Vilsack makes it official

Posted at 10:50 AM on November 30, 2006 by Mike Mulcahy (1 Comments)

Here's part of the AP story:

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) - Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack launched his long-shot bid for the presidency Thursday, calling for an end to U.S dependence on foreign oil in favor of alternative energy sources.

"Energy security will revitalize rural America, re-establish our moral leadership on global warming and climate security, and eliminate our addiction to foreign oil," said Vilsack, a prominent proponent of ethanol, biodiesel and wind power.

"In the past eight years, I have led our state of Iowa into successfully changing farm fields into energy fields," Vilsack told a gathering of supporters in the small town where he got his
start in politics as mayor. "We changed the traditional idea of agriculture and became the national leader in renewable fuel and energy production."

The first Democrat to formally enter the race, Vilsack, 56, has conceded that he's far less well known than many of his potential rivals.

Earlier this month, he established a presidential campaign committee, giving him an early start on fundraising. He raised more than $6 million for his 2002 re-election bid, but that is just a
fraction of the estimated $20 million political experts say presidential candidates will need to have in hand by June 2007.

The election will be the first in 80 years in which neither a sitting president nor vice president is in the early mix of candidates of either party.

Comments (1)

Vilsack is not the first Democrat who has declared his candidacy. Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel,first noted for putting the Pentagon Papers onto the Congressional Record is a declared candidate for the Democratic Nomination.

Posted by David Daniels | November 30, 2006 11:28 AM

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