Brownback – you heard it here first. Speculation reaches us from a well-placed source that President Bush’s thoughts may be turning to his buddy, Sam Brownback, as a possible next Bank president.

Brownback, a Republican Senator for Kansas, is a prominent Catholic, compassionate conservative and soldier in the US’s culture wars.

His foreign policy is trademark neo-conservative. As the world’s dominant power, he argues, the US has a responsibility to export political, economic and religious freedom.

Trade is a vital tool: "By reaching out to our friends and struggling nations, by opening our markets to their products and vice versa, we can deploy the entrepreneurship of America as a weapon to help solidify the foundations of democracy, civil liberty, human rights, and economic prosperity abroad."

His development experience appears limited. He’s an advocate of democracy assistance, piloting a bill to support opposition groups in Iran for example. He’s also lambasted the international development community for its failure to use DDT in combating malaria.

At home, he is associated with the war against drug use ("wrong because it debases, it enslaves, and it destroys"), gay marriage (a plot to "do away entirely with the traditional definition of the family") and cloning.

We reckon that a Brownback candidacy would play well with Bush’s base at home (there'd be rejoicing in the Corner); disastrously with pretty much everyone abroad.

Not sure how seriously Brownback is being considered, but worth watching…

Update: In Kansas, they're wondering whether they might need to start looking for a new senator...

David Steven ~ January 28, 2005

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