Primary endorsements - part 6

If ye socks needed any indication just how anxious we are in this little corner of heaven to be rid of the walking embarassment who "represents us" in Congress, ye need only take a look at just how crowded the GOP primary is to topple him. The candidates are:

Ross Bieling
Dan Fanelli
Kurt Kelly
Todd Long
Bruce O'Donoghue
Patricia Sullivan
Dan Webster

Of Bieling and Fanelli, I know very little. I don't think anyone considers them to be serious contenders, though they could play spoilers in a race where every percent of the vote counts.

Sullivan is closely associated with the TEA Party folks around here, but her base seems to be primarily in Lake County.

Long comes with some serious baggage, left over from his race for this same seat two years ago. His frequent air time on local radio and the early and broad distribution of a book this year have kept him in the race. But, he is clearly not the best candidate.

The top tier, then, are Kelly, O'Donoghue, and Webster.

Frankly, yours truly would not be disappointed with any of these guys.

Webster has been a personal favorite since he endorsed Mike Huckabee back in 2008. He is a well-known quantity in these parts as the former leader of the state senate and, more recently, for investigating the shenanigans over at the Expressway Authority. The only knock on him is that he explicitly bowed-out of the race last year, only to jump back in later. This leaves me questioning whether he really has the fire in his belly to take on the dastardly incumbent . . .

I have had the opportunity to meet O'Donoghue over breakfast, and found him to be a charming (albeit understated) gentleman. He is "one of us," and as such would truly be representative of the district. But, I am concerned that he may be too urbane. How will he stack-up against the overwhelming personality of the general election opponent?

I have also had the opportunity to meet Kelly on a couple of occasions, most recently just this morning. He has already earned the endorsements of many of my friends and relations. After looking him in the eye and hearing his responses to today's questions about the campaign, I have been swayed into his camp. (Check out Kurt's site at http://www.kellyforcongress.com .)

But, again, I can live with any of the last three candidates. All are infinitely better than the goofball who currently disgraces Florida's 8th District.

Crist campaign is toast

Our illustrious governor was twice burned yesterday.

And, that's not a tasteless reference to his famously perennial suntan.

Ye socks who have followed his inexplicable career to date have no doubt noticed his predilection for hitching his wagon to greater stars in the political universe.

Remember in the rosy days following the dawn of the ObamaNation how he gleefully embraced the disaster-in-waiting otherwise known as "the stimulus plan?!"

More recently, he's been pimping whatever conservative credentials he thought he had left by invoking the name of his supposed-mentor Connie Mack.

I can only imagine how he felt when his hug buddy paid a whopping 27 minutes of lip service to the future of Florida's Space Coast. It was painfully clear the real presidential focus was on getting away from Cape Canaveral as quickly as possible to attend a big Democratic fundraiser down in Miami. His announced policy shift essentially left the country's space program in shambles, and thousands more Floridians worrying about their jobs.

And, as for Mack, he walked away from Crist's senate campaign in the wake of his veto of the education bill.

Whispers abound this morning that Mitt Romney will soon be joining Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani in endorsing Crist's primary opponent Marco Rubio.

Methinks in the past 24 hours or so that Charlie may have discovered just how few real allies he has.

So, could he seriously be considering a run as an independent?!

Stranger things have happened, I suppose. I mean, this IS Florida, after all!!

Webster for Congress?

It's never too early to begin handicapping political races in this little corner of heaven.

And, some recent events have yours truly concluding that former state senate majority leader Dan Webster is getting ready to run for Congress.

Up until recently, conventional wisdom was that Orange County's mayor Rich Crotty would try to unseat the precariously perched Alan Grayson in the 8th congressional district that includes Orlando.

But, Crotty's got some problems stemming from his entanglements at the local expressway authority. Not only did he recently rush thru an unpopular toll hike, but a grand jury report released the very next day slammed him for strong-arm pay-to-play tactics. It concluded that Crotty had benefited from a "culture of corruption."

Now, flash forward to today's blue ribbon report released by Webster. In it, he calls for some pretty significant reforms at the expressway authority, including:

• Cutting the bloated and top-heavy payroll by $600,000.
• Leasing or selling the TWO current headquarters buildings. (That's right, up til now they felt justified in having not one but TWO headquarters . . .)
• Passing the savings along to everyone with an ePass transponder, not just the frequent users the authority has favored to this point.

What's not to like about this?

Finally, a Republican is talking about shrinking the size of government and reducing its burden on the general public. Perhaps, the party will not have to spend as long in the political wilderness as I feared it might.

I've liked Dan Webster for a long time, and really respected his endorsement of Mike Huckabee over John McCain et al in the party primary during the last presidential election cycle. If only more folks around here had been of a similar mind back then . . .

Anyway, you read it here first, ye socks. Webster's running for Congress. And, today he dealt a body blow to his primary rival.

Calling all bibliophiles!

What should I read next?!

I just finished Mike Huckabee's new book Do the Right Thing. (An excellent--if bittersweet--rehash of his recent run for the presidency . . . he should've been the GOP nominee, but that's another story . . .)

Anyway, I now find myself bookless and decided to let ye socks choose what I should read next. Let me know either by posting here or by private email or otherwise by Friday.

Here's the list of candidates:

* Cover her Face, by P.D. James (1962) first in a series of British mysteries.
* The Camel Club, by David Baldacci, first in a series of political thrillers.
* Too Fat to Fish, by Artie Lange from the Howard Stern Show.
* American Lion, by Jon Meacham, historical work about Andrew Jackson.
* The Shack, by William P. Young, a self-published Christian novel that became a bestseller.
* The Appeal, by John Grisham, his first lawyer fiction book in years.
* The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, almost deleted this one for getting Oprah's nod.
* The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho (1988), Portuguese story translated into 60+ languages.
* Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris, first in a series of Southern vampire stories.

Let me know what you think!

Like nails on a chalkboard

After seeing Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, and other stellar speakers at the GOP convention earlier this week, last night's presidential nomination acceptance speech by John McCain was something of a letdown.

Fortunately, what he lacks in charisma is more than made up by his integrity and leadership abilities.

Nevertheless, there was one point in his speech that really grated on the nerves of this genealogist:

"We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential, from the boy whose DESCENDANTS arrived on the 'Mayflower' to the Latina daughter of migrant workers."

With all the money I'm sure the McCain campaign pays their speech writers, editors, vetters, media consultants, and handlers, I find it hard to believe that no one over there knows the definition of "descendants." For their edification:

descendants - (n) one's posterity, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

Any boy who had descendants on the Mayflower would have to be tremendously old, even older than John McCain's 96-year-old mother Roberta, and could hardly be described as a boy in the first place.

I'm 99% certain the word they were looking for (or, should have been) is

ancestors - (n) one's forebears, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.

Maybe, the McCain campaign would like to hire a certain genealogical consultant to vet any future speeches.

Know your genealogy, ye socks!

Huck rallies the troops

Wow, I can't believe I stayed up so late last night watching the GOP convention coverage.

Most folks, I'm sure, were hanging in there to see how the new VP nominee Sarah Palin would do.

Yours truly was never in doubt that she would deliver a stellar speech.

No, what got me to tune in last night was the opportunity to see Mike Huckabee, the fellow I had supported during the primaries.

It was almost bittersweet to see him addressing a convention so many of us had hoped would be nominating him instead of John McCain. But, he quickly reminded us that now is the time to look forward, and we must be united in the fall to defeat the evils the junior senator from Illinois and his ilk would perpetrate if given the opportunity.

As usual, Huck had a couple of great quips. Here's my two favorite:

* The reporting of the past few days [referring to the "mainstream" media's coverage of Gov. Palin's family life] has proven tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert.

* I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich. I'm a Republican because I don't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me.

I was also pleased to see that the Huckabee family was given a place of honor in the gallery. They were seated directly behind the McCains and Palins.

I think I'm finally ready to do what 96-year-old Roberta McCain suggested, hold my nose and vote for her son . . .

Another "Man from Hope"

As it was repeated ad nauseum back in the 90's, ye socks are surely aware that we have a former president from the lovely little hamlet of Hope, Arkansas.

More recently, folks outside of that little corner of heaven were made aware that it was also the hometown of the man who should be the Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee.

Now, we are learning of another "Man from Hope," though he doesn't appear to have what it takes to make it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

We refer to the "gentleman" pictured here, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Jim Gunter.

He was relieved to learn this week that his sister Janet Gibson is dropping all criminal charges against him stemming from an incident at a family reunion back on September 2nd of last year.

Apparently, the judge had loaned his sister a bunch of genealogy material and asked for her to return it at the reunion.

When she told him she wasn't done looking thru it, the judge went ballistic and backhanded her.

Now, wasn't that nice?

Seriously, though, don't come between this guy and his genealogy. If this is how he treats close family members, imagine what he'd do to the man on the street!

Why Huckabee is still a hero

I know this story won't get adequate coverage in the "mainstream" media, so I'll toss this one in the dryer for ye socks.

Our favorite former presidential candidate displayed some real heroism this weekend while attending a convention up in North Carolina.

That's right, Mike Huckabee was in that neck of the woods to deliver a key note address, when he noticed Robert Pittenger (a candidate for Lieutenant Governor) appeared to be choking.

Without skipping a beat, the Huckster leapt into action and administered ye olde Heimlich maneuver with the dexterity of a trained paramedic, doubtlessly saving millions of unsuspecting Tarheels from the horrors of another Democrat in statewide office.

This guy's building up quite a resume', isn't he?

Radio announcer, Baptist preacher, lieutenant governor, governor, bass guitarist, author, fitness guru, outdoorsman, and now lifesaving hero.

With credentials like that, it's going to be awfully hard for John McCain to deny him the vice-president slot!

Huckabee on MSNBC tonight!

Our favorite former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will be on MSNBC tonight, helping that wayward network cover the West Virginia primary.

I say "wayward," because I am convinced that MSNBC stands for "Must Show Non-stop Barack Coverage."

Hopefully, Huck can class-up the place tonight . . . or, at least give another perspective than the jackboot high-stepping of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann and the parade of idiots they lead on behalf of the junior senator from Illinois.

Matthews has lost any credibility as a journalist. Remember last year when he confessed to Don Imus on the air, "I want a president who doesn't have a f***ing ranch!"

He also admits to getting "a thrill running up my leg" when he hears Barack Hussein Obama speak. He has even gone so far as to say on air, "If you don't cry when you hear Barack Obama speak at a rally, then you're not an American."

Olbermann is not much better. While less overtly-pro-Obama than his buddy Matthews, he makes up for that with anti-Hillary rants--the likes of which he used to reserve only for George W. Bush.

Frustrated that the New York senator and former first lady is still in the race for the White House, he suggested finding "somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out."

These "stars" of MSNBC have become nothing less than cheerleaders for Team Obama. And, I am looking forward to seeking Huckabee shoot down their ridiculous comments.

Something tells me, he'll have an easier time handling those two dead-heads as he did hooking these two fish in the Ouachita River!

Huckabee had a good run

I have never concealed my ardent support of Mike Huckabee's campaign for the presidency, either in the blogosphere or beyond.

But, his race came to an end last night, when John McCain finally won enough convention delegates to ensure he will be the next Republican presidential nominee.

I am still convinced that he is destined to bigger and better things.

I believe the next big thing for him will be a US Senate race in his native Arkansas. Then, in four years, who knows what the cards may hold.

In the mean time, the GOP is stuck with McCain and needs to spend the next few months mending fences while Hillary and Obama fight it out across the aisle.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. McCain's military service was heroic. But, what he has done in the halls of Congress, are worthy of a lot of scorn.

He is not so much a true rock-ribbed Republican as he is every Democrat's favorite Republican. His candidacy was foisted upon the GOP by a lot of media hype and crossover votes from Independents and liberals intent upon thwarting the conservative agenda. Sour grapes? Maybe.

All that being said, my main problem with McCain is that he is a flip-flopper on too many issues that are important to me. He wants to be everything to everybody. Here are a few of the most glaring examples:

1. TAXES - He didn't just vote against the Bush tax cuts once, he voted against them TWICE! (First in May 2001, and again in 2003.) as late as 26 Nov 2005, he told the Wall Street Journal the reason he opposed the tax cuts: "I just thought it was too tilted to the wealthy, and I still do." Now, he's running around the campaign trail saying he wants to make them permanent?!

2. IMMIGRATION - I will never forget 2005, when McCain partnered with Teddy Kennedy to craft the worst piece of legislative piffle in recent memory. It would have granted amnesty to some 12 million illegal aliens. But, this year at the Reagan Library debate, he said he would not vote for it himself if it was brought to the Senate floor?!

3. ABORTION - In an effort to pander to his buddies in the San Francisco media back in 1999, McCain told a Chronicle reporter, and I quote, "I would not support repeal of Roe v Wade." But, when speaking before South Carolina primary voters last year, he said, and again I quote, "I do not support Roe v Wade, it should be overturned."

4. TORTURE - This has been McCain's sacred cow, given his status as a former POW. But, when given the opportunity to require the CIA to abide my the Army Field Manual interrogation tactics, he voted AGAINST the bill last month.

5. IRAQ - McCain would also like to take credit for the successful change of course in Iraq, claiming at the aforementioned Reagan Library debate, "I'm the only one that said Rumsfeld had to go." Poppycock! In December 2004, when his friends in the media were trying to goad him into trashing Rumsfeld, he told them the president "can have the team around him that he wants around him."

Look, I am always willing to accept a true heart-felt conversion. We all evolve as we grow older, at least we should. And, McCain has been on this planet for a very long time. Now that Huckabee has cleared the way for him, the presumptive nominee needs to spend the next few months convincing folks like yours truly that his new positions on issues like listed above were taken from conviction and not just pandering for votes.

And, he needs a good running mate . . .

Texans: March forth this March fourth!

Yesterday's endorsement in the Dallas Morning News says it better than I could:

Editorial: We recommend Mike Huckabee
06:44 AM CST on Monday, March 3, 2008

Whatever Texas Republican primary voters do Tuesday, John McCain is all but guaranteed to be the party's presidential nominee. It is mathematically impossible for Mike Huckabee, the last remaining major GOP contender, to capture the nomination. The former Arkansas governor even turned up on Saturday Night Live recently to poke fun at himself for not going away.

Let's be clear: Mr. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, remains our choice for the GOP nomination. But Mr. McCain has racked up by far the most delegates and leads among Texas Republicans by a wide margin in recent opinion polls. Though he can't clinch the nomination Tuesday, victory is undeniably close.

Aside from his long experience and personal courage, he has a solid record of fiscal responsibility and has been on the right side of campaign finance reform and environmental issues. And he was correct and principled to lead the fight for comprehensive immigration reform last summer. Still, his age – 71 – and his choleric temperament gave us pause, particularly when contrasted to Mr. Huckabee's sunny-side-up brand of conservatism.

Win or lose in November, the GOP is destined to spend the next few years redefining itself. For many reasons, Reaganism, which made the GOP the dominant political party of the last generation, no longer resonates as it once did with the American public. The world has changed since Ronald Reagan's election nearly 30 years ago, and the great man's political heirs will have to adjust the GOP's strategy and tactics to new realities.

To that end, Mr. Huckabee, 52, should be a top leader in tomorrow's Republican Party. His good-natured approach to politics – "I'm a conservative; I'm just not mad about it," as he likes to say – is quite appealing after years of scorched-earth tactics from both parties. He's a pragmatist more concerned with effective government than with bowing to ideological litmus tests. For example, he has proven himself willing to violate anti-tax dogma to undertake investment in infrastructure for the sake of long-term prosperity.

Mr. Huckabee also is good on the environment, contending that the future of the conservative movement depends on embracing conservation and stewardship of the natural world. And he's a compassionate conservative especially in tune with middle-class anxieties in a globalizing economy.

Though his social and religious conservatism puts him on the wrong side of abortion, gay rights and other key issues, that same deep-faith commitment inspires his dedication to helping the poor and to racial healing. He truly is representative of the next wave of evangelical chieftains and, if nothing else, will emerge from this primary season the leader of one of the most influential factions in the GOP coalition.

We look forward to having him around to help shape and lead the Republican Party beyond November. That's why we encourage Texas Republicans to mark their ballots for Mr. Huckabee in the GOP primary: to demonstrate to the party's elite that Mr. Huckabee and his vision have a solid constituency.

True, a Huckabee vote today won't do much to determine the 2008 GOP presidential candidate. But it's a good investment in the Republican Party's future.

Happy Texas Independence Day!

That's right. For ye socks who are not privileged enough to know your Texas history as well as those of us who were indoctrinated during our formative years, it was on this day way back in 1836 that the Lone Star State declared its independence from Mexico.

So, if you need some special license to eat some spicy food and drink a Margarita, now you have it.

Hopefully, later this week, we will be able to celebrate Texas INDEPENDENTS Day. (Notice the subtle spelling change, did you?) On Tuesday, our beloved friends and relatives out there will have the opportunity once again to demonstrate their independence by bucking the talking heads in the national media.

They can send a big message to the rest of the country (and keep John McCain's feet to the fire) by voting for Mike Huckabee!

Let's hope they do so, and in large numbers befitting the size of their great state.

Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo! Remember San Jacinto!

Something for my Texas friends

Mike Huckabee needs your votes on March 4th!

The Miracle Guy on SNL

In case you missed this weekend's Saturday Night Live, Mike Huckabee once again demonstrated his trademark self-deprecating humor as a guest on "Weekend Update" with Seth Myers and Amy Poehler.

Was it just me, or was the joke about Super Delegates a subtle swipe at Hillary Clinton?

The New York Times loses MORE credibility

I am so angry with NYT editor Bill Keller today, I could just spit nails.

Not because his paper ran an article yesterday about a rumored affair between Senator John McCain and lobbyist Vicki Iseman.

No, what makes me angry is that Keller and his editorial board SAT ON THIS STORY for months. In fact, Keller actually met with McCain to discuss the details last year.

But, he didn't bother putting it into print in his yellow rag until McCain had won enough GOP presidential primaries and caucuses to make him the party's presumptive nominee.

I think he did it INTENTIONALLY.

He didn't want GOP voters to catch a whiff of a potential scandal until after every Democrat's favorite Republican was far enough ahead in the delegate count.

In so doing, he and his editorial board have failed the public trust.

By denying the public access to this type of information, which could very well sway a voter's opinion, Keller and his cronies at the New York Times are tinkering with our democracy.

That's the real story here, not some supposed extra-marital affair being pimped by a disgruntled former aide. (The Washington Post at least identified the source for the rumor: John Weaver, who left--or, was asked to leave--the McCain campaign last year.) My question is, if the allegation makes McCain a flawed candidate, why did the Times endorse him? I would suggest it is because that is exactly what they want atop the GOP ticket this fall, because it will make it easier for their beloved Democrats to achieve a victory at the polls.

So much for the lofty pretensions of the most self-satisfied organ of the Fourth Estate.

The Times outrageously claims to publish "all the news that's fit to print." It seems it may only be defined as "fit" if it keeps the American public in the dark long enough to suit their patently partisan agenda.

For ye socks living in states that haven't held their primaries yet (are you hearing me TEXAS?!), I encourage you to send a message by voting for Mike Huckabee.

And, if you have a subscription to the Times, cancel it!

Super Saturday

I've got to get to bed, so can't stay up to see how exactly Washington state is going to go. But, the margin between Mike Huckabee and John McCain is razor thing out there.

If Huck ends up with the most votes out there, he will have swept all this weekend's GOP contests.

Kansas was a complete blow-out. Huckabee beat McCain there by a margin of 2 to 1.

Louisiana was closer, but Huck still ended up on top.

So, I'm going to turn-in now on the prayer that Washington goes Huckabee's way, too.

Go, Mike, go!

Rick Perry is getting nervous

For ye socks unfamiliar with Lone Star politics, Rick Perry is the Governor of Texas. He succeeded George W. Bush about the same time Mike Huckabee started cleaning-up all the Clinton debris in neighboring Arkansas.

Ye may also be unaware that Mr. Perry made the mistake of endorsing Rudy Giuliani for president several months ago. And, since the former New York City mayor withdrew from the race, Perry has sheepishly followed him into the McCain camp.

All of this must be pretty embarassing for the governor, and is doubtlessly eroding his support among his conservative fellow Texans.

If he believed more in the values that are most important to Texans instead of political opportunism, he wouldn't have to bounce around from one camp to another.

Today, we hear that he called Huckabee and practically begged him to suspend his campaign.

That took some nerve.

Rest assured, he didn't place that call out of any particular passion for John McCain.

He didn't do it for the best interests of the Republican party.

He didn't do it because he wants to necessarily defeat the Dumbocrats in November.

Rather, he acted out of fear and the instinct for self-preservation that are all too often the trademarks of most politicians. He can't afford to be seen as the supporter of TWO failed candidates. Think about it!

How much egg will Perry have on his face when Mike Huckabee wins Texas in March?!

Go, Mike, go!

Sometimes, you just can't buy a vote . . .

Mitt Romney finally learned that lesson. Unfortunately, it was a lesson that cost him an estimated $87.6 million -- much of that his own money. But, I guess he could afford it.

As astronomical a figure as that may appear, it is still only slightly more than Barrack Hussein Obama ($85.2M) and Hillary Rob 'Em Clinton ($80.4M) have spent so far on their side of the aisle.

Still it is more than the combined total spent by John McCain ($48.8M) and his recently-withrdrawn buddy Rudy Giuliani ($39.1M).

And, it is many, many, many more dollars than our favorite candidate Mike Huckabee has had at his disposal. He's had to get out there and earn every vote and delegate, and is getting WAY more bang for his buck. So, ask yourselves, who do you want spending your tax dollars? Seems like Huck is the only one who knows how to stretch them!

Anyway, as nasty as Romney's campaign got out on the trail, I do offer him some grudging respect for knowing when to call it quits.

He says he's doing it for the party and for the country. In that order, which seems more than a little wrong. But, whatever.

According to Mitt, he needed to suspend his campaign to "forestall the launch of a national campaign" to prevent the Dems' from surrendering to the terrorists who want to destroy the civilized world. Fair logic.

But, note his use of the term "suspend." That's not the same as "end."

I'll bet you a dime to a donut he's going to hold on to his delegates until the convention on the off chance that something dramatic happens in the interim. And, even then, he will only release them to McCain or Huckabee when they can no longer be used as bargaining chips.

Mitt is a businessman. He is shrewd in that regard. But, politics is a peculiar sort of business. And, he's not proven himself particularly adept at it.

It's a shame he had to spend so much money to find that out!

At least ye conservatives out there finally have one candidate you can support to thwart the McCain juggernaut: Mike Huckabee!

Go, Mike, go!

Reagan's Legacy

Well, the GOP candidates got together again tonight, this time at the Reagan Library out in California. And, yes, Nancy was there, along with the Governator.

Unfortunately, the CNN moderators encouraged the two "leading" contenders to drag the tone of the debate into the gutter. It was truly shameful and, in my opinion, terribly disrespectful to the memory of the Gipper.

The only thing anyone can give John McCain credit for is staying on message. No matter what the question was, his canned answers always came back around to the Iraq surge. Health care? Surge. Economy? Surge. Leadership? Surge.

The other thing he did, with an annoying smirk on his face, was continually bait Mitt Romney about his position on . . . you guessed it . . . the surge.

Unfortunately, despite his much-touted credentials and reputation for a suave demeanor, Romney took the bait. He was visibly upset by McCain's attacks. So much for unflappable. Kinda makes you wonder how he'd react to baiting by Iranian, Venezuelan, Cuban, or North Korean "leaders."

What was particularly annoying to me as a Huckabee supporter was how much time and attention the moderators gave to these two and their bad behavior. They virtually ignored the fact that Huck (and Ron Paul) were on the stage.

However, Huckabee did steal the show right at the end. Anderson Cooper asked the question of all four men, "If Ronald Reagan were alive today, would he endorse you?"

Well, Romney thought he would certainly have gained the Gipper's endorsement, because he was (like Reagan) a governor who would approach problems with an outside-the-beltway mentality. Fairly good point.

McCain claimed he deserved the endorsement because he was "a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution." Pompous to say the least.

Everybody's favorite Libertarian shared stories of Reagan campaigning for him in Texas in the 70s and 80s, and their common love of the gold standard.

Then, Huckabee got the last word.

And, he hit a home run.

He told Cooper, and everyone else for that matter, that we shouldn't engage in conjecture about who Reagan would endorse.

Rather, Huckabee astutely challenged his opponents to join him in endorsing Reagan's ideals. They include lower taxes, smaller government, strong defense, the sanctity of human life, and an optimistic vision of America's future.

That response brought down the house!

It was realy cool to see Ah-nold jump up out of his seat as Huckabee's answer ended what had been a bitterly cantakerous evening. I wish he'd had a microphone on him so we could hear what he said to Huck, but there was some back-slapping a big grin, and a fairly long conversation.

I didn't see Schwarzenegger exhibit that kind of body language with the other candidates.

Kinda makes you wonder why the rumor mills say he's going to endorse somebody else?

Oh, well, time to hit the sack.

In the mean time: GO, MIKE, GO!

And, then there were 4

Or, more like 3.5 since Ron Paul is a Libertarian and should only count as half a candidate in what is SUPPOSEDLY a Republican field.

But, anyway, I'm giving credit where credit is due, and blame where blame is due for that matter. And, it looks like tonight's results are finally going to force "America's Mayor" out of the race.

You know, it is often said, probably because it is so true: Democrats fall in love with their candidates, while Republicans fall in line behind theirs.

And, that's what we saw tonight here in the Sunshine State.

John McCain had the momentum, and a lot of people jumped on his bandwagon--including Swell Mel Martinez and everybody's favorite political opportunist Charlie Crist.

As a Huckabee devotee, I was actually pleasantly surprised that he kept neck-and-neck with old Rudy Giuliani tonight. I mean, how many millions of dollars did the former NYC mayor spend down here? And, how much more time did he spend down here?! I'd like to see the $ per vote figures on that. I guarantee Huck gets more for his buck!

Seriously, though, it was also cool to see how the state fell into geographic camps. And, Mike Huckabee actually carried 4 of our 67 counties (Gilchrist, Holmes, Suwannee, and Washington). That's more than Rudy can claim!

Oh, well, on to Super Tuesday!