After stumbling out of the gate in Iowa and New Hampshire, Texas governor Rick Perry is expected to drop out of the running for the Republican presidential nomination, CNN reported Thursday.

The network, quoting two sources, reported the longest-serving governor of the Lone Star State will drop out of the race prior to Thursday’s CNN debate in South Carolina (where a primary is slated for Saturday).

While Perry has never lost an election, the politician seemed to get in his own way in his bid for the nomination, appearing unprepared at times, and polarizing at others.

With their busy schedules of debates and public appearances, the Republican presidential candidates have hardly had any time recently to spend relaxing in their homes or kicking back on their couches, and by the end of the year one fortunate Presidential wannabe may be moving  into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

While they battle it out on the campaign trail to determine who lives at the White House for the next four years, RadarOnline.com has photos inside the current homes of the front runners, thanks to our friends at Zillow.com.

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Newt Gingrich has called McLean, Virginia "home sweet home" since 2000, when he bought a 5-bedroom, 5-bath Colonial style house for $995,000. Located just 10 miles away from the coveted White House, Gingrich's moving vans won't have far to go if he wins the top job.

The backlash is mounting against Texas Governor Rick Perry for his new anti-gay ad in Iowa, where he casts the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in a negative light, and as a tie-in to promote his religious aspirations should he be elected president.

"I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a Christian -- but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military," Perry says in the clip, "but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school."

The ad – which first aired on Wednesday - has ignited a firestorm of controversy within Perry's own campaign, as his primary pollster Tony Fabrizio called it "nuts," according to a report from the Huffington Post.

Texas governor Rick Perry continues to try and make lemonade out of lemons.

The longest-serving governor of the Lone Star State mocked his own tongue-tied performance in Wednesday's GOP debate by delivering David Letterman's Top 10 Rick Perry Excuses on Thursday’s show.

And they were:

10. "Actually there were three reasons I messed up last night. One was the nerves, two was the headache and three was, and three, uh, uh. Oops."
9. "I don't know what you're talking about. I think things went well."

Texas governor Rick Perry Thursday said he's staying in the the race for the Republican presidential nomination, despite his own admission he embarrassingly "stepped in it" during Wednesday's GOP debate in which he was tongue-tied when asked a relatively simple question.

Perry appeared on Thursday's edition of The Today Show, laughing and smiling about his gaffe in a chat with Ann Curry.

"I will tell you, I don't mind saying, clearly, that I stepped in it last night," he said. "But I think I'm kind of like most Americans and there are so many agencies of government out there we'd like to forget that the department of energy was one of those.”

1 pm ET UPDATE: It’s official. Christie says he’s not running.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will reportedly not run for president, despite growing calls from Republicans leaders that he throw his hat into the ring.

Christie has scheduled a news conference at 1 p.m. ET at the New Jersey statehouse in Trenton. At that time, he is expected to announce his decision.

Although Christie had been wooed by fellow Republicans to join the race, he was never a leader in the polls.

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In fact, an ABC News / Washington Post poll released Tuesday morning showed Christie in the middle of the 2012 Republican pack with 11 percent support, alongside Ron Paul.

There were several memorable exchanges during Wednesday night’s Republican Presidential debate at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. -- but one of the most striking came between Texas Governor Rick Perry and NBC’s Brian Williams, who moderated the event.

Under questioning about the death penalty from Williams, Perry said steadfastly that he does not lose sleep over the possibility that his state has executed an innocent man.

Williams began his question by noting to Perry that Texas "has executed 234 death row inmates, more than any other governor in modern times..."