After various close sources claimed that former NY governor George Pataki would run for president, now close sources say he will not run. Further, YNN reports that Pataki isn't even going to Iowa—even though his advisers called up organizers of a Iowa fundraiser to say he was headed there.

Apparently Pataki was truly thinking about throwing his hat into the 2012 ring, but now he's probably read all of the coverage wondering why the hell he'd run! Still, according to YNN, "The source insisted that Pataki's decision was based mainly on family concerns and that he had not been influenced by the fact that he would be coming late to the game."

As humiliating as being ridiculed out of the Republican race before even joining is, it's probably less humiliating than jumping in and needed to get out later. We salute you, George Elmer Pataki!