IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, as ABC's The Note put it this
morning, is one of Hillary Clinton's "overly enthusiastic" supporters. (Observers note Vilsack was among those holding a sign and screaming
"Turn Up the Heat" during HRC's speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's
Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner earlier this month.) As you may know,
Oprah Winfrey is going to be campaigning with Obama in Iowa on
Saturday, December 8, 2007. In answer to a reporter who asked Vilsack
what Oprah's ratings were in the Hawkeye State, Vilsack told The
Washington Times in essence that Oprah's show probably isn't as highly
rated in Iowa as it is elsewhere since a high percentage of Iowa women
work a full-time, out-of-the-home job.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Tom_Vilsack

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack was in New York City yesterday to
introduce Hillary Clinton at a NYC fundraiser. He took a turn on a
New York television station and took a few shots at former New York
Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Vilsack mentioned Giuliani's "multiple
marriages" and references Giuliani's strained relationships with his
children in the interview... Vilsack's statements would no doubt be
classified as "negative" by the Giuliani campaign, if the Giuliani
folks were making comments on this episode (which they're not).
Adding more context to this flap is Vilsack's tirade against Barack
Obama in July during the whole squabble over whether Obama and/or
Clinton would or would not talk to dictators if either is elected
president. "It's not the Iowa way," Vilsack said, accusing Obama of
engaging in "negative politics" in his verbal tussle with Clinton.

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Rudy_Giuliani, Tom_Vilsack

Tom Vilsack, who has been a very strong opponent of the bill for
years, wrote this great post about NCLB... 'As Congress resumes its work
after the August recess the nation's attention will be drawn to the
civil war in Iraq and who the next Attorney General ought to be.
However, perhaps the most important work for the long term good of the
nation may well be the debate over the reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Efforts will be made to
improve on the effort of the Congress and the Bush administration when
5 years ago the Act was reauthorized under the banner of "No Child
Left Behind". Unfortunately, the last effort left not just our
children behind but our values as well. What is the purpose of public
education? Simple - every child should have what they need to realize
their talents and to contribute in a meaningful way to their community
and nation.'

Labels: education, Tom_Vilsack

... Vilsack talked a good game when he was running for president. I liked what he said about a lot of issues, including Iraq. The joke in my circle of friends was that Vilsack was sounding a lot better as a presidential candidate than he had as governor. I settled on Edwards as a candidate, but a few progressives I know, including my husband, were considering Vilsack. ... If his friendship with the Clintons and ambition for the VP slot or a cabinet post are that important, then he shouldn't have wasted other people's time and money on his presidential bid. Everyone has known for a long time that Hillary was running for president. Vilsack just wasn't serious about taking her on, and it makes all of his presidential campaign rhetoric--especially on Iraq--look empty. Reminds me of why I voted for Mark McCormick in the 1998 gubernatorial primary.

Labels: Tom_Vilsack

The inevitable finally happened when Democratic Leadership Corporation Diva, Hillary Just Hillary, acquired former DLC Chair Tom Vilsack. Even though Vilsack, Inc. went into the red after its failed presidential bid, Hillary, Inc. went ahead with the merger, promising to help Vilsack pay off his $400,000 campaign debt. Wow, that's some dowry, eh? Maybe Vilsack should throw in a couple of goats to sweeten the deal. Although this is a mere pittance when compared to the multi-trillion dollar debt our next President stands to inherit, not including the Iraq War Bush threw in for good measure. King George may want to consider throwing in his two daughters as a peace offering. The world of corporate politics works just the same as the traditional corporate world, meaning there's no such thing as "money for nothin'." So how's Vilsack going to earn his keep?

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Tom_Vilsack

***He's overstocked with 2007 endorsements, political favors, and back room deals. Campaign staffers? He's got it. Union ties? He's got it. A last name that sounds like a pickle? He's gooooot it!!! Everything has got to go as the 2008s are arriving daily. Tom Vilsack's cRaZy, insanE blowout endorsement sale, where you don't have to be a rock star...just a carpet bagging, corrupt Senator from New York. Come and get it...*** Vilsack endorses Hillary Clinton at the same time the Clinton campaign pays off Vilsack's remaining campaign debt. But don't you for one second believe the two are related. Don't do it! ... Of course you know why it's ridiculous? Because a Vilsack endorsement isn't worth $400K. Maybe $1.25...$1.75 tops...possibly $2.25 if he was a family member in need of a hand out. Now Christie Vilsack's endorsement on the other hand...

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Tom_Vilsack

After being the first to officially drop out of the '08 presidential campaign, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is planning to put a political curse on Hillary's campaign next Monday. The two notable figureheads of the Democratic Leadership Corporation will co-opt their wonder-DLC powers together in the form of one slightly more notable figurehead of the DLC. The DLC is expected to recognize the cursed occasion by expanding their merchandising and releasing a monolithic bobblehead doll that features both of their likenesses.

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Tom_Vilsack

Today John Edwards announced that his presidential campaign will aim to be carbon neutral. As the email the campaign sent out explains, "In February, Governor Tom Vilsack announced he would be the first presidential candidate to plan a carbon neutral campaign. Edwards shares his commitment to protecting our environment and reducing our carbon footprint." Edwards is angling to fill the "Vilsack Vacuum," only weeks after Vilsack announced he would drop out of the campaign. He is trying to recruit as many former Vilsack supporters as possible at this point, and this was one of the Vilsack campaign's more novel ideas — although the Vilsack folks seemed to want to use it more for fund raising than anything else.

Labels: John_Edwards, Tom_Vilsack

The ripple effect of "The Blue Scare" has begun in Iowa, and the presidential hopefuls are naming names. First Vilsack named names, and now that's he's dropped out of the race, John Edwards is naming the names of those previously named by Vilsack. Naming names is catching on and the Blue Menace is lurking behind every political corner in Iowa (or five if you buy into Jim Nussle's conspiratorial fifth corner theory), waiting to pounce upon unsuspecting Democrat caucus goers. ... before you sign anything and commit your support to a presidential candidate, keep in mind that you may be "outed" in the future if your candidate decides to name names. Although, should you waver on your support and/or cross over to the dark side, you may be subpoenaed by the Iowa Democratic Party on Un-Democratic Activities:

Labels: John_Edwards, Tom_Vilsack

After a pretty reasonable blog post on Vilsack's exit from the race, Yepsen's column today on the same subject is back to his classic form. ... "Why didn't he take off? ... It's the first election since 9/11 in which the country must select a new president, and Americans seem to be be looking for a president with experience in national security or on a broader world stage - not a state capitol." ... So Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani has a lot of national security experience? Other than standing on some rubble on 9/11, the guy has no more (and probably much less) experience than any Governor. And Yepsen can dismiss Mitt Romney, but most Republicans consider him to be a serious contender. While Bill Richardson is not in the top tier of Presidential candidates (yet), it's not like the combined fourteen years total of the three frontrunners shows some dominant foreign policy experience.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Mitt_Romney, Rudy_Giuliani, Tom_Vilsack

Having served his none-too-subtle role in the grand scheme of the 2OO8 presidential competition -- keeping as many Iowa Democrats as possible "locked up" until New York Senator Hillary Clinton got her campaign up and running in the first caucus state -- former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack today announced his exit from the race for the Democratic nomination. ... From the start, Vilsack's job was to present himself as a respectable alternative to the other Democratic candidates who, while he would go nowhere in states other than Iowa, could remain in the running with his fellow Hawkeyes until it was time to get out of Clinton's way. Even that modest task proved difficult. Iowa Democrats never took Vilsack's candidacy all that seriously.

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Tom_Vilsack

I guess there are some rumors that Harkin might not be running for re-election in 2008. Vilsack's departure from the Presidential race today would put him in prime position to run for Senate. ... I would much rather have Tom Vilsack as a Senator than as President. I would much rather have Tom Harkin as my Senator than Tom Vilsack though. If Harkin does retire, Vilsack would be hard to beat and it is important Democrats keep the seat. If Harkin does run, Grassley is up for re-eclection in 2010. I have heard rumors that Grassley might not run again. If Vilsack ran, Democrats would have a great chance at holding both Iowa Senate seats.

Labels: Charles Grassley, Tom_Harkin, Tom_Vilsack

Labels: Tom_Vilsack

At 8:35 p.m. Iowa time -- just after The Tonight Show taping concluded -- former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack held a telephone news conference to discuss his appearance on the show that airs this evening. "I had an interesting opportunity to be on The Tonight Show tonight. The show actually starts with a skit that Jay and I did, so the actual beginning of The Tonight Show involves Jay Leno and a fellow who was dressed up as a security guard doing a little skit which I think people will find pretty funny and after that, Jay interviewed Jim Carrey for a while and then I was asked to come on after Jim Carrey," Vilsack said at the beginning of the call.

Labels: Tom_Vilsack

... No wonder they weren't on that Vilsack list yesterday... that's a big zing to the former guv: the two longest serving statewide elected officials, so popular they ran unopposed last year. ... Tangent: As an Iowan I hate to say it, but some of the second-tier folks would be best advised to adopt a Screw Iowa strategy rather than try to break through the Three Rock Stars and the Home Town Boy. ... At this point it should be noted that the Screw Iowa Strategy (Gore 88, McCain 00) has never worked.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Tom_Vilsack

Tom Vilsack yesterday annouced the names of 1,159 caucusgoers who will definitely support him in the 2008 caucuses. However, his support is not very broad. Over 13% of those supporters were from Mt. Pleasant, Vilsack's hometown (whereas the ratio of Mt. Pleasant residents to all Iowans is 0.3%). The list also includes the wives of Vilsack's Iowa Field Director, Jesse Harris and his Iowa State Director, Dusky Terry. ... If you serve as Governor of your state for eight years, there should be at least 1,100 people in your state who will automatically support you for President. ... Releasing this list is a nice way to hide ugly poll numbers but the ugly poll numbers will keep on coming out and the lists of new supporters by the hundreds won't.

Labels: Tom_Vilsack