The Hotline over at the National Journal has released the first edition of presidential power rankings for a barrel of Republican candidates. Some of the ranks are expected and some seem a little strange to me. Take a look for yourself and sound off below. They are broken down into the “A-List” tier of 1 through 4, the “Fox News” tier of 5 through 8, the “Governor / VP/ ’16” tier and, finally, the “Tea Party” tier.

Mitt Romney tops the list at number 1 followed by Tim Pawlenty, John Thune and Haley Barbour. Missing from the top 4 are names like Palin, Huckabee and Gingrich.

An email obtained by a US News and World Report blog today shows that Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is preparing to lay the groundwork for a 2012 Presidential bid. Daniels has become somewhat of a superstar among the Republican base for his fiscal conservatism and his strong record in Indiana.

Story from Washington Whispers:

The latest from the Fox News “12 in 2012” series on South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint.

From the continuation of the Fox News “12 in 2012” series, here is a profile of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Yet another name in the ring that seems to grow bigger by the day. Former New York Governor George Pataki is a name I hadn’t actually considered, however, Pataki says he has not ruled out running for President in 2012. His decision will be pending for a little while.

There has been a lot of speculation that Indiana Congressman Mike Pence will be ultimately building a campaign for the Presidency in 2012. This weekend Pence appeared on This Week and spoke to this question saying he would be waiting until after the new year to make a decision.

Sure, it’s early. Like real early. However, that doesn’t stop the prognosticators from considering who would make a good Vice Presidential pick for the eventual Republican ticket. Politico starts off the speculation with a piece on many rising Republican stars such as Florida Senator-elect Marco Rubio, Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich and New Mexico Governor-elect Susana Martinez.

There has been a lot of talk surrounding whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could toss his hat in the 2012 ring considering his growing positive reputation in his home state. This morning on Meet the Press, Christie denied he was even considering a 2012 campaign: