December 9, 2007
Posted: 05:01 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN)–Look for more red-hot scrutiny of Republican Mike Huckabee this week, the underdog turned top dog in Iowa.

A Newsweek poll shows Huckabee now has a whopping 22 point lead over Mitt Romney in Iowa — other polls don't show as big a Huckabee lead, but with a little over three weeks to go until the lead-off contest, the former governor of Arkansas is now the one to beat.

Expect Huckabee to be a target when the GOP candidates square off in the Des Moines Register debate on Wednesday.

Romney, in particular, will be trying to regain his footing in Iowa, where he once enjoyed a comfortable lead.

Thursday, it's the Democrats' turn to debate in Des Moines — with the three-way slugfest between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards taking center stage.

Clinton and Obama refocus on the Hawkeye state after dueling weekend events in South Carolina featuring superstar surrogates: Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.

But no one is bigger than Republican Ron Paul's new campaign vehicle: A blimp — floating up the Eastern seaboard this week — headed right for the first in the nation primary state of New Hampshire.

-CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer

Filed under: Barack Obama • Bill Clinton • Hillary Clinton • Iowa • John Edwards • Mike Huckabee • Mitt Romney • Oprah Winfrey • Presidential Candidates • Race to '08


Chris, Middletown, CT   December 10th, 2007 3:18 pm ET

Heres the breakout….

If the Dems are dumb enough to nominate Hillary - she will run with Richardson to pander for the Latino vote (figures the african american vote is locked up)

If the Republicans nominate Giuliani - he will pick Huckabee (and he won't attack him in the debate….watch)

The Giuliani ticket will garner 60% of the vote - as even most Democrats don't trust Hillary

Jill, MN   December 10th, 2007 2:42 pm ET

"Hillary has seen what happens when governments try to control a woman's reproductive health decisions. Whether it was Romania under a dictatorship saying you had to have children for the good of the state or China saying you had to have only one child for the good of the state, governments have dictated the most private and important decisions that we as individuals or families can make."

We have seen what happens when government does not protect the rights of the most vunerable-the unborn baby. You talk about government dictating? What on earth do you call her plan government controlled healthcare?! Wake up. Hillary is a Socialist. We need to keep her out of government. God help New York for letting her in there.

CLINTON 2008   December 10th, 2007 1:54 pm ET

Hillary's historic statement at the United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 that "women's rights are human rights" still echoes worldwide. As a lawyer, advocate, First Lady, and senator, Hillary has fought for issues important to women here at home and around the world for decades. Today, despite the progress women have made, they earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn — and women of color earn even less. Hillary is leading the charge in the Senate to strengthen equal pay laws and end pay disparities between men and women. She introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the penalties associated with wage discrimination, to ensure that the federal government sets a higher standard, and to increase oversight of employers. Hillary has also worked to increase access to capital and other support for women-owned businesses.
When it comes to each woman's ability to make the most personal of life decisions, Hillary has stood firm as an advocate for a woman's right to choose. She has expanded access to family planning services, including for low-income women. She spoke out forcefully against the Supreme Court's April 2007 decision that — for the first time in decades — failed to recognize the importance of women's health.
Hillary has worked to empower women throughout the world, especially low-income women. She has advocated for access to microfinance programs that enable women to start their own businesses and spoken out strongly against the tragic practice of sex trafficking.
As president, Hillary will continue her lifelong fight to ensure that all Americans are treated with respect and dignity.

Hillary has fought the relentless and insidious efforts by far-right Republicans to limit the protections of Roe v Wade, while also working hard to expand access to family planning services.
Hillary has seen what happens when governments try to control a woman's reproductive health decisions. Whether it was Romania under a dictatorship saying you had to have children for the good of the state or China saying you had to have only one child for the good of the state, governments have dictated the most private and important decisions that we as individuals or families can make.
She has championed the Prevention First Act, which expands access to family planning services for low-income women, requires health insurance companies to cover contraception, and provides a dedicated funding stream for age-appropriate, medically accurate, comprehensive sex education.
As First Lady, she helped pass the Family and Medical Leave Act and helped found the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancies, which established and achieved a goal of reducing teen pregnancies by one-third between 1996 and 2005.
In partnership with Senator Patty Murray, Hillary waged a successful three-year battle to get the Food and Drug Administration to accept the overwhelming recommendation of the medical community and make Plan B (the "morning after" pill) available over the counter.
Hillary's work to empower low-income women has changed lives. She fought for the elimination of school fees, which prevent poor children in some countries from attending school, and for investments in health care and education for women and girls. And she helped found Vital Voices, a not-for-profit organization that continues to work to support women's leadership around the globe.

Wade Enns Tyler, Texas   December 10th, 2007 1:48 am ET

Huckabee is a wanna be. We enjoyed being entertained by a folksy character but the safty of America we depend upon a better man. Mitt Romney prays to the same God and he is from a peaceful religion and his business experience, Olypic erxperience and Governing experience has shown he is the right man for the right times and America is warming up to Mitt Romney he is not perfect but he's good.

MK, Los Angeles, California   December 9th, 2007 11:48 pm ET

Looks like this story just won't go away.

Another Senator Clinton "volunteer" has been fired for sending out that vile email concerning Senator Obama. This volunteer sent out the email to ten people back on October 5 — a full month BEFORE the last volunteer did the same thing. This is getting to look less and less like renegade volunteers and more and more like a campaign strategy.

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