Conservative group runs ads in NH touting Rick Perry

As Rick Perry openly considers a run for the 2012 GOP nomination, a pro-business conservative group is running online ads in New Hampshire touting his potential candidacy.

Per Politico's Alex Burns, Americans for Job Security are running web ads touting the Texas governor's economic policies and his record on tort reform.

The move comes as Perry has signaled increasing seriousness about a White House bid. Last week, a Perry adviser said the governor sees a "void" in the current GOP field that he believes he can fill.

On Sunday, Perry trashed President Obama's record on stem cell research and asserted his own conservative bona fides at an anti-abortion rally in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, he's scheduled to headline a major fundraising dinner for the Manhattan Republican Party—replacing Donald Trump, who had been the original keynote speaker.

Meanwhile, Perry has come under increasing criticism for a "day of prayer" event he's scheduled for later this summer. Perry has invited governors and other elected officials from across the nation to attend the Aug. 6 event, which he's described as a "day of fasting and prayer for our troubled nation."

But, as the New York Times reports, Perry's critics say the event is aimed more at building his national profile ahead of a potential 2012 run—a charge Perry's office denies.

(Photo of Perry: Richard Vogel/AP)