The Sam Brownback in 2008 Watch is moving into higher gear.The Kansas City Star reports today, in a front page article, that “while Kansas’ senior U.S. senator is not making as big a blip as GOP heavyweights John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, he is drawing media attention and being added to lists of wanna-bes.”Yes, it’s early,” write David Goldstein and Steve Kraske. “But presidential politics abhors a vacuum, and President Bush, though at the height of his power, is already a lame duck. “If Brownback runs, it will be on the strength of his close ties to religious conservatives, who are riding a wave of electoral success; his ability to work with Democrats; and his association with a host of global humanitarian issues.” The pair add: “The senator himself isn’t saying anything about a White House run. In fact, few hopefuls are. So at this way-early stage of the game, observers are reading lots of tea leaves.” Chief among them: Brownback’s repeated trips to Iowa, where the first-in-the-nation caucus is held every four years.Other links:Sam Brownback links US to consider supporting India for Security Council: “The US will consider supporting India for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council after examining a second report on reforming the world body, the American envoy said Thursday,” reports Indo-Asian News Service. “There is no tier position. If a country is on (the Security Council), it will have the same powers as others,” Senator Sam Brownback told a news conference Thursday. Todd Tiahrt links Airbus wants a plant in America: “Airbus’ parent company has launched a nationwide search for a site to build a military modification and assembly plant to build refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force,” reports The Wichita Eagle. “Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, is interested in jobs for south-central Kansas, said his spokesman, Chuck Knapp. But Tiahrt maintains that Boeing’s aircraft is the best fit for the U.S. tanker program. Simply modifying an Airbus plane into a tanker would not have much political success in Congress, Knapp said, ‘because most of the jobs would still be in France building the actual components for the aircraft.'” How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][4] [2]: http://www.some-web-page.com