The man who preceeded Governor Tom Vilsack as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council was in Iowa this past week and talking about the future of their party. Vilsack took over the D-L-C leadership post from Indiana Senator Evan Bayh on July 25th. Both Bayh and Vilsack, as well as New York Senator Hillary Clinton — another leader in the Democratic Leadership Council, are suggesting it’s time to add more troops to the U-S military. “We have to be seen and in fact be sufficiently strong on national security,” Bayh says. “These are dangerous times and the American people — Iowans, Hoosiers and others — need to know that we will be good stewards of the nation’s security.” Bayh says Democrats must offer a strategy for creating good jobs and economic prosperity despite increasing competition from other countries. “Third, I think we need to speak to people’s values because there are things that are more important than money…to make sure that our communities aren’t just more secure or prosperous, but also decent and compassionate and just,” Bayh says. Bayh says the Democratic party must show it’s supportive of the “enduring values of the heartland of our country.” Bayh traveled around Iowa on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a trip he labeled as a “conversation” with Iowans about a possible campaign for president.
