George Pataki hints he may enter presidential race

Former New York Republican Gov. George Pataki hinted Tuesday that he may enter the 2012 presidential race, and said a decision would come within a month.

"I'm not running now," Pataki said at an appearance in New Hampshire, as the Union Leader reported. "But we'll see what happens over the course of the next month."

Pataki has been focusing on fiscal issues with his group No American Debt, which has been running ads in New Hampshire and other early-voting states, as Politico reports. An advisor says that while Pataki isn't currently running for president, he isn't ruling it out, either.

In his New Hampshire remarks Tuesday, Pataki lambasted President Obama as having the "worst fiscal record in the history of the country." He suggested he had shown strong leadership on fiscal issues, as evidenced by his ability to turn New York's $5 billion budget deficit into a surplus.

With Republicans expressing little enthusiasm for their current presidential field - which includes announced and expected candidates Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman - other potential candidates have been coming out of the woodwork, among them former New York mayor Rudy Giulianiand Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan.

Pataki served three terms as New York governor, serving from 1995 to 2006. He reportedly considered a New York Senate bid in 2010 before deciding against it.