People who say that Barak Obama gives great speeches, must not pay attention to Mike Huckabee. His speech this week in Texas was one of the best I have heard him deliver. You can feel the energy in the room. Those of you who haven't had your state primary, be sure to vote your principles, not politics!
If you have dialup, this speech is 35 minutes long, so it will take forever and a day to watch it, but if you have high speed internet, it's well worth your time. You can watch it here.
Some roses I gave my wonderful wife. It's now over a week later, and the roses still look beautiful. If you live in the Jackson area, I highly recommend Bonnie's for your floral needs!
After a delicious meal featuring homemade chicken pot pie with hearts cut out in the top of the crust, we exchanged valentines.
For dessert, Esther made this heart shaped cookie.
Thanks to OneMom, a fellow Michigander, homeschooler, blogger, and Huckabee supporter, we have been tagged to participate in a meme. The rules are as follows:
Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
Find Page 123.
Read the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.
On the filing cabinet beside my desk, I had a stack of over 10 books:
Roberts Rules of Order
Holy Bible
The Moral Compass, by William Bennett
90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
Conquering The Fear of Death, by Spiros Zodhiates
The Year-Round Church Event Book, by Elmer Towns and Stan Toler
The Last Christian Generation by Josh McDowell
2007 Minister's Tax and Financial Guide by Dan Busby
Fresh Ideas by Diana Davis
The Journey, published by God's Bible School
Fresh Power by Jim Cymbala
I'll quote from Fresh Power:
"Part of our problem is that we have developed a religious industry whose machinery runs smoothly without any need of the Holy Spirit. A. W. Tozer once commented that if God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, most of what the church is doing would go right on, and nobody would know the difference. We have become set in our ways -- but they are not the ways of God's blessing and power."
This is the first portion of the speech Gov. Huckabee gave today at CPAC. This man is the best communicator in the presidential race since Ronald Reagan, hands down. Anyone who questions Huckabee's conservatism needs to watch this speech, especially segment #4.
So far today, Huckabee won the Kansas caucus with a 3:1 ration over McCain. I believe he can win Louisiana and compete in Washington state. I'll update this blog as results come in.
Update: LA - 79% of precincts reporting: Huckabee - 44.5%; McCain - 40.1% WA - 37% of precincts reporting: Huckabee - 26.9% ; McCain - 23.2%
Update2: LA - 90% reporting: Huckabee - 43.6%; McCain - 41.7% WA - 78% reporting: Huckabee - 24% ; McCain - 25.7%; Paul - 21.4%
Note: In LA, the GOP candidate must win over 50% of the total vote before he is awarded delegates. With no candidate reaching that %, all of LA's delegates will be uncommitted going in to the convention.
This week in her Science class, Melanie studied about worms. After her lessons, she made a hookworm, earthworm, and flatworm out of play-dough. I thought she did a great job.
I took a couple days off of posting politics ... but this one was too good to pass up ...
Dr. James Dobson issued the following statement Thursday, speaking as a private citizen.
I am endorsing Gov. Mike Huckabee for President of the United States today. My decision comes in the wake of my statement on Super Tuesday that I could not vote for Sen. John McCain, even if he goes on to win the Republican nomination. His record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues makes his candidacy a matter of conscience and concern for me.
That left two pro-family candidates whom I could support, but I was reluctant to choose between them. However, the decision by Gov. Mitt Romney to put his campaign "on hold" changes the political landscape. The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Gov. Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others. That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries, and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination. Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Sen. McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for President of the United States.
(NOTE: Dr. Dobson made these statements as a private citizen. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a reflection of the opinions of Focus on the Family or Focus on the Family Action.)
Now the question of the day is whether it's possible for Huckabee to beat McCain. This endorsement helps. Romney putting his campaign on hold helps. Still, it is going to be a long row to hoe. Who would have thought Huckabee had a chance? He's overcome negative press, attack ads, and being ignored by the media. Here are a couple great links that talk about the coming primaries and Huckabee's chances:
Esther made these cookies for Women of Worth on Monday. They were a hit, and she will be making them again for a church fellowship this Sunday. Here's the recipe:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1 cup cold butter 1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, drained 1 bag of white chips 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Red decorating sugar
In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/2 c. sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Knead in the cherries, 2/3 c. white chips and almond extract until dough forms a ball.
Shape into 3/4 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart or ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in remaining sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. remove to wire wracks to cool.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining white chips; stir until smooth. Dip half of each cookie into the melted white chocolate; sprinkle with red decorating sugar. Place on waxed paper until set. Yields about 4 dozen.
(This recipe is adapted from Country Woman, Dec./Jan. 2008)
... so we'll take a break from politics for a little while.
Here are some pictures of events in our life during the last few weeks:
A new niece - Sarah Lou. Sarah was born on January 10th. Congratulations, Kevin & LouAnn.
Alayna really liked school the day she shaped letters out of cookie dough for spelling class!
More Snow?? We are (Esther corrected me ... only I am) starting to get weary of the winter weather. This snow came during the last few days of January. Yesterday it melted. And today, we're supposed to get hit again. At least the kids and Esther like it.
I found this over on OneMom's blog ... it's too good not to share:
Mike Huckabee on CNN:
“Yesterday, Gov. Romney instructed me not to whine and now he has changed his position and is now for whining, as evidenced by his reaction to the W. Virginia results”
Being born and raised in West Virginia, it's my pleasure to announce to all our blog readers that Mike Huckabee got all 18 delegates from my home state! Hopefully this win will help convince all those people who really support Mike, but are not wanting to "waste their vote" to think twice before voting for Romney.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Mike Huckabee won the first contest declared on Super Tuesday, picking up all 18 national delegates awarded at West Virginia's state GOP convention.
Huckabee bested Mitt Romney, who entered the Mountain State event with the largest bloc of pledged convention-goers. Both men and Ron Paul made in-person appeals to the more than 1,100 convention delegates attending Tuesday's convention.
But the former Arkansas governor beat his Massachusetts counterpart after delegates for John McCain defected to his side.
The first round of voting at the state convention produced no winner, but eliminated Paul after his fourth-place finish.
The results are the first from the 21 states with GOP primaries or caucuses Tuesday...
EDIT: The Romney media's spin on all of this?? "Backroom Deal between McCain and Huck"
Let's take a second look at that:
First Vote: MH = 375; MR = 464; JM = 176; RP = 118 (Total of 1,133 votes)
Second Vote: MH = 567; MR = 521; JM = 12 (Total of 1,100 votes - 33 abstentions)
Therefore: MH +192; MR +57; JM -164; RP -118
Now ... where did the extra votes for Huckabee and Romney come from, and who abstained?
Let's guess that half of the abstentions came from the McCain group and half came from the Paul group. That would mean that only 147 of McCain's and 102 of Paul's delegates voted the second time. Of those, 57 voted for Romney. So let's split them in half again, meaning 119 of McCain's supporters voted for Huckabee, and 73 of Paul's voters sided with Huckabee. If that's the case, Huckabee would not have won the WV caucus with the McCain support. He won because of Paul's support.
What am I trying to say? The media and the Romney camp are wanting to say that Huckabee's victory in WV was ONLY because of a backroom deal with McCain's delegates to throw their support behind Huckabee. The real picture is that while McCain's support helped, it was the Ron Paul supporters that ultimately gave Mike the victory. Thanks for your support Ron Paul delegates!!
To explain the startling success of Senator John McCain in the fight for the GOP presidential nomination, talk radio hosts and columnists who loathe the Arizona Senator cite an alleged split on the conservative side between Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. According to this reasoning (explicitly advanced by Laura Ingraham, Hugh Hewitt and many others) if only Huckabee withdrew as a candidate, Mitt Romney could unite conservative cadres and pull out an upset victory on Super-Duper Tuesday.
Of course, Huckabee won’t leave the race (in at least six of Tuesday’s state contests he’s running well ahead of Romney) and the argument that he should rests on distorted history and illogical assumptions.
Some of my fellow commentators on the right seem to believe that the minority “moderate” wing of the party has united behind McCain because they had no other candidate, and the much larger conservative base in the GOP fatally split its votes among a number of once-viable alternatives.
These conclusions are flat-out wrong--- both about the party’s ruling conservatives and its remaining moderates.
To believe that Huck and Mitt are dividing conservatives, you have to believe that Huckabee is a conservative --- which Romney, Limbaugh, Igraham, and countless others have been denying (stridently and strenuously) for months. Romney spent millions on negative ads in Iowa trying to label Huckabee as a liberal RINO—slamming him as soft on immigration, soft on crime, a big spender, a tax hiker and so forth (the same sort of attacks that they’re now applying to McCain). Fred Thompson pronounced Huckabee a “pro-life LIBERAL” and Rush delivered daily diatribes about how the former Arkansas governor was not “a conservative.” So, has Huckabee now suddenly morphed into a true conservative just to give Romniacs an excuse for the failure of their guy to rally the rightwing base? ... (click here to continue reading article)
I hesitate to make this post, because I have used my blog to be "pro-Huckabee" not "anti-any other candidate." I began my support for Gov. Huckabee when he was just a dot on the radar. I read his book, I have listened to his speeches, I read his response to various attacks, and my conclusion is that he is the best man to lead our country for the next 4-8 years.
Over the last several months, my dislike for Mitt Romney has grown as strong as my like for Mike Huckabee. I cannot remember another Presidential primary where feelings have become so strong. I thought I would try to figure out why. Here are some reasons I am against Romney:
In Regards to Policy -- It's Often Changing:
In the last debate, Romney more than anybody else, evoked Ronald Reagan's name. He said, "Absolutely" that Ronald Reagan would endorse him. However, he used to say, "Look, I was an Independent at the time of Reagan-Bush. I am not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." When confronted on that, and voting for a Democratic candidate during a primary, he was less than convincing. So why was a Reagan conservative registered as an Independent?
On immigration, Romney claims that he will cut funding for sanctuary cities. Maybe so, but as governor he took no action against several such towns in his state. Furthermore, illegals worked at his mansion. Huckabee gets all sorts of heat for not wanting to punish the children of illegals, while Romney said virtually the same thing in 2004 -- "I hate the idea of in any way making it more difficult for kids, even those who are illegal aliens, to afford college in our state."
On the homosexual agenda, Romney recently converted to a more conservative support of a Marriage Amendment. In the past, he has supported the state's right to decide such matters. He ran for Senate as more liberal than Ted Kennedy on the position. Gov. Romney's "Governor's Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth", (which gets hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars) organized schoolchildren from their school-based "Gay-Straight Alliance" clubs to participate in a "Youth Pride Day" parade through downtown Boston.
Romney claims his strength is in the area of finances. He pounces on Huckabee every chance he gets because of some tax increases that occurred in Arkansas. What's the rest of the story?? In reality, as governor of Massachusetts Romney increased fees in the state by $500 million and proposed nearly $400 million in business tax increases. He increased fees for getting married, buying a house, bringing a case to court, and using a public golf course, to name a few reported examples. He increased substantially the fee for restaurants such as McDonald's to have their advertising sign by the side of the road on Interstates. I wonder who ended up paying that tax ... I mean fee?
The Healthcare Package that he signed into law in MA was supported by Sen. Kennedy. Here's a video clip of Romney's discussing it later, and the actual signing ceremony. This package allows a $50 copay for abortions, by the way.
The health of the Republican party in MA suffered after Romney's term as governor. Huckabee has been accused of setting back the Republican party in the state of Arkansas. So, why isn't anybody talking about the results of Gov. Romney's efforts in Massachusetts? Romney arrived on the scene with great promise, but is leaving the Republican Party here in shambles. Not only are the Republicans yielding the governor's office for the first time in 16 years, but registered Republicans have fallen by 31,000 since Romney took office, and their legislative presence is at historic lows. In fact, watch the clip below for an analysis of the Governor's legacy on the day he left office.
In regard to Supreme Court nominees, will he continue in the same manner as his appointments during his time as Governor? "Of the 36 people Romney named to be judges or clerk magistrates, 23 are either registered Democrats or unenrolled voters who have made multiple contributions to Democratic politicians or who voted in Democratic primaries, state and local records show. In all, he has nominated nine registered Republicans, 13 unenrolled voters, and 14 registered Democrats."
When it comes to matter of sanctity of life, this ad by the American Right To Life says it all:
In Regards To Character -- Can He Be Trusted?
While it's not a crime or a sin to change one's opinion on issues, Romney's changes appear to be fueled by political gain. When it was beneficial to run as a liberal in Massachusetts, that's exactly what he did. When it was expedient to run as a conservative for a bid for President in 2008, guess what? He sheds the liberal skin and emerges as a conservative. How do we really know his position?
He has run several attack ads that stretched the truth to the point of breaking on McCain and Huckabee. Yet, during debates he has the audacity to make statements such as, "Can't we elevate the discussion above personal attacks." He can dish it out, but has pretty thin skin when it comes back at him. On several occasions he claimed to not even know what were on some of his attack ads. Hmmm.
Those who know him best seem to like him least. John McCain has been endorsed by both of Mitt Romney's hometown newspapers, a blow to the former Massachusetts governor who often taunts his opponents with negative e-mails titled, "Those who know him best." The Boston Herald, the state's conservative tabloid, endorsed Arizona Sen. McCain for President also.
A person's view of Scripture tells us MUCH about one's character and worldview. Gov. Romney does not believe the first book and foundation of the Bible, that God created the heaven and the earth. (The only one of the candidates still in the race who does is Gov. Huckabee, and perhaps Ron Paul).
Before taking over the Olympics, Romney said he would not use it for political advantage. Now every time the subject of finances comes up, he touts that he saved the Olympics.
Romney may look good and sound good, but I deeply question his authenticity and sincerity. Before the voting this Tuesday, please take a closer look ... and if you like Huckabee, but think he doesn't have a chance to win, you might want to recall that Arnold S. was elected governor in CA because most Republicans didn't think a more conservative McClintock could win. Exit polls showed that if everyone who thought McClintock couldn't win had voted for him, he would have won. Don't be fooled into thinking it's either McCain or Romney. Huckabee is still very much alive.
I am fed up of hearing on the news, political talk show programs, and the internet that the Republicans are down to a "2 man race." Romney is making calls to the Super Tuesday states with a statement that sounds as if Huckabee is no longer a candidate. He says, "The race for the Republican nomination for President is NOW a two person race." Hannity and Limbaugh have been calling on Huckabee to step out of the primary, because he is splitting the evangelical vote with Romney. They've been saying, "A vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain."
Gov. Huckabee replied to that charge by saying, "A vote for me is a vote for me!" Only 8% of delegates have been elected. All three candidates are close to each other in delegate count. (As an aside, if Thompson hadn't split the evangelical votes in South Carolina, Huckabee would have won, and the momentum McCain gained, would not have occurred.)
Of the Super Tuesday States, Huckabee is leading or tied for the lead in Tennessee (55 delegates), Georgia (72), Missouri (58), Alabama (48), Arkansas (34) and Oklahoma (41). Also, a FOX poll, has Huckabee and Romney TIED for 2nd. On the other hand, Mitt Romney is leading in Massachusets (43), Colorado (46), and Utah (36). It appears that Huckabee will be ahead of Romney in delegate count after Tuesday. (For more in-depth numbers, click here)
My question is, why doesn't Romney drop out, and stop splitting the evangelical vote. A vote for Romney is a vote for McCain.
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