Wednesday, February 2nd 2011, 3:18 PM

Platt,Beck/GettyMitt Romney's bid for the GOP nomination in 2008 went up in flames. Sarah Palin is rumored to be running in 2012.

Mitt Romney claims he isn't sure if he'll run for President in 2012, but he knows someone else that would do a "great" job: Sarah Palin.

During an interview on Tuesday night with Piers Morgan on CNN, the former GOP Massachusetts governor said Palin would bring a lot to the political table.

"I believe she is an extraordinarily powerful and effective voice in our party, that she has generated a great deal of support and attention, that she'd be great in a primary process," he said of the former vice-presidential nominee and Tea Party darling. "She'd bring attention to the process, and frankly, the more people we have on the stage in those debates talking about different ideas and different approaches, the better."

Romney has gone on a media blitz to discuss his new book, "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness," making appearances on "Good Morning America," "Late Show with David Letterman" and "The View."

But the appearances have fueled speculation that Romney, who lost in the Republican primary in 2008 to Sen. John McCain, is considering running again in 2012.

When the CNN host asked whether Romney could beat Palin, he replied, "I don't know the answer to that." The 63-year-old said his wife is urging him to run.

"My wife thinks I should run," said Romney. "She's absolutely committed. She's saying, 'You've got to run, you've got to have somebody who understands the world of the economy, small business, who can create jobs.' She's convinced I've got to run. But I have to look more broadly and say, 'Alright, do I have a team necessary to do this?' "

According to a recent Rasmussen survey, Romney leads in a national poll, with 24% of likely GOP primary voters picking him as their presidential nominee. Palin came in second with 19%, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabe (17%) and former House speaker Newt Gingrich (11%).

Romney told Letterman he has no plans to run for President, but added "I'll keep the door open." He also gave a shout out to Palin.

"Be careful what you say about her," Romney joked. "She has a rifle, you know."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/02/02/2011-02-02_sarah_palin_would_be_a_great_president_says_former_mass_governor_mitt_romney.html#ixzz1Crvm6aT2