Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, a Catholic gentleman, wants to be president.

AP: Brownback: energize GOP base
Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback billed himself as a "full-scale conservative" Tuesday as he courted activists in the state where precinct caucuses have traditionally kicked off the presidential nominating season.

Brownback said the lessons Republicans should take from the November elections in which Democrats won both houses of Congress is that that they face enormous trouble when the party's conservative base isn't energized.

That makes sense.

"Our ideas weren't repudiated, our execution was," said Brownback. "Our base was lethargic because of too much spending and the Washington corruption cases."

Brownback filed papers Monday creating an exploratory committee allowing him to travel the country and raise money for a possible run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

The senator said he would launch a campaign swing in 10 states holding important early tests of strength. The first stop was in Iowa, where he spoke to Linn County Republicans.

The key, Brownback said, is focusing on conservative values on a broad range of issues.

"I see myself as a full-scale conservative," he said.

Cool.

Brownback seeks to grab the "compassionate conservative" title that President Bush used in his first campaign. That means focusing on issues such prison reform, cancer research and fighting AIDS in Africa not normally associated with conservatism.

Uh-oh.

Brownback was agriculture secretary in Kansas before winning election to the Senate, and he said he has nurtured deep ties with the farm community. He also said he brings to the race Midwestern values that can sell well in Iowa.

"I'm a fellow Midwesterner and that helps," Brownback said. "There's a Midwestern nature that I think people are comfortable with."

Here is more detail from a Kansas perspective:

The Wichita Eagle: Sam Brownback forms exploratory committee

For Sen. Sam Brownback, it was the first formal step in what could be a two-year marathon of campaigning for the ultimate prize in politics.

"After much prayerful consideration," the conservative Kansas Republican said, he filed papers Monday with the Federal Election Commission creating a presidential exploratory committee.

"I am running for America... to be of service in a crucial time of trial," Brownback said. He called the United States "a blessed nation at an important crossroads."

His first campaign stop will be today in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be followed by visits to 10 states over the next month.

An exploratory committee is a placeholder that allows Brownback to raise money and hire staff for a presidential campaign, and to transfer money from his Senate campaign committee for the White House bid.

The 50-year-old Kansan, a darling of social conservatives but little-known in wider circles, is a leading opponent of abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage. But he also is generally opposed to the death penalty and has made alleviating disease and poverty in the developing world a cornerstone of his Senate work.

He called for a flat tax, for term limits for judges and members of Congress, and for "compassionate yet practical programs to help the poor here and around the world," in his prepared statement Monday. He also described his vision of America.

"Ours is an exceptional nation united by our ideals," Brownback said. "But we are a great nation because of our goodness. If we ever lose our goodness, we will surely lose our greatness... we need a culture that encourages what is right and discourages what is wrong -- and has the wisdom to understand the difference."

Nice.

He wrote that he considered "my citizenship and the responsibilities it carries today in the light of eternity."

He does not have a chance if he keeps talking like that. It is beautiful, profound, and theologically sound. He will be ripped to shreds and labeled a religious nut.

A 20-member exploratory advisory group includes Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza; Bowie Kuhn, former Major League Baseball commissioner; retired Gen. Charles Krulak, former U.S. Marine Corps commandant; and Steve McEveety, a Hollywood producer closely affiliated with Mel Gibson whose credits include "The Passion of the Christ."

Also officially on board: Chuck Hurley, a friend of Brownback from law school who is a leader among social conservatives in Iowa, site of the crucial first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses in 13 months.

Brownback's Senate chief of staff, Rob Wasinger, has left to run the exploratory committee, which will be based in the Kansas City area. Kansas native Wasinger, 34, has worked for Brownback for 10 years and is well-known and well-regarded in Washington and national social conservative circles.

From Washington's other newspaper:

Sam Brownback's Inner Circle

Since Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) announced his intention to form a presidential exploratory committee yesterday, The Fix launches The Inner Circle with a look at his team.

Unlike many aspiring presidential candidates, Brownback has a relatively small group of close advisers. Some of that size is dictated by the fact that he hasn't had a serious race since 1996 and some of it is because he largely keeps his own counsel on political matters.

Without further ado, the Brownback Inner Circle:

* David Kensinger: Kensinger has been with Brownback since his first race -- for the House in 1994. Kensinger served as Brownback's chief of staff for a time and has also done stints at Wirthlin Worldwide, a Republican polling firm, and as executive director at GOPAC. He now has his own consulting firm based in Topeka.

* Rob Wasinger: Brownback's current chief of staff, Wasinger is moving over to help lead the presidential exploratory committee. Wasinger has been with Brownback for a decade, serving a variety of roles including understudy to Kensinger. Wasinger also worked for former Kansas Gov. Bill Graves (R) and Rep. Jerry Moran (R).

* Paul Wilson: Wilson is a partner in the media consulting firm of Wilson Grand Communications, which has long handled Brownback's television advertising. The firm has also done work for Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts and, more recently, the ill-fated Senate bid of Rep. Katherine Harris in Florida.

* Tom Monaghan: The founder of Domino's Pizza, Monaghan is a major force within the evangelical movement. He was one of a handful of supporters named to Brownback's exploratory advisory committee and will likely play a lead role in the fundraising operation that the senator will put in place for a national race.

More on Brownback:
* Full voting record in Congress.
* Official Senate Web page.
* Fundraising profile on OpenSecrets.org.