I find it truly amazing how easily people can be led to believe lies and I have to agree with Mike from New York that it's sad when people cannot wish each other Merry Christmas any more without others suspecting them of a hidden agenda.

We need to start thinking for ourselves and stop letting the media lead us around by the noses. Let's make our own choices so then if anyone deserves to be blamed, we can stand up and say, "I made a mistake and now I have to live with the consequences."

Common sense has truly died.

the book shelf looks like a plus sign perhaps he is a secret numerologist…… or maybe it is just a book shelf… from an Australian perspective you guys need to relax.

Dan

Using this obvious illusion of a cross to build and distort Huckabee's character is unethical. If Huckabee is a genuine ordained Baptist minister, then why is he a member of the CFR, whose goal is a New World Order? The NWO is the arm that will usher in the anti-christ.

Joe Carter, Huckabee's research director, stated Huckabee doesn't have a theology degree. (http://tinyurl.com/3bknaa)
During the YouTube debate Huckabee said, “I think I’m stronger than most people because I truly understand the nature of the war that we are in with Islamo fascism. These are people that want to kill us. It’s a theocratic war. And I don’t know if anybody fully understands that. I’m the only guy on that stage with a theology degree. I think I understand it really well.”

This information alone should raise the doubts of Christian supporters. You can't serve two gods. Isn't this a double standard? We've been fooled long enough by establishment-picked wolf candidates wearing sheep clothing.

what a joke. it was a christmas spot. one thing's clear - huckabee was the first to do it and everyone followed suit. his response to criticism seems genuine confirmed by his laughter and astonishment (check out the youtube videos) and his comments that making a politically correct mole-hill into a mountain demonstrates the a type of societal immaturity that even school children would never know how to participate in. come on, let's talk about stuff that actually effects peoples lives, 'merry christmas' or mentioning the birth of the most influential person the world has seen to date (regardless what you think about him) is simply that - mentioning his birth. goodness we're a petty people.

I want the 14 seconds of my life back. You know, the time I spent reading what passes for news here. . .

Hucabee our Christian candidate started it all and now all will follow. After all it is the festive season and religion is in the air. May Hucabee be the GOP nominee so Hillary can be President in 2009.

Go Hillary44 08!

If Huckabee had just said "Merry Christmas," he would have preempted this flap. But, his intent wasn't just to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. His intent was to single out religious conservatives and send them an exclusionary "I'm your man" message by pointing out what is obvious to them - namely that Christmas is "the celebration of the birth of Christ." That comment shows that this was not an innocent holiday greeting. It was a blantant "nudge" message. Huckabee shamelessly exploited occasion of celebration of the birth of Christ for a purely political purpose.

Why are you guys so upset about a religious man running for President? Goodness–he is not devisive. He's real. At least he's honest about his faith. If you want someone who waves his hands during every answer, then vote for Romney. Huckabee has gone out of his way to be inclusive, while being true to his faith. The strong reactions I see to Huckabees faith tell me more about you folks than it does about Huckabee.

Sometimes its better to be lucky than good..

What's the big deal?! Out of all the political holiday ads running, Mike Huckabee's and Obama's are the best. Heaven forbid, Mike Huckabee talking about celebrating Jesus's birthday and the importance of family and friends…(sarcasm). Hey dumb Americans I celebrate Christmas because I pay homage to Jesus being born, not to some fat white guy in a loud red suit claiming to have magical powers.

Stick to the issues! As a Christian, I was willing to take a closer look at this candidate.

Huckabee = High taxes, benefits for illegals, soft on criminals, no foreign affairs experience, several cover-ups, obvious bigotry of millions of people, manipulation of the legal system, constant ethics comittee reviews and violations… Need I go on?

You can wish me a Merry Christmas all you want Gov. Huckabee, I don't trust you any farther than I could throw you. You are NOT my kind of Christian, the truthful and responsible kind!!!!

NO VOTE FOR HUCKABEE!

Human nature and memory being what they are, few "Christians" managed to stay on Christ's path. In fact, the Bible states that the "path to righteousness is narrow" and few will follow it, while most will find the path to "destruction is broad and easy to follow."

Forget others, the answers are there for all to read. it's like cliff notes for life.

Someone already commented on this but it's worth repeating: The story talks about a cross in the ad as being a possible subliminal message but fails to note that to the left there is also a CHRISTmas tree in plain sight. Yes the tree has pagan roots and it's at the crux of holiday commercialism–where do the gifts go?–but it is nonetheless a religious symbol. Get on the ball CNN.

First Amendment reminder
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now to the comment from Matt CA:
"Why is it all the athiests, jews, muslims and other non christian folk get so upset that someone says "Merry Christmas" …You say "ALL" this is a typical prejudice statement.Most of the other religious groups have the same respect for other religion than for their own .We are the one who over 2000 years try to put Christ in them ,not respecting their religion. It is not the majority of islam who hates and do not respect christians and their believes , it is the extremist of islamic groups, jewish people are still hated today by those islamic groups and some so called christian groups.We do do not tolerate pagans bcs they believe in the natrual things earth water etc,which we, bcs we do not understand compare with whichcraft. This is called Religious intolerance which is either intolerance motivated by one's own religious beliefs or intolerance against another's religious beliefs or practices. It manifests both at a cultural level, but may also be a formal part of the dogma of particular religious groups.

The mere statement on the part of a religion that its own beliefs and practices are correct and any contrary beliefs incorrect does not in itself constitute intolerance. There are many cases throughout history of established religions tolerating other practices. Religious intolerance, rather, is when a group (a society, a religious group) specifically refuses to tolerate practices, persons or beliefs on religious grounds.

Religious intolerance may be purely religious, but can be a "cover story" for an underlying political or cultural motive.

Religion has nothing to do with politics and should be seperated,it is just wrong to use religion to get browny points.This takes away from the main issues that politians should concentrate on .We dicect christmas messages of our candidates instead of to decide who benefits us the most and what their agenda is .It is very sad to see still today how much disrespect and lack of tolerance we have for each other in any aspect, religious, racial or what ever
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I live in South Carolina, while I don't mind Huckabee playing the religion card, I am more concerned about his stance(or lack of stance) on immigration. If Huck will sign a pledge to enforce existing immigration laws and kick out illegal immigrants, he may have my vote. I'm a true christian conservative. I couldn't vote for George W Bush because of how weak he was on immigration. I work as a manager at a video game store. If I wanted the border opened up, then I might as well voted for a Democrat, and atlest that way I would get a raise. I'm tried of people like bush saying that Mexicans will do jobs americans won't do. Mexicans work jobs that Americans aren't willing to do AT THAT PAYRATE! If you kick out the illegals, that forces American companies to pay more money to fill those jobs, or do it themselves! Please come out strong againsts Corportation Executives and Illegals, the candidate that comes out VERY strong against Illegal Immigration, or John Edwards has my vote!

hucks hurmor is about as dry as his sons ,.killing dogs is not funny and neither using god to get elected,.,.god dont like rich repubs.,no rich men get to heaven remember ,.good theng it didnt say anything about rich women hehhe,.,.txtj

Okay - for all those who think the "Paul is Dead" comment has to do with Ron Paul - where have you been? Do you even remember who The Beatles were? FYI - "Paul is Dead" is in reference to a Beatles song that when played backwards says "Paul is Dead". Huckabee is not insane, hes just making reference to a phrase that most Americans know the meaning of.
Suggestion - do your homework before sounding like a complete idiot.

It is not Jesus Christ nor his teachings that intimidates the non-Christians among us.

It is the self-righteousness of Christians that scares us, and their threats to take away our basic rights, such as: a woman's right to choose, the right of a gay couple to be able to enjoy the same advantages married couples have, and the right to have our children learn about the theory of evolution in their science classes. Among so many others.

We have a separation of church and state for a reason. The religious Christian fundamentals among us are threatening to impede our progress as a nation. Frankly, I believe they will cause our collapse.

"Live and let live" is not a concept the Christians seem to be all that familiar with.

Why is it all the athiests, jews, muslims and other non christian folk get so upset that someone says "Merry Christmas"

So many post about "That is not what I believe" Get over it and grow up. I don't want politically correct responses kowtowing to every minority opinion when someone is trying to wish you well.

Your in a minority because not many people think like you. Accept that. No one is saying what you think is wrong and that they do not accept you.

They are just not making some generalized watered down and safe response to coddle and inflate the ego's of minority opinions. To do so goes against the original intention which was to wish you well.

Now there is no harm in wishing someone well is there? There is no malice in the words or malice intended. By any means of saying it, it still means the same thing right? It's still a positive thing.

So saying Merry Christmas to someone should not break out into some political furver and accepting of minority points of view. Saying Merry Christmas is a cultoral, ethnic, and religious term. Not just one but all.

So for all the whiney people that bring up not my religion, accept my religion, specialize to my belief, why don't you start the accepting by accepting others and their beliefs as well.

Accept that Merry Christmas just means that someone is making the effort to wish you the best at this time of year. From their point of view they are just being kind and thoughtful. That is how it is intended and that is how it should be taken.

We accept that the words "All men are created equal" means all people not just the male of the species. Because in our hearts we accepted the change of meaning.

So when someone wishes you Merry Christmas at this time that they really mean " Happy Hanuka" or "salam malakim" or "Have fun sitting alone wishing you were with family" or whatever your minority opinion or belief is that is what you are being wished.

Maybe if you were more accepting of others they would be accepting of you. You can start by accepting that there is this majority in America and you are either some part of it or some part not of it. But you must accept it even if you don't agree with it or are apart of it.

And remember that you only have that minority opinion and belief because the majority are accepting of you.

And so to you all I say "Merry Christmas"

To all my Democrat friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To all my Republican friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To all the bashers of Huckabee's Christmas wishes & western religious ideals. An upcoming group of "religious folks" will be in the spotlight soon & they will be running for office. Attacking "their religion & beliefs" will have dire consequences not only in America, but world wide! So have your fun now chopping up Huckabee's cross, his religious views & Christmas ball trilogy.

You are about to meet & adhere to "The Ultimate Politically Correct Party". No Religious Bashing Allowed At All! Enjoy!

Perhaps the tree has a secret message to - it looks like a space ship is flying towards a red planet - is Huckabee sending a message to his leader? The media is out-of-control and less truthful than Bush.

I have no problem with anyone wishing me Merry Christmas. I do have a problem with someone running for president trying to show he is more Christian than someone else. He also is a religious bigot but Mormon bashing seems acceptable to some so-called Christians. I want a candidate to tell me his view on taxes and other important issues. I want an ethical president who doesn't solict gifts from other people while in office. People are actually saying they are supporting this guy because of this commercial. Look at his suggestion of a national sales tax and his foreign policy. A close look at this guy shows he is in no way qualified to lead the country.

A bookshelf. That's all–a bookshelf. No books on the shelves. But, a bookshelf. It probably had books on the shelves but God intervened to make us see only the Cross. Mysterious ways.

Jesus.

The only thing worse than him thinking we are total fools is the possibility that he is right.

Heaven forbid if we should have Christ like politicians..

Hukabee is an idiot. A typical lying self serving preacher that feeds off people and takes their money. Unqualified from a State that the economy is so small who cares??
This guy would not have a clue about the constitution. he just does his little smirk with those stupid preacher jokes.

You people must be blind or just stupid to follow this idiot. This is like the Preachers that take all the money from the plate and drive 200,000 dollar cars where Rolexes and live in Malibu and have 4 otehr homes and these peole send them more money. They should be in jail.

*sigh* What is it with the press and the media around Christmas time? Every bloody year, same thing. "Is it Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?" Come on, people. I'm a Jew, born and raised in Canada, and if someone says "Merry Christmas" to me, I say it right back to them. I don't get into this whole "I'm not Christian, you should say Happy Hannukah to me blah blah blah". In fact, I find it more insulting when people say "Happy Holidays" to me than "Merry Christmas", because it sounds like they're trying to pander to me (or at least trying to be politically correct, and there are few things I hate more than being politically correct). I just hope this stupid and asinine debate gets finished eventually and we can all go back to saying what we want, the way it's supposed to be.

So, everyone, as Krusty the Clown says,

"Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Kwazy Kwanzaa, Tip Top Tet, and a Solemn, Dignified Ramadan".

Why is everyone all over Huckabee about his faith? Sure, Huckabee knew that was a cross behind him. And sos? What's wrong with that? Why doesn't he just come on out and say, yes, it's a cross back there. He is/was a Baptist Minister. Goodness gracious. But there's something about Huckabee that bothers me about this whole thing. I mean it seems he tries to hide some things that are true about the Bible and Jesus Christ just to make it politically correct as he campaigns. I think he'd better watch this because although he wants it both ways I don't really know if it can be done that way. And if it can, meaning embracing the entire America while still remaining true to what he knows, true to the Lord, then more power to him and of course all power to Him! And the same for Romney, I don't think Romney is being totally honest in revealing his faith to the American people. Has he said their book of faith is the Gideon Book? Has he said their name is Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? And so all this means something absolutely different from Christianity, yet they seem to want to try to make it seem as if it is all totally the same, and it is not.

Iam more worried about what kind of kids Huckabee has than what his religion but he will not be able to separate one from the other. One of his sons was expelled from the Boy Scouts for torturing, cutting a dogs throat and hanging it. Nice family. I would compare him not to vick but to Dahmer. I hope we are not dumb enough as a country to once again put somebody in the WH who says God placed him there. And yes, Huckabee probably thinks that it's his religious right to be President.

Wow Tom Soppe, you seem to have a lot of hate in your heart. The only real point I was trying to make, and I’ll concede that I may have gotten a little side-tracked, was that by attacking Huckabee over something as trivial as wishing his supporters a Merry Christmas, you create the potential for Christians to flock to his defense. Evangelical Christians are looking for a candidate to back and they have proven that they can be easily manipulated. They backed Bush in the previous 2 elections and made ALL of the difference for him all because he told them he was a born-again Christian. I have actually been to churches that pass out flyers to the congregation with the Christian pros and cons of the candidates listed “for their information”. Sermons are being prepared AS WE SPEAK that serve to give “insight” into the evils of the liberal-minded world. No doubt, someone will use your comments (Keep your Jesus out of My Government) as a war cry to rally in support of a new Bush. Pastors feel the need all across the land to tell their congregations how they should vote.

Regarding my loyalties, I have no intentions of switching my support of Hillary to anyone. I will support her campaign until she is no longer running for President (be that February, June, November, or 2016). Regarding talking privately to God, I do it daily. It’s what Christians refer to as prayer. We believe that God hears us. We believe that he communicates with us through his Word (the Bible) and through his Holy Spirit. I’ve never verbally had God tell me that something is offensive. However, I have offended him often and know that it can be done. As a non-believer, I’m not asking you to fall for anything and I’m sure that you’ll dismiss this as poppycock. And that’s ok I guess. Understand that I know that you are entitled to your beliefs, opinions, and convictions. Just understand that Mike Huckabee is entitled to his as well.

Merry Christmas Tom Soppe!

Hillary ’08!

We cant say Merry Christmas because some people feel left out?

That makes me feel left out.

If I have to listen to you about your "holiday" then please he me spout about MINE…

Merry Catherine to all.. presents are now being accepted.

Ben Franklin
Congressional Congress, 1787

"I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth–that God Governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

"We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

"I therefore beg leave to move–that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service."

Fisher Ames

(Author of the First Amendment)

"Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a schoolbook? Its morals are pure, its examples are captivating and noble….In no Book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant, and by teaching all the same they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith."

4 Patrick Henry

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations."

Zombie likes brains.
Brainssssss.
BRAINNSSSSSS.

“What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.”
–George Washington in a speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779

Thomas Jefferson

“The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man.”

“Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus.”

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus." [Letter to Benjamin Rush April 21, 1803]

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever.” [Notes on the State of Virginia, 1781]

“It [the Bible] is a document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."
[Jan 9, 1816 Letter to Charles Thomson]

Benjamin Franklin: | Portrait of Ben Franklin
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787 | original manuscript of this speech

John Adams and John Hancock:
We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775]

John Adams:
“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
• “[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
–John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress

Patrick Henry:
"Orator of the Revolution."
• This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
—The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” [May 1765 Speech to the House of Burgesses]

“The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.”

Christmas has become a BIG ECONOMIC BOOM for America. Let me see, you celebrate GOD's SON's birthday and America propers. It's…….almost…… like…….. GOD is pleased.

Hey Huck-a-don't, actually … Christmas being on December 25 is no accident, it was the date of the Roman feast of Juvenalia, which Pope Julius I conveniently chose to celebrate Christ's birth on. So much for religious authenticity. So secular celebration couldn't be more in tune with this particular holiday.

Ever heard of a wolf in sheeps clothing?? I would never try this bigot with some many past hateful attacks against minority groups. What a two faced bigot.

To all those outraged at Huckabee’s bookshelf cross, Christmas, other Christian Holidays & religious candidates showing respect for Christmas. Show your REAL convictions! Protest By Going To Work On Those Days & Shut Up! I don't want to offend anyone so, If Ya "Hate The Baby Jesus", Close Your Eyes NOW! Merry Christmas & a Very Prosperous Happy New Year To All of you!

Ok, Open Your Eyes NOW! YOU, Have a Nasty, Terrible Holiday Season! May hordes of annoying people cascade thru your neighborhood while singing off key Christmas carols praising the baby Jesus & Joy to the world. I have become like all the adversaries of Christmas & America. I will hate your religion or your atheist beliefs by protesting & opposing EVERYTHING you believe in & want changed From Now On! God Bless America & the freedom of expression to do unto others what they’ve done unto you & your country!

So, Bill in Iowa, are you sure that my support for keeping Jesus out of government offends God? You sound pretty sure about that. You must have talked to him privately.

If separation of church and state offends God so much, maybe God should finally read the constitution.

Oh, and I suppose I'm just driving you to Huckabee and away from the Dems by saying this, right? As if it is constitutionalist non-Christians' fault that you are threatening to support Huckabee for shallow reasons.

That sounds like the typical mainstream media argument- if Republicans win by out-Christianing the Dems, and Dems stay loyal to keeping the government nonsectarian like the founding fathers wanted it, it's the Dems fault for having principles, not the Republicans' fault for cynically manipulating theocratic feelings.

Or maybe you are just threatening to support Huck instead of Hillary if we disagree with you in order to trick fellow Dems into not responding to your comment? Nice trick to try to get the last word. I'm not falling for it.

America is too PC. When we wish Merry Christmas, it's not inclusive. If we left Merry Christmas out of an ad, you wouldn't see a bunch of Christians posting on a message board. This country has turned into the "me" country. The country of "I", where everyone thinks their opinion is the most important. Here's an idea. Stop being offended by things not meant to offend. Stop looking for things to be pissed off about. Be happy, enjoy life. Go to work on "Christmas day" if you don't believe in Christmas, although everyone believes in a day off. I celebrate the birth of Jesus, not Dec. 25. Had it happened to fall on July 19, I would still celebrate it as a day of significance, not celebrating the day itself. Get a life people. Stop reading in to things. Enjoy yourselves, help others, be kind. These are universal truths. And deal with the fact that people in this country can say whatever they want, such as Merry Christmas….even if they are running for President. Welcome to America, home of the free, just not free speech if what they say disagrees with your opinion. Welcome to the country of "ME" and "I".

I tell you what…to all of you that are offended by CHRISTMAS. Don't enjoy the benefits that this national holiday brings. Don't exchange gifts…and GO TO WORK. Take Halloween off.

Christ Mass, Christmas - Who cares? Huckabee's statement has nothing to do with denomination, but rather a history lesson on where the word "Christmas" came from. In the end, its Christmas! Its the same now as it was in centuries past. My first ammendment right gives me the freedom to say "Merry Christmas" just as it gives those the right to say something else. Why should Mr. Huckabee have to say "Happy Holidays" just so he won't run the risk of offending someone? Politicians lie enough these days without encouraging them to say what they don't believe just to please someone and get a vote.

My purpose on this earth is to tell others about Jesus, just as it is their "choice" whether they "choose" to believe. In the end, its about choices. Why is it that we find the need to criticize others for that? Why? Maybe because we live in a society where everyone has to be right, and to hell with those who "choose" not to believe what you believe. The question is - how much faith do you have in your choice? I choose Jesus! I choose "Merry Christmas!" I choose my first ammendment right to say so. If I offended anyone with my comments, oh well … I guess I'll just have to live with that. And, by the way, its a bookshelf! Get over it!

In response to some of my attackers out there:

From Adam in Ohio
"Your view, Matt, that that means I am not voting for him because he's a Christian makes you an idiot."

You're still against him for talking about his Christian faith. It seems that is your main criticism of him, which is my point. Huckabee will use his experiences as governor and as a Church leader to guide his judgment.

From Bukky in Baltimore
"I dont want YOUR way of thinking forced down my throat or mandated into law."

Huckabee is not going to force Christianity down anyone's throat, but he has every right to talk about religion. As president or VP he will be guided by his views same as you are guided by your liberal views. Both are equally valid, I just believe Christian and conservative values are best for the country.

When you look at American values and laws they are deeply rooted in the Christian tradition. As far as I am concerned "my" way of thinking was mandated into law long ago.

D Scherer said <>

D Scherer - Unfortunately, you and others have disorted things a lot. No one is saying you can't say Merry Christmas to Christians or that it's not OK to be Christian. You WANT to see it this way because it makes it easier to excuse your own bad behavior. Or you're just not that bright. You pick.

KND said:

KND - it IS possible, but Huckabee is evidence that it's not possible for HIM. Look at the ad, look at his past behaviors. He can't do it. He's a mistake.

I don't attend the company Christmas parties (yeah - more than one) and I would be working on Christmas if I could. They lock me out of the building, same as they do on Good Friday.

Why should anyone expect that I celebrate the birth of another religion's god? He's not my G-d, and celebrating false idols, isn't that one of those pesky commandments?

It's such a commercial holiday now. Why don't the Christians attempt to wrestle their holiday back from the edge of extinction into the orgy of spending and eating that is has become.

Take a look at your own house, before you attack non-Christians for just not wanting to have to bow down and celebrate someone else's religion.

Is that so ho, ho, ho hard to understand?

YOU PEOPLE. The one's who are whining about having religion "slammed" down your throat. GIVE ME A BREAK. The 1st Amendment allows Christians and all people of faith to "express" their beliefs. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TURN IT OFF OR DON'T LISTEN. If an islamic radical gets on TV and starts wishing everyone Happy Bombing then I will laugh and turn it off. The United States govt. has absolutely nothing to do with this ad. You have no right to condemn Huckabee's faith. The 1st Amendment says that the government will make no law establishing a religion. The second that the government makes a law establishing Christianity as the countries "official" religion I will contact the ACLU on your behalf. UNTIL THEN, SHUT UP and quit your whining.

…liberals cannot tolerate Christianty and will do anything to remove all aspects of faith and religion from society." Sounds like classic victimization identity in psychology. This liberal labeling is indicative of what's wrong in the US: an us-vs.-them mentality.

And why is one of Huckabee's ears white while the other is black?? @#$%racist..

Again Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
Frohe Weihnachten, Felize Navidad, Bon Noel,Buon Natale ,Gelukkige feestdagen, Feliz férias,καλες διακοπες , 즐거운 명절 , 幸せな休日, 節日快樂,You guys don't get it , you play way to much in this …No matter what religion,important is what the candidates can do for us and our country , frankly I don't care if he/she is pagan,atheist or what ever longest the job is done better than is the past especially for our poor,our almost no more existing middleclass
our children,veterans etc …you get the picture. Happy Holidays to the whole country

Agree agree agree….there is no story here. It is a media attempt to sensationalize something out of nothing again. Huckabee may not be fully qualified to be president like a Hillary and Giuliani (in my opinion) but he is sharp when it comes to dealing with the media. The media has not made a puppet on the string out of Huckabee like the other candidates. He's standing tall and firm with who and what he is…answering only to the real public. This approach is masterful and I can not pull myself away from this guy even though I am such a big fan of other candidates. His responses exposes what the spin machine & media is doing and it kills them. My fear? the media will now go on a character assination crusade …and poor Huckabee….I hope he can handle it. Though, my suspision is that the public can see through all this and the more they attack him on these ridiculous stories, the more support he'll get. Advise to the spin machine…..attack the candidate but do not attack the public's intelligence…it'll back fire on you. Go Huckabee!! oh….btw, it was only a bookshelf….I saw no cross other then a white bookshelf. Also, I am no evangelical…trust me! but I say merry christmas to all so what's wrong with that? but then again…what do I know…I'm only an average voter.

Ahhh, maybe it really is a sign, sent from Heaven to tell us he is the chosen one? Could be? God can work miracles you know.

Huckabee = Heaven-sent

???????????????????????????????????????

It's plain to see that this is a cross…nothing SUBLIMINAL about it. We don't need another Bible thumper in the White House. This guy has ZERO foreign policy experience. I hope the GOP has sense enough to nominate someone else or they're toast in '08.

Hi Ian,
From Eastham MA ,no hard feelings. Ya see how easy it is for most any issue, comment etc to be taken out of context when one doiesnt have a full understanding of the background.If we all knew everything about everything maybe the world would be a better place.
It´s Ironic that an issue over a cross in a political campaign became a lesson on a detail about the Beatles and Paul McCartney.Bottom Line is that this country is a mess and it´s diversity that we are so proud to exclaim to the world will be our down fall. For those that celebrate the Birth Of christ it´s quite sad that this beautiful time of the year has become a corporate/ media campaign as the brain washed masses flood the non descript shopping malls.
peace to all

I just don't understand why some people refuse to believe that it is possible for a Christian to be a Christian without parading (and by parading I mean forcing) their religion around for all else to see. I am a liberal, democrat, Christian who, when greeting passersby, says "Seasons greetings" and then Christians are happy, Jews, and any and everyone else because if nothing else, it is Winter. Republicans need to stop their "monopoly" on religion and need to admit the possibility that democrats' desire to keep Christianity, or religion in general, out of the public and governmental sect is not representative of shame or embarrassment for Christianity but is upholding the highest tenet of said, religion, the golden rule, namely that the best way to love and show respect for one's neighbors is to be open, and more than tolerant of their personal and religious beliefs.

What so many of you don't seem to understand is that the louder you complain, the more you are driving Christians who are sick of being attacked to him in droves.

Posted By Faith, Evansville, Indiana: December 18, 2007 8:36 pm
————-
Faith has a point. I've been a Christian since I was 12 and have never voted for a republican presidential nominee. In fact, I am a STRONG supporter of Hillary in this presidential race. However, to see Mike being bashed on the topic of wishing his supporters (mostly Christian GOP’ers) Merry Christmas, makes we want to write his campaign a check.

He seems genuine, which is more than I can say for most in this race. McCain was recently asked if he was a Christian, but would never admit outright that he was. I find that disturbing. I didn’t vote for Bush or his daddy in their elections, and wouldn’t vote for someone solely based on their faith (simply because I have found that people will say anything to get elected). However, multitudes of people did group around Bush in 2000 and 2004, just because he claimed to be a Christian. So, whether you like it or not, Christians can (and are likely to) choose the next President of the United States. Let’s not give them (and me) reasons to rally around this candidate. Comments like “Keep your Jesus out of my Government” serve not only to offend me and countless other Christians, they offend God (Jesus’ Father), Jesus (God the Son), and the Holy Spirit of God. The God-head, as we Christians call it, can triple-handedly alter the course of the election. May God’s mercies, blessings, and grace flow to all of the candidates, especially mine.

Hillary ’08!

It's plain to see that Huckabee is pandering to the right-wing evangelical base. Nothing wrong with that except we aren't electing a Theocrat in Chief.

By the way he does NOT have a degree in Theology. He attended the seminary for one year. He has a B.A. in religion from a Baptist university. Do some homework before you defend his "degree in theology". He doesn't have one.

yes, there is a subliminal message when you play it back! and it's not "Paul is dead", Hucleberry, you old jokester, you. it actually says; "I am a wolf in sheeps clothes, I march in step with Bush but try to act like I don't now that I realize it won't get me elected, I am a member of the CFR and bow to their wishes along with the international bankers and corporations and this explains my sudden surge of media coverage, I am a globalist, I will tax the living daylights out of you like I did Arkansas"….it continues but it is muffled and actually sounds like he makes a deal with satan. figures.

…and the three Christmas balls on the shelf represent the Trilogy, and the Christmas Tree represents the logging industry
This isn't news. I want to know who will be at the next quilting bee.

Liberals hate Huckabee because they hate Christians and can't stand see a candidate devoted to his morals. Huckabee is not a Christian running for president, he is a great leader who happens to be Christian.

Anyone who wouldn't vote for Huckabbe because of his faith are the same bigots that wouldn't vote for Obama because he's black.

McCain/Huckabee in 2008

Posted By Matt, New York, New York : December 19, 2007 10:14 am

Whoa dude… 1st- I am a christian AND a tree hugging liberal. I dont hate christians. I seriously dislike people who believe that THEIR way of christianity/ Doctirne/ Faith is the ONLY way and all other believers are doomed to burn. I dont want YOUR way of thinking forced down my throat or mandated into law.

Thats what Bush tried to do with gay rights and abstinence as sex ed. Those ideas are core to religious beliefs and not necessarily what MAKES SENSE.

And really… How can you equate one not wanting mandated religious doctrine to one NOT voting for a man based on skin color. Religion defines a man more so that his skin color because religion goes deep to the soul while color is only surface. Clearly you have issues for thinking the two are eqaul.

Anyone who wouldn't vote for Huckabbe because of his faith are the same bigots that wouldn't vote for Obama because he's black.

McCain/Huckabee in 2008
Posted By Matt, New York, New York : December 19, 2007 10:14 am

I'm an atheist, and I dislike Huckabee–not because he is a Christian, but because his social philosophy is such that social ills can only be solved through Christian faith and not through public policy. That's at odds with my worldview. Your view, Matt, that that means I am not voting for him because he's a Christian makes you an idiot. If that were the case, I would vote for nobody. I would not have voted for Bill Clinton. And last year, I would not have voted for Ted Strickland, a Methodist minister, for Ohio governor. The difference with those guys? They don't govern from the pulpit.

This has probably been said, but as a politician, in a political message, Huckabee knew that saying "Merry Christmas" would bring a reaction. For him to say otherwise is deceitful and dishonest, or he's an idiot. Either way, he loses credit.

For those of you bashing atheists, the reason they're up in arms isn't because they hate God, it's the fact that people are saying "I think Christians's should stand up up for what they believe. We need a strong Godly leader for president." To an atheist, that means their leader is going to be listening to voices in his head for guidance, instead of the people, and rationality.

We are an ethical nation, a humane nation, a great nation… We are not, however, a Christian Nation. Our country is based on Freedom, that's it. God can be good, the Bible can make some valid arguments, and Jesus may have been a swell guy, no problem, but I refuse to let the "Lord our Savior" take office. If Huckabee backs away from his pulpit and approaches the presidency as a representative of the land of the Free, I'm all for him. So far, he's just touting religion, and it's a terrifying thought.

It's a shame when a Christian candidate in a mainly Christian nation is actually critized for wishing people a Merry Christmas. Evangelicals are often accused of intolerance by liberal types. But those same liberals cannot tolerate Christianty and will do anything to remove all aspects of faith and religion from society.

The Republican party is a Christian party, so are the Democrats so are 90% of the American people. The difference is the Republicans embrace their faith. The Democrats are only Christians when it suits their political careers.

Posted By Matt, New York, New York : December 18, 2007 4:18 pm
————————–

So what do the other 10% count as? Nothing? I guess Jews, Muslims, Buddhists etc are not welcomein the GOP. I am assuming Yuck reviewed the ad before it aired and approved as is, even though it appears to be a cross purposely or not. But since he was targeting Christians, he left it. That also goes for wishing people of other faiths a "happy whatever"

As for Matts comment above about removing faith, we are trying to keep it where it belongs. NOT front and center. I do not want the GOP who obviously would put religion back into the process trying to press their beliefs into everyone else's life.

I am a Buddhist but wish all Christians a Merry Christmas, all Jews a Happy Hanukkah, all Muslims a glorious Ramadan, and those of other faiths Joy and Peace. What I dont want is for any of those groups to shove their religion down my throat through the political process. Also, New Years is just around the corner so Happy Holidasys to all.

As a pro-growth, pro-national defense, yet very heathen and non-religious Conservative Libertarian (is there truly such a thing?), I have to say, you whiners need to get a life.

The guy simply said Merry Christmas. So sue him.

How about a nice, "You have a nice day, too," in response? No need to be a petulant jerk when someone is wishing you well.

That's the bitter pill of "tolerance" that liberals refuse to swallow: accepting and tolerating views different from your own.

See, liberals demand tolerance, but only for the issues they champion. You other rubes, well you can just go p*ss up a rope.

I'm SICK of this guy abusing his identity as a Christian to get votes. This is SO slimy! He's using his religion as a qualification for office. This is SO wrong! Besides, if this was a bookshelf, it would have books on it.

US population - 300 million
US Christians - 270 million

90% of the population believes Jesus is their savior.

And the earlier poster is correct. If Huck want's to celebrate Christmas in it's wholeness, he ought to reconcile with the Catholic Church.

Bless him for saying Merry Christmas though. I turn to every holiday clerk that says "Happy Holidays" and look them square in the eye and say "Merry Christmas."

I am not offended if a Muslim or Jew gives me a blessing from their faith, so you can't be offended if you recieve a blessing from mine.

I don't know why there's such an uproar that Huckabee denies subliminal Christmas message in his recent ad. Go back to your coverage of the 2004 Republican National Convention and study closely the design of the podium. It appeared to me and most everyone I spoke to that there was a cross shape in the inlayed wood of the podium . . . and no one noticed or pitched a fit (as they SHOULD have) at that!!! Why doesn't CNN investigate this and do a report on it. Keep this thing going, please please please!!!

I cringed when I read some of these posts by theists. Anyone who doesn't believe in evolution, i.e Huckabee, cannot be trusted to run the nation, Furthermore, the argument over symantics that follows the logic that because science uses the term theory when describing its fundamental beliefs it isnt fact is not an argument. Evolution has never been disproven and is an observable and verifiable reality.Just like the theory of gravity, theory of relativity and so on. Since you may not want to take the time needed to read the thousands upon thousands of scientific journals and texts that demonstrate this here are some youtube links that will give you quick answers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVaCmASYLDg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS5vid4GkEY

This is nothing more than a feable attempt for the news forums to try and push us towards who they want as a contender for their candididate. Fox news bashes everyone not Gulieani and CNN is for whoever would do worse against Clinton or Obama. Wake up America. Form your own opinion and vote for who you beleive will be best for this country. One who handles such topics as a stronger dollar, lower fuel costs, alternataive fuels, global warming, and basic freedoms that we should have based upon the foundation of America. I dont want to fight everyones battles but at the same time if we don't who will? As a superpower we need to make sure countries do the right thing. This means we also need to do the right thing in order to set examples. But anyway - regardless if that person is a Republican or Democrat, I like Huck and because he is s straight talke. However I do believe he pandars a little to the religous base. I like Mccain but I fear is his message is not getting across. I wanted to vote for him in 2000 but Bush got the nomination before Ohio had a chance to really do anything about it. I like on the other Side as well. I like Clinton but I have concerns that it will really be Bill running the show. I like Obabam but I am unsure if he pandars to his audience. On the other hand Edwards makes me feel dirty after listening to him. Like a car sale gone bad. Giluani does not talk about anything other than Terriorism. He happened to be a leader at the time and was not very popular. Given that Jerry Springer was once the mayor of Cincinnati. Can you imagine him running for President if he happened to be mayor during a terrorism attack on Cincinnati?

Wake up an vote your mind people we are all humans and are capable of voting based upon critcal thinking. Please do that come election day. Just don't vote the party line or what your church tells you to vote for.

It's not after watching Huckabee's ad, but it's after watching CNN's interview of Huchabee for the bookshelf that I've decided that Huckabee would be a good president. He just needs to find a more shrewd and practical Vice President and guide the nation to the right path. For those in San Francisco area wanting to vote for Edwards, I just want to point out that Edwards thinks any family making $200,000 is top rich and should be taxed more, and in the Bay Area, if you don't make this much, you can't afford living in a real house. So when you vote for him, think about all the middle class people here will get taxed more, and already middle class people are being weighed down by all the heavy burdens of paying for everything in the country. The super rich don't really get taxed much because they have smart accountants and their income is capital gain, not regular salary.

can't even say ‘Merry Christmas’ anymore without somebody getting all upset about it.”

Ah, there he goes with the bull**** war on Christmas. What a smooth operator–he put out an "innocent" ad so that he could drum up a phony war on Christmas and then say, "look at these terrible secularists."

How naive does Huckabee think voters are?

Wait– don't answer that.

Anyway, I'm sure it was intentional, but it's also much ado about nothing, too, IMO.

"Paul is Dead"

Since you asked this question, I'm guessing that you are either in your 20s or 30s and do not remember when The Beatles were still performing together.

I'm only 24 and I still know what "Paul is dead" refers to.

What do these candidates think would happen. Religion and politics is a cheap, weak way to speak to the uneducated, the niave Americans.
I'm insulted when these idiots speak like Bush has that they have late evening talks with the frolicing Christ.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, Grow Up.

Correction: I said "undoubtably" when I should have said "undoubtedly."

Oh, and to Jill and Brad– put your punctuation inside the quotation marks. It's easier to take you seriously when it looks like you have at least a sixth grade education.

Matt, your argument is *really* tiresome. Most liberals in America *are* Christian. Whether you like it or not.

(P.S. You don't get to decide who's a Christian.)

i'm no more offended by this bookshelf than i am the t in the headline.

The comment that "we" celebrate Christmas is infuriating and most of all, ignorant. It does not matter that the majority of the US is Christian. Is he running to be president for just the Christians? Congratulations, Mike, you just alienated millions of voters. Merry Christmas to you.

that first sentence was supposed to read
And it's not Huck's faith that will make me not vote for him, it's his lack of faith.

It was quite obvious to me (and most people I'm sure)that it was a shelf behind Mr. Huckabee. we had some exactly like them not long ago. I think it was Pat Buchanan that first referred to a cross as I feel sure
Huckabee didn't even think of such a thing while making this.

Hey all you despisers of the cross (there isn't one in the Huckabee ad), where was your cynical outrage and hatred when Obama and Hillary were filmed leading church services (there were crosses all over the place in those ads)?

Jews and Muslims also celebrate Christmas.
Anyone who wouldn't vote for Huckabbe because of his faith
Posted By Matt, New York, New York : December 19, 2007 10:14 am

Uhhh, WRONG, what an absolutely ludicrous statement.

And it's Huck's faith that will make me not vote for him, it's his lack faith.
Lack of faith in evolution in the face of mauntains of empirical and forensic evidence. Or perhaps it is his faith, his faith that the Earth is only 6000 years old. Anyone who espouses those two viewpoints gives me great concern and causes me to suspect their objective judgment.

Personally, I have absolutely no problem with Merry Christmas, but I absolutely have a problem with the Huckster's very calculated, sneaky moves. He is not proud at all of his record and can't find anything in Romney's record to discredit him, so he plays the religion card again and again.

Bill from NY, NY exposed the whole thing with his comment:

Not intentional?? Then why does the bookcase have more light on it than the darned Xmas tree and most of the Huckster's face?

Good for Mr. Huckabee.
I will never say happy holidays to anyone. This is Christmas. So Merry Christmas to all Americans and everyone around the world.

"To JONAH regarding 'he does not believe in scientific fact'. When did the THEORY of evolution become FACT?
You need to get your FACTS right."
-Jill from Minnesota

"Uhh… Jonah, do you realize that it's called the 'theory of evolution'? No, it's not a fact, as you claim, anymore than the story of Adam and Eve is"
-Brad from Texas

You are both confusing the word "theory" with the word "hypothesis." Nothing in science is described as fact; even gravity is a theory. There are only a few absolute truths, or axioms, and they include a handful of mathematical and logical principles. Anything else starts as a hypothesis, and once it is proven through rigorous testing and analysis of all other possible explanations, it is called a theory. It doesn't mean it's a guess or a loose inference. Yes, if you use the language of science, evolution is a theory, but for practical purposes, it is a fact.

And, by the way, it is CERTAINLY more of a fact than the story of Adam and Eve. Given that Genesis has essentially been proven false by simply measuring the age of the Earth (which is a completely sound science), I would put the odds of Adam and Eve's validity at 0 percent. Compare that to 99.999999999 percent for evolution.

Also, to respond to Brad's claim that "it's all speculation" since no one was around: no it's not. "Speculation" means inferring a number of potential scenarios with very limited information. We, on the other hand, have a wealth of information which has been examined, tested, and analyzed to rule out every single explanation besides evolution, which holds up under any light. EVOLUTION IS UNDOUBTABLY FACT. It's not up for debate. Try arguing that gravity is a lie, or that the sun orbits the earth.

"Liberals hate Huckabee because they hate Christians and can't stand see a candidate devoted to his morals."

Nice to see that there are some people who understand and accept the truth.

I'm not a Christian, but the hate that libs have for Christians is something I find extremely disgusting. Not that the hate that some on the right have for gays isn't, but the hate that almost all on the left have for Christians is far worse.

I don't see how anyone who is Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, or Jewish could ever vote Democrat. You do realize that you are casting a vote that is getting our nation one step closer to losing our freedom of religion? You vote is in direct contradiction to the morals and values of your religion.

For me it is not religion, it is just common decency, respect and true love for our other citizens. I realize that most on board with me have needed religion to get there. Regardless, we are all united together, to represent what is best about America, to keep the dreams of the founding fathers alive. We all must vote against liberal Democrats since they have made it known that they are committed to destroying the America we know and love. It may be your faith, or it just may be the way you feel obligated to treat your fellow Americans, stand by those beliefs, and vote against liberal Democrats. If you are a religious person who is a Democrat then you do not know the truth. Please take the time to hear what liberals are saying, what they think, what they truly believe and want for our nation. This election is really about decent, caring people Vs. mean selfish Narcissists. Help defeat them in the polls and change the lib hate in their hearts and lead them on the path to being decent people who make a positive impact on our society. Thank you.

Actually, it looks like an addition symbol…is Huckabee trying to promote mathematics!!!!! Holy cow, we do NOT need that in our country

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uh oh, I might have offended someone, get over it.

When will this country grow up and stop acting like spoiled little brats. So what if youre offended! I get offended every time the alarm goes off in the morning. What the hell ever happened to freedom of expression, or freedom of speech, or constitutional and inalienable rights? This is the type of B.S. that enables the blind stupidity of the masses, and exactly why no one raises their voice in the face of governmental wrong doing any more. Get a clue people or prepare to lose your rights forever!!!

Isn't it interesting that the very enemies of Christ who want to remove Jesus from His own birthday celebration notice a cross in the background! The fact that Jesus is the Savior of the world cannot be denied, even by those who reject Him. Facts is facts.

Come on. There really isn't a need to be subliminal. It's pretty obvious the Huckster is targeting Christian evangelicals in this ad. Sorry Jews, Muslims and other non-Christians. He doesn't care about your holidays.

Christmas is a legal holiday and is on many calendars just as is Independence Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, etc.
Where “The very word Christmas comes from the contraction of 'Christ Mass' — the worship of Christ – again, change the word if we don't want to talk about it, but that’s what it symbolizes and represents.” what this says sounds correct, in fact one needs to look at the background of words to find the truth. This truth may be schocking to many Christians. We often hear not only of The Lord Jesus Christ, but the Anti-Christ. So, which Christ is in "christmas". Next look at Mass, an invention of not Catholics, but pagans who offered sacrifices. The Lord Jesus Christ, being the Lamb of God, was the PERFECT and LAST sacrifice necessary to please the Lord God Almighty. In keeping this brief,I hope people reading this will do some of their own homework on this to find truth for themselves.

And the red lights on the tree are actually red glowing eyes of a demon. Get a life.

Bye the bye I am anot a supporter of Huckabees, but really.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Liberals like to preach tolerance, but then they turn around and show intolerance toward Christianity. What hypocrites! And enough of these false religions like Kwanzaa. Why does Kwanzaa take place on Dec 26 - the day after CHRISTMAS? That's not just a coincidence - looks like they're trying to benefit from the CHRISTMAS season. Or else, Kwanzaa would take place in June or August. Liberals, get the hatred and intolerance out of your hearts and start embracing other people's right to celebrate CHRISTMAS. You have no right to impose your views on them. Oh, and did I say, MERRY CHRISTMAS?

Oh good grief…

1. To the person who confused the terms "fact" and "theory" when speaking about evolution: "Evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts do not go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's, but apples did not suspend themselves in mid-air, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape-like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered." Stephen Jay Gould.

2. Kudos to Dave from KS for this: Sorry for centuries it's been the begining of the Winter Solstace that we celebrate. Romans celebrated the God Saturn on this day. There's very little truly Christian about your so-called "Christ-mass" The tree is Pagan, as well as the yule log. The exchanging of presents was from the Roman Saturadia. Celebrating Winter Solstace goes back to the Egyptians, long before your Jesus was thought of. And for almost two centuries after the so called life of Jesus, No christians celebrated X-mas"

3. Why do some people think the founding fathers made America a "christian" nation?? Some of them often related their anti-organized church leanings in their speeches and correspondence, including George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson (who created the "Jefferson's Bible"), Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, and Thomas Paine. Several of the Founding Fathers considered themselves to be deists or held beliefs very similar to that of traditional Deists, including Jefferson, Paine and Ethan Allen. "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion," states the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli. This document was ratified by Congress without much debate or contention and stands today as a reminder of the founding fathers' intentions.

Personally, I have absolutely no problem with Merry Christmas, but I absolutely have a problem with the Huckster's very calculated, sneaky moves. He is not proud at all of his record and can't find anything in Romney's record to discredit him, so he plays the religion card again and again.

Bill from NY, NY exposed the whole thing with his comment:

Not intentional?? Then why does the bookcase have more light on it than the darned Xmas tree and most of the Huckster's face?

"No, Huckabee, that is what YOU celebrate. "We" do not have a national religion. Some people celebrate other holidays, and some people celebrate nothing. Comments like this from Huckabee make me think the forced political correctness may actually be worth it."

Ok then…we have legalized abortion in America…notice the WE. I am completely against abortion along with millions of others. Does that mean I shouldn't say WE AMERICANS HAVE LEGALIZED ABORTION. Whether you like it or not Christmas is the reason for the season. If you don't celebrate it, don't go to the work christmas party, don't take the time off, give back the bonuses. But don't you dare say that WE can't be used you bigot.

My education is in Marketing and I have read and study about product placement and other tools used in the industry for over 30 years…That bookcase was carefully staged that way. There is no way this was an accident. These people are playing for keeps and whoever thinks it was not put together that way is so naive it’s incredible. I say 10 points to the Hucky boy for the BUSS it has generated. That is my friend a great marketing strategy. FREE PUBLICITY and when you a running low in funds against someone like MITT this is great!!!

I never noticed a cross behind Gov Huckabee until somebody called the bookcase "a cross". Don't we have a sick society, though?

I much less worried about the non-existent "subliminal" cross than the explicit pandering to Christians he spoke out loud in the message.

Leave your Bible at home when you come to work Huckster. Thanks.

Good for Huckabee - wouldn't you want to have a candidate in office who will stand up for what they believe in. The reason everyone (including atheists) get vacation time at the end of December is because **wow** the majority of people are celebrating Christmas. For those that don't enjoy being wished a Merry Christmas, I also expect you to be at work on December 25th. And also, I am a Christian and I'm not going to wish someone a Merry anything else, regardless of their religion. If a Jewish person were to wish me a Happy Hanaukah, then I would respond with Merry Christmas. Its about being polite and respectful BOTH WAYS. Just because someone is in the minority does not mean that everyone else has to walk on egg shells around them to be politically correct.

If the man can not stand up and talk about his God then how can he stand and lead a country.

As for those of you who do not beleive in God, the father, the son (Christ), and the Holy Ghost….well, let's just say, one day you will!!!!!!!!!!

He may have just found himself some new supporters. God workd in mysterious ways - whether or not he meant for that to look like a cross, it does. Maybe God put it there. Anyway, I like the way he responded.