http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_el_pr/vilsack2008

Vilsack enters 2008 White House race

By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer

Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday, positioning himself as a Washington outsider with heartland appeal.

Vilsack also emphasized the nexus between oil dependence, national security and the economy, saying he would give high priority to weaning the nation off foreign oil and promoting alternative energy.

"Energy security will revitalize rural America," Vilsack told more than 500 cheering backers in the small town where be began his political career as mayor. "Energy security will allow us once and for all to remove and reduce our dependency on foreign oil from foreign countries that do not like us."

Taking aim at President Bush, Vilsack said: "We have in the White House a president whose first impulse is to divide and to conquer, who preys on our insecurities and fears for partisan gain ... "

Instead, Vilsack, the first Democrat to formally enter the race, vowed to have "the courage to create change" and resist the "endless partisan debates."

In an era when voter unhappiness with corruption and partisan wrangling in Washington is especially high, political analysts said Vilsack is particularly well-positioned as a Midwestern governor to run for the White House as an outsider.

Nevertheless, Vilsack has a low profile outside Iowa and even he acknowledges his candidacy is a long shot.

Vilsack, who is finishing his second term, headed out quickly after his announcement for events in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and other states holding early tests of strength in the nomination contest.

During his tenure as governor, Vilsack has pushed for developing alternative energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel and wind power.

"In the past eight years, I have helped lead our state, Iowa, to successfully changing by making our farm fields into energy fields," said Vilsack. "We became the renewable fuel leader and producer in the country. It helped us to become more economically, environmentally and energy secure."

As governor, Vilsack, 55, has carved out a reputation as a political centrist. He balanced Iowa's budget and resisted raising taxes, but was willing to spend money on such priorities as education and health.

Ticking off some of his accomplishments, Vilsack said the state has the best air quality in the nation, the lowest dropout rate and the second best record for health insurance coverage.

He argued that pushing alternative energy sources is key to bolstering rural sections of the nation that are struggling economically and with vanishing populations.

"If you drive around Iowa today, you will see a changing landscape marked by new ethanol and biofuel production plants and wind farms," Vilsack said.

Promoting alternative energy sources is an issue with broad public appeal. It also has special appeal in some key early voting states, such as Nevada, with its abundant sunshine and geothermal resources.

A national poll last February by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press found overwhelming bipartisan support for promoting alternative energy, including 82 percent in favor of increased federal funding for alternative energy research.

Vilsack signaled a key element of his campaign will be his compelling personal story. Born in Pittsburgh, Vilsack was adopted and speaks often of his adoptive mother's struggle with alcoholism and his adoptive father's financial struggles.

"I began life in an orphanage in the hands of a stranger. I was adopted into a loving but troubled home," Vilsack said. "I know what it is like to feel alone and to feel as if you do not belong."

While Vilsack remains popular with Iowa Democrats, he doesn't start off as the favorite to win the state's leadoff caucuses. Other potential Democratic candidates are already at work in the state.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was in Iowa Wednesday, and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh (news, bio, voting record) is scheduled to visit next week. Other potential contenders include Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Among Republicans, Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) of Arizona, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are the most prominent.

Another hurdle for Vilsack is fundraising. Coming from a small population state and without a national money niche to call his own, it remains to be seen whether Vilsack can raise the $20 million political experts estimate he needs to have in hand by June.

Vilsack dismissed those shortcomings.

"I have always been the underdog and long shot," said Vilsack. "And I have always been inspired by stories of ordinary people who struggled, but ultimately succeeded."

It's worth noting that both Carter and Clinton were unknown governors when they launched their campaigns for president. In a field that might include Hillary, Obama, Gore, Kerry, and Edwards, though, I'd say that Vilsack has next to no chance.

No doubt Tom Vilsack is a long-shot, a very long-shot even, to win the nomination. But I basically do like the guy from all that I have heard and I know it's just speculation, but Tom Vilsack should be given due consideration as VP nominee in the likely event that he does not himself win the nomination. If Gore is the nominee then he will need to pick someone as VP. We can spend part of our time in these months of waiting for Gore to declare in thinking about VP selections. I am not saying Vilsack should be the pick, but he deserves a shot :)

I really don't know enough about him to say if he's veep-worthy or not . . .

I don't think this man has a chance but maybe a running mate prospect being from the farm belt.

Most people probably never heard of him.

True, but most people had never heard of Carter or Clinton, either.

Vilsack is better than some of the nobodies on the list.
I would vote for Vilsack but on the other hand never will vote for Bayh or Richardson.

As for veep- he would be acceptable for most anyone's veep, but Gore needs to take someone against the war from the start.

Or take history and make history with Obama.

I like Tom Vilsack as a Veep choice, just as I like Montana's Governor Sweitzer. They are both very dedicated to energy independence, among other things, and they have regular guy personalities. My favorite these days for Veep is Bill Moyers, but these two governors have a lot to offer, the more you look at them. And no big negatives like Hillary. Folks will be interested in what they bring to the national conversation. (I'm not aware that Sweitzer has any national ambitions, but that may be a selling point for Veep as well.)

http://www.marquettetribune.org/media/stor...ettetribune.org

Vilsack jump-starts '08 election

Iowa governor eyes Democratic nomination

Marino Eccher
Posted: 12/5/06

With nearly two years left on the clock until the 2008 presidential election, the race is already off to an early start after Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack became the first candidate to officially throw his name into the ring on Thursday.

Vilsack, head of the Democratic Governors' Association, did not seek re-election this year, and will instead spend the next two years focusing on his campaign.

In his announcement speech, Vilsack said America needs a president who "is bold and has the courage to create change.

"I will be that president," he said.

He blasted President Bush, who he accused of exploiting fear for partisan gain.

"By any measure or standard we are less safe and less secure than we were six years ago," he said.

Hinting at his campaign platform, Vilsack named health care reform, energy independence and foreign policy revisions as priorities for the nation.

Stephanie Bjornson, a spokeswoman for the Vilsack campaign, said the governor was away on a five-state announcement tour and could not be reached for comment.

Neither the National Republican Committee nor the Republican Party of Iowa returned requests from the Tribune for comment on Vilsack's candidacy.

Previous press releases from the Republican Party of Iowa had accused Vilsack of putting his presidential aspirations ahead of his duties as governor, at one point calling him a "presidential hopeful and sometimes Iowa Governor."

The Republican Party of Iowa also launched TravelingTom.com, a Web site that tracks Vilsack's trips to other states and attacks his policies.

Steffen Schmidt, a professor of political science at Iowa State University, said "start-up candidates" like Vilsack, who do not necessarily have the same name recognition as politicians like New York Sen. Hillary Clinton or Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, enter races early to take advantage of the media buzz that comes with making the announcement first.

He said while Vilsack may be considered an underdog for the Democratic nomination, the political landscape can change so quickly that it is impossible at this point to predict which candidates have the best chance.

"At this point, everybody's a long shot," he said.

Schmidt said Vilsack needs to continue to build name recognition and gain national exposure as his campaign moves forward.

"He needs to become a household name, which he isn't," he said.

He also said Vilsack's association with Iowa, a state that is an early test for Democrats in the presidential primaries, may give his campaign a boost.

Vilsack is facing a field of other potential Democratic candidates that includes Clinton, Obama, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and former Vice President Al Gore.

Biden has said he intends to seek the Democratic nomination, but has not yet taken formal steps toward doing so. Neither Obama nor Clinton has committed to a 2008 run.

Earlier this year, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold ruled himself out as a presidential candidate.

For Republicans, Arizona Sen. John McCain, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, California Rep. Duncan Hunter and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are among the biggest names that have been linked to 2008 presidential runs.

McCain announced last month that he will form an exploratory committee to examine the possibility of running.

Hunter and Giuliani have launched similar committees. Romney has said he will not do so until early next year.

Former Wisconsin Gov.Tommy Thompson also formed an exploratory committee last month, though he would be considered a long shot for the nomination.

Yeah, I've been reading in a lot of places that are throwing Gore's name in as an assumed candidate. Hope they're right! :good:

I was just thinking the same thing, and thinking it is a positive thing to see AL'S name included in these articles as a possible candidate. It gives me hope. :good: