Perry calls Chuck Grassley about potential 2012 run

Here's another sign that Rick Perry is increasingly serious about a 2012 bid: The Texas governor phoned Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley about his prospective campaign.

Per the Des Moines Register, Grassley told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that he had spoken with Perry about a potential 2012 run earlier this week.

Grassley, a top Iowa Republican who often plays an influential role in presidential politics, declined to divulge what Perry said to him. But the senator told reporters he advised the GOP governor to make Iowa a priority should he decide to run.

"I gave him the advice that if he's going to run, he'd better run in Iowa and he'd better cover a lot of territory," Grassley said, per the Register's Kathie Obradovich.

As The Ticket reported earlier this week, Perry has been personally phoning key Republicans in early primary states as he considers whether or not to launch a presidential bid.

Perry advisers have said their boss will likely decide by the end of the summer about a 2012 run.