Palin Says She Didn't Mean to Overshadow Romney in New Hampshire

Sarah Palin said she didn't mean to steal media attention from Mitt Romney by appearing in New Hampshire at the same time he formally announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in the state.

"I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes," Palin, the former governor of Alaska, said on "Fox News Sunday." Palin said her bus tour, which began May 29 in Washington, was to celebrate "Americana."She said she is still weighing whether to run for president in 2012.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, formally opened his bid for the Republican nomination on Thursday at a New Hampshire rally as Palin's bus tour crossed into the early primary state.

Palin, 47, is a contributor to Fox News. On Fox's Sunday talk show she repeated a criticism of the health care law Romney approved when he was governor of Massachusetts, which required residents to get health insurance.Romney has tried to contrast that state-level approach with a similar federal measure passed by President Barack Obama last year.

"I don't like anyone at the local, state or federal level mandating anything," Palin said.

Romney joined former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas as declared Republican presidential candidates.

Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, who earlier this year gave up his post as U.S. ambassador to China under Obama to explore challenging him, is weighing a bid, as is Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

Palin today contrasted her "executive experience" with that of Republican Bachmann. Palin said she is "still right there in the middle" on the decision of whether to run for president and is trying to determine "what the lay of the land will be."