Fox News reported today that Governor Tommy Thompson has officially declared that he is running for President.  I'm thrilled that we have another conservative option.  I for one am not ready to declare Guiliani the GOP nominee.  Let the race begin!

During his campaign debut in western Iowa today, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called for U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran, as a way of helping stabilize the Middle East.  The Des Moines Register reported:

"During his campaign debut in western Iowa today, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called for U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran, as a way of helping stabilize the Middle East.

'We have to understand what Ronald Reagan understood, which was that we'll talk even to folks who are your enemies,' the Illinois senator told an audience of more than 2,000 at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs."

So we need to talk to terrorist states, nice.  I believe that it was President Reagan's policy not to negoiate with terrorists.  Also when he talked with the Soviets it was from a position of strength.  I don't think you can really compare Iran with the former Soviet Union.  I'm sure that Iran is going to jump right in there and give us a hand because we talk with them.  Sounds reasonable to me, just as reasonable as leaving Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump alone together in a locked room.

When Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was campaigning in Selma, AL at a church service.  She suddenly developed a southern accent.  Interesting.  When I saw the clip of it on Hannity & Colmes, it just showed me why people can't trust her.  She caters to her audience, there doesn't seem to be consistency with the little details - like what baseball team you root for.  It seems ridiculous.

Another thing I'm wondering is what the response from Democrats and the Left would be if a Republican candidate spoke at a white, suburban evangelical church?  Probably not very positiive.  As a person in ministry, and a former pastor I don't think it is a good idea to give up the pulpit of your church to any politician regardless of political party.

The Des Moines Register reports today that former Governor Tom Vilsack is giving up his 2008 presidential bid.  I think he is realizing what Iowans knew all along... he didn't have a snowball's chance of winning.  He wasn't even going to win the Iowa Caucus.  That should tell the country something when he can't win in his own state.  It isn't likely that he would have won a third term for governor if he had run again.

I don't know who gave him the idea that he should run, but they need to stop drinking the cool aid!

 The Iowa Legislature just passed the "Stem Cell Research and Initiatives" Bill - SF 168/HF 287.  This bill overides our current ban on theraputic cloning (iowa didn't have a ban on embryonic stem cell research) so now researchers at the University of Iowa and elsewhere can now clone embryoes in order to farm stem cells.  It passed in the Senate by two votes, and by four in the house.  Governor Chet Culver will sign this into law since he is the one who proposed the legislation.

You can read my posts on my blog Caffeinated Thoughts on this subject.

In today's Des Moines Register, Jane Norman reports that Congressman Leonard Boswell's (D-IA) seat may be vulnerable.

"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week released its "frontline" for the 2008 cycle, which is a list of 29 members thought to need help in gaining re-election. Basically, it's about raising money (well, when isn't it?) and starting work early on a campaign."

No suprise here, he has the distinction of being Iowa's most ineffective congressman.  Central Iowa isn't going to put up with that very long.

 Oh, my wacky neighbors to the north!  I heard over the weekend that Al Franken, yes Al Franken our favorite liberal loudmouth will be running against Senator Norm Coleman to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate.  In a video posted on YouTube, he explains how entitlements changed the lives of both he and his wife.  Good for them!  When my dad was unemployed, I was also inspired by the government cheese and butter we received.

The thought of him being in the Senate is enough to give me chills.  Absolutely creepy.  I would rest in the knowledge that no one would take him seriously, but this is the same state that elected Jessie "the Body" Ventura governor.

My friend Chris, who is an Army chaplain currently deployed to Iraq had some non-binding questions for Congress.

"When will Congress demand we remove our troops from Kosovo, which have been there for around 10 years?

When will Congress demand we remove troops from Turkey? They have been there since the Gulf War in the early 1990s.

When will Congress demand we remove troops from South Korea? They have been there since the early 1950s. President Truman assured us it would be short conflict, yet we're still technically at war. When we will be able to stop chanting Truman lied, troops died?

When will Congress demand we remove troops from Japan? Certainly Japan can handle its own self-defense, and the troops have been there since 1945. We all knew the Japanese wouldn't be able to "handle" democracy because of their history, right?

When will Congress demand we remove troops from Germany? They have been there since 1945. The Germans and French have fought each other for hundreds of years, and our presence won't change that.

When will Congress demand we remove troops from Italy? They have been there since 1944. I think Italy is capable of revisiting its conflict with Ethiopia now.

When will Congress demand we remove troops from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam? The Spanish-American war was over more than 100 years ago. Speaking of which, why do we continue joint exercises with the Philippines, also a product of the Spanish-American war?"