Governor Mike Huckabee is barnstorming Iowa this weekend, making stops in Des Moines and Indianola, and taking jabs at his G.O.P. frontrunner rivals along the way.
Last night we sat down for a one-on-one interview with Huckabee and attended a lightly attended reception with supporters in downtown Des Moines.
Early this morning we trailed Huckabee at a G.O.P. breakfast in Indianola. Immigration seems to be a hot-button issue in Indianola, which is about 30 miles south of Des Moines. Huckabee took several questions on the issue at the pancake breakfast. But looming over all, remains the war in Iraq and foreign policy.
Early impressions of Huckabee is that he's funny and really good one-on-one. Most Iowans we talked to don't know much about him, but want to learn more. Huckabee seems really laid back and comfortable in his own shoes. Even when his handlers try to whisk him away, he stays and answers more questions, takes more pictures, shakes more hands. He's definitely likeable, and comes across as a regular person.
His challenge is a lack of money and low name recognition. He also gets criticized for offering too many jokes in his speeches and not enough policy substance.
We'll be catching up more with Huckabee later tonight. Right now we just got to an event for John McCain in Marshalltown, Iowa, about 40 minutes northeast of Des Moines. McCain is expected to arrive at a community college at around 12:15 p.m. to speak to dozens of supporters. We bet he'll continue to make his forceful case for why the U.S. needs to remain in Iraq.
After trailing McCain, we plan to head back to Des Moines for the big Republican Unity dinner tonight. We're told it is the first time all the Republican candidates for President will share the same stage and speak.
That's all for now . . . back to the trail!
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