Palin’s speech could signal presidential campaign

Observers say Sarah Palin’s address at an Iowa GOP fundraiser tonight is a sign she’s seriously considering a run at the White House in 2012.

Sarah Palin will deliver the keynote address at the Republican Party’s annual Ronald Reagan dinner in Des Moines, Iowa tonight, fueling speculation that she is laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign in 2012. During the process to determine the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, Iowa is the first state to hold primaries and usually sets the tone for the rest of the campaign. The Iowa primary is a short 16-months away, and presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich have been visiting the state regularly. Palin has been forging alliances with far-right Tea Party candidates running in next month’s mid-term elections, which some see as an attempt to collect political I.O.U.’s for her presidential bid.