Governor Tom Vilsack

Today the outgoing Governor of Iowa, Tom Vilsack, announced that he is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the USA. I met Governor Vilsack numerous years ago when he was a state senator in Iowa but do not know him well. From what I have heard and read he leaves the Governor's Mansion with a reputation of fiscal conservatism and moderate policy views as evidenced by his current chairmanship of the centrist, Democratic Leadership Council.

But what about his wife -- Christie Vilsack -- what do we know about her? Let's begin with her First Lady of Iowa website:

http://www.christievilsack.org/

My quick review of her website shows that she is focused on building a "sense of community" via the following four priorities in her First Lady role:

• Promoting literacy with Stories 2000,
• Encouraging students to get involved in politics,
• Inviting Iowans to Terrace Hill, and
• Promoting Iowa as the food capital of the world

Additionally I note on her website the following observations:

• Habitat for Humanity -- she is promoting this very worthy non-profit organization. I have worked on habitat homes myself as a "gofer" and would encourage everyone to do the same so we can phase out the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development!!
• Book Club -- http://www.christievilsack.org/book_club/index.html -- I like the list of books she utilized for her book club especially the addition of biographies on President John Adams and Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton
• Languages -- having studied Spanish and having worked on a short term project in Bosnia I found this quote from her website very interesting since I share her global view of reading/foreign languages -- "Read to children . . . Open Young Minds in Spanish or Bosnian, too."

Christie Vilsack's focus on children and literacy reminds me a lot of the current First Lady - Laura Bush - whom I have advocated as a Vice Presidential candidate option for Republicans in 2008 at my other blog: http://spacebeaglenotes.blogspot.com

The race for 2008 is on.

Research continues,

Todd

Poem

William Ross Wallace (1819-1881)

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE IS THE HAND THAT RULES THE WORLD.

BLESSINGS on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace.
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Infancy's the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mothers first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow—
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Woman, how divine your mission,
Here upon our natal sod;
Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky—
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

The above poem can be found in:
Northrop, H.D. Beautiful Gems of Thought and Sentiment. Boston, MA: The Colins-Patten Co., 1890.

Two for the Price of One

Unfortunately my memory fades sometimes so I don't remember when he said it exactly but I believe it was the Summer of 1992 when then Governor Bill Clinton (Democrat-Arkansas) commented during his presidential campaign that by electing him president Americans would get "two for the price of one.........." . Clinton was of course referring to Co-President Hillary Rodham Clinton his wife, political partner, and co-conspirator.

Clearly the 1992 presidential campaign altered the traditional role of "First Lady" in the USA since the Clintons won with President Bill going on to name Co-President Hillary to chair her infamous "health care reform commission" which she managed under a veil of secrecy. That was until my friends at the National Legal and Policy Center (www.nlpc.org) utilized the Freedom of Information Act to bring her commission's proceedings into the public domain for us all to see Hillary's plans to have the federal government control the entire US health care system.

With the Clinton story as my prelude I officially launch this new blog to focus on the spouses (partners, lovers, whatever they may have in their life) of the 2008 candidates for President of the United States of America. Often it is the unseen power and influence behind the throne that shapes public policy dramatically so this blog will highlight the backgrounds, political views, and relevant news stories of the spouses along the Road to the White House.

The campaign begins,

Todd