THOMPSON: THE FIRST LOBBYIST CANDIDATE

Interesting.

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By: Dick Morris & Eileen McGann

There’s a new first in the 2008 presidential campaign.

We’ve already seen the first woman candidate, Hillary Clinton, and the first African-American with widespread support and a serious chance at winning the presidency.

But now there’s another groundbreaker: the first lobbyist candidate — Fred Thompson.

Thompson was a lobbyist for 20 years before he was elected to the Senate, representing the Tennessee Savings and Loan Association, the deposed Haitian President Aristed, and the National Planning & Reproductive Health Association...(cont)

4 CO-SIGNS SO FAR

Here's the letter.

Let's get this moving, here's what the Brownback campaign is now saying:

"Just 400 more votes, said Brownback adviser David Kensinger, and “we’d be having a different conversation.”
.
.
...Or his bounce could be temporary, Kensinger said. “If you look at the fundamentals — fundraising, strength in organization in early states — Brownback still has the edge.”

Huckabee has flaws, he added, such as signing several tax increases as governor.

But Huckabee’s straw poll count was aided by Americans for Fair Taxation, which wants to replace the tax code with a sales tax. The group turned out big, giving him a base in a state where he did not have one before.

Brownback’s camp gripes that Huckabee was a latecomer to the concept. Not true, Huckabee’s people say."

Surprise: Fred Thompson chickens out

Chicken.

The Brody File has been told by Fred Thompson's campaign that he will NOT debate Mike Huckabee one on one. Huckabee had issued the debate challenge last week. Here's what Thompson's Communication Director Todd Harris just told me:

“We have the greatest respect for Gov. Huckabee and respect his desire to elevate the discourse in this campaign. But there are nine people running for the GOP nomination and an arbitrary pairing of just two of them does a disservice to the voters. We will push hard for Lincoln-Douglas style debates once we get into the General Election, when there are only two candidates running.”
The guy doesn’t mean what he says.

Update- Here's the comment I posted on Huckabee's website:

If Sen. Thompson is concerned about "disserving the voters" why can't he as Gov. Huckabee has suggested get the ball rolling and lead with the Governor with these debates.
Do you think the other candidates will just watch and stand on the sidelines.. No. They will also organize one on one debates and then eventually everyone will be able to debate each other one on one.

Sen. Thompson said he is looking forward to an one on one debate when it down to two candidates in the general election.. DUH! Isn't that how it would be anyways??

We need to narrow down the 9 or 10 candidates that are up there now. The path Gov. Huckabee suggested is the only way we can choose the best qualified nominee on the republican side.

Sen. Thompson should follow his own rhetoric. You can't say you didn't participate in the debates because you don't like the format and then not debate in a format you do like.

Update: Fred Flip-Flops on Lincoln-Douglas Debate - Great observation by Alex at IheartHuckabee.

Co-sign this letter to Sen. Sam Brownback (request to drop candidacy)

Hey all,
Below is a letter addressed to Senator Brownback. Next week I will send this entire letter along with your co-signatures and email to the Brownback for President Campaign. The earlier the Senator chooses to drop the campaign, the better it is for Gov. Huckabee. Please co-sign this letter in the comments section!
- - - - - - - - -

Honorable Senator Sam Brownback,

Since 1996, you have been a great asset to the social and economic conservative movement in the US Senate as an ardent supporter of pro-life and pro-growth policies.

There are not many Senators like you today that represent us, conservatives, in the U.S. government.

We believe, however, with all due respect that your announcement on Jan 20th 2007 of your intention to seek the Republican Party's Nomination for President of the United States is an unrealizable goal.

The recent straw poll and national poll standings for you are either between 1% and 3%, and in some cases, your support is so low, it's not even registered. At this point, Sir, any person would realistically look at their prospects and make a wise decision.

We believe that the wisest decision now is to facilitate the unification of the social conservative vote. Right now the vote is split between you, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Gov. Mitt Romney, and now Sen. Fred Thompson. We are sure you would agree that both Gov. Romney and Sen. Thompson have had questionable pasts when it comes to their pro-life beliefs. Their authenticity is at question.

This leaves one reliable and authentic candidate: Gov. Mike Huckabee. He has been the governor of the state of Arkansas for 11 years. He has the executive experience which a president needs in this vulnerable time of history. He has shown that he has the ability to attract crossover appeal of independents and democrats, pro-lifers and pro-choicers, African Americans and Hispanic Americans. He has the uncanny ability to communicate conservative values in an unifying way.

Most importantly, he can erode the support for Sen. Hillary Clinton's candidacy in a general election.

For the reasons stated above, we humbly request you, Senator Brownback, to drop out of the Republican primary campaign and consider supporting Gov. Mike Huckabee's candidacy.

May God Bless you,

Justin Thomas
justinok.blogspot.com

Transcript - Mike Huckabee on Late Edition

I got this from the CNN transcripts website.

BLITZER: You said something at the debate, the Republican debate, earlier in the week that caused a stir, at least among some. You said, "What we did in Iraq, we essentially broke it. It's our responsibility to do the best we can to try to fix it before we just turn away because something is at stake."

Now, what do you mean when you say the United States broke it?

HUCKABEE: Well, when you have a war, you end up with a lot of carnage, not just the human carnage but also the infrastructure of the country. You've got a nation that is clearly in disarray and some would say chaos. But the point is, things are improving.

But you don't just walk away in the middle of the mission. That's never been the history of this country and it's certainly not the mission, nor is it the intent of our military. And it would, I think, break their spirit to take them out before they finish the job that they know they not only can do but that they're going to do if given the opportunity.

BLITZER: Here's a little exchange you had with another presidential candidate, Ron Paul, who supports an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL, R-TEXAS: We dug a hole for ourselves and we've dug a hole for our party. We're losing elections and we're going down next year if we don't change it and it has all to do with foreign policy and we have to wake up to this fact.

HUCKABEE: Even if we lose elections, we should not lose our honor and that is more important than the Republican Party.

PAUL: We're losing -- we've lost over...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, Governor, how long are you ready to stay in Iraq with this current troop level of about 168,000 forces?

HUCKABEE: Wolf, I wish we were out of there tomorrow. I wish every last American could come home if not tomorrow, today. I don't want to see another life lost.

But on the other hand, I don't want the long-term safety of the United States and our security compromised, nor do I want the credibility of this nation lost for generations because we've simply decided that people were ready for us to come out, whether or not we had finished the task we went there to do.

Even our own Senate sent General Petraeus over there this summer with full confidence and told him he would have until this week to be able to bring a report back. He had barely landed on the ground before they were already on the Senate floor saying we had failed, saying we had lost.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: But Governor, you've got to be really disappointed in the behavior of the Iraqi government in failing to disband the militias, failing to take virtually any of those political steps that the U.S. has literally begged them to take.

HUCKABEE: Well, the Iraqi government certainly has not lived up to their needs or our expectations. And we're going to have to push harder. I think the fact that we're doing our part and doing it well gives us more credibility and more leverage to say the Iraqi government, "Look, we're doing our part. We have an expectation that you do theirs -- that you do yours." But one thing we've got to understand...

BLITZER: What if they don't? What if they don't, Governor? What if they don't do it?

HUCKABEE: ... is that there's a real problem with...

BLITZER: What if they don't do it?

HUCKABEE: Well, then I think we have reasons then to starting saying, "Here are our limits." Now, I don't think we ought to put a timeframe. This is not football with a clock. This is baseball and we have to play it to its conclusion.

And the fact is, we never want to announce to the enemy exactly how long we're going to stay because then we've already lost. They don't have to beat us. They just have to outlast us. And that's not a strategy that the United States could ever play.

BLITZER: All right. Let's move to some of the presidential politics of the week. Fred Thompson decided he was going to be an official presidential candidate, the former senator from Tennessee. He didn't show up at the Republican presidential debate. He had some other things he wanted to do. I'm going to play a little clip from that debate of some of the statements made by and you your colleagues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: Maybe we're up past his bedtime.

HUCKABEE: Maybe Senator Thompson will be known as the no-show for the presidential debates.

FORMER MAYOR RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI, R-NEW YORK CITY: I think he's done a pretty good job of playing my part on "Law & Order."

FORMER GOV. MITT ROMNEY, R-MASS.: Why the hurry? Why not take some more time off?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, who does he help and who does he hurt? There's a general consensus that another strong conservative like Fred Thompson helps Rudy Giuliani because it sort of divides that conservative base -- you and Romney and others. Do you agree with that assessment?

HUCKABEE: I don't know where Fred stands on a lot of issues. That's why I think we were disappointed he didn't show up for the debate, because then he would have had to have defended his record and his positions, just like the rest of us have in the first five debates that we've already participated in.

But Fred did say that he wanted Lincoln/Douglas style debates. He said he would participate in those. I've taken him up on his offer and suggested that he and I go to it, maybe in New Hampshire.

And I hope he'll honor what he said on the Jay Leno show and be serious about that because I think it would be great for the American people. I've signed Newt Gingrich's pledge to take on nine 90-minute debates. I think that's a great idea and it's the kind of discussion that, frankly, the American people would benefit from.

BLITZER: Well, we welcome all of you guys here on CNN to do that debate at the right moment.

Here's what you said -- I saw it this morning in the new issue just coming out of U.S. News & World Report in an interview with you. On Senator Thompson, you said, "I'm distinctly different -- an executive position as a governor, not a Senate position, don't have a Washington address, never been a lobbyist, never been paid to lobby for a pro-abortion group." You're referring to Senator Thompson when he worked for a law firm, giving some advice to a pro-abortion group. So what do you mean by that? Should he be persona non grata among Republicans?

HUCKABEE: No, not persona non grata, but he's got to defend decisions that he made. And I know that he said, "Well, lawyers take on clients that sometimes they don't believe in." Lawyers can also say no. And if it's a matter of conscience, if it's something that gets to the very heart and soul of an issue like the sanctity of human life, I think if he's genuinely all the way to the bone convinced that it's wrong, then you just say, "You know, there are some case I just don't choose to take."

This was not a court-ordered defense appointment from a judge. This was a choice that he made as an attorney. And he's going to have to defend that.

BLITZER: I'm going to show you some poll numbers because it shows you moving up in Iowa, New Hampshire. Nationally, you're still down at only 3 percent. We'll put that poll of polls as we have up there first. You have a problem nationally.

But if you go to Iowa, you see you've moved up to number three with 14 percent behind Romney and Giuliani. And if you go to New Hampshire, you're at 9 percent moving up. You're at number four just behind John McCain.

At the same time, I want to read to you what Mitt Romney is saying about your campaign. He said this: "If Huckabee raises $20 million this quarter, like we did in the first quarter, then he'll become a front-tier candidate." He says that in an interview with the Associated Press on Friday. Do you want to respond to Governor Romney?

HUCKABEE: Well, with all due respect, I appreciate his budget advice but we're not spending money like he is. We don't have to raise it, and we're getting where we're going by being frugal just like I would want to be with the Federal Treasury.

I would be worried if I were a voter if a person is spending millions and millions of dollars to barely be in double digits. I'd be beginning to think I don't want that person in charge of the Federal Treasury.

So we don't really let Governor Romney decide our campaign budget and neither do we let him decide our campaign message. But I appreciate the advice that he's offered to us.

BLITZER: How's the money situation coming in?

HUCKABEE: It's much better as a result of the Iowa straw poll. That gave us some credibility, Wolf, that we certainly needed. And I think it showed that there is a separation between our campaign and some of the others and that we're gaining traction. We're on the trajectory we want to be on. We're hiring staff, not laying people off. And we're on the path up, not down.

And we're certainly not sitting still or static. And, you know, we've seen this all along, like a marathon, a long race that requires some stamina. And it's want just a matter of a few explosions along the way. We wanted a slow, steady, but upward burn.

BLITZER: And if you do become president of the United States, you will be the second U.S. president from a place called Hope -- Hope, Arkansas. Governor Huckabee, thanks for coming in.

HUCKABEE: Thank you, Wolf. Pleasure to be back on the program.

BLITZER: Appreciate it.

Significance of 'Evangelical' Leaders

As an evangelical Christian myself, it boggles me when I see news stories that emphasize the importance of endorsements from so-called Evangelical leaders.

Richard Land, a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention, recently discredited Gov. Huckabee's by saying, “We like Mike a lot, but nobody thinks he can beat Hillary, and a fear of another Clinton White House outweighs almost everything.”

These so-called evangelical leaders are so worried about losing the election that they are willing to put their convictions aside.

I honestly don't listen to what they have to say. Evangelical Christians attend autonomous churches and are very independent-minded. What we look for is authentic individuals who believe in Christ and have shown the fruits, who would stand up for family values, and keep our country secure.

So, next time you see some big news announcement of an endorsement, just know that most evangelicals don't give a hoot. We will make up our own minds.

Osama, Islam and America - Part 1

I have never been curious to read up on what Bin Laden has to say to us...until now. As you know, he came out with yet another video message, this time looking all young with his hair dyed.

For the most part the media has correctly reported the story, and all agree that Osama's message is full of leftist talking points. As Gateway Pundit pointed out, one would think Keith Olbermann was the speech writer.

In this post, I will summarize the main non-religious points of his message and in subsequent posts I will breakdown the Islamic rhetoric he uses in the message. Is he preaching his 'own brand' of Islam? Or is it true Islam? How would a worldwide Islamic empire that he preaches look like?

I believe Adam Gadahn (shown below) probably had a lot to do with the scripting of his message. After all, Adam is an American and he thinks he knows how to influence American minds.


SUMMARY

- Iraq
"..Bush talks about his working with al-Maliki and his government to spread freedom in Iraq but he is fact is working with the leaders of one sect against another sect, in the belief that this will quickly decide the war in his favor."

"Among the most important items contained in Bush's speeches since the events of the 11th is that the Americans have no option but to continue the war. This tone is in fact an echoing of the words of neoconservatives like Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Richard Pearle, the latter having said previously that the Americans have no choice in front of them other than to continue the war or face a holocaust.
I say, refuting this unjust statement, that the morality and culture of the holocaust is your culture, not our culture. (Mentions burning at the stake, Hitler's Germany, Spanish Inquisition, Native American murders, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.)"

“People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped. Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven’t made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there.”

"The war was entirely unnecessary, as testified to by your own reports. And among the most capable of those from your own side who speak to you on this topic and on the manufacturing of public opinion is Noam Chomsky, who spoke sober words of advice prior to the war, but the leader of Texas doesn't like those who give advice."

"However, there are two solutions for stopping it. The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out, and I ask Allah to grant them resolve and victory. And the second solution is from your side. "

- Vietnam War and Kennedy
"In the Vietnam War, the leaders of the White House claimed at the time that it was a necessary and crucial war, and during it, Rumsfeld and his aides murdered two million villagers. And when Kennedy took over the presidency and deviated from the general line of policy drawn up for the White House and wanted to stop this unjust war, that angered the owners of the major corporations who were benefiting from its continuation.
And so Kennedy was killed, and al-Qaida wasn't present at that time, but rather, those corporations were the primary beneficiary from his killing."

- Environmentalism and Global Warming
"And with that, it has become clear to all that they (leaders of Democratic countries) are the real tyrannical terrorists. In fact, the life of all of mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories of the major corporations, yet despite that, the representative of these corporations in the White House insists on not observing the Kyoto accord, with the knowledge that the statistic speaks of the death and displacement of the millions of human beings because of that especially in Africa."

- Democracy
"The greatest of plagues and most dangerous of threats to the lives of humans is taking place in an accelerating fashion as the world is being dominated by the democratic system, which confirms its massive failure to protect humans and their interests from the greed and avarice of the major corporations and their representatives."

- Capitalism
"The capitalist system seeks to turn the entire world into a fiefdom of the major corporations under the label of "globalization" in order to protect democracy.
And Iraq and Afghanistan are their tragedies; and the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes; and the abject poverty and tragic hunger in Africa: all of this is but one side of the grim face of this global system. "

Huckabee inviting Thompson for debate

This is very interesting. I’m actually looking forward to this. Let’s see if Sen. Thompson will accept this invitation.

First Read reports:

“Per his campaign, Mike Huckabee today sent a letter to Fred Thompson, inviting the former Tennessee senator to debate. "I am aware of your comments on Fox News that you would like to participate in a series of Lincoln-Douglas styled debates. I would like to officially accept your offer," Huckabee says in the letter. "I agree that what is needed is a real discussion by the candidates about their vision for the future of our country."

"Senator, let's lead by example and get the ball rolling," Huckabee adds.”

- - - - - -

Update: The Huckabee campaign has posted the letter on their website. You can co-sign the letter online here.

Zzzzzzzzzzz...

I will be watching Fred Thompson on Jay Leno to fall asleep.. I have the bad case of insomnia, u know.

Live Blogging - Republican Debate 09/05

Caution: The post below is pro-Huckabee. :)

Update: Exchange between Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee



Update: 10:36 pm

Huckabee has a personable moment with Campaign Carl. He says Fred Thompson forfeited the debates. I agree.

Update: 10:28 pm
Frank Luntz shows the exchange between Huckabee and Paul and displays how the response from Conservatives and Moderates were positive in favor of Mike Huckabee. As I watched the exchange again, I have to admit that Huckabee showed enormous strength, and you can see his tough side.
- - - - - - - - - - -

My Thoughts: I didn't think Huckabee did so well, maybe because he didn't get enough time. In the other debates he stood out, not this one. I hope the small clip between Huckabee and Paul will be shown all over the media. If it weren't for that clip, Huckabee would've utterly failed this debate. I thank God that he got the chance to counter Rep. Ron Paul's ridiculous points.

I think McCain did quite well. However, he won't win the nomination. Giuliani kept talking about how he single-handedly did everything for NYC, which is not the case. Romney stumbled through his answers, didn't show much charisma.

Post Debate Interviews: Mike Huckabee
Acknowledges the lack of Name-ID. He leaves open to possibility to be a VP candidate.
He does a better job at this interview than the debates. I hope people were still watching.

---END OF DEBATE----

9:30 pm
Scenario questions:
On the Iran situation.
Paul: One of the candidate laughs (its Giuliani, and I think its extremely rude).. Paul says we need to be cautious and congress must approve war. There is a lot of Ron Paul supporters/fanatics.
Tomcredo: Stumbly. It seems like he has a lot of thoughts coming out of mouth at the same time.. Bush syndrome.
Hunter: He has lot of knowledge on military affairs.. I must admit that. However, he is empty on other policies.
Huckabee: "When a president is elected president, he is elected president to.." I hope he answers this question.
He communicated his values and how his heart and head will be involved, and any decision to go to war will be after a lot of preparation and cautiousness.
Brownback: Attack the Iranian soldiers.
Guiliani: Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Made some good points. Invokes Ronald Reagan.
Romney: Too many details.. maybe its because I'm typing while listening to the debate. He argues a bit with Brit Hume about "getting full cooperation from both sides." Romney says its possible.
McCain: Talks about the danger of Iran. Invokes Ronald Reagan.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Thoughts: I loved the exchange between Huckabee and Paul. That was the highlight of the evening so far. Huckabee didn't get any chances to speak after that. His support on the fair tax might have a bad effect on his campaign. I love the fair tax idea but there are lot of misconceptions about it. Some people in audience probably just heard it for the first time and when they hear the criticisms of the plan, they just assume that it is bad.

9:21 pm
Question from Campaign Carl. Family values to Giuliani. Good question.
He talks about the struggles he had on the job and that had an affect on his personal life. He says he is not perfect. Stresses his experience and record.

9:15 pm
Question on Taxes.
McCain: Why haven't you signed the No Tax Pledge. He says he has supported tax cuts. Cut spending not just taxes. He says there no point in signing the pledge, he stands on his record. (which means he might raise taxes)
Brownback: Angry again. People are completely turned off to this guy. Kinda sad, but understandable. Eh
Guiliani: Tax Raises in NYC. Why not take the tax pledge. Why is he bragging too much about himself and how he single-handedly did everything for NYC.
Romney: His nickname Fee-Fee.. He raised fees in Massachusetts. He talks about the democrats and how they are going to raise the taxes. I almost feel like he pulls out the democrat card when he doesn't want to answer the question.
Huckabee: Fair Tax. Critique by Wallace on the fair tax and how sales tax will go high to not 23% but 30 something. People don't know much about the fair tax in New Hampshire it seems. I hope that his staunch support on the fair tax doesn't hurt his chances.
Paul: Ahh...

9:10 pm
Question to Romney: Wiretapping mosques?
HE says no, we need a warrant from a judge to do that. I see lots of attacks on Romney during this debate.
Tancredo: Ah, stumbling again.. He doesn't believe waterboarding is torture.
McCain: Has Bush crossed the line? He says we shouldn't torture, it can backfire on us.
McCain praises Huckabee for his kind words.
Giuliani: Supports Guantanamo, makes a good point on how we keep talking about retreating from the Iraq war.
Hunter: Talks about how well treated the prisoners are in Guantanamo.
Brownback: Question on executive power and the vice president. He says No. THe way he said No caused the audience to laugh.

9:00 pm
Question to the Deputy Sheriff. He questions Romney on his vague answer and attacked him for comparing the armed forces and his sons sacrificing for his campaign.
Romney kinda stumbles... ehh.. its hard to listen to what he said after that stinger.. He says to go to his website. He wants to hear from Petreaus to judge the success of the surge.. he's not answering the question.

8:45 pm
National Security:
McCain - asks about his comments on Giuliani. He praises Giuliani, but says he has more experience.
He points out how he for the longest time promoted the current surge strategy.
Giuliani - Says he would've supported McCain if he wasn't running. He said that he isn't running on his 9/11 credentials, but on how he changed NYC around. Talks about how he is experienced.
Romney - Talks about his plan in Iraq. First support role, then standby role in kuwait. No timetable on it, it depends on how we succeed.
McCain - Insists that the surge is working, cuts off Romney who said "apparantly", says "not apparantly". Pretty good defense on the surge.
Paul - I'm not even going to spend my energy on this one..
HUCKABEE needs to respond at this point..
Brownback????? - why ask him??? AHHH.. Brownback totally bombed the followed up question.. he's gone!
Huckabeee!! where are you!
Finally... question to Huckabee: AWESOME ANSWER! Responds to Cong. Paul. Asks how we can leave something we broke without fixing it... we must keep our honor. Praises McCain, says he is honorable.
Paul responds.. Huckabee hits back Paul! Huckabeeeee yes!!! Lots of applause. I'm liking this!! Good stuff..
Did Huckabee give a substantial answer? No.. but the way he countered Paul was tight.
Hunter: Talks about the progress of the Marines and Army. Good stats. Talks about the determination of the U.S. Armed forces. Good Answer.
Tancredo: Stumble, stumble, stumble. He ends off well though.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Thoughts: I was particularly watching Gov. Huckabee. He hasn't shined though yet. He stumbled a bit on the question on life, but I'm impressed how he doesn't say "ah.. umm.." whenever he speaks. He just stays silent and thinks his thoughts through and then speaks.

8:36 pm
Question from Campaign Carl. Should there be a constitutional amendment on marriage.
Brownback - Gets boos for saying yes. He comes off as angry. He can't convince those who are already has their minds set on supporting gay marriage. I agree with his views, though.

8:35 pm
Question about Guns, can college students carry guns to school.
Giuliani - NYC was safer than Boston.. oooo. He reduced crime 75% all on his own? Hmm..
Paul - Airlines are responsible for security, not the government. I see it as a bunch of rhetoric. His world is an utopian one.

8:25 pm
Question about Larry Craig.
Brownback - The way he talks is kinda funny. He says he wants to rebuild the family. How is he going to do that??? I say let churches do that, not the government.
Hunter - Yes, Craig should resign. Talks about the double standard between republican scandals and democratic scandals.. Good point. He can be a good V.P.
Romney - He likes to see Roe v Wade overturned, but America isn't there right now..
Huckabee - Asks him to compare between Guiliani and Romney. He declines. He stumbles a little bit, but answers the question with what he has said always about life.

8:20 pm
Question from a police officer on what do to about the illegal immigrants here.
Giuliani answers, second's Huckabee's answers from a previous question.
McCain - Defends illegal immigrants, at least the good ones. He says that his bill isn't amnesty, there are fines and restrictions.
Romney - Something about the Z-visas. I didn't really understand his answer..

8:10 pm
Question to Romney about Illegal immigration. Some boos after question was asked.
Romney points out what Giuliani's policies have done for New York as far as illegal immigration is concerned.
Question to Giuliani. Pull's up an old quote on him. He corrects Chris Wallace on the executive order that he had given out.
Question to McCain. McCain is being humorous this time compared to previous debates. Recognizes that the immigration debate has enraged conservatives.
Question to Huckabee. Pulled up a quote about how racism has somewhat to do with the conservative anger. Gives a great answer.
Question to Tancredo. I have a feeling that Tancredo is kinda racist and angry.. just my opinion.
Question to Hunter. Wallace asks if the border wall across the entire southern border is feasible. He promises to build the wall in 6 months.. yeah right.

8:08 pm
Huckabee got the first question. It's about Fred Thompson, I think the question is dumb.
Huckabee is very kind on Thompson.. calls him "no-show Thompson"
Ron Paul said something..
McCain is talking for too long..made some jokes
Romney advised Thompson to stay off longer..
Giuliani said something nice well.. he's stumbling in speech though. Points out that the leading democrats don't have any executive experience. Good point.

8:05 pm
Tomcredo got little applause. Ron Paul, Huckabee, Brownback, Hunter moderate applause. Romney, Giuliani and McCain got mid-high applause.

8:00 pm
Large audience at the University of New Hampshire..

7:55 pm
Fred Thompson's ad on O'Reilly factor.. not too impressive. His theme is Security. Unity. Prosperity. It seems like he has lot of old-timers on his campaign.

Brownback's Explanation

Leon Wolf who regularly blogs for the Brownback campaign (brownbacker.com) offered this complex explanation for the straw poll loss.

..... “religious conservatives” do not appear to be lining up behind Huckabee - Huckabee’s second-place finish was entirely due to the fact that the folks from FairTax.org, who bought 1,000 tickets which went almost exclusively to Huckabee. The FairTaxers brag about this on their website here. Without those votes, Huckabee would have finished behind Tom Tancredo, and barely ahead of Ron Paul. While the alternative flat tax proposal put forth by Senator Brownback would be easier to manage, and a more effective reform of the tax code, Mike Huckabee needs to embrace some sort of tax proposal wherein he has very little control over tax policy, in order to assuage the well-founded fears of conservatives about Mike Huckabee’s tax history. While Sam Brownback has never voted for a tax increase in his life, Mike Huckabee is perhaps the only repeat-offender tax-hiker in the Republican field. Whatever one thinks of the FairTax, it is clear that Huckabee’s finish in Iowa did not represent “religious conservatives” lining up behind him. Senator Brownback’s first-place finish in the Students for Life straw poll, in which Mike Huckabee barely registered at 5%, proves the truth of this statement.

The Brownback campaign ran no television advertising, no radio, and no media efforts in the run-up to the Ames poll. the entire operation was exclusively grassroots. The FairTax organization at the Ames straw poll was strong and unexpected, but Senator Brownback’s volunteers and donors know the true story behind what happened in Iowa, and have remained loyal to him. And unlike some of the other “major” candidates who have unwisely decided to skip Iowa, Senator Brownback’s strong finish at Ames provides him a ticket forward to the Iowa caucuses, where the Senator expects a strong finish.

Wow.. I'm speechless.. The Brownback campaign ran no sort of media efforts? I know Leon carefully worded that, but making robo-calls all over Iowa attacking Mitt Romney, and glorifying his own holier-than-thou stance on pro-life is without a doubt a form of advertising.

Huckabee would've grabbed all 15% of Brownback's support if those who supported the senator knew the Governor's experience as a Baptist minister and the actions he took as a pro-life governor of Arkansas. As far as I see it, I think Huckabee received 33% of the vote.

What is the Students for Life straw poll? I think the Brownback campaign is making too much of a big deal out of that insignificant poll. Again, the 5% Huckabee received only shows that lot of people still don't know the Governor well. Just wait a see, Leon, my friend. I think since that straw poll, lot of people have come to know Gov. Huckabee.

About fairfax.org, cry me a river, Leon... the 1000 that voted are regular people not fairfax robots. They also wanted a President that was strong on defense, pro-life, and had overall conservative principles.

I have nothing against Senator Brownback. I do think that he over-ran on his pro-life position and made himself look very pompous. In any case, I think he is a great senator, and should stay that way..

Justin

Gov. Huckabee - Hope for America

Great compilation of the biography of Gov. Huckabee.

Gov. Huckabee on Colbert Report

Governor Huckabee as usual showing his great sense of humor.

A Biography of Gov. Huckabee

I thought this biography was very balanced. It includes some mini-scandals and questionable things that people claim that Huckabee's administration has done. They also mention most of Huckabee's accomplishments as well.
As far as the controversies, I think some of them should be answered by the campaign. However, I don't think he did anything illegal or immoral though.

Why Christians should support Gov Huckabee as President - 2

Newman magazine on Gov. Huckabee
Newman magazine, a prominent Evangelical magazine gives more than enough reasons on why Gov. Mike Huckabee is the man of our times.

Gov Huckabee's sermon at the Gateway church in Texas
I loved his sermon. The title is "State of the Union - What has God joined together."
He spoke well about the importance of marriage, and the struggles and sacrifices that come along the way. Rev. James Robison gave a great endorsement of Gov. Huckabee. He talked about the Governor's struggles early in his life and how Robison helped him out. The significance of James Robison's endorsement is that he was instrumental in electing Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

In a couple of books I have read, there are accounts of Robison, after meeting both Reagan in the 70's and Bush 43 in the 90's having the feeling that God will choose both of those men to become Presidents of the United States. When it comes to Gov. Huckabee, there is a lot of hope beyond just the endorsement of Rev. Robison. His crossover appeal to all demographic groups in America, and media attention would serve him well.

Why Christians should support Gov. Huckabee for President - 1

Bishop: Call God 'Allah' to ease relations

I found this appalling. Post-modernism gone crazy. Hey Bishop, why does God care if we call Jesus a prophet and Mohammad his messenger. Right? Makes sense! We have to bend over backwards to accommodate other religions while Saudi Arabia tortures Christians and throws out bibles in baggages at airports.

Here's part of the article: "Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem."
A survey in the Netherlands' biggest-selling newspaper De Telegraaf on Wednesday found 92 percent of the more than 4,000 people polled disagreed with the bishop's view, which also drew ridicule.

"Sure. Lets call God Allah. Lets then call a church a mosque and pray five times a day. Ramadan sounds like fun," Welmoet Koppenhol wrote in a letter to the newspaper.

While we are on this subject here's a cartoon I found. This speaks volumes.

Links of the Day - August 14, 2007

Good reason for evil - by Greg Koukl
What is evil? Could it have a purpose? Here is a view of evil from an adult rather than a childish perspective

White House Fires Back Over Hillary Clinton Ad
Absolutely ridiculous ad by Sen. Clinton.
Men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan are invisible to this President??? You kidding me?

Decade of Duty - 6 Parts

Huckabee for President!!

I first noticed Gov. Huckabee during the CNN debates couple of months ago. His eloquence and courage in defending his views on creation first caught my attention. Even though I am an evangelical and the candidate's faith is an important factor, I wasn't sure whether Gov. Huckabee's views on domestic and foriegn policy aligned with mine. So, I did more research, watched more youtube videos, and I was surprised to know there was a candidate out there that I can feel excited about. I almost gave up hope on the 2008 election till I came to know Gov. Huckabee.

In the past week, we saw how he was able to take an underfunded campaign and maximize the results. He came in second right after Gov. Mitt Romney at 18%. Sen. Sam Brownback followed him with 15%. Even though I believe the Senator is a genuine Christian, he doesn't possess the charisma and communication skills that Gov. Huckabee does. Brownback comes off as angry, while Huckabee seems genuine and empathetic.

There are so many things I like about this candidate that it's hard to talk about it all in one blog post. In the coming days, I will go into his domestic and foreign policy views. I urge you all to look into his campaign! Check out his blog, it's very informative!!