First Door on the Left

In less than 72 hours a few hundred thousand Iowans will get together and start caucusing. They will decide for the rest of us who the candidates will likely be in the upcoming presidential election. Here’s hoping they choose well.

Poll Says Obama, Huckabee Leading Rivals

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Presidential contenders rang in the 2008 election year with near-constant campaigning on Monday as a poll showed Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee leading their rivals with three days remaining before the Iowa caucuses. Anonymous phone calls and a negative campaign commercial that vanished into thin air also spiced the race, and not even New Year’s Eve was off-limits to campaign oratory.

The poll by the Des Moines Register showed Obama, an Illinois senator, with the support of 32 percent of those surveyed, compared to 25 percent for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and 24 percent for former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

Among Republicans, Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, had the backing of 32 percent of those surveyed, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 26 percent.

We shall see.

Here are what appear to be the DMV photos of the two leaders:

Mike Huckabee (R) - Barack Obama (D)

Mike Huckabee proved this morning that he is a true Republican…

Saying He Pulled Negative Ad, Huckabee Shows It

DES MOINES — In an act of political jujitsu, Mike Huckabee has halted a negative ad that he was about to broadcast on television Monday against his Republican rival, Mitt Romney. But while claiming the moral high ground, he proceeded to show the ad to a roomful of reporters, photographers and television cameras who are repeating his anti-Romney message for free while Mr. Huckabee declares that his hands are clean.

The display unfolded at the Marriott Hotel here to the mirth of the media who watched Mr. Huckabee’s legerdemain even as the media itself became the conduit for his attacks against Romney.

At the same time, he pointed to media cynicism as the reason he felt compelled to show the ad, saying that unless he showed it, reporters would not believe that it really existed. It criticized Mr. Romney’s record as governor of Massachusetts, saying he supported gun control, allowed a co-pay for abortions in his health plan, raised taxes and ordered no executions.

Well, here, watch it for yourself…

Mighty “Christian” of him, wouldn’t you say? “Hey, I made this nasty attack ad but then I decided it was too nasty so I had it pulled but I’m going to show it to you because if I didn’t then you wouldn’t believe me when I said I made this nasty attack ad. Now if you decide to show this nasty attack ad to everybody it won’t cost my campaign anything and it will be your fault and not mine because you showed it and I didn’t.”

Gosh oh mighty, I hope the Republicans nominate this guy!

Great… Another reason for the right wing religious zealots to claim they are being persecuted…

Woman Escorted Off Bus For Reading Bible Aloud

Christine Lutz

FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ― A passenger on a Fort Worth bus says the T. Bus Service discriminated against her religion.

Christine Lutz says she was reading her Bible to her children when the bus driver asked her to stop or get off the bus.

Lutz, a Seventh Day Adventist, and her children were on their way to church.

“She then said, ‘Well I don’t think this is the place or the time to do so.’ And I said, ‘Oh, but it’s the perfect time and the perfect place since it is our Sabbath and it is the time with the Lord and therefore I’m going to continue.’ And I continued,” she explained.

Then, a TRE supervisor came on board. Lutz also told him that she would not stop reading. She and her family were escorted off the bus.

“This was definitely a clear cut case of persecution,” she said.

Or was it a clear cut case of policy?

“Anyone who is loud will be asked to be quiet,” said representative Joan Hunter. “That is a standard policy across country in the transit industry.”

It doesn’t matter what is said, the T has a policy of no loud or abusive behavior.

“It’s only if the other passengers will complain, or it’s obviously so loud it’s distracting the operator, that we will ask them to stop,” Hunter explained.

Video here.

When you are in a public place (for example, a public bus) and you are asked by a person in authority (for example, the bus driver) to please tone it down a bit, it may be a good idea to tone it down a bit.

This lady, I believe, was just purposely trying to be obnoxious.