Free Republic

Tom Tancredo may have gotten behind Mitt Romney yesterday, but the Tanc's top guy on the ground in Iowa will help out Fred. A retired Marine and active farmer, Bill Salier had served as Tancredo's Iowa state chair. He's a true believing social conservative who ran an uphill race in the '02 GOP Senate primrary that raised some eyebrows. In short: he's the sort of worker bee a campaign likes to have on its side. If Salier puts his shoulder to the wheel for Fred, he could be a major asset. M.E. Sprengelmeyer of the Rocky did a great profile...

Gannett paper - link only: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071221/NEWS03/71221007/1001/NEWS

DES MOINES — Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson earned the endorsement of Iowa conservative Bill Salier today. Salier, a farmer from Nora Springs who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002, had been serving as the state chairman for Tom Tancredo’s campaign. Tancredo dropped out of the presidential race Thursday. “I am honored to endorse Sen. Fred Thompson for president,” Salier said in a statement. “Sen. Thompson has been a consistently strong advocate in securing our borders and enforcing the rule of law. He has the leadership and experience we need guiding this nation and serving the people of Iowa.”...

Tancredo's man on the ground Judy DeHaas © The Rocky Tom Tancredo's Iowa presidential campaign chairman Bill Salier, of Nora Springs, says that there are very few things as sweet as a baby pig as he holds one one of his month-old of piglets. STORY TOOLS | RELATED STORIES Convictions began earlyClinton acquittal rankledSalier's a good fitMaking a stand RELATED LINKS Slide show: Tancredo's man on the ground By M. E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News May 4, 2007 NORA SPRINGS, Iowa — Sow Number 68 is a little sluggish these days. She's a new mom again. Recently gave birth to...

<p>The Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate is tighter than expected with the emergence of Bill Salier as a strong candidate against Rep. Greg Ganske, according to GOP political observers around Iowa.</p> <p>Salier, a Nora Springs farmer and first-time political candidate, is attracting support with a conservative message that includes staunch opposition to abortion, Republicans say. Ganske, a Des Moines physician who also opposes abortion rights, has been tied down since Easter by an eight-week congressional session in Washington, campaigning only on the weekends.</p>

<p>In some of these contests, the question is whether the party should nominate a centrist candidate or one from its more activist wing. The activists argue it's important for a party to offer voters a clear choice. The centrists argue the party should nominate candidates who can appeal to independents. Primaries are for settling arguments like this.</p>

Primary voters will make first decision A funny thing is happening on the way to the Republican primary June 4. Interestingly, U.S. Rep. Greg Ganske, a Des Moines physician, is squared off against little-known Bill Salier, a farmer near Mason City and former Marine, for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Whoever wins the race will face incumbent Sen. Tom Harkin in November. When Ganske first announced, and for a long time after, he squared off as if he were running now against Harkin. But he's now begun paying attention to Salier. Considering that Ganske has tons of money for...