(NYDN) Sarah Palin has hired a chief-of-staff, a move that experts say is the strongest indication yet that the former Alaska governor will run for President in 2012. Michael Glassner, an attorney who has worked for several high-profile politicians, including Bob Dole and John McCain, will serve as the head adviser of her political action committee, Sarah PAC. 

Tim Crawford, the committee’s spokesperson told CNN that the group is “excited that Mike has agreed to come on the team.” *Glassner is familiar working with Palin having managed vice presidential operations during McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, where Palin ran on the same ticket. He helped coordinate Palin’s travel and scheduling. “One of the key hurdles most Republican operatives say Palin has to clear in order to seriously run for President is hire an experienced staff,” notes Politico. “Glassner is a step in that direction.”
But even as more than 10,000 conservative activists-and potential GOP nominees– gathered in D.C. for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, Palin was noticeably absent.  She cited a scheduling conflict – the fourth time that she has skipped out on the annual event. Palin came in third place in last year’s CPAC presidential straw poll, garnering 7% of the vote. Texas Rep. Ron Paul came in first with 31% followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 22%. (Read more)
*Glassner –For more than two decades, Glassner worked closely with Dole, first as an intern and later as senior adviser to the Republican nominee for president in 1996. After Dole’s unsuccessful bid for the presidency, Glassner joined him at the Washington, D.C., law firm Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand, where he consulted for international clients, including the International Commission on Missing Persons. Glassner also has worked as senior adviser to the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Recently, Glassner served as director of vice presidential operations for the 2008 McCain/Palin campaign. He resigned from his position as senior vice president of external affairs for IDT Corporation, a multinational telecommunications carrier.