Monday, November 2, 2009

Steve King won't rule out Prez bid

Michele Bachmann floated U.S. Rep. Steve King's name for President a few weeks ago, and now the possibility is on others' tongues (emphasis added on key sentence).

DAVE PRICE: I should be able to cite this, and I can't. All I can remember is 'Steve King for President'. What do you think of that?

STEVE KING: Well, it is flattering, and I'm stunned.

PRICE: As much as your wife?

KING: My wife asked me about that. She asked me actually about that last night "Are you running for President?"

I said "Well, we don't talk much do we?"

[laughter]

But here's what I'd like to do, and that is, I want to be engaged in this national debate. I want to lay out the parameters and what we need to do to refurbish the pillars of American exceptionalism.

We've gotta have a vision, and it needs to be offered by more than one person, and I'd like to see a number of candidates who are able to articulate that vision, sort those visions, bring the best one forward.

We're going to need a lot of help in 2012.

And being in Iowa, from Iowa, representing congress in a strong district in Iowa gives me a platform that's able to articulate those arguments, and I intend to do that, and we'll see what happens.

But I'm making no plans to run for President. I didn't make any plans to run for Congress, either, so I've long surpassed my personal aspirations, and I just count it as a blessing to be able to engage in this debate.

PRICE: But your wife will know if you're gonna do it?

KING: I'm not sure about that [laughing] When I decided not to run for Governor, I did have a discussion with her about that, but she's very supportive, and we're married 37.5 years and there are lots of good things that have flowed from that. We just haven't gotten around to having the discussion.



[Hat tip: Price of Politics and Bret Hayworth]