Iowa Gov Tom Vilsack Catapulted Into Prominent Democratic Position

From AP this afternoon... " Gov. Tom Vilsack (of Iowa) was named Friday as the head of the Democratic Leadership Council, the centrist-leaning group that helped propel former President Clinton to the White House in 1992.

The post significantly increases Vilsack's national profile and gives the potential 2008 presidential candidate an opportunity to travel the country to organize fellow Democrats and craft a message for the party.

'I look forward to advancing reforms that will keep our county safe, give every American a chance to get ahead and reconnect out party with heartland values,' Vilsack said. 'There is nothing wrong with our country or our party that a positive agenda won't fix,' he said.

Vilsack will assume the post at a July 25 meeting in Columbus, Ohio, replacing Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who is also mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2008. He won't formally take over the post until later this summer at a meeting in Ohio....

He was on 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry's short list of potential running mates, and after the election, he was urged by some to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, a position now held by Howard Dean."

Says blogger The Citizens today, "For Vilsack, this new job means a national profile for a small state governor. It is in effect a declaration of his intention to run for President in 2008. So we should all start looking at this guy more closely."

And blogger jbulworth is already concerned about the impact of Iowa Governor Vilsack's possible 2008 candidacy on the Iowa caucuses. He predicts that Vilsack would easily win the Iowa contest...."He's the governor there and I suspect that were he to run, or at least allow his name to be put on the ballot, then he would take this state, much in the way that Tom Harkin did when he ran in 1992, as a sort of favorite son. If might even be that, like 1992, the outcome in Iowa was regarded as preordained, none of the other candidates would mount much of an effort there, and the state's caucuses would not be given much weight in the nomination fight. "

So I'll soon need to profile Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as part of my effort to present a complete portfolio of profiles for probable Democratic candidates for the 2008 presidential nomination.

In the meantime, be sure to visit my 2008 Presidential Race homepage, which thusfar includes a profile of the one formally declared Democratic candidate, Senator Joe Biden, and links to a news aggregator devoted to tracking 22 potential candidates, both Democratic and Republican the 2008 Presidential campaign. You can also read my profiles of potential Democratic 2008 candidates Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Russ Feingold, General Wesley Clark and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.