Kin blame Huckabee in killings

Kin blame Huckabee in killings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says he is "heartbroken" over the pain suffered by the families of two women slain in Kansas City more than six years ago.

Authorities say Carol Shields and Sara Andrasek were killed by the same man -- Wayne DuMond, who was released from an Arkansas prison in 1999.

Their mothers say Huckabee, the Republican former governor of Arkansas, is responsible, at least in part, for DuMond's release.

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He acknowledged that he considered commuting DuMond's sentence to time served and that he doubted DuMond's guilt in the 1990s. Now, he says, "given what's happened," he believes DuMond was guilty of rape and regrets DuMond's release.

Despite the parole decision in 1997, DuMond's actual release was delayed for more than two years because of an unusual condition -- DuMond would have to move to another state.

After his release in 1999, DuMond lived briefly in Arkansas before moving to Smithville, Mo., just a few weeks before Carol Shields was murdered.

I think that this story may in fact have a very large role in the decision making when it comes down to this candidate. Unfortunately politics is all about what you have done or have been accused of in the past and most people will look at this as a very negative point.

Edwards sees opportunity in Clinton-Obama spat

Edwards sees opportunity in Clinton-Obama spat

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- With Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama increasingly sniping at each other, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards sees an opening in Iowa.
Edwards, Clinton and Obama are in a statistical dead heat in the Hawkeye state, according to the latest polls, and, with a little less than one month left until the Iowa caucuses on January 3, Clinton and Obama are trading almost-daily attacks on each others character and judgment.

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A poor showing in Iowa could be just as devastating. This summer Edwards was the front-runner in Iowa according to polls, and he has a pre-existing campaign structure from his 2004 bid.

While Edwards strategists argue others have been here just as much and have every bit as much at stake, the bottom line is that Edwards does don't want to be seen after the vote as the candidate who should have won.

This article shows a very strategic way of going about getting the votes in Iowa. I think its very smart on Edwards part to keep himself positive and kind of in the background. If Hillary and Obama get people so fed up with them, Edwards could very well be the next in line for their votes.

Romney's goal to calm fears in speech on his Mormon faith

Romney's goal to calm fears in speech on his Mormon faith

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney must reassure voters during a speech scheduled Thursday that his beliefs as a Mormon fit neatly with the nation's fundamental values and its demands for the chief executive in the White House.

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Romney is an "optimistic presidential candidate" and "Mormonism is an optimistic religion - it believes in unlimited human progress and the potential of human beings to become divine," Schmalz said. "If Romney can use those broad themes without linking them to Mormonism, he becomes a candidate who believes in possibilities for everyone."

My views on this article are a little wavered. Personally I think that a candidate's religion should not be a factor in choosing them for a place in office. However, at the same time I can understand why some people would be upset or worried about the possibility of bringing someone from the Mormon faith into the White House. Regardless of how this speech turns out, there will be some very unhappy people.

Mass. Considers Outlawing Spanking

Mass. Considers Outlawing Spanking

A bill that would prohibit parents from spanking their children is being criticized as unnecessary and unenforceable by many Massachusetts lawmakers.

The measure - being heard Wednesday by a legislative committee - defines corporal punishment as "the willful infliction of physical pain or injurious or humiliating treatment." State legislator Jay Kaufman said he submitted the bill at the request of nurse Kathleen Wolf.

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"The state has always had rights in this area" such as "child safety seats in cars," said Whitehurst. "We're not saying parents can't make choices. We're just saying let's move toward nonviolent methods."

The legislature has ended formal sessions for 2007, so the earliest the bill could be debated would be next year.

I found this article really intriguing because of the huge controversy going on with parents abusing their children. Spanking has been used as a form of punishment and a method of discipline and now there are possibilities of banning it because of some parents who go way too far and actually abuse their children.

Clinton, Obama tied; Romney ahead in Iowa poll

Clinton, Obama tied; Romney ahead in Iowa poll

In a poll conducted by Strategic Vision, Sens. Clinton and Obama are tied at 29%, while John Edwards trails at 23%. Bill Richardson comes in with 6% and Joseph Biden with 4%.

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney is beating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee by just two percentage points, the poll shows. Huckabee has reportedly been getting a bounce in Iowa from evangelical Christians who are uncomfortable with Romney's Mormon faith.

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Meanwhile, the Republicans are preparing to square off against one another Wednesday night in another key battleground state: Florida. At 8 p.m. Eastern, Giuliani, Romney, McCain and the others meet in St. Petersburg, Fla., in a debate hosted by CNN and YouTube. Polls show Giuliani enjoying a comfortable lead in the Sunshine State.
Florida's primaries are set for Jan. 29.

This article seemed interesting to me because of how close some of the standings are looking like they are going to be in the upcoming elections.

Students join GOP debate via YouTube

Students join GOP debate via YouTube

When eight Republican presidential candidates meet Wednesday to answer questions coming from citizen videos, the audience will include political activists, local VIPS and Ray Keller, a Nebraska teacher.

Keller, 36, got his coveted ticket to the St. Petersburg, Fla. event because executives of YouTube, co-sponsor with CNN of the debate, see him as an exemplar of what they hoped to achieve with the forum's innovative citizen-driven format.

According to Steve Grove, head of news and politics at YouTube, Keller is among scores of teachers who have encouraged students to submit questions to the candidates via the online video uploading service. The student questioners run the gamut "all the way from middle school to graduate school," Grove said. One entry is from a class of Harvard University medical students.

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That's exactly what debate organizers hoped would happen when they opened the floor to citizen videos. "This is their first taste of political action," Grove said of the student questioners. "We hope it will keep them in the battle, certainly for the fall, but hopefully for the rest of their lives."

This article was very interesting for me. I think it's a great idea that kids are getting so involved in politics. I think it would be great to continue doing this.