Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to Democrats at the national level, released a poll Thursday that had President Barack Obama leading the major Republican presidential candidates.

Three U.S. senators announced in recent days that they plan to retire in 2012 instead of seeking another term. But Florida Democrat Bill Nelson shows no signs of joining his three colleagues -- Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.

A newly formed group of conservatives called “America’s President Committee” kicked off a petition drive Monday to get U.S. Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana into the race for the Republican presidential nomination.