Former Gov.
Tommy G.
Thompson
Explores Run for
President
America must
come together
and get to work
solving
problems,
building country
For Immediate
Release
Thursday,
January 4, 2007
MADISON, Wis. –
Former Wisconsin
Governor and
U.S. Health and
Human Services
Secretary Tommy
G. Thompson said
today he is
exploring a run
for President
because we need
to start
building America
again with
common sense
solutions for
the common
problems facing
American
families.
The son of a
small-town
grocer, Thompson
said his
unifying brand
of common sense
conservatism and
strong track
record of
accomplishment
is what America
needs as it
faces
unprecedented
challenges
domestically and
abroad. America
must rely on its
ingenuity to
develop
innovative
initiatives that
address its
challenges and a
unified
determination to
get the job
done, he said.
“Let’s bring
America together
again. And
together, let’s
start solving
the tough
problems and
creating greater
opportunity,”
Thompson said.
“Americans are
tired of the
cynicism and
divisiveness
that too often
stymies
progress. We
need to get back
to work solving
their problems
and building on
the great hopes
they have for
their families
and their
country.
“Despite some
real challenges,
America still
enjoys the
highest quality
of life. There
is nowhere in
the world where
a newborn child
will be afforded
more opportunity
and freedom than
the United
States of
America. We need
to rise up to
meet the great
expectations we
have always held
for our future
generations.”
Thompson's
exploratory
committee's Web
site is
http://www.tommy2008.com
Thompson would
bring to the GOP
presidential
primary a proven
track record of
innovation and
accomplishment
that is
unrivaled by
other potential
candidates.
Thompson’s
reform programs
on welfare,
education,
health care,
crime and the
environment have
come to serve as
national models
of success. As
HHS Secretary,
he worked to add
a prescription
drug benefit to
Medicare. And
his global work
on medical
diplomacy,
HIV/AIDS, trade,
bioterrorism and
health crises
have made a
positive mark on
the
international
stage.
“This campaign
needs to be
about ideas. It
needs to be
about solving
some of the
toughest
problems America
has faced in
generations,”
Thompson said.
“More
importantly, it
needs to be
about how we’re
going to come
together as a
nation to get
things done. My
entire career,
I’ve brought
people together
to tackle some
of society’s
toughest issues
with innovative
programs that
made a lasting
difference in
people’s lives.”
Thompson said he
will be spending
a great deal of
time in Iowa
over the coming
months talking
about his ideas
for America.
Thompson, who
grew up roughly
80 miles from
the Iowa border
in Elroy, Wis.,
has already
visited Iowa
often since
Labor Day and is
building a
strong campaign
structure in a
state he
frequented often
as Governor.
Steve Grubbs, a
highly respected
former Iowa
State
Representative
and Iowa
Republican Party
Chairman, has
joined the
Thompson
Exploratory
Committee as
senior advisor.
Grubbs
previously
served as GOP
presidential
nominee Bob
Dole’s Iowa
Caucus Chairman
in 1996 and
senior advisor
to candidate
Steve Forbes,
who finished
second in the
Iowa Caucus in
2000 behind
President Bush.
Brian Dumas, who
works with
Grubbs at
Victory
Enterprises,
also has joined
the Thompson
team. Thompson
also will be
visiting with
residents of New
Hampshire in
coming months
and is building
an exploratory
organization
there as well.
Thompson said
his ideas for
the future will
focus on the
pocketbook
issues affecting
the everyday
lives of
Americans:
health care,
energy and
education. The
rising costs of
health care,
fuel and school
are threatening
the economic
health of
families and the
nation. He also
will forward
ideas on Iraq,
defense and
foreign policy
in coming
months.
“Washington is
talking quite a
bit right now
about a new way
forward in Iraq.
And, indeed,
that is needed,”
Thompson said.
“But just as
importantly, we
need a new way
forward in
America. It’s
time for
Washington to
get back to work
addressing the
challenges
Americans face
in their
everyday lives –
pocketbook
issues that have
been put aside
for too long by
political
posturing.”
On health care
Thompson wants
to build an
affordable and
accessible
health care
system centered
on preventive
medicine rather
than curative,
based on the
belief that it
would cost less
to prevent
illness than to
cure illness –
not to mention
it is better for
the patient’s
health.
Information
technology needs
to be integrated
into the health
care system to
reduce costs and
medical errors,
ultimately
making the
system more safe
and efficient as
well as
cost-effective
for employers
and individuals.
Thompson began
pursuing these
initiatives as
HHS Secretary.
Thompson also
wants to explore
ideas to require
Americans to
have health
insurance, which
would ultimately
reduce health
costs while
increasing
health coverage.
He believes
innovative
programs like
the BadgerCare
program he
created in
Wisconsin, which
allowed
low-income
working families
to buy into the
state health
insurance
system, can be a
basis for
developing a
health care
requirement or a
market-based
health coverage
system for all
Americans.
On energy
Thompson
believes America
must become
independent in
its energy
needs, breaking
reliance on
foreign and
often unstable
governments for
oil. Thompson
wants more
meaningful
investments in
ethanol and
other
alternative
energy sources,
providing
greater
incentives for
industry to
shift to these
sources. America
also must
aggressively
take on global
warming – a goal
that can be
accomplished in
a manner that
doesn’t provide
false choices
between
environmental
stewardship and
economic
progress.
American
industry and
environmental
interests must
come together in
the common
interest of
restoring global
health.
On education
Thompson is
co-chairman of
the Committee on
No Child Left
Behind, which
will be
forwarding
recommendations
for taking the
next step with
President Bush’s
hallmark
program.
Thompson
believes schools
and students
must be held to
high standards
and encourages
competition
between schools,
as well as
choice of
schools for all
families, in
order to push
both schools and
students to
higher
achievement
levels. Thompson
also wants to
work with states
on new ideas to
make college
more affordable
as well as
elevate the
importance of
technical
college as a
meaningful
option for
students.
On Iraq
Thompson said it
is time for the
Iraqi people to
step up and
claim their
country if they
truly want to
live as one Iraq
– or the United
States should
support a course
that divides
Iraq into
separate nations
or states.
Thompson said
the United
States needs to
look at the
lessons from the
former
Yugoslavia,
which was
ultimately
divided into
separate nations
after a bloody
civil war and a
greater peace
was achieved
between warring
ethnic and
religious
groups.
“Common sense –
and history –
says that you
can’t force
people who hate
each other to
live together.
It’s a recipe
for violence,
genocide and
ruthless
dictatorships –
and ultimately a
breeding ground
for more
terrorism,”
Thompson said.
“So the Iraqis
need to step up
and choose to
live as one
nation, or we
need to look at
dividing Iraq.
We need to start
taking
meaningful,
measurable steps
to bring
resolution to
Iraq and greater
stability to
that region. We
must move off
the status quo.”
On foreign
policy
Thompson said
America must
lead by bringing
the world
together to
address global
challenges, and
it must do so by
reaching out to
other nations to
achieve common
goals. Thompson
would position
America as a
proactive and
innovative
leader in global
affairs
impacting
America and its
allies. An
example of one
novel way to
reach out would
be expanding
American medical
diplomacy
throughout the
world – a
concept Thompson
developed as
Secretary of
Health and Human
Services.
America could
use its medical
expertise and
resources to
bring better
health care and
modern medicines
to needy nations
across the
globe. This
effort in
humanity and
compassion is
just one way to
begin winning
the hearts of
foreign nations
and their
people.
On defense
Thompson
believes America
must rebuild its
military –
creating the
capacity to
dominate any war
or conflict it
must enter as
well as the
capability to
execute a
multiple-front
war. Thompson
said the current
military is
stretched too
thin.
To achieve
success on each
of these issues,
America must
draw upon the
ideals and
principles that
founded this
nation and led
it through its
toughest times.
“America is the
great idea – an
idea of our
forefathers. Now
we must bring
our best ideas
to bear in order
to build America
for a new
century,”
Thompson said.
“And we must do
so in the manner
our forefathers
wanted:
Together. One
nation. Under
God.
Indivisible.”
SOURCE Thompson
Presidential
Exploratory
Committee |