Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson had little to say Monday about a new "grassroots" Web site promoting a Johnson candidacy for president. But Johnson said he soon will be launching a new Web site of his own as a platform "to speak out on the issues of the day."

While Johnson wouldn't confirm or deny he'll run for president, he said in a telephone interview that he's been busy setting up a tax-exempt "527 committee," for which he'll be listed as "honorary chairman" and a Web site.

Besides being a vehicle to promote his libertarian, small-government ideas, the committee, to be called "Our America," will be a way to raise money, Johnson said. "It's days from going up," he said of his site.

A Republican, Johnson, 56, was governor from 1995 to 2003.

He attracted a national following — and sporadic speculation of a presidential run, possibly under the Libertarian Party banner if not the Republican Party — since the late 1990s, when he publicly endorsed decriminalization of drugs.

Johnson has not been in the public eye much since he left office. Last year, he endorsed U.S. Rep. Ron Paul for president and spoke at Paul's "Rally for the Republic" in Minneapolis, which took place during the Republican convention.

So is Johnson running for president? The former governor wouldn't confirm or deny, saying he didn't want to jeopardize his 527 organization, which by law can't formally endorse candidates for federal office or coordinate with the campaign of any candidate for federal office.

According to the Web site of the watchdog group Center for Public Integrity, "On the federal level, 527s cannot coordinate with or contribute to a federal candidate in any way. They also may not expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a specific federal candidate, although 527s are quite free to portray federal candidates in such a way that there is little doubt as to the message."

If Johnson does run, he'd be the second New Mexico governor to do so. Gov. Bill Richardson sought the Democratic nomination last year, but dropped out after poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Asked about a Web site called Johnsonforamerica.com, Johnson said, "I've seen some of these sites. The people who put these up seem to be well-intentioned individuals."

He also said that he hasn't seen any such site that has distorted his views or his record or published inaccurate information about him.

"But every one of the ones I've seen have disclaimers," he said.

At the bottom of pages on Johnsonforamerica.com, there's a small-print statement saying "Paid for by Johnson for America, a grassroots organization promoting Gary Johnson for President 2012. Not authorized or endorsed by Gary Johnson or any committee affiliated with Gary Johnson."

The site stresses Johnson's fiscal conservatism, his small-government/low taxes philosophy and his record-smashing number of vetoes rather than his drug-law reform stance. The group wants Johnson to seek the Republican nomination.

Johnson for America is selling T-shirts, caps, bumper stickers, buttons and coffee mugs touting a Johnson 2012 candidacy. A companion Facebook page on Monday afternoon listed 1,722 members.

A section called "Our Candidates" lists several candidates for state and federal offices around the country, including Adam Kokesh, who is running for the Republican nomination for New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District seat, now held by Congressman Ben Ray Luján. But the site says, "These candidates are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Gary Johnson. Gary has not yet made any official endorsements. These candidates are listed by the administrators of Johnson For America as a list of libertarian Republican candidates who tend to agree with Gary Johnson's political outlook and philosophy."

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.

An earlier version of this story had the wrong year in which Johnson left office.