Romney in dead heat for 2012

It's never too early, apparently, to start handicapping the field for the 2012 presidential race.

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey found what amounts to a dead heat among Republican contenders, with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee at 22 percent, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin at 21 percent and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney also at 21 percent.

Huckabee and Romney lost out to John McCain for the GOP nomination last year, while Palin was McCain's running mate. The difference among them was well within the poll's margin of sampling error.

The poll found that 13 percent of Republicans backing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 6 percent supporting former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and 10 percent someone else. Missing from the lead pack is Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who announced Tuesday he will not seek a third term as governor, immediately setting off speculation that he will run in 2012.

Romney is also giving every indication he's seriously considering another bid. In the latest in a series of TV interviews, he was asked on NBC's "Today" show this morning about 2012.

"No, I'm looking right now at trying to get some Republicans getting elected in 2009 and 2010," Romney said, adding, "And what happens later, ... that's a very distant horizon."

Romney also continued his assault on President Obama's foreign policy as the president landed in Saudi Arabia, saying while there's nothing wrong with "showing our respect for the people in the world of Islam," it's inappropriate for Obama to "go around the world apologizing" as Romney suggested he did during his first trip abroad.

Interviewed at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Romney said Obama should talk more about the sacrifices the United States has made on other nations' behalf, such as during World War II, "what we have done in blood and sacrifice."

Obama will almost certainly do that on Saturday in Normandy at a commemoration on the 65th anniversary of D-Day.