JACKSON -- Gov. Haley Barbour's speech at the historic Neshoba County Fair Thursday sounded like that of a politician running for president in 2012.

He focused more on national politics than state politics, though, in fairness, he did try to connect what is happening nationally to how he believes it will affect Mississippi.

He blasted President Barack Obama and "the liberal Democrat Congress" for overspending, saying their health care program and energy program would be bad for America.

Barbour has some real political baggage that would impede his run for national office. But he is being mentioned more and more as a likely candidate in 2012.

Whether he will be remains to be seen. But it is obvious Barbour, highly respected from his successful stint in the 1990s as chair of the Republican National Committee, is and will continue to be a much-listened-to voice in Republican circles on the national level.