DES MOINES - A former Waterloo resident and school board member is looking at the possibility of challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley next year.

Bob Krause, now living in Fairfield, will formally announce the formation of his exploratory committee Saturday in Des Moines.

"I don't think it's an impossible task," Krause said in an interview. "If it was impossible, I don't know if I would do it."

Krause, 59, calls himself everyman's candidate and said Grassley is out of touch with Iowa voters after spending 50 years in elected public office.

"Even in the biggest forest, the greatest oak trees eventually fall to the ground," Krause said.

He said he thinks voters will understand the difference between liking someone and believing they've done a good job.

Krause pointed to Grassley's recent statement that AIG executives should commit suicide when it was discovered the company handed out large bonuses after the federal government pumped billions of dollars into the company.

Krause compared his chances to that of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, who was little-known when he launched his bid.

"He started small; he started early. He went around, built momentum and he knocked off a very popular Republican incumbent U.S. senator," Krause said. "I think the same is possible with Mr. Grassley."

Krause said his goal is to raise $1 million for his campaign by next spring, and said his early start will be an advantage.

"If I can get that kind of money I do believe that other monies will be forthcoming," Krause said.

Krause was raised on a farm near Fenton and elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1972 at the age of 22. He served as assistant House whip and chairman of the House Transportation Committee during his six years in the Legislature.

Under the Carter administration, Krause served as regional director of the U.S. Department of Transportation in Kansas City, and in 1978, mounted an unsuccessful campaign for state treasurer.

More recently, he lost a bid for the mayor's office in Waterloo in 2001 and currently works for a defense contractor.

Eric Woolson, an Iowa GOP operative, thinks any Democrat taking on Grassley faces steep odds and noted that previous attempts to paint Grassley as out of touch have not worked.

"I think Iowans have certainly tremendous respect for Grassley," Woolson said. "They view him as part of the solution out in Washington, I think, rather than part of the problem."

Contact Charlotte Eby at (515) 422-9061 or chareby@aol.com.