Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson is positioning himself as a "reliable" conservative and plans to make weekly visits to Iowa in his bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
Thompson says he may not be able to match some of the other White House hopefuls dollar-for-dollar in the fundraising sweepstakes, but he can compete on the ground. "Running in Iowa is like running for sheriff in 99 counties," Thompson says. "It's Retail Politics 101 and I'm very good at that."
Thompson, who served four years as Secretary of Health and Human Services for President Bush, says the country is "in trouble" and he would bring "Midwestern common sense" to the White House. Thompson visited Iowa Wednesday to meet with advisors and potential supporters, including former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. Branstad's youngest son, Marcus, is working on Mitt Romney's campaign, however.
(story from O. Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa )