Rick Santorum to Officially Launch Presidential Campaign

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Rick Santorum will announce his candidacy for president on June 6 in Pennsylvania, a source close to the former Pennsylvania senator told ABC News on Thursday.

Santorum will be the sixth major candidate to declare his candidacy in the wide open race for the Republican nomination.

The announcement will take place at a location in southwestern part of the state, near where his grandfather worked in the coal mines after arriving in America from Italy.

A social conservative, Santorum served as a Pennsylvania senator for two terms until 2006 when he was defeated by 18 points. However, this loss has not deterred him from a 2012 run.

Well before many of his contenders, Santorum was out campaigning heavily in battleground states. Last week he completed his 14th visit to Iowa. He's visited the Hawkeye State far more than any of the other Republican presidential nominees. Earlier this week, Santorum was in Sarasota, Florida meeting with supporters and local Republican leaders.

According to a campaign source, the location of Santorum's June 6 announcement "is significant because when Senator Santorum's grandfather left fascist Italy, he came to this country for America's freedom and the opportunity our nation afforded him."

Santorum launched his presidential exploratory committee in May and has since beefed up his staff in Iowa and New Hampshire.  He will be joining other presidential hopefuls -- former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

It will be an uphill battle for the former senator, who is a well-known conservative voice, but is still polling in the low single digits in most national surveys.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Mitch Daniels: No Second Thoughts on Entering 2012 Race

Michael Hickey/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels says he and his family have had no second thoughts about his decision to not enter the presidential race.

"Well they're not going to, and I know I haven't had any second thoughts," Daniels told reporters following his appearance at the Peterson Foundation's Fiscal Summit.

Daniels sees the current Republican field as adequate but said additional candidates could elevate the debate.

"The more the merrier, and if others get in, I think that's good,"
Daniels said. "I think that a very vigorous contest of ideas about how we reaffirm the promise of this country is a really good thing, and I think my party would benefit from a really diverse debate."

"I think there's some excellent people there. If the field doesn’t get any better, there are plenty of people there I think who could be quite excellent spokesmen for what needs doing."

Daniels commended Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, saying his budget proposal "grounded in reality" and called on skeptics to produce plans of their own.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Michele Bachmann Prepping a 'Money Bomb'

ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Michele Bachmann's goal? Raise $240,000 in 24 hours.

Though the Minnesota Republican says she won't officially announce whether she is running for president until June, it has not stopped the Tea Party favorite from an aggressive grassroots fundraising effort.

"Please make a contribution and join my 24-hour money bomb to raise $240,000 in 24 hours and make Barack Obama a one-term president," Bachmann writes on her website.

Bachmann has already proven herself an adept fundraiser, capable of raising large sums of money through small donations.

Wednesday's "money bomb" appeal is the latest in recent months, in which she has used the Web to launch clever fundraising opportunities aimed at small donors.

Already this year, Bachmann's small donor rate outpaces that of President Obama, and she has raised more from small donors than any of the leading Republican presidential contenders did four years ago, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Bachmann is one the most successful fundraisers in the House.  In the first quarter for the year she raised more than $1.7 million for her re-election campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, more than any other candidate aside from Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio.

As of March 31, Bachmann's campaign committee reported $2.8 million cash on hand. That cash can be directly donated to a potential presidential fund.

In a video posted alongside today’s "money bomb" appeal, Bachmann deftly skirted around whether or not she had made a decision about ultimately running.

"My family and I are prayerfully considering what the next 18 months or so may bring," she said.

"We've seen incredible support pouring in through Facebook, through our new website and the Team Bachmann momentum is building and it's very encouraging as we look to our next steps. So, with your generous support right now whether its $24 or $240 will continue this momentum and connect with conservatives all across this country, because I believe that together we're going to make Barack Obama a one-term president."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Rick Santorum to Officially Launch Presidential Bid

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Rick Santorum will officially jump into the presidential race during the week of June 5, a source close to the socially conservative former Pennsylvania Senator told ABC News on Tuesday.

Santorum would become the sixth Republican candidate to officially declare he is running for the GOP presidential nomination (assuming no one else announces before him), following in the footsteps of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex.

Santorum has been polling in the low single digits, making his road to the GOP nomination a tough one. But he has real appeal among conservatives and he has already shown a willingness to be an "attack dog" within the GOP field. He has tangled with Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and, most recently, Gingrich.

Santorum has been traveling extensively to early nominating states, including Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina over the past few months. He has been to each of those states more than a dozen times since he began exploring a presidential run.

Santorum plans to participate in a June 13 presidential debate at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

The Pennsylvania Republican established a presidential exploratory committee in early May.

The aide had no further details about where or in what form Santorum will make the announcement.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Cantor Dismisses 2012 Run, Suggests Paul Ryan Mount Campaign

FIle photo. (ABC News)(WASHINGTON) -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor unequivocally shut the door on a “Cantor for President” 2012 campaign Monday, but urged another top House Republican – Rep. Paul Ryan - to launch his own run for the GOP nomination.

“Sure,” Cantor answered when asked if Ryan, a seven-term lawmaker, should get into the race. “Paul’s about real leadership. I think that’s what this public so desperately wants to do right now is they want to see Washington that will lead. They don’t want to see individuals that dismiss the current problem that’s something that we can just sweep under the rug.”

Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget committee, has received both cheers and jeers from some contenders for the GOP nomination, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who started off his own candidacy on a rocky note last week by attacking the Ryan budget as “right-wing social engineering,” only to quickly walk back on those comments amid a firestorm of disapproval from prominent conservatives, including Cantor.

When asked whether support for Ryan’s "Path to Prosperity" budget reform would be a prerequisite for candidates seeking the nomination, Cantor said that candidates entering the 2012 race should “embrace a leadership role that takes the tough positions” and suggested that Ryan had demonstrated those qualities through his controversial plan to reduce the deficit by taking on entitlement reform.

The “Path to Prosperity," which passed the House on April 15, is likely to be a political lightening rod in the 2012 election, with Democrats up and down the ticket already fiercely pounding at the plan they say would “end Medicare as we know it.”

“Our field is a field that still has a lot of time. I think the candidates who are in the race are strong candidates. It is early still. These campaigns will begin to focus as the primary season nears,” Cantor added. “The choice is going to be: are you for more government and more taxes, or are you for more growth and more jobs? That’s going to be the choice, so candidates that want to embrace that – all in.”

Ryan, who last week decided against running for Wisconsin’s open Senate seat, appeared on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday and flatly rejected a potential bid for the White House as well.

Asked whether he would consider mounting a “Cantor for President” campaign, the No. 2 House Republican emphatically rejected the idea.

“Absolutely not,” Cantor, a six-term lawmaker, deadpanned. “I have no intention or desire to run.”

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Donald Trump Back in the 2012 Race?

Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Perhaps Donald Trump didn't really bow out after all.

The billionaire business mogul phoned into Fox News' Fox & Friends Monday to lament the state of the Republican field. He took issue with Mike Huckabee exiting the race, saying he's sure Huckabee could win and he's still sure he himself could have won.

Trump refused to rule out a late entry into the Republican presidential field.

"Who knows if I did the right thing," he said. "I am not seeing a lot out of the Republican candidates."

Asked if there's any chance he'll jump in later in the race, Trump replied, "I can't rule out anything...[It's] vital that we choose the right person, and at this moment, I don't see that person."

Michael Cohen, an executive at the Trump Organization who doubles as Trump's chief political adviser, told ABC News, "The statement speaks for itself and Mr. Trump has no additional comment at this time."

On May 8, Trump squashed speculation about his potential candidacy, saying in a statement that he "decided not to pursue the office of the presidency" and was "not ready to leave the private sector." In typical Trump fashion, he pushed his potential political career aside with bravado, saying "I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Bushes' Seal of Approval at Stake for 2012 GOP Candidates

Photos[dot]com/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- None of the 2012 Republican presidential candidates has earned the blessing of the Bush dynasty, with nine months until the Iowa caucuses. But several early contenders have been striving for approval from the family that has produced the two most recent Republican presidents and wields continued influence among conservative voters and donors.

Jon Huntsman, the former U.S. ambassador to China-turned potential presidential hopeful, makes a pilgrimage to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Monday to meet with former President George H.W. Bush, his former boss.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who made his presidential campaign official Monday, met with Mr. Bush in Texas a few weeks ago.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels had seemed to capture the most attention of the Bush clan, receiving encouragement from former First Lady Laura Bush and other former Bush administration advisers to make the run for office. On Sunday, he declined.

Now, many Bush family loyalists are looking for an alternative to Daniels, and some say former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the son and brother of former presidents, should be their guy.

Bush is seen as a conservative heavyweight with executive experience and strong appeal in a key swing state for 2012. He also has name recognition and credibility among Republicans nationwide.

"Jeb probably has a better chance to unite the establishment and Tea Party wings of the GOP than anyone else, certainly a better chance than Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney," National Review editor Rich Lowry wrote earlier this year.

In a poll of likely Florida voters last month, Bush held a nearly 20 point lead over President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 presidential matchup.

Still, Bush has repeatedly insisted he will not run in 2012 and believes the party has plenty of candidates who could defeat Obama.

"While I am flattered by everyone's encouragement, my decision has not changed," Bush, 58, said in a statement Sunday. "I will not be a candidate for president in 2012."

A Gallup poll last month found 44 percent of Americans have an unfavorable impression of Jeb Bush, with only 35 percent holding a favorable view. In February, a national Fox News poll on possible Republican match-ups with Obama, Bush trailed the president by 20 points.

But Bush himself has suggested that no decision is final. "You never say never about anything," he told CNN when asked late last year about a presidential run.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Tim Pawlenty to Make Presidential Run Official Monday

ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will make his presidential bid official on Monday, announcing that he is a candidate for the GOP nomination in Iowa, ABC News has learned.

Pawlenty announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee in a Facebook message to supporters on March 21.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Sarah Palin: 'Fire in My Belly' to Run in 2012

Randy Snyder/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- In her latest flirtation with a possible 2012 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren Thursday night that she has "fire in my belly" to jump into the race.

"I think my problem is that I do have the fire in my belly," Palin said when Susteren asked if she'd run. "I am so adamantly supportive of the good, traditional things about America and our free enterprise system and I want to make sure America is put back on the right track and we will do that by defeating Obama in 2012. I have that fire in my belly."

As she's done in recent interviews, Palin cited her family as one of her main concerns in launching a political campaign. 

"With a large family, understanding the huge amount of scrutiny and sacrifices that have to be made on my children's part in order to see their mama run for president. But yeah, the fire in the belly, that's there," she said.

Van Susteren mentioned how Palin -- and every member of her family -- were spoofed, satired, and put through the ringer ever since Sen. John McCain chose her to be his 2008 presidential runningmate. To that, the former Alaska governor concluded her sit-down by urging the media to "lay off the petty stuff" when covering the candidates in the upcoming election.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Jon Huntsman Likely to Base Presidential Campaign In Orlando

LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images(ORLANDO, Fla.) -- Should he decide to run for president, former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is likely to make his campaign headquarters Orlando, Fla., ABC News has learned.

The importance of the Sunshine State in the Republican nominating process -- as well as in the general election -- is clear, but Florida also has personal appeal for Huntsman. His wife, Mary Kaye, is from there and still has family in the area.

Aides to the former Utah governor were also said to be considering North Carolina as a possible base of operations, before settling on Florida.

Huntsman opens a five-day tour of another critical state -- New Hampshire -- on Thursday.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio