Sen. Rand Paul visited Iowa over the weekend, leaving open the possibility of running for president in 2012, Radio Iowa reported. The Kentucky Republican, son of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is openly considering a bid, promised only that he wouldn’t run against his father.

“Even if he does, I want to be part of the process, some way, in deciding who the candidate is,” he told Radio Iowa. “I feel the passion to fix the problems in our country before it’s too late. … And so, many who say, ‘Why don’t you just sit on the back bench and when your time has come in 12 or 15 or 20 years, then you come forward?’ — I see a shorter timeline not just for me, but I see a shorter timeline for the country.”