Rand Paul to Make Trips to Early Primary States

The good Senator from Kentucky keeps dropping stronger and stronger hints that he is running:

Tea Party favorite and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday said he is strongly considering a 2016 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, announcing plans to travel to at least three key primary states this summer.

"We're considering it," he said at a morning newsmaker breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Paul, heir to his father Rep. Ron Paul's libertarian voting and fundraising base, said that he is already planning to visit three early primary states, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina this summer. And Paul said that he "will continue to travel to the early states."

The plain-spoken senator has been hinting of a 2016 run, saying it helps to give him a national voice on key issues. But his comments Wednesday were much stronger, though he said he will not make a final decision until next year.