Bob Novak, the Republican propagandist, exposed the latent, virulent racism that lies just below his party’s psyche over the weekend when he said this about Barack Obama:

Q: What is Obama’s potential Achilles heel?

NOVAK: I think the only potential Achilles heel is in a general election, if there is some racist prejudice. I’m not sure there is. He’s, as poor Joe Biden said, he’s clean. He isn’t a stereotype African-American. And I think he’s a very strong candidate.

Novak tried to lay blame on the use of “clean” on Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), who used the same adjective to describe Obama last year. But Biden was roundly criticized and apologized for it in late January.

Only in the all-spin world of the GOP noise machine can you get away with excusing a racist comment by “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” quoting a racist remark by someone else, even though the quotee apologized for said remark.

No one has asked Novak to explain what he meant by a “stereotype African-American,” however. Presumably he’s referring to the other black presidential candidates who didn’t win a primary season vote: Frederick Douglass, Shirley Chisolm, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Alan Keyes.

They’ve got it bad for each other.

Mike Huckabee proved Sunday he is just a little too comfortable fighting for souls for Christ. He delivered the sermon at an evangelical church in New Hampshire, and his words should leave non-Christians and reasonable people of every faith troubled.

“When we become believers, it’s as if we have signed up to be part of God’s Army, to be soldiers for Christ,” Huckabee told the enthusiastic audience…

“When you give yourself to Christ, some relationships have to go,” he said. “It’s no longer your life; you’ve signed it over.”

Likening service to God to service in the military, Huckabee said “there is suffering in the conditioning for battle” and “you obey the orders.”

Mother Mary. Do we really want a president who believes he signed his life over to Christ? Or anyone else, for that matter? I mean at least Bush makes it clear by both word and deed that he doesn’t actually believe all that God and heaven and hell stuff.

But Huckabee does. He has the glint in his eye of a man who sees things the rest of us don’t, like Satan and spirits and Holy Ghosts. And he trots out the born-again Chuck Norris, aka “Huckabee’s Oprah,” just in case you don’t believe him.

…a church official invited members to attend an event a mile away, where Huckabee held a rally with actor Chuck Norris and where free clam chowder was served.

Faithful (not in the Huckabee sense) Pensito Review readers will recall that some have questioned Huckabee’s replacement of his wife with Chuck Norris at high-profile events, leading at least one commentor (O.K., me) to wonder if Chuck Norris is Huckabee’s wife. His behavior in New Hampshire would suggest it’s possible.

In his campaign stops in New Hampshire, Huckabee has generally focused on appealing to nonreligious voters, playing the bass guitar and emphasizing his support of small government, local control of schools and gun rights — popular causes among Granite State Republicans. Norris, who has endorsed him, has been at his side at nearly every event.

Interesting.

Congratulations to Mitt Romney on his astonishing and unforeseen victory in Wyoming, where one in seven residents is Mormon. Whoda thunk it?

Of course, Wyoming pundits attribute Mitt’s success to other factors.

Romney visited Wyoming in August and November and three of his five sons campaigned in the state.

“Number one, he campaigned here,” delegate Leigh Vosler of Cheyenne said of Romney. “I think that helped while some other candidates ignored us. But also he’s the right person for the job.”

For his trouble, Romney picked up eight delegates to the Republican convention. Fred Thompson earned two and Duncan Hunter one. One final delegate is still up for grabs as Wyoming caucus-goers sort out their allegiances.

Interesting op-ed in Newsweek from Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti:

“We are being told that a competent, trustworthy president is someone who brandishes his religion like a neon sign, loads a gun and goes out hunting for beautiful winged creatures, and tries to imitate a past president (who, by the way, never shot a bird or felt the need to imitate anybody).”
— Patti Davis

On Friday’s “Today Show,” Mitt Romney again brandished my father’s name, and claimed that, just as Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, Romney can effectively govern and manage foreign policy in this horribly troubled world.

This, of course, was preceded by Romney’s televised speech about his religion and his personal faith — something my father would never have dreamed of doing because his faith was, well, personal.

Putting Reagan and religion aside, there’s another great issue consuming the 2008 campaign. Who is the more authentic, experienced hunter? Romney has claimed to be a “lifelong hunter.” Huckabee said liar, liar, pants on fire (OK, not his exact words, but close) because Romney has only ventured out twice to slaughter animals. “I think it was a major mistake,” said Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor. “It would be like me saying I’ve been a lifelong golfer because I played putt-putt when I was nine years old and I rode in a golf cart a couple of times.” Oh great, now the candidates are worried about miniature golf.

To prove his virility, Huckabee has been photographed in those ridiculous hunting clothes holding a large rifle and several dead pheasants. Lest we forget about God, Huckabee’s campaign offered up a special Christmas advertisement –complete with the now famous “floating cross” behind him — something Huckabee has said was simply a bookcase. Yes, with the books removed and lit with a golden glow that looked like the Star of Bethlehem had been summoned for duty in a political ad.

So, apparently, we are being told that a competent, trustworthy president is someone who brandishes his religion like a neon sign, loads a gun and goes out hunting for beautiful winged creatures, and tries to imitate a past president (who, by the way, never shot a bird or felt the need to imitate anybody).

Davis closes by wishing that we could “leave the ducks, the rabbits, the deer alone, and focus on a world that is aching with strife, that is weighed down by wars and conflicts, not to mention disease and hunger in vast stretches of Africa” — and by suggesting that “imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery; it’s just an indication that the imitator is going through a serious identity crisis.”

It’s hard to believe but Mike Huckabee just keeps getting worse and worse. Now he’s going around telling people that doctors who perform abortions should be punished.

Abortion, you will recall, is legal and is the woman’s decision. At least that’s the way it is in my America, the one where Jesus stays out of the Oval Office.

In the NBC interview, Huckabee, a longtime opponent of legalized abortion, said he does not believe that women should be punished for undergoing the procedure, but that doctors might need to face sanctions.

“I don’t know that you’d put him in prison, but there’s something to me untoward about a person who has committed himself to healing people and to making people alive who would take money to take an innocent life and to make that life dead,” Huckabee said.

Is it me, or is he starting to sound like Bush? “Making people alive?” “Make that life dead?”

Huckabee went on to reassure people that he won’t let his personal religious views control his governing.

Those skeptical of the role of faith in his presidency, he said, should look at his record in Arkansas.

Funny you should mention that.

[…]

Anybody who has ever campaigned for public office in black churches knows the quickest way to undermine your goodwill among the folks who invited you to worship with them. You never, never, never leave early. Evidently Hillary Clinton’s people haven’t been around this block before.

Clinton shot herself in the foot at what must be one of two black churches in Iowa yesterday.

Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a campaign sermon Sunday, but didn’t stick around to hear the pastor do his preaching.

“We’re still at church. We’re still going to worship no matter what,” the Rev. Lee Maxey said as the Democratic presidential candidate, her daughter, Chelsea, and their entourage left Corinthian Baptist Church, the media pack close behind.

Clinton stayed for about 20 minutes…

“I think the American people need a president who is their champion. And I’ve been running to be that champion — to get up every single day and do all that I can to make sure I provide the tools that every single American is entitled to receive and make the most out of their own lives,” Clinton said.

And with that, she hurried out. The Rev. James Green took a poke at the just-departed Clinton as he began his sermon.

“When I first got here, I was a little overwhelmed. All the dignitaries came in,” he said. “I thought they were going to stay for service, but they’re still campaigning.”

Ouch. I bet Bill wouldn’t have done that. He would have stayed for refreshments after the service.

Republicans are down in the dumps, according to the Wall Street Journal. One candidate after another has disappointed: Romney is good looking but stupid and part of a wacko religion, McCain isn’t tough enough on immigration, Thompson is too tired from trying to keep up with his second family to campaign, Guiliani’s personal life is a mess and he’s pro-choice, Huckabee is too born-again, and the others are just obscure. No wonder they’re bummed.

At its simplest, there is a political energy gap. Democrats appear to be more fired up about their party nominating contest than are Republicans. Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire have been turning out at rallies in greater numbers than Republicans and giving more money to candidates. In Iowa, polls indicate Democrats will be attending the Thursday night caucuses in record numbers.

“There seems to be a little more juice on the Democratic side,” says Republican pollster Bill McInturff.

Yeah, baby!

Except in Florida, of course, where the Democrats’ 48-state strategy (excluding Florida and Michigan from campaigning because our primary dates were changed) is taking a toll.

The Democratic candidates have been all but invisible in the state unless they were asking Floridians to open up their checkbooks. Meanwhile, the Republicans have been hitting the state hard. How lasting the damage will be will be dictated by how quickly the Democrats can heal their differences after the early primaries.

I recently forgave John Edwards for taking the no-Florida pledge because I am seeing how important it is to get the right person in that office next time. If I can move on, surely my fellow Florida Dems can too. Especially with such a weak array of Republicans to choose from.

Plus his bumper stickers are made in the USA with the union label

It’s early for endorsements outside of Iowa and New Hampshire, but for what it’s worth, mine goes to John Edwards.

It’s not just about being turned utterly off by Hillary Clinton’s business as usual blather, or that Barack Obama’s fresh-faced, can-do optimism doesn’t make up for debate missteps, excessive reliance on star power, and simplistic arguments. I think Obama would make a great vice president and Clinton a great senior senator from New York.

But Edwards is saying stuff that matters. He gets it. And he has the air of a man who would like you to come along, but either way he’s going there.

No doubt part of this is due to his wife’s fight with cancer, the loss of his son, and finding out in 2004 what pulling your punches gets you. But it’s this very history that makes me think he’d be a good leader. Obama’s life, while inspiring, has been pretty sweet. And Hillary’s seems based on a combination of ambition, parsing the truth, and pretending things that hurt don’t. Those are good survival skills but I think they lead her to do stupid things like vote to authorize Bush to invade Iraq and distasteful things like having surrogates slam the competition. And as Tom Tomorrow points out so clearly in This Modern World, she has “high negatives and excessive baggage.”

Fellow Pensito Review editor, Jon, worries that Edwards’ decision to accept public funding, and therefore limit private fund raising, will hamper his ability to compete. I’m not, although I am saying, “Thank you Supreme Court, for refusing to restrict ‘issues advertising’ earlier this year.”

You’ll notice I didn’t discuss platforms here. That’s because, unlike the Republicans whose stands differ on things like abortion, immigration, and the role of religion in government, all the Democrats are headed in the right direction. The exception, of course, is Clinton’s willingness to play nice with the powers who run the status quo and Edwards’ battle cry against them. Edwards also is the only Democrat I’ve heard besides Al Gore who verbalizes the importance of saving the planet.

The big differences, just like with job applicants, mates, and American Idol contestants, come down to personal qualities. I think John Edwards has what it takes in that department, and I plan to support him in 2008.

Bush is set to veto the defense appropriations bill Congress passed that would help America’s vets. That’s bad enough but wait until you hear why.

President George Bush today said he intends to veto the $696 billion defense authorization that would include a pay raise for military personnel and fund the overhaul of veterans’ health care program.

Why the veto? Because the bill includes a provision that would “imperil Iraqi assets held in the United States,” the White House statement released Friday said.

A provision in the bill would permit lawyers to freeze Iraqi funds in the US and would expose Iraq to “massive liability in lawsuits concerning the misdeeds of the Saddam Hussein regime,” the White House argues.

I’m beginning to think John Edwards is so right that it could be dangerous for his safety to keep speaking out. Greed is the sole rationale for everything done by the Bush Administration and the mostly Republican power brokers in Washington, from waging war to raiding the public till and lining their own pockets.

I can’t wait to hear how the Rush Limbaughs and Bill O’Reillys of the world spin this one. Here’s how the White House explained it:

“The new democratic government of Iraq, during this crucial period of reconstruction, cannot afford to have its funds entangled in such lawsuits in the United States,” according to Deputy Press Secretary Scott Stanzel. ”(It is) too important an issue to allow this to go forward because it would tie up millions of dollars in Iraqi funds for months.”

The importance of liquidity for Iraqi funds doesn’t seem like an easy sell in Middle America. Let alone any V.A. hospital.