Brownback seeks Republican US presidential nod

TOPEKA: Republican Senator Sam Brownback on Saturday announced he was seeking his party's nomination in the 2008 US presidential race.   

"I am declaring today my candidacy for president of the United States," Brownback said in his hometown.   

"We are a great nation, because our greatness is built on the foundation of fundamental goodness. If ever we lose our goodness, we will surely lose our greatness. Our purposes, from the time of our nation's founding, have always been bigger than we are. They must be if we are to fulfill our destiny," he said.   

Referring to what he sees as a US mandate in the world, Brownback said: "We must fight for the downtrodden, the voiceless and the powerless. We must fight for freedom and justice. To do otherwise would be a betrayal of our heritage."   

He also argued that "Our land needs healing. Our people need hope. Our world needs help. We need reconciliation. We need to rebuild our families. We need stronger families! We need people belonging and committed! By doing so, we will reduce poverty, strengthen our nation and increase hope."   

Brownback also signaled a drive to fight cancer.   

"Let's put our energies into conquering the number-one fear in America: the fear of getting cancer. We can end deaths by cancer in 10 years. The last two years have seen a decrease in deaths by cancer. It's time to put this killer to death. With our intense effort, we can make it a chronic rather than a terminal illness. What a gift to humanity!"   

He argued that the United States, which has more than 45 million people with no health insurance, needs "high-quality, affordable health care for everyone".   

"I am a conservative, a conservative that believes in addressing problems, not ignoring them. We must address our health care problems with market-based solutions, not government-run health care. We can, and we must. This topic requires our urgent attention," he said.   

Brownback also called for curbing carbon dioxide emissions blamed for climate change.   

"We must be energy self-reliant in North America in the next 15 years," he said.   

Brownback joins Republican declared or potential hopefuls such as Arizona Senator John McCain, 70; former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, 62; former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, 59; former congressman Duncan Hunter, 58; Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo, 61; ex-health and human services secretary Tommy Thompson, 65; Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, 60; and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, 63.   

The Kansas senator's announcement had some of its anticipated thunder stolen by Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, who announced Saturday she was taking her first step toward a 2008 White House bid that could make her the first woman president of the United States.   

She joined a field of six other Democratic hopefuls who have taken initial steps toward vying for their party's nomination to run for president in 2008, including fellow Senator Barack Obama, who is hoping to become the first black president.