Mike Huckabee

For 20 years, Republican strategists have advised presidential candidates to steer clear of "controversial" social issues. Favoring a disciplined focus on "pocketbook" priorities to reach upscale suburban voters, that conventional wisdom not only sounds appealing when the economy struggles, but also comes naturally to Mitt Romney, who personifies the party's alleged advantage on economic and fiscal matters. Indeed, Romney is under pressure to name a running mate who reinforces his reputation for businesslike competence.

Now comes the post-July Fourth wave of presidential candidates - including a Republican. Earlier this week, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd - all Democrats - spoke to delegates at a National Education Association assembly at the Convention Center. Clinton also picked up Mayor Street's endorsement Monday morning at City Hall. This morning at 11, the education convention will hear Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

After making remarks in which he directly equated homosexuality with bestiality, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was attacked at the San Francisco Zoo by a gay tiger. Huckabee had scheduled a campaign stop at the zoo, where he made his controversial remarks about homosexuality and bestiality, not realizing that he was standing within earshot of a Bengal tiger with a homosexual lifestyle. According to onlooker Tracy Klujian, 27, "the way that tiger started growling during the speech, you could tell that it felt like it was being taunted.

Gov. Christie won a presidential straw poll among Republican activists over the weekend. Of the 196 people who participated, sponsored by White House 2012, a blog covering the race for the GOP nomination, 19.8 percent named Christie their first choice. In second was Newt Gingrich with 12.5 percent, followed by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 9.4 percent each; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 7.3 percent; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, 6.3 percent; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty 5.2 percent; and, tied at 4.2 percent, Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Your diversity? I saw the Tom Ferrick column on the building trades and its lack of diversity (Inquirer, Jan. 6). A few weeks ago, I also saw a story about the increasing "whiteness" of the state police ("Pa. troopers' ranks getting less diverse," Dec. 23). Ironically, also on Dec. 23, in the first edition on the same page as the state police story, The Inquirer was touting its "12 must-read columnists. " I happened to note all 12 of the columnists mentioned are white. How does The Inquirer reconcile its own apparent lack of diversity versus other organizations with which it finds fault?

Bravos to Beatty for his lifetime achievement Hollywood legend Warren Beatty, who at 71 is easing into middle age, was the object of intense adoration Thursday night when he was honored with the 36th American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. Guests included WB's Bulworth costar Halle Berry, who said that Warren is "the greatest white rapper of the past 15 years. " Former Prez Bill Clinton stole the show with a surprise cameo. He enthused over the actor-director's films and his political work.

LITTLE ROCK - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Saturday that he would not seek the Republican presidential nomination, choosing to stick with a lucrative career as a television and radio personality over a race that would be both costly and caustic. "All the factors say go, but my heart says no," Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, said on his Fox News Channel show. Huckabee's decision further muddies the GOP field as the Republican Party seeks a challenger for President Obama.

A star was born last night. Feisty and smart, tripping rarely on her words, Sarah Palin accomplished what she needed to do, introducing herself as a legitimate national candidate who knows how to gleam through a TV camera. Speaking authoritatively and forcefully as an energy expert, while also presenting herself as a hockey mom, Palin charmed and invigorated her audience at the Republican National Convention. "The difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull," she quipped: "lipstick.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names show how far we've yet to go. WHAT'S the difference between Alycia Lane and Mike Huckabee? One apparently expressed some terrible anti-gay sentiments and was canned. The other expressed some terrible antigay sentiments - and wants to be president of the United States. Lane, in the heat of the moment, allegedly called a New York City police officer a "dyke" and as a result is now scouring the want ads. Huckabee once said, "I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural and sinful lifestyle" and justifies his views by saying, "We're all sinners.

From time to time, we run excerpts from the blog "Dick Polman's American Debate. " John McCain, the phoenix of American politics, is now marching with confidence toward the GOP nomination. Barring an unforeseen reversal . . . he seems well-positioned to cement his top-dog status when 22 more states weigh in, from coast to coast, Tuesday. The stars appear to be aligning in accordance with his most fervent wishes: 1. By winning the Florida primary, he demonstrated broad support among mainstream GOP voters - only registered Republicans were allowed to vote - and that was critical, because his previous . . . victories were powered by independents and crossover Democrats.

For 20 years, Republican strategists have advised presidential candidates to steer clear of "controversial" social issues. Favoring a disciplined focus on "pocketbook" priorities to reach upscale suburban voters, that conventional wisdom not only sounds appealing when the economy struggles, but also comes naturally to Mitt Romney, who personifies the party's alleged advantage on economic and fiscal matters. Indeed, Romney is under pressure to name a running mate who reinforces his reputation for businesslike competence.

DORAL, Fla. - Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney urged conservatives to back off aggressive anti-immigration policies as the Republican presidential candidates vied for Hispanic votes Friday, a day marked by heightened tensions entering the final weekend before Florida's primary. "I'm very concerned about those who are already here illegally and how we deal with those 11 million or so," Romney said. "My heart goes out to that group of people. ... We're not going to go around and round people up in buses and ship them home.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - As the Republican presidential race moves to South Carolina, Mitt Romney's new best friends just might be Christian conservatives and tea party activists. They haven't necessarily swallowed their suspicions of the Mormon former governor of Massachusetts, who says he has changed his once-moderate stripes. It's just that, so far, the right remains divided among several alternatives - meaning Romney has a chance to glide to victory in next Saturday's primary. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry are competing hard for support from conservatives in the state, where evangelical voters are projected to be at least half the electorate.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - As the Republican presidential race moves to South Carolina, Mitt Romney's new best friends just might be Christian conservatives and tea party activists. They haven't necessarily swallowed their suspicions of the Mormon former governor of Massachusetts, who says he has changed his once-moderate stripes. It's just that, so far, the right remains divided among several alternatives - meaning Romney has a chance to glide to victory in next Saturday's primary. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry are competing hard for support from conservatives in the state, where evangelical voters are projected to be at least half the electorate.

There's an old saying that Republicans don't fall in love, they fall in line. And sooner or later, they'll probably align for Mitt Romney. But not just yet. With the Iowa caucuses in the rearview mirror and New Hampshire dead ahead, it's early days. This is the point in the GOP calendar when insurgent underdogs bark loudly at the establishment candidates - and sure enough, Rick Santorum is assailing Romney as "bland" and "boring," while Newt Gingrich is vowing to go Shakespearean on Romney by crying havoc and unleashing the dogs of war. But neither of those guys has the requisite money or organization to take down Romney over the long haul.

MUSCATINE, Iowa - For Rick Santorum, it was the paparazzi moment that looked as if it would never come. Cameras and correspondents awaited him Thursday at an event in eastern Iowa in numbers that his campaign had rarely, if ever, seen. Even the presidential candidate seemed a bit taken aback. "Enjoying the circus?" a reporter asked. "This is the first day," the former Pennsylvania senator replied. Nobody has worked harder or spent more time traveling Iowa's rural highways and visiting its hamlets than Santorum, and until this week, no one had less to show for it. But with polls indicating that he is rising in the minds of voters likely to attend Tuesday's Iowa Republican caucuses, there's a growing sense that if any candidate is going to attract Iowa's wide swath of evangelicals, it will be Santorum.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - Mitt Romney signaled a new front in the battle for Iowa's winter caucuses, brushing aside the political significance of his Mormon faith in the state's strongly evangelical Republican ranks here and insisting that he will campaign fiercely for support from all voters. Romney took on the issue of his faith after a voter asked whether he ought to clarify misinformation about it in light of a pastor recently calling Mormonism a "cult. " Romney said he felt no need to defend his faith but - much as he did Tuesday's presidential debate - said he counted on voters to see through criticism.

By Margaret Carlson If Texas Gov. Rick Perry isn't the "un-Romney" the Republican base craves, who, oh who, will it be? If Perry cedes the un-Romney label - and the nomination - you can carbon-date the moment when his campaign's decomposition began: Sept. 22, 2011, between 9 and 11 p.m. EDT. That's when the Texas governor stumbled through one of the worst debate performances in memory. Weekly Standard editor William Kristol called Perry's flubs close to "disqualifying.

DOVER, N.H. - When it comes to the politics of 2012, New Hampshire is a state of uncertainty. From Keene to Dover, voters are largely unenthusiastic about President Obama, but they're not crazy about the Republican challengers either. Folks here routinely say they're fed up with everyone and don't know what to do when they vote next year. "The candidates all say what people want to hear, and then nothing gets done," said Debbie Babineau, a Lebanon property manager.

It must be hard to kick a jones for the political spotlight once you've had a taste. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who took himself out of the 2012 Republican presidential race last month after intense reflection and prayer, pushed the door back open a little bit Wednesday, saying he might be interested in the No. 2 spot if it were offered. "I haven't closed doors. I found out a long time ago that that's not the smart thing to do," Huckabee told reporters after delivering a lecture at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock.