of course he does me the great favor of saying that I was the inspiration for his plan. I'll say, if that's the case, why didn't you call me? Why didn't you ask me what was wrong? why didn’t you ask ... what worked and what didn't?'"

Romney continued: "I can’t wait to have those conversations, and I'll take it to him. On the other hand, I'm not going to go after people on innuendo and personal attacks. I’m going to go after people I disagree with on policy."

Asked what kind of campaign he would conduct against the president, Romney said it would be no holds barred.

"I will take him on head on and aggressively if I’m the nominee," Romney said.

Mike Huckabee may be on the sidelines of the nascent 2012 presidential race but voters continue to back him should he decide to run.

The former Arkansas governor won the straw poll at the York County Republican Party convention on Saturday, according to CNN. Huckabee came out on top with 23 percent of the 152 ballots cast. He was followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) at 11 percent and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann was third with 10 percent.

Huckabee's win came despite the former presidential candidate has shown little interest in mounting a 2012 bid.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was fourth with 8 percent.

Huckabee finished second to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the eventual nominee, in the South Carolina primary in 2008.

Anti-abortion rights group Susan B. Anthony List is circulating statements against Planned Parenthood from Palin, Pawlenty, Huckabee and Barbour.

The second-term House member will try to win retiring-Sen. Jeff Bingaman's seat.