Thompson says he'd never run as vice president, only as president
(Published Friday, February 23, 2007 09:02:19 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Emily Fredrix Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson said Thursday that second-best isn't good enough. If the Republican presidential hopeful doesn't get the nod for top job, he doesn't want to be vice president.
"I'm not interested in being vice president," he told reporters at Marquette University Law School, after taking questions from students for about an hour.
Thompson, who was elected to four terms as Wisconsin governor before leaving office to serve as President Bush's secretary of Health and Human Services in 2001, has formed an exploratory committee to look into a possible campaign for the White House. He has not yet formally declared his candidacy.
But he has been making weekly visits to Iowa, which has the nation's first caucuses for presidential nominees. This weekend, Thompson will meet with college Republicans and visit voters at their homes.
Thompson said he and his advisers have laid the groundwork for his political campaign and are now starting to raise money. He figures they'll need $2.5 million to be viable in Iowa. They'll be working toward the straw poll of Iowa Republicans in August, and if they win that, they'll consider launching a full bid, he said.
"If I don't win in Iowa, there's no chance," he said.
Thompson's Republican rivals include Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rudy Giuliani, the ex-mayor of New York. He declined to compare himself directly with them, though he did say he felt his organization in Iowa was better than Giuliani's, even though the New Yorker was raising more money.
Thompson talked with 100 students and faculty members about his experiences in government and ideas for the presidency, including sending out what he called "medical diplomats" to bring health care to impoverished nations and change perceptions of Americans.
He also talked up his three-tiered plan to quell violence in Iraq, saying he wants to have the government vote on whether Americans should be there, divide the country into 18 self-governing territories, similar to U.S. states, and give citizens a portion of oil revenues, which he said would make the government more accountable.
What's going on now, he said, isn't working and he was doubtful that President Bush's recent call to add 20,000 more troops would help.
"It's a lose, lose, lose situation," he said. "We've got to find a way to solidify the situation, stabilize it and also bring the government back, and I think that's what my plan does."
He also encouraged the students to live a life of public service, either running as candidates themselves or taking part in campaigns. He had a tip for would-be politicians:
"I never want to leave somebody without shaking their hand, looking them in the eye and asking them to vote for me," Thompson said.
