Sarah Palin is still "seriously considering" running for president in 2012, but won't make her announcement by "media-assigned deadlines," she told Fox News' Sean Hannity Wednesday night. Palin says she's worried about putting her family under all the stress of a campaign, explaining, "It's a monumental leap for a family to put themselves out there again in the limelight and be … ready for the scrutiny that ensues in a campaign." Palin also avoided endorsing Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is considering announcing her candidacy in June. The two share Tea Party support and are liked by evangelicals.

Palin said she's waiting to see if anyone else in the Republican field emerges who is, well, like her. "I'm looking for others who are ready to go rogue," she said. "I want to make sure we have a candidate out there with tea party principles." That means someone who has been able to "veto overspending," supported gun rights, and "lived a fiscally conservative lifestyle." (Would that last part rule out Newt Gingrich, with his $250,000 Tiffany's bill?) National Journal reports that Palin sources have said her timeline for announcing would be based on legal filing dates--meaning sometime in the late summer.

Pundits have been trying to figure out if Palin is running since pretty much November 5, 2008. Last month she unveiled a new website for her political action committee, which made it easier to interact with supporters--and collect their donations. And the Alaskan visited Israel and India in March, a trip some said was an attempt to strengthen her foreign policy cred ahead of a campaign.

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Elspeth Reeve