Running the Race
Monday, March 5, 2007
Even though the 2008 presidential elections are more than a year away at least 18 Republicans and Democrats have already thrown their hats into the ring. One of the Republican candidates is Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. Brownback talked with The Gazette last week about his run for the presidency.
Q Why did you decide to run for president?
A The reason is to save lives, rebuild the family and renew the culture. That has really been my primary focus in the Senate and why I am running for president. I am doing it now because I really felt like this is the right time to do it and put this message out.
Q With Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and others getting so many headlines, how do you get ahead?
A I get ahead because on my message, which is based on economics, social compassionate, conservative message from the heart. That’s the appeal I have and the appeal is working. Right now, I am running third in Iowa on the Republican side and we have moved up steadily in Iowa. We are a year out so there is a long way to go on this trail
Q When people talk about your campaign, faith typically comes up. Does that help you or hurt you in your run for the presidency?
A I don’t know how I can appraise it, but it is who I am. I don’t shy away from it like maybe others have. By no way do I consider myself anything like the following people, but Martin Luther King was a man of faith and that drove his public action. Mother Teresa, who I had the pleasure to meet, was powered by faith. I don’t see any reason to run from it. I think it is a positive thing in our society. We have trouble talking about it. But I have a sincere set of beliefs and want them as much as possible to be used for a positive force in society.
Q You and Barack Obama made headlines earlier this year when both of you spoke at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. Was it really as controversial as the media made it out to be or how would you summarize that experience?
A It wasn’t that controversial. There might have been some controversy around the political setting of it but the model is right of having both sides together for a just cause. We all saw that there was a desperate need for the West to be involved in humanitarian activities particularly in Africa with malaria and AIDS that is killing millions of families.
Q What is your position on Iraq right now?
A I support the war effort. I believe we cannot cut and run — we must win. But, I don’t think the surge is the right way to go. I think we need to start pulling together here and getting both parties behind some way to move forward in Iraq. I have been supporting a three-state one-country solution in Iraq. You give the Sunnis, the Shiites and the Kurds separate areas and space so they are less prone to the sectarian violence. Hopefully that would provide time to establish a democracy or a working country.
Q You recently visited Iraq. Where did you go, what did you see and what gave you hope?
A I did the terrorist trail. I went to Iraq, Afghanistan and Ethiopia about six weeks ago. In Afghanistan, the mood is quite good in spite of some offensive by the Taliban. In Northern Iraq, the mood is quite good and construction is moving forward. But Baghdad is a mess. In Ethiopia, the mood is good because some of the terrorists cells have been broken up. There are some positive trends.
Q What is the future of agriculture in Kansas?
A We want to get more of the energy market. It is a great ticket that is in front of us. This is a big deal. With the number of ethanol plants we have and now the cellulose ethanol plant we can be a bigger energy provider. The energy market is so large — and the food and fiber market has been confined and a smaller and smaller dollar amount going to production agriculture — this will be like doubling the size of our pie, and we will get a bigger piece. This could really be a renaissance or golden era for U.S. agriculture. I am not sure it is going to happen, but it has the makings to be an enormous positive for us
Q When you look back on your career, what stands out as something you are proud of?
A It has been a great honor to represent and serve the people of Kansas. The things that I have been able to do for the state stand out for me. Like the cellulose ethanol plant that is coming to Kansas, the return of the Big Red One. This expansion of the energy market into agriculture is one I have been pushing for a long time. On the national scale it would be being involved in the human trafficking issues, human rights, the core economic pro-growth issues and welfare reform. Those are all legislative things but the things that touch my heart is people you help and remember.
Q Looking at the coming year, what is your campaign schedule like?
A Right now, I am continuing to serve Kansas in the U.S. Senate and I am honored to do so. Right now, I travel on the weekends doing speeches. Last week, we were out of session and so I was traveling all over the country. I was in Orlando; Cincinnati; Jackson, Miss.; Phoenix; Southern California; and I was supposed to got to Iowa but got iced out.
Q How does the family cope with all that traveling?
A We have three children still at home and everyone is coping pretty well. We went through a lengthy discussion and decision-making process about doing this and everybody agreed this was the time and place to do this. It’s tough but they are on board.