Vilsack Explores Run For President

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack was kicking back a wild berry smoothie and was midway into a cup of frozen yogurt when Kally Abrams, a self-described "real voter," told him to forget mass marketing and focus on intimate settings.

Political advice dispensed, she offered the "fresh face" and his first lady an open invite to supper at her house.

Vilsack, on his first trip Wednesday to New Hampshire exploring a presidential run, introduced himself to a business group over bacon and eggs and hobnobbed with party activists at a Flag Day dinner in the state's largest city.
He didn't kiss any babies, but he ate his share of yogurt after a tour of Stonyfield Farm, the world's largest manufacturer of organic yogurt.

"He's become my front-runner," said Abrams, a financial analyst who supported Wesley Clark and then Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004.

Several people meeting Vilsack for the first time said they're not familiar with his record.

"People don't know much about him," said Joe Keefe, a former state party chairman. "But in New Hampshire, a guy like Vilsack gets a fair shot."

Coming in with a blank slate can be an advantage, as a candidate can define themself, but it gets tougher to gain ground and to raise campaign cash in a crowded field, Keefe said.
Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand, who met first lady Christie Vilsack last fall, praised the governor's call for better investment in education and diversified energy production. A past supporter of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in 2004, Marchand cited conventional wisdom that governors have an advantage over U.S. senators running for president in that they do not have a long and complicated voting history to defend.

"Governors tend to make logical presidential candidates," Marchand said. "They go from executive position to executive position."

Abrams, who met and questioned Vilsack at Stonyfield Farm, said her support for Vilsack is based on his credentials as chief executive officer of a state.

Gary Patton, chairman of the Hampton Democratic Committee, said Vilsack has a centrist message that could help him win support across the party.

      "Democrats have a tendency to go with a fresh face," Patton added.
      At each stop Wednesday, Vilsack, 55, spoke in broad terms about the need to expand health care coverage, invest in early childhood education and renewable energies. He boasted of Iowa's role as the No. 1 wind-energy producing state and advocated for better solar, wind bio-based energies to help lessen America's dependence on foreign oil.
      Noting his trips to China and India, Vilsack said America must teach creativity and encourage innovation in schools, not simply instruct young people to be standardized-test takers. He dismissed the federal No Child Left Behind Act as a punitive law that has yet to reach its potential.

Vilsack said New Hampshire voters have asked him everything from nuclear warfare to handgun control. At the "Politics & Eggs" event, which was sponsored by a regional business group and the state's Political Library, he was touted as the chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. He was introduced as Iowa's 39th governor who "has created or retained 20,000 high-paying jobs and leveraged more than $3.3 billion in capital investment."

Before the governor's breakfast speech, state Rep. Ricia McMahon leaned over her scrambled eggs and urged Vilsack to support New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Vilsack later praised the state's primary as a cousin to Iowa's lead-off caucuses, with each state a good proving ground for candidates.

Though she admitted to being hopelessly nostalgic about Kerry, who is considering another campaign, McMahon said Vilsack's two terms as governor might make him battle-tested for a run at the White House.

Here's some more on Vilsack:

http://www.midtesol.org/Newsletter/01-sum02.htm

As you might already know, at every TESOL conference the host affiliate selects a deserving person to receive TESOL’s annual advocacy award. This year, MIDTESOL honored Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. It was the first time TESOL awarded a politician for this role as an advocate for immigrants and refugees.

When Governor Tom Vilsack took office more than two years ago, Iowa’s economy was riding the wave of good economic times. Many parts of the state had reached full employment and jobs were plentiful. However, he realized, as did the governor’s immigration task force, that Iowa needed more people. Why? Simply put, more young people were leaving the state than were moving in and being born. Despite the exodus, business and industry have been booming. Nevertheless, businesses have realized that they can’t continue this trend unless they can find people to maintain current operations and justify further expansion.

Therefore, a proposal was made which sets a goal of attracting more than 300,000 immigrants and refugees to the state by the year 2010. Although Tom Vilsack is making efforts to attract former Iowans back to the state, he and the commission realized that immigration was the solution. They concluded that inviting “New Iowans” would diversify Iowa and save the economy from a serious labor shortage.

There has been strong opposition due to the stereotypes many Iowans have of foreigners. But with his unwavering struggle for change and acceptance, Governor Vilsack has rolled out the welcome mat for immigrants and refugees. In the face of strong criticism, the governor has stood firm and consistently calls for tolerance and understanding--which are also reflected in all of his policies and initiatives. For example, he has rejected all notions of English Only laws; he has promised to use his veto when and if English Only legislation crosses his desk. Tom Vilsack has taken an important stand despite the negative political ramifications.

Additionally, Governor Vilsack has proposed special Immigration Enterprise Zones, areas for which he seeks exemption from federal immigration quotas. Fort Dodge and Marshalltown are serving as models for these enterprise zones and are also performing as laboratories of how Iowa’s cities and towns can adjust and, yes, blossom with an influx of immigrants. For example, formerly boarded up downtown areas are now being reborn with businesses set up by immigrant entrepreneurs. A trip through the new shops in the ghost town that was once downtown Waterloo is just a preview to what the governor’s policies could unleash.

For example, he has rejected all notions of English Only laws; he has promised to use his veto when and if English Only legislation crosses his desk.

For what it's worth: Viltax signed the "English as the Official Language" Bill in Iowa, which his fellow DemocRATS referred to as The English Only Bill.

When he was a Senator he voted AGAINST the Unfunded Mandates bill which would have eliminated Unfunded Mandates. He also voted against allowing independent business people to deduct their Health Insurance premiums on their Income Tax.

And most recently he VETOED the Educators Pay for Preformance Bill after he had come to a compromise agreement with Republican Legislators which included his word that he would sign the Pay for Preformance Bill,and (hold on to your hat) he also VETOED the EMINENT DOMAIN bill.

The man has the ethics of a snake.

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