Laying the groundwork for a potential presidential run, United Progressive Party leader Jed Connelly formed an exploratory committee Wednesday to determine whether any coworkers could pick up a few evening shifts for him as the 2012 campaign season begins to heat up. 'Before I officially throw my hat in the ring, it's imperative that I gauge the viability of [shift leader] Carrie [Bullock] cutting me some slack on the weekends,' said Connelly, adding that early polling suggested a high likelihood that Derek would be cool about swapping a couple Thursdays. '2012 will be a landmark election, and that's why it's important to get my name out there early, particularly among anyone on morning shift who might be willing to pull a double.' While a final decision remained weeks away, Connelly stated that the committee was on track to file official paperwork with the Federal Election Commission in June, provided someone on his team had access to a printer. 