TOM, WE BARELY KNEW YOU WERE IN YET!-- VILSACK DROPS OUT OF THE RACE

It was the longest of longshots from day one (which was 115 ago)-- another small state governor hoping for the Jimmy Carter miracle-- but Tom Vilsack did declare he was running for president. Tarred with the stigma of having taking over as chairman of the hated corporate whoremonger insider group, the DLC, Vilsack never really had a chance. And today he's announcing he's dropping out of the race. Why is this important enough for its own little space in the blog? As a popular two term governor of Iowa, Vilsack could play a big role in landing that crucial, momentum-building, first in the nation contest for another Democrat. If he backs Edwards, the current front-runner in Iowa, or either Clinton or Obama (neck and neck for the #2 slot), it could be a big deal... for a whole news cycle. Press conference at noon. He says the only reason he quit was because he couldn't raise enough money. I guess the DLC confiscated his rolodex when he quit.