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Playing the presidential card has paid off for Donald Trump. The real-estate mogul and reality-TV host -- who kept viewers and the NBC network guessing until the last minute whether he would make a serious run at the Oval Office -- got a sizeable pay raise to renew his contract to host "The Celebrity Apprentice" for another two years. NBC Universal, which was acquired by cable-TV giant Comcast this year, agreed to pay Trump and co-producer Mark Burnett an estimated $160 million over two years, according to sources familiar with the contract. Trump, who was in Scotland yesterday touting his...

Pro-Life Gov. Tim Pawlenty Announcing GOP Presidential Bid Monday Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is expected to announce on Monday that he is officially declaring his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. The governor has built up a pro-life record that is appealing to social conservatives. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/05/20/pro-life-gov-tim-pawlenty-announcing-gop-presidential-bid-monday/

PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — Donald Trump says he has put off agreeing to an extension of his “Celebrity Apprentice” reality show while he weighs a presidential bid. The real estate mogul and potential Republican contender says he told NBC on Friday he could not commit to a three-year contract extension for the series until he decides whether he’s running. Trump spoke at an event at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Palm Beach. He offered familiar messages questioning President Barack Obama’s birthplace. He also said the U.S. should be entitled to Iraqi oil and praised the ultraconservative tea party. Trump says...

Mike Pence Not Running for President, Governor Bid Likely In a long-awaited announcement, pro-life Congressman Mike Pence will not seek the Republican nomination for president and will leave open the possibility of a gubernatorial bid. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/01/27/mike-pence-not-running-for-president-governor-bid-likely/

Sarah Palin Considering 2012 Republican Presidential Bid In a new interview with the New York Times magazine, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin confirms she is considering a possible 2012 presidential bid. http://LifeNews.com/nat-6860

Washington, DC -- Sarah Palin become an overnight rock star on the conservative side of the political spectrum and motivated pro-life voters who were anemic in their support of John McCain. Hours after McCain's election loss, the Alaska governor demurred on her own potential presidential bid in 2012.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Delaware Sen. Joe Biden abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in the state's caucuses. Biden was expected to announce his decision to withdraw from the contest at a campaign rally in Des Moines, according to advisers who spoke on condition of anonymity. The veteran lawmaker and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee received less than 1 percent of the vote in Iowa's caucuses despite a spirited campaign in which he emphasized his international policy credentials and long career in public service. It's a case of deja vu for...

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, best known for his advocacy on behalf of the military, launched a longshot bid for the presidency Thursday in this early voting state. Frequently citing Ronald Reagan, Hunter told supporters he wants to pick up on the former president's legacy. "I want to lead that policy of peace through strength," said Hunter, a strong supporter of the Iraq war. The 14-term conservative from California, who has made no secret of his White House aspirations, set up a presidential exploratory committee earlier this month. He initially announced his intentions in October, becoming the first GOP candidate to...

Democratic Insider: Hillary ‘Unfit’ for President An upcoming book by a longtime Democratic insider asserts that Sen. Hillary Clinton is “ethically unfit” to hold public office. The author of the book is Jerry Zeifman, who was counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for 17 years. He was chief counsel to the committee during the Watergate episode, a role he chronicled in an earlier book, “Without Honor: The Crimes of Camelot and the Impeachment of President Nixon.” Hillary was a committee staffer at the time. And Zeifman’s new book “Hillary’s Pursuit of Power” is based in large part on his personal...

DES MOINES, Iowa - Sen. Joe Biden said Wednesday his failed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination nearly 20 years ago has forced him to declare his candidacy clearly for 2008. ``I'm the only candidate who has straightforwardly said for a year that I'm running,'' the Delaware senator said in an interview with The Associated Press. ``I haven't danced around. The point is, because I dropped out 20 years ago, there is the question: Is Biden serious? Is he really going to stay? The proof of the pudding is the eating.'' Biden sought the Democratic nomination in 1988, but dropped...

To prep her potential presidential run, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is wooing Wall Street executives...

<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Sen. John Kerry's presidential bid got a key endorsement Tuesday from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who praised him for having the "strength, experience, leadership and judgment to be an excellent president."</p> <p>Feinstein, a Democrat, is California's senior senator and arguably the most popular politician in the voter-rich state. She is one of only two U.S. senators to endorse Kerry's presidential bid so far - the other being his Massachusetts colleague, Ted Kennedy.</p>

<p>PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) - Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign picked up a key California endorsement Friday from state treasurer Phil Angelides, who called Kerry a longtime "role model" with broad voter appeal in California and the ability to beat President George W. Bush in 2004.</p>

Presidential bid by ex-first lady opposed 69% in U.S. think Hillary Clinton should never run, poll says 10/15/2002 Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. - A strong majority of Americans think Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton should never run for president, a poll released Monday showed. The Marist Institute for Public Opinion found that 69 percent of Americans think the Democratic former first lady, now a senator from New York, shouldn't run. Twenty-six percent said she should run "someday." A poll in March 2001 found 30 percent felt she should run for president someday. "There's been some erosion from numbers that weren't...

GORE'S DECISION **World Exclusive** While publicly he maintains an air of mystery when asked about his political future, former Vice President Al Gore has quietly made a decision whether to once again make a run for the White House, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. Gore from Tennessee has confided in his very top aides that he's determined to give it another try! "We've got ourselves a rematch!" one well-placed source, with direct ties to Gore, said from Washington. "Tipper's onboard. She is behind the decision 100%. Clearly the party is ready, and will rally behind him. It owes him," said...

Once again, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has assured the nation that she won't be making a White House bid in 2004 - sort of. "I have no plans to run for president," she told the Associated Press in a telephone interview Friday, for a story that confirmed in every other respect her plans to run in 2008. In fact, her "no plans" in 2004 announcement leaves plenty of wiggle room. And even the planning denial seems in doubt given Mrs. Clinton's activities of recent months; a veritable frenzy of presidential positioning that would likely be wasted on race most...

In a radio interview on 04/23/02 with Jim Quinn, Chris Ruddy discusses "The Bitch's" presidential aspirations. Also included are John McLame's plans to be on the ticket. Right click here and select "save link" - to download the segment (15 minute, 1.8mb .mp3 file) with Chris Ruddy of NewsMax.com. Click on the link at the source URL above to hear the whole 2 hour show.