Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack’s top aides – presidential campaign veteran Teresa Vilmain and Iowa’s Jeff Link – aren’t rushing to join another presidential campaign despite fielding phone calls from most of the Democratic candidates still in the field. Instead, Vilmain says, “I’m trying to get rid of debt, debt, debt, helping 43 staffers get jobs, and then I’m heading for a warm beach in the Caribbean.”

Vilsack’s presidential campaign only lasted 100 days, but the debt will hang around the necks of Vilsack and his top staffers for a lot longer. According to Vilmain, about two-thirds of Vilsack’s former staffers are joining other presidential campaigns and remain hot commodities for the other Democratic hopefuls looking to grab Vilsack supporters.

For the near future, look for Vilmain on a white beach far from the presidential horse race, and Link is rumored to be heading off to the golf links. Hey, spring vacation is here – at least for one failed presidential candidate and his best-known and most prized political honchos.

We’ll keep Business Record readers updated on which campaigns Vilmain and Link do finally join, because it could very well be a harbinger of who wins in the Hawkeye State on Jan.14, 2008, when Iowa hosts the nation’s first caucuses to choose a presidential candidate. No one wants to work for a loser twice in one cycle, especially these two political powerhouses.

About this series:

Des Moines native Beverly Rivera Davis will handicap the 2008 presidential race in this exclusive series for the Business Record. A freelance writer and political reporter who has covered presidential campaigns since 1980, she will interview presidential candidates and pass along insider buzz about their campaigns. She can be reached by e-mail at briveradavis@hvc.rr.com.