Miss. Gov. Barbour rules out 2012 presidential run

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour isn't running for president in 2012. The Republican issued a statement Monday saying he "will not be a candidate for president next year."

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour speaks in Jackson, Miss. Thursday night Barbour says he won't be a presidential candidate for 2012. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File

Barbour says it was a difficult, personal decision. But he said that it would have been an all-consuming effort to the exclusion of all else. He says he cannot offer "absolute fire in the belly" and "total certainty" that a presidential candidate should have.

Barbour says he will continue his job as Mississippi governor and help elect governors across the country.