Haley Barbour. He's running until he says he's not running.

If Haley Barbour is trying to fool anyone about his presidential aspirations he may need a bit more cover than this.

Washington (CNN) – Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is increasingly likely to embark on a campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, a source close to the Republican told CNN Friday.

“We have definitely shifted gears, there is no question about that,” the source said. “He’s running until he says he’s not.”

That Barbour is seriously thinking about a White House bid is hardly a surprise. He built up his profile substantially during the 2010 election cycle as chairman of the Republican Governors Association and recently spent time in the early primary state of South Carolina meeting with GOP donors and activists.

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It isn’t just trips to early primary states, either. As we reported here earlier, Barbour will be travelling to Israel in the midst of what can only be termed a potential international crisis. (Along with several other Republicans with their eyes on the prize.)

After that he’ll be heading back to D.C. to attend CPAC 2011. With any luck we’ll get the chance to sit down with the Governor there and put a few more questions to him. In particular, it would be nice to find out what his fundraising prospects are in a field which is thus far cluttered with a huge number of potential contenders. Stay tuned.

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