Peter King To Run For President?

The pool of potential GOP presidential candidates may be getting a little more crowded. New York Rep. Peter King said Thursday he would "consider" a possible presidential run in 2012 - while at the same time encouraging his friend and fellow New Yorker, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to run as well.

"I would consider it," King said on 'Fox & Friends.' "I'm not taking my name back."

King's name was floated as a potential contender earlier this week by the chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee in Long Island, NY. King told Fox News it was an honor to be endorsed. "I'm not going to Iowa or New Hampshire," he said, "but I'm not going to tell them to stop."

King, however, also sang the praises of Giuliani on 'Fox & Friends,' suggesting he would consider a run only if Giuliani did not.

"Right now, there's no candidate who's articulating the message that Rudy would have - really tough on security, both homeland security and national security," King said, "and he has a proven record of cutting spending and cutting taxes."

Giuliani mounted a failed campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, focusing on Florida while basically bypassing the all-important early states of Iowa and New Hampshire. King said the former Mayor would use different strategies this time around, particularly given the rise of the Tea Party.

"The main problem the last time was, nobody let Rudy be Rudy," King said. "He had all these layers of advisers telling him how to avoid controversy."

King said Giuliani would emphasize his tough stances on security issues, which he thinks would also appeal to the Tea Party.

Despite his praise for Giuliani, King still left the door open for his own presidential bid.

"Obviously, if Rudy jumps in, I would support Rudy, but if not - I'll see what happens," he said. "Stranger things have happened."