Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer to raise his profile in Iowa

What with Barack Obama having at least a 50-50 chance of winning the presidency, based on current polling, it would be unseemly at this point for other Democratic bigwigs to plot too overtly future White House bids of their own (a certain senator from New York perhaps excepted).

But most politicians, by nature, always are looking down the road, always calculating a few moves ahead. So we noted with interest an announcement Saturday from Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa.

This will be the 31st year Harkin has sponsored a "steak fry" in his home state (where they eat funny).

And as Iowa has grown ever more important in the presidential selection process, an invitation to Harkin's get-together has become ever more coveted by Democrats with national ambitions.

The guest of honor in 2005 was John Edwards. A year later, Obama. In 2007, Edwards returned to the event -- along with the other major Democratic presidential candidates.

So who headlines next Sunday's steak fry?

Harkin revealed Saturday it would be Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

"He is a wonderful friend and a successful, hugely popular Western governor, as well as a major national Democratic political figure," Harkin said. "His outstanding speech at the Democratic National Convention was truly inspirational, and I know he will bring that same level of excitement to Iowa as we fire up for this year’s election."

And maybe, just maybe, he'll be aiming to lay some groundwork for some future campaign in which having allies in Iowa helps.

He'll scoff at such talk -- colorfully, in the down-home style that is his trademark (and which at times he lays on a bit thick). But Schweitzer, who two years ago was profiled in the New York Times Sunday magazine, continues to raise his profile in the party.

And should Obama fall short of his goal in November, here's something we would expect the Montanan to start stressing: The three straight defeated Democratic tickets each shared something in common -- candidates, in both slots, hailing from east of the Mississippi River.

-- Don Frederick

Photo: Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Credit: EPA

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Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

Sorry to rain on your day
Brain and the other "APPEASEMENT KID" supporters your day has been ruined.
BREAKING NEWS BY VJ Machiavelli

It seems the "IN" team McCain/Palin is going to have a bigger bounce than the "APPEASEMENT KID" Just a minute ago on fox news Larry Sabato said that at least one National poll will show them ahead of the "APPEASEMENT KID" by more than the margin of error. How is'i that what I have been saying.

The "IN" team UP and the "APPEASEMENT KID" down

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
ps so is Doug Schoen
pps NOW WE WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING MY RANTS ALREADY KNEW THAT.

[Payday Loan Advocate]

Voters must be wise in choosing the right person to sit as in the government. If they would just choose without thinking they are the only who would suffer if the person they chose was not a good public servant. A good politician must serve first the nation before his self.

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[Payday Loan Advocate]

Many politicians, like Obama are in a quest to limit the American peoples’ access to on demand, short term financial assistance. Some select states are even putting restrictions on where short term loan companies conduct their business and some have even gone as far as to ban the industry all together. While citizens across the nation are fighting legislation that could potentially eliminate the payday loan industry, politicians are seeking personal political gain by attempting a complete ban. The politicians should consider the hundreds of thousands of potential lost jobs in an already turbulent economy.

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Professional Blogging Team
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[yiyi]

McCain/Palin is going to have a bigger bounce than the "APPEASEMENT KID" Just a minute ago on fox news Larry Sabato said that at least one National poll will show them ahead of the "APPEASEMENT KID" by more than the margin bedroom furniture of error. How is'i that what I have been saying.