With the Legislature nearly deadlocked, democrat Governor Tom Vilsack could be the deal-maker — or deal-breaker at the statehouse for the next two years. With President Bush winning another four year term, Tom Vilsack won’t be called to serve in a John Kerry Administration. That means Vilsack will remain in Iowa as governor — and he’ll be forced again to work with a republican-led House of Representatives. The Senate’s another story. Republicans will hold 25 seats, democrats will hold the other 25 seats. Vilsack has already coined a phrase to describe the policies he intends to pursue. During a news conference Wednesday, Vilsack repeatedly said he’ll pursue “the people’s agenda” with legislators. “We are not looking at (legislators) from this point forward as republicans and democrats,” Vilsack said. “We’re looking at them as 50 Senators, a hundred representatives, all Iowans and the idea is that the ‘people’s agenda’ has to move forward.” So what does Vilsack put on that agenda? Job creation efforts, including a renewed pitch for reviving the state’s “Iowa Values” economic development fund to give huge grants to businesses; education reform; and health care reform. This “people’s agenda” Vilsack has beguns talking about will not include what Vilsack labels “extremes” like initiatives on controversial issues. “The extremes are not what Iowans are interested in. They want folks to center on their agenda — not a political agenda, not a party agenda, not (an) ideological agenda, the people’s agenda and that’s what we’re going to do.” When pressed by a reporter, Vilsack indicated he considers tax erform part of the people’s agenda. But what about Vilsack’s personal political agenda, perhaps launching his own bid for the presidency? He isn’t willing to talk publicly about it. “I don’t mean to be cute about this,” Vilsack told reporters. “But I’m focused on governing.”