Brownback not giving up

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Despite a third-place finish in the Iowa Republican presidential straw poll, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said Sunday he's not throwing in the towel.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Brownback said he thinks a third-place finish in Saturday's straw poll is "a ticket forward" to the Iowa caucuses next year.

"Well, I wanted to win it. But we're still in it," he said.

Brownback said his experience with foreign policy -- he led a Middle East subcommittee -- gives him an important edge against the other GOP presidential hopefuls in 2008.

"I really think ... this next president needs to go into office knowing foreign policy and not learning it on the job," Brownback said.

He said he opposes reinstating a military draft because of the Iraq war.

"We need to keep moving forward with the volunteer Army," he said. "I think the key issue here is getting a political solution in Iraq, so we can start pulling our troops back from the front line."

Brownback said he would send former Secretary of State James Baker to the region to help forge a political solution.