Mitch Daniels just can’t quit Chris Christie

Though he declined to name names, Mitch Daniels admitted earlier this week that he was still pining for another Republican to jump into the party's 2012 presidential primary.

On Thursday, it became pretty obvious who the Indiana governor was referring to. In a joint appearance with Chris Christie at New Jersey's Ryder University, Daniels admitted he still hadn't given up on the idea of his fellow governor running for the GOP nomination.

"I'm not taking 'no' from Christie," Daniels said, per the New Jersey Star-Ledger. "I'm taking 'not yet.'"

Christie has repeatedly ruled out a 2012 bid, but during his appearance with Daniels, who bypassed his own bid for the nomination, the governor did take a shot at the current Republican field. He suggested the reason people keep begging him and Daniels to run is because the candidates aren't offering "hard truths" about the nation's dire financial state.

"The fact that nobody yet running for president, in my view, has done that effectively is why you continue to hear people ask Daniels to reconsider and ask me to reconsider," Christie said. The New Jersey governor stressed that both he and Daniels have made a point of highlighting the dire fiscal straits the nation faces.

"Look at the two of us. It is not our good looks that they're clamoring for," he added. "They're not saying, 'There's a spot open on Mount Rushmore, and oh, man, these are the guys for it.' I think it's because of our ideas, because of what we have chosen to emphasize as governors."

But Christie again ruled out a presidential run, insisting, again, that he just doesn't feel in his heart that it's the right thing to do at the moment. "It's a personal thing," he said.

You can watch video of their joint appearance below, courtesy of the Star-Ledger: