Not for Iraq but for the 2008 presidential election.

From MSNBC

Republican Sam Brownback said Wednesday he will drop out of the race for president if he finishes lower than fourth place in the Iowa caucuses.

These photos are from the Associated Press taken by Jim Cole:

Update: Many reports are now coming in that these photos were taken AFTER the event ended. From nh2008blogspot says they were there and there was at least 75 people in the room before the photo was taken. They say the shot came AFTER students and faculty left for their 1:00pm class.

With that said let me add two thoughts.
1) 75 people is still not a lot of people.
2) I have regularly attended political-oriented speeches at colleges and aside from Michael Moore and big-named presidential candidates, students rarely attend. Which is sad and always counter to the message that young people are somehow amazingly engaged.

I and my family were able to talk to Arianna Huffington for awhile at a local college after she had just spoke to a crowd of about thirty people here in Upstate, NY awhile ago. Also though there were a hundred or more people to see Janet Reno in 2000 almost none of them were college students and most of them were angry locals who were mad about Ms. Reno “taking” their “guns away” and the Elian Gonzalez decision.

I almost feel bad for the guy, until of course I realize he doesn’t have to be doing this and is actually receiving a government paycheck to stand around at places like this and waste peoples time (yes big whopping editorial message there).

The Associated Press is reporting “Republican presidential hopeful Sam Brownback is hitting the campaign trail with the brother of the late Terri Schiavo, whose fate touched off a political firestorm over government intervention and end-of-life issues.”

Republican Senator & ‘08 hopeful Sam Brownback received boos for a football analogy that insulted fans in Wisconsin.

From the Associated Press

From his official campaign Web site, whose url I don’t understand one bit:

Dear Friend,
I have decided, after much prayerful consideration, to consider a bid for the Republican nomination for the presidency.

I am running to spread hope and ideas. We are a blessed nation at an important crossroads. War, corruption, disintegrating families, and for some, hopelessness, tear at the American Dream. We need hope and ideas.

I am running for America…to be of service in a crucial time of trial.

Ours is an exceptional nation. A nation between two oceans made up of people from every nation on earth. A great nation united by our ideals. But we are a great nation because of our goodness. If we ever lose our goodness, we will surely lose our greatness.

We believe in a culture of life—that every human life is a beautiful, sacred, unique child of a loving God.

We believe in justice for all—at all times.

We believe in liberty.

But the central institutions that best transmit these values—the family and the culture—are under withering attack.

We must renew our families and rebuild our culture!

We need to revitalize marriage, support the formation of families, and encourage a culture of commitment.

We need a culture that encourages what is right and discourages what is wrong—and has the wisdom to understand the difference.

Each generation of Americans is called upon to carry the torch of virtue during its brief season. If one generation lets the torch fall, its light is extinguished for all future generations. That’s a big responsibility, but we can achieve it if we pick up the torch with courage, generosity, and realism. We must meet and fulfill the job we are called to accomplish in our day. The time to act to insure our future as a nation is now.

Problems abound. The federal government wastes and spends too much. We lack compassionate yet practical programs to help the poor here and around the world. We need energy independence and alternative, clean-burning, domestic-grown fuels. The scourge of cancer has killed too many and must be stopped. We need term limits for judges and members of Congress like we have for the President. We need a flat tax instead of the dreadful, incomprehensible tax code we now have.

And we need humility.

While I am proud to be an American, when I consider my citizenship and the responsibilities it carries today in the light of eternity, I am more humbled by it. We have been given much and will be held to account for what we have been given.

I ask mostly for your prayers. Pray for America, that our division as a people might end and that our land be healed.

Thank you for your interest and support. Thank you for your prayers. Please join our campaign of national renewal and hope for the future!

God Bless you, and God Bless this nation we love so dearly

According to the AP Senator Same Brownback a Republican from Kansas is set to announce his candidacy for 2008 on January 20th.

“After the announcement in Kansas, Hart said Brownback will fly to Washington to participate in the anti-abortion march marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling.”

Many see Brownback as an alternative candidate to Senator John McCain appealing to religious and social conservatives.

From CNN “Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, who has formed a presidential exploratory committee, announced he will spend Friday night in the Louisiana State Penitentiary in an effort to highlight the success of faith based initiatives.”