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- The latest Des Moines Register poll, conducted Nov. 25 to 28, finds Barack Obama leading in Iowa, with the support of 28 percent of likely caucus-goers. Hillary Clinton is at 25 percent, followed by John Edwards at 23 percent. Another poll, released today but conducted Nov. 7 to 25, still has Clinton in the lead there, with 31 percent to Obama's 26.
- Obama also won the endorsement of Des Moines mayor Frank Cownie.
- The same poll found Mike Huckabee leading on the Republican side at 29 percent, up 17 percentage points since early October. He's now ahead of Mitt Romney, at 24 percent, and Rudy Giuliani, at 13 percent.
- In Iowa this weekend, the Democratic candidates took part in the Iowa Brown & Black Forum, an event aimed at minority voters (who make up only 8 percent of the electorate in Iowa, but voters from Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, and Minnesota were bussed to the event to help up the representation). The debate highlighted some key areas where Hillary Clinton differed with other contenders and many of the voters in attendance: relations with Cuba, policies toward undocumented immigrants, and the disparity between sentences for crack and powder cocaine possession. On the latter, Clinton said the mandatory minimum laws should be changed, but that change shouldn't be retroactive.
- At the same forum, Bill Richardson asked Clinton how she felt about former governors as presidents. "Don't you think governors make good presidents?" he asked. "Well, Bill," she replied, "I think they also make good vice presidents." Perhaps his attempts to ingratiate himself to Clinton at recent debates will pay off.
- The Republican candidates skipped out on the forum, missing yet another opportunity to address concerns of minority voters. They have, however, agreed to take part in a Spanish-language debate on Univision on Dec. 9, after everyone but McCain begged out of the one in September.
- Mike "Different kind of Jesus Juice" Huckabee on ABC's "This Week" yesterday: "That's why there's an excitement about my campaign. It's just not about Mike Huckabee. It's about all those Americans out there who were told what they couldn't do, what they couldn't become." Ah, pulls on your heartstrings, the tale of all those little white southern boys who have never seen their demographic represented in the White House.
- After calling the Club for Growth the "the Club for Greed" and "a despicable political hit organization," Huckabee has been attempting to pander to the anti-tax posse and hide his record of taxing people in order to do things like fix roads, support nursing homes, improve state parks, and fund public schools.
- Speaking of taxes, Michael Kinsley warns that Huckabee and Fred Thompson's plans to "simplify" the tax code shouldn't be confused with "improving" it.
- At the DNC meeting on Saturday, party officials recommended stripping Michigan of all its 156 slots at the 2008 Democratic National Convention if the state moves forward with plans to hold their primary on Jan. 15. The state has 30 days to submit a new primary plan before the penalty will go into effect. Michigan Dems say they're holding their ground.
- And finally: On Sunday, Karl Rove offered advice to Obama on how to beat Hillary Clinton. Make of it what you will.
--Kate Sheppard
