Kerry staff vetting Iowa Governor Vilsack

[Freddie Stubbs]

Kerry seeks columns from Iowa governor

By Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press Writer | June 9, 2004

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Aides to presidential candidate John Kerry have asked for hundreds of newspaper columns written by Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, one of the Democrats whose backgrounds are being checked as Kerry ponders a running mate

Vilsack wrote the weekly "Mayor's Moments" column for the Mt. Pleasant News from 1987 to 1992. He became mayor of the southeastern Iowa town of 8,700 people after a gunman opened fire during a city council meeting in 1986, killing Mayor Ed King and wounding two others.

Kerry is expected to announce his choice for vice president before the Democratic National Convention, scheduled July 26-29 in Boston. Several Democratic officials familiar with the selection process have told The Associated Press that background checks have been made for Vilsack, Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and others they would not identify.

A former trial lawyer who was elected governor in 1998 and re-elected in 2002, Vilsack was considered by some to be a policy wonk as mayor, one who liked to explain the city's challenges to its citizens. The newspaper column urged people to participate in government, to appreciate the arts, and to recycle more often.

more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/06/09/kerry_seeks_columns_from_iowa_governor/

[Alpharetta]

1. Jon Stewart's take on Vilsack

I can't remember which "Senior Political Analyst" it was, but one of them said "Vilsack? Vilsack? Considering what the Republicans did with 'Loserman', need we even consider 'Vilsack'?"

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. Cogent analysis? No, which would matter less if it were at least funny nt

[IA_Young_Dem]

2. I don't think Vilsack would be a good choice.

He would be too weak against Cheney in a debate, he isn't nationally known (so Repubs could "define" him in ads), he doesn't bring much to the ticket, not enough foreign policy experience, and Repubs hate him in Iowa so the state would still be close and wouldn't put Iowa in the "safe for Kerry column". I think Kerry's only options would be Edwards or Clark, unless he chooses someone no one
would have expected.

[mndemocrat_29]

3. Vlisack is far better than Gephardt

Gephardt would be death to the ticket. Yes Gephardt would be a fine Vice President, but he's one of the only people being vetted who could lose a debate to Cheney. He just isn't good in a debate-he'll make a fine cabinet secretary (I do not mean to impune Gephardt supporters here-I have the utmost respect for the man and wish him all the best and hope he continues on in public life).

I just want to add in that I hope Mary Landrieu and Mark Warner are two of those people they did not identify.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Do you really think that many people decide who they are going to vote for

based on the VP debate? Gephardt may not be the best of debaters, but he would have be as bad as Admiral James Stockdale to be a drag on the ticket.

[Voltaire99]

5. "The utmost respect" for Gephardt? Please!

I respect his positions on labor and education issues, but let's not carried away.

Gephardt plainly sucks on issues like curtailing reproductive rights and bomb-'em-till-they-drop foreign policy: in these areas he's just another moralizing Republicrat, content to police women's bodies and bully the world for its resources.

[Doosh]

6. vilsack would be a poor choice

[Zynx]

7. I agree. Iowa will not determine this election.