Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks to supporters at a Republican National Committee rally in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010.(AP Photo/John Raoux) (Associated Press) 
 
 Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks to supporters at a Republican National Committee rally in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010.(AP Photo/John Raoux) (Associated Press) 
 
 Sen. John McCain is calling Sarah Palin an "outstanding candidate" for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, but says it's too early to endorse her. 
 
 McCain told CBS's "The Early Show" Tuesday that "I don't think Sarah would want me to, before she's even able to make a decision" about running. 
 
 The Arizona Republican said "it's very early to start picking winners and losers." He said he still holds his 2008 running mate "in high regard" and said he's been amused by the former Alaska governor's confrontations with "the liberal media." 
 
 Palin has been active in the campaign, raising money, throwing her support behind a host of tea party-backed conservative Republicans and giving speeches around the country. ||||| Republican strategist Karl Rove repeated again Sunday that he believes Sarah Palin is gearing up for a presidential run and said she’ll have to make her decision soon. 
 
 
 
 Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Rove pointed to a campaign-style video Palin’s political action committee released last week and upcoming events in Iowa as signals that the former Alaska governor is getting in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. 
 
 
 
 “I’m not much of a gambler, but I’d put a little bit more money that she gets in than she doesn’t,” Rove said, “because the schedule she has next week in Iowa looks like that of a candidate, not a celebrity,” 
 
 
 
 “If she doesn’t get in next week, I think people are going to basically say, ‘She’s not in, she won’t be in and if she gets in, I’m not going to be for her,’” Rove added. “You can only tease so many times in the political process and I think she’s getting to the end of that.” 
 
 Later, on CBS's "Face the Nation," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the 2008 GOP nominee who tapped Palin as his running mate, said he didn't know whether Palin would run or not. 
 
 "She has not asked my advice. I do not know," McCain said, adding that he puts a lot of "credence" in Rove's assessment.. "I think that's a decision that is so personal. It has to do with your family and all of these things."
– John McCain thinks a lot of people are getting ahead of themselves. Asked on CBS’ Early Show if he’d endorse Sarah Palin for president in 2012, he said she’d make an “outstanding candidate,” but that it was too early to say he’d endorse her. “I don’t think Sarah would want me to, before she’s even able to make a decision” about running, he said, according to the AP, adding “It’s very early to start picking winners and losers.” For that matter, McCain thinks it’s too early to call the midterms. “I'm a little worried about some of my Republican friends who are taking a victory lap about a week ahead of time,” he said. “Indications are that, as always, the Democrats have a very sophisticated get-out-the-vote operation. We've got to get our vote out.”