Help For Our Vets

Over the last several years our local American Legion Post 427 has been instrumental in providing transportation to and from Little Rock for our veterans medical appointments. They use volunteer drivers and a van that was bought using GIF funds to accomplish the service. They now find themselves with an old van and no funds available to purchase another, so they can continue this much used and much needed shuttle. So last night, Senator-elect Larry Teague and I attended their meeting and offered our help to orchestrate and donate to a fund raising effort to purchase a new van. We are both strong believers in getting this done and keeping this program running smoothly for the true heroes in our midst. So don't be surprised if we come calling for your help with this project.

As I Was Saying......

Okay I'm back. Adjourning means different things to different folks, and I just took an extended, although I must say, an enjoyable sabbatical from blogging. But now it's time to catch up. Here we go---Summer came and went, it was hot. Hillary and Huck got beat. Razorbacks got thumped, then got better. McCain's VP gamble didn't pay off and Obama gets an opportunity to prove whether he is Clintonesque. SWEPCO got their permit from ADEQ. I beat Evelyn Joyce Bradford again. Phillies win the series, ( I know you don't care-neither do I). That's pretty much it, even though I probably left something out. So it's good to be back and we'll see how it goes from here.

It's A Wrap

The 3 day special session came to a formal close this morning, and the Governor signed the severance tax bill into law at 1:00 this afternoon. The called press conference for the bill signing produced an overflow crowd at the Capitol. The Governor fielded questions after the formalities were completed, and related his philosophy that the proceeds of the highway severance money should, for the most part, follow the cars. In other words, high traffic areas will have the inside track. Rules and regulations will be developed over the coming months to determine how and where the money will be spent. Well, my first special session is history and everything went smoothly. All is done here and if nobody minds, I'll stand adjourned.

Questions I Have Heard

Here is my take on the special session thus far. Questions abound regarding the true impact of raising the severance tax. Some want to point out that the 5% rate is more along the lines of 1.5 % once the exemptions and concessions are factored in. Others will say that the bulk of the proceeds should go to tax relief before highways. Still others are worried that the tax will somehow filter down to the consumers and raise their energy bill. It is true that many of the concessions have lowered the base rate for a period of time. But the fact is, in order to pass this legislatively, a compromise had to be reached between the parties involved. If Sheffield Nelson's 7% initiative were to go before the voters, there was no guarantee that the gas companies wouldn't spend millions to defeat the measure. If that happened, then we're in the same place we've been for 50 years, getting virtually nothing for this non-renewable resource. As far as tax relief goes, there is still more work to do there, especially with the grocery and income taxes. But this money is earmarked for roads and highways, and the need there is great. I think it unlikely the consumer will feel the severance increase, since this gas won't end up in Arkansas homes. Gas prices are set on the open market anyway, and the only people who will end up paying are the gas producers themselves, and to a small degree, some royalty owners. In the end, I believe this is a good step forward for the future infrastructure in Arkansas, and that's why I voted for it.

Day 2

The House convened this morning at 10:00 and made quick work of the three bills presented. The Governor's severance tax bill was passed on to the Senate by a vote of 81 yeas, 16 nays and 1 present. The other bills included Rep. Bond's legislation to repeal his marriage bill from the last session, and Rep. Hyde's request to extend the time frame for the Pulaski County school district's desegregation case. Both met little opposition. We adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon, and it looks like we'll be back Wednesday morning to finalize things, and hopefully home by supper.

Live From The Special Session

As I write this from the House Chamber, we await the Governor's address to the members of both houses. Of course, his speech will center on the severance tax increase, and will include an outline of the legislation we'll be voting on. Just a sidebar here, but it is always an honor, and I believe a humbling experience, when we convene for a legislative session. There is always a great deal of pomp and circumstance involved, but to me that's a good thing.

The Governor made his remarks and urged us all to support and vote for his proposal. Now I'm off to my Judiciary Committee to deal with the marriage age issue that is also on this session's agenda.

There has been a small, but somewhat late effort from those against the severance tax. There position seems to be that we should provide more tax relief from the severance proceeds. I agree we should provide tax relief when it is possible; but I also believe highways have to be a priority, and this will be a step in the right direction to help with our future highway needs.

Here And There

The fund-raising season got started last night in Nevada County with the Laneburg VFD's hamburger supper and cake auction. Of course all the political candidates got to have a say, and a nice crowd from the area was there to take it in. Virtually all the cakes were bought by the politickers, (I paid $200 for a coconut) and Laneburg raised over $2,000.00 for their department. Good night of fun, and in my opinion, money well spent.

My seat-mate and good friend Representative Steve Harrelson's blog, Under the Dome, was chosen as one of the best political blogs in the country by the Washington Post. A well deserved honor and I agree whole-heartedly. Congrats Steve.

I'm heading to Little Rock in the morning as the legislature will convene at noon for the called Special Session. Everything I'm hearing says we should be done by Wednesday, and that is fine with me. Although I look forward to my first extraordinary session, everybody will be well served for us to be efficient and to the point. I expect everything to run smoothly, but you never know for sure how the world turns at the Capitol.

Crackberry

Everybody who has one of those wildly popular blackberry thing-a-ma-jigs, swears to me that they don't know how they made it without one. I for one believe them, because when I began walking the Capitol halls, everyone seemed to be staring at their hands for an inordinate amount of time. I finally figured out that it wasn't fingernail hygiene they were concerned with, but the highly addictive qualities of the blackberry technology. Now I'm the first to say that technology is a wonderful thing--- if you know how to use it. But sad to say, I'm not a techno-wizard. In fact, unless the blackberry people come up with a rotary dial for it, I doubt that I'll ever be able to use one. Having said all that, I did decide to come into this century, and I bought a blackberry yesterday. As you probably can imagine, I haven't learned how to e-mail, text or get on the web. Although I did place a successful phone call to my wife. We were both very proud that I made it that far. So if you see me in the halls of the Capitol, staring at my hand, I'm probably just checking my fingernails.

Severance Tax

As I posted previously, I will be in Little Rock on Monday to begin the special session that will deal mostly with the severance tax issue. I am on record as supporting the increase from.3% (the lowest in the nation) to 5%, with the proceeds dedicated to the infrastructure of our highways. There is overwhelming support in the legislature and from our constituents to do so. There has only been extremely mild sentiment against the increase. Also on board with this proposal are the gas companies themselves, and the royalty owners association. Looks like a done deal to me.

Potlach Closing

Word has filtered down that the Potlach plant in Prescott will be shutting its' doors soon, and all those Nevada County jobs will be gone in the process. Potlach has, for many years, been one of the two major employers in Prescott and the surrounding area. This is a major blow to our area's economy, and certainly not a time to be squandering economic projects as some of our hunting club friends advocate we do.

Special Session Coming

I just left the press conference of Governor Beebe's announcement that the legislature will convene in special session beginning on March 31st. The session will take up the Governor's proposal to raise the severance tax on natural gas to 5%. The current rate of .3% represents the lowest rate in the country. As most know, the required vote needed to pass the tax is a 3/4 majority in both houses. The Governor believes he has that, with 80 votes in the House, and 30 from the Senate. The tax proceeds will be dedicated to highway infrastructure, and though this won't take care of all highway needs, it is certainly a step in the right direction. Because of the relative comparison to other states' severance tax rates, and the true need for our highways, I made it known to the Governor many weeks ago of my support. 3-4 days should be all that is needed to pass this legislation and a couple of other items, including the age to marry, and this extraordinary session will be history.

Back To Blogging

I haven't been on the blog for quite a while. There are several reasons why and I've been plenty busy. But mostly I just kind of got out of the habit of getting on the computer and coming up with stuff to comment on. The break is over and there is plenty to talk about. Here's a few snippets.

Severance Tax- I don't know what the hold up is but we need to get this done and get it over with. It's evident that any ballot initiative will pass overwhelmingly and I would assume that the producers realize they will be better off if the Governor's proposal is enacted legislatively. I know some legislators seem to be waffling for whatever reason, and they're certainly free to do so, but in the end, I think the votes will be there and a special session is coming soon.

Opponent--I'll have a republican opponent, Evelyn Joyce Bradford, in the general election. She is the same lady who opposed me in the last election. I received 78% of the vote in 2006, but I'm not going to mail it in just because I won easily then. I'll be at all the auctions and knocking on doors, just like last time. I truly enjoy that part of the process. Good luck to Ms. Bradford and let's start our engines.

Personal Note--My good friend Scott Clark, an investigator with the State police, was wounded last Wednesday night in a shoot-out with a murder suspect, who was shot and killed in the fire-fight. I saw Scott at the hospital that night and he was doing ok, considering the circumstances. He is doing fine now, but will need some time to recuperate, both physically and emotionally. Frankie McJunkins, with the Hempstead County Sheriff's Department, and John Bishop of the State police, were also involved. Fortunately, neither was injured but will get a little time off to sort through the emotions of such a traumatic event. I mention this because all three are my friends, and each one is a true professional, who exhibited extraordinary bravery in an extremely tough situation.

Presidential Politics--The waters really seem to be getting muddied as the two Democrats slog through to the convention. Both have lost top campaign aides recently because of perceived slips of the tongue, that in my opinion, really didn't amount to much. However, they should have known better, simply because everybody who works with, or even knows these candidates, will be scrutinized under an intense microscope. It will all sort itself out in the next few months, but still too close to call.

Razorbacks--Arkansas to the sweet sixteen? Seems impossible I know. But I'll say this about this team, they can be very good or really mediocre. Which will it be? Your guess is as good as mine. Here's hoping the team that beat Vanderbilt, a #4 seed, and Tennessee, a #2, will show up against Indiana on Friday.

My Announcement

Someone called me last week and said they heard I wasn't going to run for re-election. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I want to put that rumor to rest. I' ll be making my formal announcement in a few days. There isn't any particular reason whyI haven't announced, other than I believe the process starts too early. If someone decides they want to run against me, then I doubt my announcing weeks ago would hold anyone off. I want to say that I am honored to be one of Arkansas's 100 State Representatives, and I am proud of the many accomplishments of the 86th general assembly. The 2009 session is just around the corner, and I want to continue learning and working as a state legislator. So I look forward to all the upcoming fire department fund-raisers, and everything else involved with the campaign season. I just think most folks don't want to fool with it before the time is right.

Emergency Funds

I will be at the Capitol on Tuesday, along with Mayor Bobby Steed of Blevins , to accept $9,000.00 in emergency funding from the Governor's office. The money will be used to replace that City's main water well pump that went out over the Christmas holidays. Blevins has been operating on a back-up system since then, and Governor Beebe has agreed to release that amount to the City. We appreciate the Governor and his staff recognizing the needs that many of our small towns have in their day to day operations. This money will allow Blevins to turn-key the project and have everything up and running shortly.

An Apology

Last July, on this blog, I described my trip to the Powder River Basin and touring the coal mines of that region. I also pointed out that the trip had been sponsored by the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives. I'm glad I made the trip and it provided me with a good bit of information on coal extraction and how each company reclaims the mined land. Unfortunately, the topic came up again this week when an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter called and asked why I didn't show the trip on my annual Statement of Financial Interest. Simply put, I didn't realize I was supposed to include it. I immediately filed an amended report on February 14th, showing this as a gift on my statement. An article in Sunday's paper points out my mistake , along with several other legislators who apparently made the same error. I am personally embarrassed because I should have realized this needed to be on the original report that was due on January 31st. Although my July blog report and a subsequent statement during a civic club speech should show I didn't intend to deceive anyone about the trip, it is a mistake I shoudn't have made; and I apologize for that.

One Million Dollars

The 2:00 news conference at UACCH was a big announcement as expected. But I'm not sure anyone in the overflow crowd expected the one million dollars AEP- SWEPCO endowed to our local college. The money will be earmarked for scholarships that will train local students in the specialized skills needed for employment at the proposed Turk Power Plant. It puts to rest one of the theories by the intervenors, and those against the plant, that SWEPCO had no intention of hiring locally to fill out their work force. This is a big step to help home grown people learn skills for high end jobs, that ultimately makes Southwest Arkansas a better place to live and raise a family. It's been said here and many other places----AEP-SWEPCO has been, and will continue to be, an outstanding community partner for years to come.

UACCH Announcement

Congressman Mike Ross and University of Arkansas President, Dr. Alan Sugg, will be at UACCH today at 2:00 to accept a major endowment from AEP-SWEPCO. Even though the amount has not been made public, I am assured this donation to our college will be of historic proportion. I'll be there with many other local's to see exactly how historic this will be.

Tragedy In Our State

The deadly weather that ripped through our state and much of the South last night has created a tremendous hardship to thousands of Arkansans. We were extremely fortunate in Southwest Arkansas to have missed the brunt of this storm. The Governor toured the damaged areas this morning and mobilized National Guard troops to help in the recovery. Destruction of this magnitude probably reminds all of us of the catastrophic tornado that devastated Arkadelphia just more than a decade ago. Killer storms are a fact of life in Arkansas and sometimes even the best preparation is not enough to stave off nature's wrath. Many of us have friends and family affected by this tragedy, and hopefully, the federal government acts quickly to provide assistance. I know that our State Department of Emergency Management has been on site since last night. I promise to provide any help that may be required legislatively and personally. I know a multitude of prayers will help the thousands of our neighbors in distress; and we can continue providing for their needs by opening our hearts and even our checkbooks during this difficult time.

Super Tuesday Doings

I had a nice visit with Congressman Mike Ross this morning in Prescott. He and wife, Holly, along with several staff members, hosted a community coffee at the Nevada County Library. I appreciate his willingness to always help me out and he has done so many times. I will be with him on Saturday morning as we attend a fund-raiser for the Yerger museum, and again on Monday, for a special announcement at UACCH. He is an extraordinarily busy man, but really keeps a finger on the pulse of the communities he serves.



It was a treat to have lunch at the Catholic church here in Hope today, as they hosted their 50th annual spaghetti luncheon and supper. My good friend, Mary Massanelli, is the matriarch of this fund-raiser and she was on hand today, serving up smiles and her homemade spaghetti recipe. Good food and great fellowship always makes this a go to event.



I did make my way to the polls this morning and as always, enjoyed my visit with the poll workers at the Rocky Mound Baptist church. The process had you take a blue card for a Democratic ballot, red for Republican and green for the Green party ticket. I chose the blue card but I noticed the people in front chose red in order to vote in the Republican primary. That's no big deal to me, but I know these same folks will vote in the Democratic primary come May. Here's the question and I don't think it can be answered for sure. Do those people that cross over simply want to vote for McCain, Romney or Huckabee, or do they just not want to vote for Clinton or Obama? I suspect there may be a fair number wanting to vote for Huckabee. Arkansans are notorious for separating their local and national politicians, but I'm curious to see how Southwest Arkansas Democrats ultimately go in the Presidential race.

Vote On Tuesday

I'll be at the Rocky Mound Baptist Church at 8:00 on Tuesday morning to cast my vote in the Presidential primary. The little rural church outside of Hope provides a perfect setting to make my decision, and reminds me of days gone by; when Momma and Daddy would load all of us up so they could go and vote at the courthouse in Old Washington. I was 6 years old when my parents cast their ballots for John F. Kennedy to be their next President. It seems like a long time ago, but I remember it really seemed important to them back then, and it means a lot to me now.

Great Game!

What a Super Bowl. More often than not, the game is overshadowed by wardrobe malfunctions, crazy commercials, and just downright over-hype. This years halftime was tame enough, the commercials were boring and the hype was justified. The Manning escape and subsequent David Tyree helmet catch, will go down as Super Bowl history. And how many really thought the Giants had a prayer of scoring a TD when they went down 14-10 with 2:45 left? Not many I'll bet. But the 12 point underdogs wouldn't be denied and the result was one of the two or three greatest Super Bowls of all time. That's in my personal rankings of course, since I've seen them all. What's next, an exciting NBA finals? Nah. It hasn't been any fun since Bird and Magic left.

Super Bowl XLII

Here's a question for you. Do they still teach kids roman numerals? If they do, then most of the young whippersnappers will know this is the 42nd Super Bowl. If they don't, then those same whippersnappers will have to come to me, or a reasonable facsimile, to know what the archaic lettering means. They may be able to program a VCR, (which is obsolete anyway) and listen to music on any of those new fangled i-pods and mp3's, but thanks to my grade school teachers, I know the secrets of roman numerals, and I ain't telling any of them.

I know they don't care which Super Bowl this is, so I doubt my information is very valuable. Oh well. Now to the predicting. Expect a close game. Here's why. New England has created this perfect season not so much with superior talent, as with superior execution and a minimum of mistakes. As a result, it has led to record setting performances by Brady and Moss and brought them to the brink of history that only the 72 Dolphins can relate. The Patriots will perform well because they have to win this game to become a part of NFL lore. Having said all that, I believe the game will be close for many reasons. Number 1 is simply as you look back over the previous 3 Patriot Super Bowl wins, they did so by the skin of their teeth. Remember the Rams, Eagles and Panthers. Each game came down to the final minutes and both the Panthers and Eagles were big underdogs. Secondly, the Giants have used much the same recipe as the Patriots by limiting turn-overs and playing good defense. Eli has not turned the ball over in the play-offs and if that happens today then we'll see a good game. So what's the score?

The Patriots complete their historic 19-0 season and squeak by the Giants 30-24. Kevin Faulk, the superb 3rd down back, will walk away with the MVP, and Tom Brady walks away with a fourth ring and a supermodel girlfriend. Now I gotta go, because the most important part of Super Bowl Sunday is here---the Super pre-game meal.

Turk Appealed

The intervenors expected appeal of the PSC's decision in the SWEPCO power plant case was filed with the Arkansas Court of Appeals on Tuesday. The appeal itself should not halt progress on construction of the plant, but the pending decision by ADEQ on the air quality permit has in effect kept the construction process at a crawl. Only minor site preparation work can be done until a permit is issued or denied. The hope is that ADEQ can make their decision in the spring, and if it grants a permit, construction should be able to proceed at a faster clip. The intervening party's appeal was not a surprise to anyone following this case. Even though a major hurdle was cleared with the PSC's earlier decision, there are still some battles left before the Turk plant becomes a reality in Hempstead County.

And The Winner is....

Just a week away from Super Tuesday and your guess is as good as mine. This has been the most topsy turvy campaign season in my memory, and just when you've got it figured, well you don't. Great fun for political junkies though. Can Hillary rebound from South Carolina? Is our former Governor's momentum slowing to a crawl? Can the bonafide hero hold off the well monied governor? I can't say anything for sure except you better not count anybody out. Not even the Giants on Sunday. It's been that crazy of a year.

Special Session?

Who knows? There has been a fair amount of talk over the past week about the Governor calling a special session to deal with the severance tax issue. He speculated a few days ago that if he could get a consensus from lawmakers in favor of raising the current rate, he very well might call us into session. I doubted it then and after seeing reports over the week-end, I am fairly certain it won't be happening soon. My stance on the severance tax is simply that I believe the tax on extracting the gas has always been too low, but I'm having mixed emotions about jumping in and raising the tax now that the Fayetteville shale play is booming. I'd like to see a definitive plan on how much of an increase we're talking about and exactly where the money would go before I make a decision. I would also like some input from my constituents because ultimately, they could have the chance to vote on this very issue come November. I think that is the best solution since any action in the ledge will take a 3/4 majority, and in my opinion, that would be virtually impossible to do.

Tom Brokaw Had Him Pegged

A giant of a man will celebrate his 85th birthday on Saturday. I should say that the giant I'm talking about barely scrapes 5' 10'' and weighs in at maybe 175 lbs. Certainly not a giant by any standard. But you have to use a different measuring stick when you talk about those of "The Greatest Generation". It's important that you measure the life-long committments to their God, their Country and their Family. Plenty of skeptics will say those values are out-dated and even corny. Well no matter what they say, they can't deny that without the giants and great Americans like my father, Leland Powers, who fought to save our world during the 1940's, none of us would be where we are today. The old saying goes that many of us got to our stations in life by standing on the shoulders of giants. I know that's got to be true because I've been perched atop my Daddy's for way too long. I want to thank him for that and wish him the happiest birthday ever. I pray he knows that if he ever gets tired of holding me up, I would be honored to change places, so he can see forever one more time.

Treacherous Traveling

As I lit out for Little Rock this morning I really had no idea how dangerous the roadways were. The trip from Hope to LR normally takes about an hour and thirty minutes, and thats driving the speed limit. Today's jaunt to the Capitol was a three and one half hour exercise in driving hell. The low temps and falling rain made for a deadly combination. Sadly there was one reported fatality just past Arkadelphia this morning; and coming home this evening, I saw another wreck close to Malvern that may have been just as bad. Cars were littered all over the sides of I-30 today, and why it never sinks in for every driver to slow down and pay full attention to what they're doing is beyond me. I'm sure most folks don't want to be on the highways in these conditions, but if you have to be there, extreme caution in this type of weather has to be the rule.

Here And There

I attended a noon time celebration today honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, at the Providence Missionary Baptist church here in Hope. A good crowd was there and heard Congressman Mike Ross and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Angie Taylor, provide the keynote addresses. It was a good cross section of our community and I appreciate the opportunity to be involved.

Steve Harrrelson has an interesting spot on his blog about a Representative from Arizona who is introducing legislation aimed at penalizing those legislators who miss votes. The penalty being discussed is to dock the missing legislator a day's pay. His theory that being a legislator means voting your conscience and providing a voice for your constituents on each and every bill sounds reasonable to me. Having said that, no matter how reasonable it sounds, there are times when meetings can't be avoided and ultimately a decision on missing a vote or making a meeting has to be made. Those are not always easy decisions. I personally try to make all the votes and schedule meetings when we aren't in session. Though I don't think this type of legislation will be filed, if it were, exceptions on sickness and emergencies would have to be included.

The New England Patriots have been installed as 13 1/2 point favorites over the New York Giants in the upcoming Super Bowl. Here's my take on that---I believe the Giants have a better than outside shot to upset the perfect Patriots. The two weeks will give the Giants secondary a chance to heal up, and the Giants are one of the few teams that can put pressure on the QB without blitzing. Eli will have to play well and the Giants can't lose the turn-over battle. If all that happens, the game should be close, with the Giants having their shot.

Speaker-Elect Wills

The House convened yesterday to elect the Speaker of the House for the upcoming 2009 Session. Since Rep David Dunn withdrew his candidacy just before Christmas, it was really just a formality to make Rep. Robbie Wills (D)-Conway, our Speaker-elect. Robbie was allowed to make a 15 minute speech, and he did an excellent job of conveying his hopes and expectations to the 86 legislators gathered in the House chamber. I believe there will be some tough issues coming down the road as we near 2009; but after hearing the Speaker-elect describe his passion and respect for our institution of government, I am more confident than ever that Robbie Wills is the man for the job.

Harrelson's Got Video

My good friend in Texarkana, Rep. Steve Harrelson, has taken his blog to a new level with a weekly video report. I'm sure most everyone who takes the time to visit here probably knows about Steve's blog, Under the Dome. He is really the best at this blogging business and keeps everybody updated with what's going on. As I said back during the session when a TV reporter interviewed me about Steve's website--If you really want to know what's going on around the Capitol, just go to Harrelson's blog. Keep up the good work Steve.

And Down The Stretch They Come!

With the opening of Oaklawn Park just nine days away, it comes to mind that the best horse racing of the year may take place in the Democratic and Republican primaries. But who's the frontrunner as they slide down the backstretch and enter the final turn for home? I sure couldn't tell you. But I was so certain last August when Hillary and Mitt were putting up those big poll numbers. The truth is, that each one started with an inside trip on a speed favoring racetrack. Both shot quickly from the gate and had a big lead on the field as they headed into the first turn. Nothing or nobody was going to catch these fine tuned and well financed front runners. But wait--what's this--? It's 2008, and the Iowa winter takes its' toll on the track and turns the rail dirt heavy and soft. The inside is not the fast firm footing it was during late summer, and both juggernauts are starting to get leg weary. As the early leaders shorten their stride, a high strung 3 year old colt from Illinois lopes up to Hillary with long confident strides. Obama's pre-race stategy of being the agent of change has the young infield whipper-snappers slapping programs on their legs and screaming for their pick to take the lead. He does just that and sticks his head in front for the first time. The frenzied young-uns on the infield head for the windows to collect their bets. The swagger and overconfidence of youth won't serve them well on this day, because New Hampshire has given Hillary her second wind and now she charges back into the lead. Hillary's jockey, the wily veteran Bill, has his steed back in the race with a retooled message and a kinder, gentler persona. Separating himself from the rest of the pack is the fiery veteran campaigner, Lawyer John. But there's too much ground to make up and he'll have to settle for the show. Hillary and Obama race neck and neck for Super Duper Tuesday and it's gonna take a photo to pick the headbobbing winner. .
Back to the Republicans, it seems as if Iowa and New Hampshire have Mitt mired in the mud, with Thompson being left in the gate, and Rudy a late scratch. But on the outside you've got yourself a real horse race. The old iron horse, McCain, is using all the savvy he can muster to stave off the upset bid of the longest shot on the board, Huckabee. As McCain and Huckabee glide past the tiring early favorite, both are jockeying for position. Pundits and media type scurry around the grandstands, shaking their heads in amazement as they watch this race unfold. Huckabee uses Iowans and his everyman approach to forge to the lead. But McCain, a true American hero, has seen a lot tougher spots than this, and New Hampshire puts him on even terms with the upstart Arkansas bred. As they turn into the stretch, it's too close to call for both parties, so lets just sit back, have a corned beef, and enjoy our time at the races.