That was quick

By Michael J.W. Stickings

He got in, and he got out. That -- along with appearing on The Daily Show in between -- is the history of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's run for the presidency.

He removed himself from the race "after struggling against better-known, better-financed rivals," according to "a senior campaign official".

Really? Obama, Clinton, Edwards... Vilsack? Nothing against him -- he did reasonably well in Iowa and seems like a decent guy, if hardly the sort of progressive some prefer -- but he never stood a chance and his run made little sense.

Unless, of course, he was angling for the #2 spot -- that's still a possibility, of course, but, say, Obama-Vilsack sounds far less sexy than some of the alternative pairings.

Anyway, it's over. He was the first in and he's the first out.

So much for Vilsackamania.