The Hill News

Tea Party favorite Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will meet privately with Rick Perry, according to a DeMint aide.

The meeting will be Tuesday in Greenville, South Carolina where the Texas governor will unveil his campaign's national tax plan. DeMint also plans to meet with businessman Herman Cain, another Republican presidential hopeful, next week. Both the Cain meeting and the Perry meeting are a continuation of the conservative firebrand's series of sit-downs with members of the 2012 presidential field.

Cain himself has mentioned DeMint as a possible vice presidential pick saying the South Carolina senator is the kind of person who is not "afraid to challenge the system."

As a conservative favorite as well as a senator from the early primary state of South Carolina, DeMint's endorsement is a highly valuable one in the 2012 Republican primary.

Recently, Roll Call reported that DeMint was thinking of endorsing Mitt Romney ! but DeMint's office flatly denied the report saying that DeMint had not chosen a candidate yet and might not back one at all.

For his part though, DeMint has been cautious about showing his hand on his endorsement. DeMint has stressed that he plans to back a candidate further along the line in the presidential race if he decides to endorse at all.