Sen. John Thune announced on Tuesday via his Facebook page that he would forgo a run for president in 2012, although his statement suggested that there is some flexibility in that decision.

The South Dakota Republican, who had been weighing a White House bid for several months, said that — at least for the time being — he wanted to focus on his duties as a Senator. Thune serves as the GOP Policy Committee chairman, the fourth-ranking leadership position, and is considering jumping into the race for either Whip or Conference chairman.

“There is a battle to be waged over what kind of country we are going to leave our children and grandchildren and that battle is happening now in Washington, not two years from now,” Thune said in his statement. “So at this time, I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate.”