Snipers take aim at rock star

If you need any proof that my favorite GOP presidential contender is on the verge of becoming a "top tier" candidate, take note of the increased sniping he's been forced to endure lately.

I've already dismissed the "Club for Growth" and their idiotic assessment of Mike Huckabee's awesome tenure as Governor of Arkansas. But, they're still trying to label him as a tax-and-spend liberal. What a hoot! The truth is he made tax cuts of historic proportions while in office.

Now, it seems Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who has presidential ambitions of his own, is trying to label the ordained Baptist minister as anti-Catholic. His accusations stem from an email sent by a fellow appropriately named Tim RUDE from Windsor Heights, Iowa, who claims to be a Huckabee supporter. But, I don't know how anyone could take Sammy B seriously, especially considering Huckabee's campaign manager Chris Saltsman is a Catholic, as are MANY of his pro-life supporters. In fact, there are quite a few who fall into that category right here in the Sunshine State!

Unfortunately, Saltsman has opened a new can of worms in responding to Senator Sam's ridiculous assertions. He inadvertently misspelled the name of the junior senator from Illinois in an email of his own, demonstrating Brownback's own supporters are blatantly demonstrating religious intolerance. He pointed out the "Baptists for Brownback" website and its claims that Hillary Clinton, Barack OSAMA, and Fred Thompson (among others) are "hell bound." Obviously, this was a typo. But, it's still causing something of a stir, and distracting attention from Saltsman's underlying point.

All of this would be regrettable, as it takes focus off Mike Huckabee's unique message that the Republican Party needs not only to hold tightly to its conservative roots but also to become better stewards of the environment and speak out against corporate corruption and greed.

But, I prefer to see the silver lining in all this: the snipers wouldn't be taking aim if Mike wasn't doing something right.

He had an awesome appearance with CBS's Jeff Greenfield on last night's news, coming off as the common man's candidate. They pointed out how his small budget forces him to fly coach on commercial flights while "top tier" candidates have private jets. The silver lining there is that he is in the trenches even when he travels, shaking hands and getting to know the people he wants to serve. And, who knows, maybe it will inspire him to do something about the onerous flight delays, etc., when he's in the White House.

That's right, I said WHEN he's in the White House (not if)!

Go, Mike, go!