Former Bush Cabinet member eyes White House run

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) Republican Tommy Thompson, a former Health and Human Services Secretary under President George W Bush, has said he would form a committee early next year to explore a possible 2008 White House bid.

Thompson said his experience as a former Wisconsin governor and as health secretary during Bush's first presidential term would be valuable assets in what promises to be a crowded 2008 White House race.

''I will be forming an exploratory committee for president after the first of the year, and then I will be spending time in Iowa and other states across the country,'' Thompson said in an interview yesterday.

''I believe the top issues for the presidential election are going to be energy and health care, and I think I have some of the best ideas in the country on both of them,'' he said by phone from Iowa, which holds the traditional opening contest in the presidential nominating race.

Thompson, in Iowa for an event marking the opening of enrollment for Medicare's prescription drug coverage, said he wanted to transform the health care system from its emphasis on treating disease to a focus on prevention and wellness.

He also said he would support new alternative energy sources led by ethanol development, the corn-based fuel additive that is highly popular in the farming state of Iowa.

''I'm in an enviable position because I'm an expert in most of those fields and can articulate a vision for America that is lacking right now,'' Thompson said.

Thompson, who served as governor of Wisconsin for 14 years before he became Bush's first health secretary, left Bush's Cabinet after the 2004 presidential election.

If he runs for president, he will join a crowded field of Republican candidates. Arizona Sen. John McCain plans to form his presidential committee on Thursday, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani launched his last week.

Other potential Republican candidates include Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sens. Bill Frist of Tennessee and Sam Brownback of Kansas and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. California Rep. Duncan Hunter already jumped in last month.

Thompson said he was waiting until after the holidays to make his move because that was when people would refocus on politics after last week's battle for Congress.

''Right now it's time to take a fresh look at politics after the election,'' he said. ''We'll start off fresh after the first of the year.'' Reuters PDS VP0730