Lance Armstrong Eyeing Political Race? Champion Cyclist Hires Political Aides

The Dallas Morning News reports on Lance Armstrong potentially running for office:

Lance Armstrong, fresh from steering state cancer research bonds to passage, is now ready to press the presidential candidates on how they'll help in fighting the disease.

Political professionals, however, are more intrigued by what may lie beyond 2008 for the seven-time Tour de France champion.

Several said the 36-year-old cyclist and cancer survivor has impressive political talent. And, they say, he took noticeable steps this year to make his public appearance more professional and to grow more steeped in public policy. Few find it hard to imagine an Armstrong candidacy. ...

This week, spokeswoman Katherine McLane explained, "For the coming year, his focus is on making cancer a national priority and a front-burner topic in the presidential election. What happens after that, who can say?"

Jeff Danzinger, who recently resigned as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's speechwriter, penned Mr. Armstrong's election night remarks, a polished 10-minute speech.

"Let us send a message to the federal government," he said to rousing cheers in Austin. "It's time to elevate the priority of cancer in our funding and our national debate on curing life-threatening diseases.

"Let it also send a message to the federal and state governments ... that the reach of our health-care system will determine the worth of our society."

Shortly before the bus tour, the Lance Armstrong Foundation hired as its communications director Ms. McLane, who also worked for Mr. Schwarzenegger.

Read more here.

Comments

[Gebby]

what i don't care for are media created heros. something tells me there is something disingenuous. like the fact that he did not give his own speech.. it is his cause yet he does'nt have enough to say about it himself. he needs a professional to write his speech. people of substance should be our political leaders. yes he won the bike race 7 times but people are saying he used the dope. an i am incline to give some credence to this. unfortunately.

[Witchitalineman]

I admire Lance Armsrong's fight against cancer. I do have questions as to his legitimacy in cycling due to possible steroid use and his recent judgment in dating an Olsen twin. If he chooses to run then it should be because he is the best candidate not because of his "stardom". I think voters are a little tired of the ad nauseam.

[shanghaislim]

Everybody is screaming about celebrities going into politics and how we should leave it to the real politician­s.....

.....well we have and you know what people

Professional Politicians put us in the mess we are in right now!!!!!!!!

Any thoughts?

[Tiger2Lover]

Fuck lance armstrong. He is a scared chickenshit who is a bush lover. End of story. He is a traitor.

[nuffera]

I am a cancer survivor, I am not a celebrity and I take issue with celebrities who make the front news pages because "they are survivors!"
We are all survivors! If he didn't have money and he wasn't a well-known hack for the right wing, he would be just another everyday Joe
trying to stay alive!!! I really get sick of hearing about cancer survivors, we just did what we had to do to stay alive. There are thousands of other diseases that don't get the funding needed to cure. Pink makes me ill!!I don't run in races for the cure,I talk to people who have just been told they have cancer and offer my wisdom and my humor, that helps. It doesn't cost a dime to offer someone encouragement.

[TyroneTanic]

But .. will voters support a candidate with only one testicle? He'd certainly be open to charges that he has "no balls."

[youzaho]

That takes a lot of balls.

[dora rice]

let's quit voting for celebrities in politics. Let's vote for an experienced politician. Who is experienced? hmmmm.....­ut oh,

[dora rice]

Bush or Armstrong? McCaine or Armstrong? Guiliani or Armstrong? The Mormon or Armstrong? suddenly Armstrong doesn't even look bad.....lo­lololololo­l

[CologneCitizen]

What would qualify him as a candidate? The reason he can cheat perfectly at bike races? Or because he is a celebrity? It seems only in America there is so much voting cattle to be easily impressed, as long as the candidate has money, is famous or both. You need a person with knowledge and credibility to get you out of this current mess, not an ex sports star, who is bored after retiring and wants to get back in the spotlight.

[jeb909]

Lance Armstrong might go bike-riding with Bush, but I don't think he's a Republican. I thought I'd read someplace that he'd said that he considers Bush a personal friend, but that he reserves the right to disagree with friends. Anyway, look on his Wikipedia biography page. It sheds a little light on the subject. There's a picture of him with Nancy Pelosi. Posing for a picture with Nancy Pelosi doesn't sound like the kind of thing a potential Republican politician would do.

[tomcatv1]

Lance Armstrong running for political office is as sick a thought as Rudy Guiliani thinking he can be President.

[McSnarky]

Lance has done his calculations and I think that I can see his point of view on possibly throwing his hat into the ring. He's looked over the landscape and figured out the obvious: After the '08 election there are going to be a whole lot more elected Democrats to potentially challenge - even in Texas.

[davy]

I'm going for a bike ride.

[USMC1980]

No wonder SC dumped his ass...the guy is apparently a GOP puke.