Grassley vs. Vilsack

Tom Vilsack's apparent easy U.S. Senate confirmation would take away one of those potentially "sexy" match ups two years from now: Tom Vilsack vs. Charles Grassley. But some Iowa democrats aren't giving up the Vilsack vs. Grassley dream. They'd like Christie Vilsack to get on the ballot. After Tom's appearance before the Senate Agriculture Committee, I asked Sen. Grassley about it. He told me expects democrats to throw everything they have at him because of their strong 2008 election and their current 110,000 voter registration edge in the state.

He doesn't expect a "second-tier" opponent like he had last time around (Colonel Sanders look-a-like candidate, Art Small, offered a token contest against Grassley in 2002). But in 2010 Grassley expects a "first-tier" opponent, someone like Christie Vilsack he said. He said he is taking his re-election very seriously. He's held 8 fundraisers so far and has twice that many planned. Grassley will be 77 years of age by the 2010 election.