Republican presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole spoke to a crowd of over five-hundred in downtown Des Moines over the noon-hour. Dole announced shehas created a presidential exploratory committee. During her 24-minute-long speech, Dole portrayed herself as a “Washington outsider.” Dole said she was prepared for the nation’s highest office through her work as U.S. Transportation Secretary and U.S. Labor Secretary and her recent jobas president of the American Red Cross.