Brownback weighs in...

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By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Add another name to the list of potential 2008 presidential candidates: Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record). The Kansas Republican, little known outside his home state, is using a network of social conservatives and Christian activists to raise his profile in Iowa and New Hampshire, two states critical to White House hopefuls.


In an interview Thursday, Brownback said he has not made a formal decision on whether to run and would not give a timetable on when he would decide.


"I'm exploring the options," Brownback said. "There's a lot of interest in the topics that I've been pushing for some time."


Brownback, 48, is also talking strategy with Chuck Hurley, a former Iowa state legislator who is president of the Iowa Family Policy Center, a conservative advocacy group. Brownback and Hurley were college and law school classmates.


"I am 100 percent behind him personally, in terms of a presidential bid," Hurley said. "My friendship and my confidence in Sam as a leader is what's driving me personally. Professionally, I think he'd do a great job on our issues."


Besides introducing Brownback to key Republicans in Iowa, Hurley took the senator on a road trip in December to meet with Christian men's groups in the state.


"He was talking about what it means to be a Christian in public life," Hurley said. "I think before he is going to commit to a campaign, he needs to get a feel for Iowans."


Brownback is also making inroads in New Hampshire, where he will be the keynote speaker on April 16 at an award ceremony honoring state legislators for their support of conservative causes.


Hurley said he visited Washington in February and March to talk strategy with Brownback and his staff. "Several of the discussions talked about the Iowa caucuses," Hurley said. "Definitely we were talking specifics on how to win Iowa."


Brownback served as agriculture secretary in Kansas before he was elected to the U.S. House in 1994. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, winning the seat of former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who resigned to run for president. He won a third term in the Senate last year.


Brownback has seen his profile rise with strong stands against abortion and gay marriage. On foreign policy, he was an early advocate of U.S. action to stop genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.


Still, veterans of Iowa's caucuses say it will be a challenge for Brownback to forge a national reputation.


"In my view he has a long way to go," said Steve Roberts, a Des Moines lawyer and member of the Republican National Committee who met Brownback at an Iowa reception last July. "He is virtually unknown out here."

[Bono]

I always said i supported him.

[Moooooo]

He could make a run.  Im not sure how stong of a candidate he would be, though. 

[TheresNoMoney]

He's a right-wing loony. Don't think he'd have much of a chance.

[WalterMitty]

He's a right-wing loony. Don't think he'd have much of a chance.

um. you do know that most of the republican primary electorate are right wing loonies?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Brownshirt is running? Oh dear

[Jake]

Good 2012 VP candidate.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The nominee will probably be someone like him, Frist, or Jeb. The Republican party likes wingnuts.

[Moooooo]

The nominee will probably be someone like him, Frist, or Jeb. The Republican party likes wingnuts.

This guy is to the right of Jeb and Frist.

[Jake]

Brownback and Santorum have their own "special" wing of the Republican Party. Not quite in the Ashcroft/Moore wing, and nowehere near the Robertson/Falwell wing, but also not in the Bush/Frist wing.

[Rob]

Brownback is an idiot.

[opebo]

Brownback and Santorum have their own "special" wing of the Republican Party. Not quite in the Ashcroft/Moore wing, and nowehere near the Robertson/Falwell wing, but also not in the Bush/Frist wing.

What exactly is the difference between all these religious fanatic wings?

[Max Power]

Brownsh**t is running? Oh dear

Nah, he compared Stem Cell Research to the Holocaust. He's a sick SOB and is waaaay out of the mainstream.

[Notre Dame rules!]

Brownshirt is running? Oh dear

That's a cheap shot!  It was one of your royals, afterall, that was seen sporting the lastest in Nazi regalia at a party.

[Moooooo]

Seriously, What are Brownbacks chances in the primary and general?

[Joe Republic]

Brownshirt is running? Oh dear

That's a cheap shot!  It was one of your royals, afterall, that was seen sporting the lastest in Nazi regalia at a party.

What exactly does that have to do with anything?

[Brandon H]

Brownback is one of the Republicans I like, but as mentioned in the article, he doesn't have enough name recognition yet.

[Notre Dame rules!]

Brownshirt is running? Oh dear

That's a cheap shot!  It was one of your royals, afterall, that was seen sporting the lastest in Nazi regalia at a party.

What exactly does that have to do with anything?

Semi-Retired Al is throwing out the obligatory Nazi reference on Brownback, simply because he is a Republican.  If he wants to play fast and loose with the facts, then I can join in the smear campaign and claim that Prince Harry is a Nazi due to his wearing of a Nazi uniform at a party.   

Do I believe the prince is a Nazi? No, of course not!  Am I getting tired of hearing liberals, American or otherwise, insinuating that every Republican is a Nazi, simply because they hold diferent views? Absolutely!

[J.R. Brown]

Brownshirt is running? Oh dear

That's a cheap shot!  It was one of your royals, afterall, that was seen sporting the lastest in Nazi regalia at a party.

What exactly does that have to do with anything?

Semi-Retired Al is throwing out the obligatory Nazi reference on Brownback, simply because he is a Republican.  If he wants to play fast and loose with the facts, then I can join in the smear campaign and claim that Prince Harry is a Nazi due to his wearing of a Nazi uniform at a party.   

Do I believe the prince is a Nazi? No, of course not!  Am I getting tired of hearing liberals, American or otherwise, insinuating that every Republican is a Nazi, simply because they hold diferent views? Absolutely!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the royal family has no political power in the British government. Brownback is a United States Senator with the potential to set forth public policy.

[Notre Dame rules!]

So you concur with Semi Ret Al that it is okay to tar every Republican with the label of fascist or Nazi?  Is it also fair then, for us to call every Democrat a Communist?  Don't be so obtuse.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Seriously, What are Brownbacks chances in the primary and general?

He's got a very good chance in the primary, especially if Karl Rove gets behind him.

[Jake]

Brownback and Santorum have their own "special" wing of the Republican Party. Not quite in the Ashcroft/Moore wing, and nowehere near the Robertson/Falwell wing, but also not in the Bush/Frist wing.

What exactly is the difference between all these religious fanatic wings?

The level of theocracy they want to implement. Rev. Robertson and Falwell want a full theocracy with Christianity as the state religion, Aschcroft and Moore want a mild theocracy, maintaining much of the constitution, but passing laws that cover moral issues, Brownback and Santorum are just right wingers who believe in minor restrictions in personal rights.

[J.R. Brown]

So you concur with Semi Ret Al that it is okay to tar every Republican with the label of fascist or Nazi?  Is it also fair then, for us to call every Democrat a Communist?  Don't be so obtuse.

I don't think it's a very good idea to label every Democrat as a Socialist or every Republican a Fascist. But their are some extreme members of both party's that lean in those directions.

I was attacking your argument that Brownback should be compared to Prince Harry.

I believe that the people of both parties that make the best leaders and represent the American people the best are moderates like McCain and Warner.

[Notre Dame rules!]

So you concur with Semi Ret Al that it is okay to tar every Republican with the label of fascist or Nazi?  Is it also fair then, for us to call every Democrat a Communist?  Don't be so obtuse.

I don't think it's a very good idea to label every Democrat as a Socialist or every Republican a Fascist. But their are some extreme members of both party's that lean in those directions.

I was attacking your argument that Brownback should be compared to Prince Harry.

I believe that the people of both parties that make the best leaders and represent the American people the best are moderates like McCain and Warner.

Hmmm... Let's cover this one last time.  I'm not comparing the two.  Ret Al calls Brownback a Brownshirt simply because he is a conservative Republican and because his name lends itself to distortion.  It's the same tire sterotype that the left loves to throw around.  Brownback is only an extremist to the extremist on the left.  to everyone else, he's simply a conservative Christian GOP Senator from Kansas. 

As for Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform at a party.  I no more think that makes him a Nazi than Madonna's wearing a habit makes her a nun, nor her husband wearing papal garments makes him the Pope.  In both cases, it's simply  a goof at a costume party.   I tought that both examples were pretty funny and that people need to lighten up. 

If, however, those on the left continue to call every conservative Republican a Nazi, or a Brownshirt, or a fascist (as Nation called me on the international forum), then we on the right should take the same opportunity to call every Dem a Commie, or a Red, or a sexual deviant, or some other such crap.

If the level of discourse is to be reduced to that on a continuous basis, then this forum has little more to ofer than Democrat Underground or Free Republic.  That would be a shame.

[J.R. Brown]

So you concur with Semi Ret Al that it is okay to tar every Republican with the label of fascist or Nazi?  Is it also fair then, for us to call every Democrat a Communist?  Don't be so obtuse.

I don't think it's a very good idea to label every Democrat as a Socialist or every Republican a Fascist. But their are some extreme members of both party's that lean in those directions.

I was attacking your argument that Brownback should be compared to Prince Harry.

I believe that the people of both parties that make the best leaders and represent the American people the best are moderates like McCain and Warner.

Hmmm... Let's cover this one last time. I'm not comparing the two. Ret Al calls Brownback a Brownshirt simply because he is a conservative Republican and because his name lends itself to distortion. It's the same tire sterotype that the left loves to throw around. Brownback is only an extremist to the extremist on the left. to everyone else, he's simply a conservative Christian GOP Senator from Kansas.

As for Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform at a party. I no more think that makes him a Nazi than Madonna's wearing a habit makes her a nun, nor her husband wearing papal garments makes him the Pope. In both cases, it's simply a goof at a costume party. I tought that both examples were pretty funny and that people need to lighten up.

If, however, those on the left continue to call every conservative Republican a Nazi, or a Brownshirt, or a fascist (as Nation called me on the international forum), then we on the right should take the same opportunity to call every Dem a Commie, or a Red, or a sexual deviant, or some other such crap.

If the level of discourse is to be reduced to that on a continuous basis, then this forum has little more to ofer than Democrat Underground or Free Republic. That would be a shame.

I agree that you shouldn't be called a fascist. I've been called a communist socialist plenty of times. And it infuriates me. What we need to do is not take what they are saying so seriously. We know who we are, and people who attack us with name calling need to be called on it. Most of the people who use terms like fascist or socialist don't have any clue what the terms really mean and usually are using such rhetoric to evoke images of Hitler or Stalin just to make you look bad.

I am personnally sick of people using such slanderous terms against us when we support a left or right wing ideology. There are some people who are that extreme, but I don't think either of us are, and I don't really know Senator Brownback, but I doubt he is supporting a right wing fascist aggenda.