Early on, the perception was that Merrill was hurt because he was not a member of the national committee, but the outgoing governor has run an aggressive campaign and some GOP operatives believe that he has momentum on his side.

CNN: Race To Succeed Barbour Heats Up

Many observers believe she will likely follow in the footsteps of the outgoing boss, Mary Schapiro, and make use of aggressive tactics favored by federal prosecutors.

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