Vilsack to Support Clinton

According to the New York Times, Tom Vilsack will endorse Clinton.

"Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, who quickly dropped in and out of the Democratic field for the 2008 race, will endorse Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday when she’s visiting the state, we’re told.

Mrs. Clinton put out a blind release a little while ago, saying she would make a major announcement there with special guests. We’d hazard a guess that Mr. Vilsack is one of those special people."

Vilsack Out

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Democrat Tom Vilsack is abandoning his bid for the presidency after struggling against better-known, better-financed rivals, a senior campaign official told The Associated Press on Friday.

Vilsack left office in January and traveled through states holding early tests of strength. He had faced a tough challenge from rivals such as New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards, who have had more success raising money and attracting attention -- even in Vilsack's home state of Iowa.

Vilsack was scheduled to make a formal announcement later in the day. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the Democrat's statement.

Citizens for Public Power Won't Like This

Thanks to iPol, it appears that Tom Vilsack is working for the fine folks at Mid-American Energy "to advise the company on renewable energy and environmental issues according to the MAEC press release" for 40 hours a month while he simultaneously runs for President of these here United States. Since there was a highly contentious referendum item in Iowa City to push for public power, which Mid-American spared no expense to defeat, I'm guessing some folks who might have liked to support the "V" will have some difficulty doing so.

Where They Stand on Getting Out of Iraq

From the Daily Kos via John Deeth's Blog, an all in one place list: how fast should we Get Out?


Hillary Clinton: Wants troops out before Bush leaves office in January 2009. 23 months.

Barack Obama: Issued plan for total withdrawal by March 31, 2008. 14 months.

John Edwards: Complete withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq within 12-18 months. 18 months.

Bill Richardson: Total withdrawal by the end of 2007. 11 months.

Joe Biden: Withdraw most troops by the end of 2007, but 'maintain in or near Iraq a small residual force -- perhaps 20,000 troops' indefinitely. Kinda sorta 11 months, but not really.

Chris Dodd: No timetable that I could locate.

Wesley Clark. No timetable that I could locate.

Tom Vilsack: Immediate withdrawal. 'The war must end, and our troops must be brought home now, not eventually but immediately.' Immediate.

Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel: Immediate withdrawal. Immediate.

Vilsack, Gravel, and Kucinich, an unlikely trio to be sure, but currently my political "heroes"