Perry to Head GOP Governors Assn.

Texas Governor Rick Perry will be chosen as the next head of the Republican Governors Association when the group meets next week in San Diego, sources tell Politico. Perry has been making the media rounds promoting a new book about protecting states' rights from the federal government, fueling speculation that he was considering a presidential run—despite his frequent denials. But the new post gives credibility to Perry's insistence that he's primarily interested in resisting President Obama at the state level: It would be too difficult to raise funds for the association and run key gubernatorial races in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky while running for president. The current chairman and vice chairman of the association, Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, are both considering White House bids.