Palin's Tour Dates Suggest Presidential Interest

Why on earth would Sarah Palin want to go to Iowa, South Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana on her book tour? Could it be that she wants to run for president? Today HarperCollins is releasing Palin's latest book, "America by Heart," and National Journal's Kathy Kiely reads into the significance of Palin's 16-stop book tour that will ensue:

Anyone trying to read the -- pun intended -- tea leaves from Palin's 16-stop promotional itinerary will find plenty to suggest she's laying the groundwork for a White House run.

The tour includes two stops in Iowa, where the first votes of the 2012 presidential contest will be cast, and one in the key early primary state of South Carolina. There are no stops in New Hampshire, but hey, Mitt Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, is practically a favorite son.

Ohio and Arkansas, two more presidential battleground states, will also get a Palin visit, and she'll sign books in Dallas and Houston, the two biggest cities in the "ATM state" of Texas, a must-stop for any candidate seeking to tap its base of deep-pocketed donors. Gov. Rick Perry is a potential competitor for both votes and sales: His book, Fed Up, was released earlier this month and he's also being mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential candidate -- though he denies any interest. ...

Here's the schedule for Palinpalooza:

November 23: Phoenix

November 26: Tulsa

November 27: Norfolk, Neb.

November 27: Des Moines, Iowa

November 28: Andover, Kan.

November 28: Dallas

November 29: Houston

November 29: New Orleans

Nov. 30: Baton Rouge, La.

November 30: Little Rock, Ark.

December 1: Brentwood, Tenn.

December 1: Lexington, Ky.

December 2: Spirit Lake, Iowa

December 2: Carmel, Ind.

December 3: Cincinnati

December 3: Columbia, S.C.

Read the full story at National Journal.