According to three polls released this week, there is a new front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination -- Gov. Rick Perry of Texas.

A poll taken by YouGov for the Economist found Perry taking 23 percent of those surveyed.Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who had been the lead candidate in the race until the Texas governor jumped in earlier in the month, was second with 15 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas took third with 11 percent.

Not long ago, I wrote about how the private sector outraces and laps government. While governments dither and dispute, the private sector discovers.

While he has only been in the Republican presidential race for less than two weeks, a new poll finds Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is now the front-runner for the GOPs nomination.

The national poll of Republicans from Public Policy Polling (PPP), which has ties to many prominent Democrats, found Perry leading the pack with 33 percent of the vote. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts placed second with 20 percent, followed by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who led a PPP national poll last month before Perry entered the race.

Rising conservative star Marco Rubio paid homage to President Ronald Reagan Tuesday when the Florida Republican senator spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as he continued a swing through California, raising his national profile and speculation that he is angling for the vice presidential spot on the 2012 Republican ticket.

Before giving the speech there was a little drama: Rubio came in with former first lady Nancy Reagan,now 90, who had a fall, and Floridas junior senator helped her recover.