Haley Is Heading to Iowa

It didn’t take to long to get an answer to a question I posed here yesterday. The Iowa Republican is reporting that Haley Barbour will be in Iowa at the end of June. This news comes a day after he appeared in several DC area news magazines.

Iowa holds the first in the nation caucus, and is frequented by presidential candidates for years leading up to the primary. A stop in the Hawkeye State is a sure sign that a potential candidate is either running, or seriously considering a run. The next sign from Barbour would be a stop in New Hampshire.

From the Iowa Republican:

The Iowa Republican has learned that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is coming to Des Moines to headline an event for the Republican Party of Iowa. The Republican Party has yet to release the details of this event, but it is expected to be held on Thursday, June 25th.

Just yesterday, Congressional Quarterly had an article saying that Barbour will not rule out a 2012 presidential run. Barbour was elected to a second term in 2007. Because of term limits, Barbour cannot seek a third term as governor. Barbour was the Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1994 when Republicans captured control of both the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

Barbour is a great get for the Republican Party of Iowa as he should appeal to both the moderates and conservatives of the party. Additionally, Barbour is widely praised for the way in which he dealt with Hurricane Katrina. His disaster experience could make for an interesting speech in Iowa considering that Barbour will be in the state just after the one year anniversary of the devastating floods of 2008.

Stay close by as I will have extensive analysis over the coming months, and a quick roundup of Haley and his shot in the GOP primary tomorrow.