Huckabee is now NUMBER ONE in Iowa!

[Steve]

WOOO WHOOOO!

[Steve]

Man, I love this guy! Here is a great clip put together by someone about Huckabee. His responses are GREAT! Especially the last one! BWAAAAAAAHAAAAHAAA!

The Vid

[DeWayneTN]

His campaign has been so opposite of Thompson, who started off with this big expectation. Huckabee has been the underdog that climbed up through the ranks. Dick Morris seems to be really keen on him but I think he'd settle for anyone over Hillary.

[JustJay]

After watching the debate last night, I am now on the Huckabee team. He seems well balanced.

[Mole_J]

I was listening to former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich this morning talk on the radio. He said that Huckabee is very conservative, but the people who do very well in Iowa tends to fade after that. Mostly because in Iowa you cater small segament of people to the for right or left (depending on your party). After Iowa, you have to spread out and move back closer to the center, very few candidates can do that. I think the past few campaigns the candidate that does well in Iowa fades after that.

Just a note, Bob Ehrlich is working for Rudy in the campaign.

[Steve]

After Iowa, you have to spread out and move back closer to the center,

This is the problem with American politics, in my opinion. If folks always said what they really believed, we would have clear choices. I really respect Rudy for this. He says what he believes, and says he won't change to get elected. I respect that. I disagree with his position on several things, but I respect him. (Same for Ted Kennedy ) I hope Huckabee does the same thing and does NOT change what he says. It will give us a CLEAR choice.

Hillary will do anything, say anything, BE anything, to get elected. If she said how she REALLY feels, and Huckabee did the same but lost anyway, I would be fine with that....well, at least my conscience would be clear!

[Mike Vande]

I saw Ann Coulter on CNN night befire last, and she said it's gonna be either Romney or Giulianni, and she'll be disappointed either way. She also says that the Demiocrats are not as big a threat for the upcoming election as they think they are. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

[Mole_J]

Seen these two articles on Drudge Report this morning:

Huckabee seems to like raising taxes. Raised taxes more than Clinton did as the Governor of Arkansas.

Article

Also new taxes on gasoline, nursing home beds and even pet groomers as governor of Arkansas.

Article

[Steve]

The second article didn't seem all that critical, noting that the state was in a severe budget crisis at the time, and both Dems. and Reps. voted overwhelmingly (over 90%) to pass needed increases at the time or face huge shortfalls. A few quotes from the story:

The Club for Growth, a politically influential antitax group, has dubbed Mr. Huckabee Tax Hike Mike and poured money into anti-Huckabee advertisements that were broadcast in early nominating states, with more on the way. Mr. Huckabee “spends money like a drunken sailor,” according to the group’s news releases, and it has sprinkled YouTube and the airways with videos that mock him and his policies.

But the record offers a more complex and nuanced picture. While taxes did rise in the 10 years that Mr. Huckabee was governor, the portrayal of him as a wild-eyed spendthrift is hardly apt. For the most part, Mr. Huckabee’s tax initiatives had wide bipartisan support, with the small number of Republicans in the overwhelmingly Democratic state legislature voting for the tax increases and many maintaining that the state was better for them.

In addition, when Mr. Huckabee left office last January, he had turned a $200 million budget shortfall into an $844 million surplus.

“He got bipartisan support on all the tax increases,” said State Senator Kim Hendren, a veteran Republican and member of the legislative budget committee. “Huckabee didn’t say ‘I just want to raise taxes to start programs.’ He has a liberal heart for young people, for the disabled and for improving Arkansas’ lot in education, and he is pretty good at working across party lines.”

The biggest increase under Mr. Huckabee was mandated by the Arkansas Supreme Court, which in 2002 ruled that the state’s school financing procedure was unconstitutional and ordered a more equitable plan — which led to $400 million in new taxes.

etc. etc. etc....

The first story is written by the Liberal Eddie Dumas, and is directly dealt with on Huckabee's website.

As I have said before, Governors (or presidents) can influence tax hikes, but ultimately the legislature alone has the authority to pass laws...ya know, that whole "separation of powers" thing.

Sounds to me like Huckabee is a guy who knows how to work with the opposition in tough spots to get needed things done, and he is compassionate at the same time. Isn't that what folks have been screaming that we need for so long?

And about taxes, the man is for the Fair Tax. If (when) this is implemented, all this will be a moot point anyway. Read the book if you haven't, it is a great way to chop a LOAD of bureaucracy out of the government!

[rjjunior]

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind Huckabee, but there's a philosophy that its better to have a President who doesn't work well with Congress. Less gets done and that actually might be a good thing.

[Mike Vande]

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind Huckabee, but there's a philosophy that its better to have a President who doesn't work well with Congress. Less gets done and that actually might be a good thing.

Ya know, as much as I hate to say it, you're probably right. Too much change too soon would make this a different country than it is. Not that there doens't need to be some changes made, but not all the changes the majority would like would be that popular with God...

[Steve]

Huck is now running AWAY in Iowa, at least according to a new Newsweek poll.