Media Alert-First Lady Michelle Obama to appear on FOX

-----AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

hat tip-Angelar

From CBSNews.com

Political Hotsheet
February 17, 2010 6:30 PM
Michelle Obama to Appear on Mike Huckabee's Fox News Show

First Lady Michelle Obama will appear on Mike Huckabee's Fox News program this weekend, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Huckabee, the past and possibly future Republican presidential candidate, is having the first lady on to discuss her efforts to fight childhood obesity. Huckabee has struggled with weight problems and wrote a book entitled "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork: A 12-Step Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle" after losing more than 100 pounds.

The former Arkansas governor had kind words for Michelle Obama for taking on childhood obesity. Speaking to U.S. News, he said it "is not a left/right, liberal/conservative, Democrat/Republican issue. This is an issue that falls beyond what I call the 'horizontal' issues of left and right and rises to the 'vertical' level of up or down."

HUCKABEE will be shown Saturday, 2/20 at 8pm EST with repeats on Sunday, 2/21 at 8 pm and 11 pm EST

I think Huck would show her more respect than any of the rest of the clowns on that network.

Republicans Belittle Community Organizers

Republicans enjoyed a hate fest last night, spending a lot of time trashing grassroots community organizing. Yet they claim to understand America at the grassroots level. This was one of the best examples that i've seen that says plainly that they don't get it.

This nation was built on Community organizing.

After all of these months of the Republicans and their lap dogs in the media painting Barack Obama as an elitist... you couldn't get more elitist than the Republicans were at their Convention. Keep in mind... the theme for that particular day was "prosperity"... (Prosperity for them). Who were the speakers? Corporate elites. After the rich CEO's finished speaking...Mike Huckabee gave his speech. Huckabee, in a roundabout way, suggested that Americans who are struggling were whiners who were waiting for the Government to rescue them.
And they capped the night off with an attack on grassroots community organizing, with Giuliani and Palin.

Amazing!

Roland Martin struck back with a great response:



The Obama camp issued a response shortly after

Hopefully Obama will speak on this later in the week.

Unbelievable!

Of course, the speeches focused on attacking Obama rather than talking about their record over the past 8 years...or laying out a detailed plan for how they would deal with healthcare, jobs, and the issues that voters are most concerned about.

They stuck to their usual themes of war, 9/11, Terrorism, family values, scaring voters, and pushing the myth that they somehow have a monopoly on patriotism.

When will this sickness end?

Out Of New Hampshire: The Race Is On

Wow. What a difference a few hours can make! Going into tonight, many were writing the Clinton campaign obituary and now she is perhaps the favorite again. The Obama campaign expected to win. Heck, even the Clinton campaign expected Obama to win. All the pundits, Political Realm included, were wrong and the race was turned on its head.

How did Clinton do it? In New Hampshire, Clinton dominated the female vote, easily out-pacing Obama, who had won the group in Iowa. Whether that's the result of Clinton's near tears yesterday or a more open campaign that shifted focus somewhat, we don't know. The polling we've seen over the past few days gave Obama a lead of nearly 10 points, but perhaps those numbers were simply soft. Perhaps there were a significant number of late deciders that broke for Clinton. Perhaps the questions raised about Obama's experience, record, and readiness to lead paid off for the Clinton campaign. Perhaps the voters of New Hampshire wanted this thing to turn into a race, rather than a coronation.

In the end, it seems like we simply misjudged the state of the race. Obama was over-hyped out of Iowa, while everyone underestimated Clinton's superior organization, establishment backing, and appeal with voters in New Hampshire. Most suspected the vast number of independents would provide fertile soil for Obama, especially compared to Iowa. However, the number of first time participants was down tonight from Iowa and it's likely that those independents fit right into Clinton's target profile--blue collar workers. We do know one thing--the Clinton campaign won't badmouth New Hampshire as it did Iowa a few days ago.

Of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves again. The narrative out of the first two contests is decidedly unclear. Barack Obama's Iowa victory was a huge shock to much of America. Will this Clinton win be as surprising? For political junkies, sure it is, but for the average voter who may not be as tuned in to this race I'm not so sure. The Obama campaign will be quick to point out that Clinton had a lead in New Hampshire just a week ago. To the contrary, the Clinton campaign is hoping that she will be portrayed as the "Comeback Kid" tomorrow, just as her husband was 16 years ago. Indeed, the shift in the Granite State over the past few hours has been simply stunning. For all the talk that Iowa and New Hampshire hold too much power, look at what they have given us--a real race on both sides.

So where do the Democrats go from here? It's on to Nevada and South Carolina, where Obama seemed to have all the momentum this morning. He is apparently going to pick up a major union endorsement in Nevada tomorrow--one earned more because of his victories (they were likely assuming a New Hampshire win just like everyone else) than because of his positions. Many believed that endorsement could have gone to either of Obama's key rivals and we have to wonder if the union is rethinking things tonight. In South Carolina, Obama's Iowa victory showed black voters, who will make up much of the electorate, that he can win in white America. Clinton, however, has strong ties in the black community, so will a New Hampshire win bring those voters back to her campaign?

The campaigns of John Edwards and especially Bill Richardson will likely reevaluate after tonight's results. Richardson clearly has no chance of winning this thing, while John Edwards is all but out of it as well. Both campaigns should be running out of funds soon, making it even more difficult to compete going forward.

On the Republican side, things played out in a much more expected manner. John McCain was the clear winner, though his margin was surprising to some. He overcame a campaign in shambles this summer, a media that left him for dead, an unpopular immigration plan, and support for a surge in Iraq that wasn't working. In the end, the campaign was tightened up, the media came back to him, his immigration position remained unpopular, but better explained, and the situation in Iraq started to improve. He is now well positioned for the contests to follow in Michigan and South Carolina and the win tonight will infuse some much needed cash.

For Romney, the collapse is shocking. His control of the first two contests looked insurmountable this summer and into the fall and now he finds himself in perilous position. He has family ties in Michigan, but faces McCain with momentum and Huckabee in a more friendly environment. If he can't somehow defy the odds there, Romney is certainly done. Fred Thompson has already moved on to South Carolina and Huckabee will join him there tomorrow. Huckabee's strong third tonight--New Hampshire was never expected to be his state--sets up the rest of the race as seemingly Huckabee vs. McCain. Giuliani, though happy that the early contests are producing mixed results, has seen his national lead deteriorate. In Florida, a state where he has devoted much of his recent attention, he now finds himself in fourth place in a new poll.

What do we take away from tonight? Both sides have major comeback stories--Clinton in the short term and McCain in the long term. There are no frontrunners anymore. Look for a fresh set of presidential rankings from us before the week is out as the campaign resets for the next phase. Without a doubt, the race is on.

Cross-posted at Political Realm.

How Mike Huckabee Put Politics Over Public Safety in Arkansas

Mike Huckabee's effort to release Rapist Wayne Dumond will continue to haunt his campaign, despite what happens in Iowa. And Huckabee had a track record of releasing criminals while he was Governor, often against the protests of Law Enforcement officials, and victims.

How will this play out for Huckabee in a Political Party that traditionally prides itself on being "tough on crime"? Will Women vote for him or will religion once again trump everything else for Republicans? Republicans as a group seem to flip flop (when it's politically convenient) when it comes down to the values they hold dear. Yesterday it was family & religion (all of their scandals screwed that up), today it's war (that didn't go as planned), and tomorrow it looks like they might be making a return to fiscal responsibility (now that another Party is in Control of Congress).

I find it interesting that the Republican Party and the National media have not looked closer into Huckabee's background. They have been so busy turning him into a celebrity that they have not had the time, nor the willingness, to really examine the facts about his work as Governor of Arkansas. If this were an issue for a Democratic candidate, there would be wall-to-wall coverage of "the scandal".

But Amy Goodman was able to delve a little deeper into the Governors past. Goodman recently spoke with Lois Davidson, the mother of Carol Sue Shields, the woman murdered by Wayne Dumond.

“He Should Have Known”– Mother of Woman Murdered by Rapist Says Huckabee Should Not Have Ordered His Release from Jail

Watch/Listen To Segment From 'Democracy Now'

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Related Links

Mike Huckabee's Wayne Dumond Problem

Request for Clemency leads to political issue for Huckabee

The Republican Field of 2008

The Republican Field of 2008.

In watching the GOP Field of 2008, it's like watching Alice in Wonderland, because so many things that just go in opposite of everything we supposedly knew about the GOP has been turned on its head.

The GOP used to be about ' authenticity'. They cherished 'true believers' above all else.

That is why Flipping Mitt and Rudy having ANY sort of a chance makes absolutely no sense.

Mitt Romney

Flipping Mitt is the most phony, plastic politician that I've ever seen. He has no core. He has no set of values, except for that he believes he should be President. That's the ONLY value he has.

He was against abortion until he became for abortion to win Governor of Massachusetts before he became against it again because he was running for President.

Pick and issue, and you'll see the same flip-flop all over the place.

He lied on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He's a total fraud.

He is a phony. Not only is he a phony, but he's a phony who believes in the continuation of the Imperial Presidency, as his responses to the Boston Globe questionnaire about Presidential Power proves. If you believe in The Constitution, Flipping Mitt's not your man.

EVERY PAPER that has studied Flipping Mitt in New Hampshire and Massachusetts has taken a pass on endorsing him.

If you want to read what those who know Flipping Mitt best TRULY think about him, try the Manchester Union Leader, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Concord Monitor.

And, I guess, I'm suspicious of ANYONE who was part of a secret meeting last year with Conservative bigwigs including Dick Cheney. NO OTHER GOP candidate was invited to the meeting - only Romney? That's enough guilt by association to cast yet another shadow on Flipping Mitt.


Rudy Giuliani

Rudy...Rudy...Rudy.

If the GOP nominates a pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-gun, thrice married MAYOR as their nominee...a few things...

NOT ONE MUMBLING WORD ABOUT MORALITY.
NOT ONE MUMBLING WORD ABOUT FAMILY VALUES.

Don't even open the mouth to utter the words.

Rudy should be disqualified for many reasons,but if you only need one, here you go:

He's welcomed, with open arms, into the busom of his campaign...

THE INTELLECTUAL ARCHITECTS OF THE IRAQ WAR.

They are firmly ensconsed in Camp Rudy, and that kind of ' company he keeps' should make you think more than twice about him.

And, it's not just the ' Progressives' who have a problem with Rudy.

This is what the AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE MAGAZINE thought about him.



Now, these are his OWN PEOPLE...his OWN PARTY...telling you which way is up...

So, that really leaves us with Huckabee and McCain.

Mike Huckabee.

I understand the appeal. He is a personable man, with an air of being comfortable in his own skin and making others at ease at the same time. While it's clear that Huckabee is a Christian, and that his faith is the cornerstone to his approach to governmental policy, it is also quite clear that Huckabee DOES NOT define his Christianity narrowly to the issues of: Abortion and Homosexuals. While those issues are in there for him, they are NOT the central focus of his Christianity, and that is one of the problems that the GOP Establishment has with Huckabee. As long as they could throw red meat to the Evangelicals, by so narrowly defining Christianity on the lines of Abortion and Gays, knowing full well that they had no intention of really doing anything on either issue, it was ok.

But, Huckabee is NOT that kind of Evangelical. He is NOT that kind of religious conservative. In listening to Huckabee give a few speeches, I have realized why the man was able to garner over 40% of the Black vote. It's because the Black voters in Arkansas saw that Huckabee was NOT a ' let them eat cake' conservative. Listening to him talk about keeping in mind the poverty-striken young boy in one of the poorest parts of Arkansas when he made decisions, he was speaking to the Christianity that African-Americans were pretty much raised upon until this Prosperity Gospel came on the scene. It was a Jesus that helped those 'least among us'.

Huckabee speaks a Populist message. He talks about those on ' Main Street' who are experiencing the economic anxiety of the middle-class and working class. He doesn't believe in unfettered capitalism without regards to the working man and woman. And nothing scares the GOP Establishment more than someone talking a Populist Message. Someone who isn't following the ' let them eat cake' model, which is why they are determined to stomp out Huckabee at all costs.

John McCain.

A candidate left for dead this summer has climbed out of the doldrums and back into the hunt.

Why?

Because, he finally became the John McCain of 2000 again. He may not be from central casting (a la Romney), or be a smooth talker (the Huckster), but there is something unmistakeably authentic about John McCain. It's when he lost it that he walked away from who he was.

In their endorsement of McCain, the conservative Manchester Union Leader said the following:

On Jan. 8, New Hampshire Republicans will make one of the most important choices for their party and nation in the history of our presidential primary. Their choice ought to be John McCain.

We don't agree with him on every issue. We disagree with him strongly on campaign finance reform. What is most compelling about McCain, however, is that his record, his character, and his courage show him to be the most trustworthy, competent, and conservative of all those seeking the nomination. Simply put, McCain can be trusted to make informed decisions based on the best interests of his country, come hell or high water

I think that's the bottom line about McCain. You don't have to agree with him on every issue. But, you can be certain that behind his decisions, there is a certain CORE there. He took his lumps in those debates because of his stances on issues that made him out of the mainstream with the party, but he took them because he believed in them. In debate after debate, John McCain would often provide the most ' HUMAN ' of moments in those debates, and they stood out because of his humanity and authenticity. In his Boston Globe Questionnaire, McCain stands up for The Constitution and the belief that the President is NOT above the law.

McCain has garnered the endorsements of the Boston Globe, Boston Herald,Concord Monitor and Nashua Telegraph.

I don't root for John McCain because I think he'd be the easiest GOP candidate. In fact, I believe he's the hardest GOP candidate. But, when I think of the possibility of a Republican President, he's the only one that DOESN'T make me think the very foundation of this country would be in jeopardy with his win.