"Governor you raised taxes more than me..."

Michael Medved broke down the numbers this morning... and basically cites both men as exemplary leaders - but on the cold hard facts - Mitt raised taxes slightly more than Huck...

According to figures from the non-partisan Tax Foundation (based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce), Huckabee’s term as governor (1996-2007) led to a modest increase in the overall State-Local tax burden for Arkansas: from 10.1% in the year he became governor to 11.1% the last year he served. In terms of overall tax burden (state-local-federal) Arkansas remained virtually unchanged--- from 30.3% (39th among the 50 states) to 30.5% (32nd place).

Mitt Romney, on the other hand, saw sharper increases in taxes during his single gubernatorial term (2003 to 2007) in Massachusetts. The state-local burden rose from 9.8% the year of his election to 10.5% his last year as governor. Meanwhile, the total tax burden went up from 31.2% to 33.9% -- vaulting Massachusetts from 9th place to 7th place in the nation.

These numbers don’t prove that Huckabee was a great governor, or that Romney was a poor governor: actually, both men count as exemplary public servants and authentic conservatives (and both of them have taken Grover Norquist’s “No New Taxes” Pledge—in contrast to their rivals Giuliani, Thompson and McCain, who have refused to do so). Both candidates deserve respect for doing a solid job in handling state legislatures with overwhelming Democratic majorities and scoring some notable achievements as governor (though both states flipped to Democratic control in 2006).

For those who are interested in the truth, however, the growth of the tax burden in Arkansas under 11 years of Huckabee looks no worse (and actually a tad better) than the growth of taxes in Massachusetts under 4 years of Romney.

"Rudy's Misrepresentin'..."

The current NYPD police chief is adding to Rudy Giuliani's corruption woes, distancing himself, and calling out the former Mayor. He asserted in Newsday that Rudy's story does not add up:

Giuliani, a two-term mayor serving from 1994 through 2001, has faced questions this week over whether he tried to hide certain expenses during his second term as mayor. The inquiries came after a report surfaced Wednesday on the Web site Politico.com detailing how travel and security costs were shifted to obscure city agencies from 1999 to 2001, during a time Giuliani was reportedly involved in an affair with Judith Nathan, now his third wife.

Giuliani and his aides on Thursday said there was nothing improper about how nearly $600,000 in travel bills run up by his security detail that was not immediately registered as an expense incurred by the mayor's office. Giuliani's defense is that the NYPD was slow to pay its bills, forcing his office to bill the other agencies.

Kelly said on Friday he could not comment on those expenses because he was not police commissioner during the years in question.

But a high-ranking police official said the department has quietly looked into the matter over the last few days and found no evidence the NYPD was slow to pay the mayor's office. Typically, said the official, who asked his name not be used, the mayor's office would make any arrangements necessary whenever Giuliani traveled out of town with the detail. After the trip, the mayor's office would bill the NYPD, which in turn would ask the comptroller's office to pay the mayor's office out of the NYPD budget.

"Faith good!"

Hugh is making a big fat hairy deal about how Mitt's speech is likely to be about religious liberty... But that is categorically different than how the rest of the reports have termed the speech in the media today. While Hugh and Article6 both assert the speech will be on the topic of religious liberty - the REST of the media and in large part the blogosphere are referencing the speech as comparable to John F. Kennedy's challenge as a Roman Catholic.

One thing is certain - by the end of the week, Mitt will pick up major coverage and suck much of the media oxygen from the room.

Girls as young as 12 could soon be given the morning-after pill - without their parents' knowledge.

According to a new report, chemists are to be given the right to supply the emergency contraceptive pill to girls under the age of 16.

"Americans know that if Hillary Clinton can't stand up to Rudy Giuliani and Rush Limbaugh, there's no way she's going to be able to stand up to America's enemies."

Channeling the R.O.S.I.E...

Making essentially the same argument as Rosie did a few months ago, "Radical Christianity = Radical Islam." Barbara kicks off one of the more rather inane discussions American television has ever entertained. And considering the regular fare of 'The View' that's saying something!

Monday Gross Out...


"Granny likey..."

No seriously - one of the mortician models' granny oogles over her grandson's appearance in the Men of Mortuaries calendar...

This would be way more acceptable...

"Me love you long time..."

I'm not quite sure I've ever seen a politician refer to the comparison of a reckless sexual act to the electoral process of asking for votes - though I KNOW that there have been more than enough voters who felt like forgotten girl who is STILL waiting for the guy to call...

But she said it - to a bunch of Iowa voters:

Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaking in Bettendorf, Iowa, trying to convince a crowd to caucus for her, explained that she wants to be with them so that she can win Iowa in November 2008.

"I want a long term relationship," she said. "I don't want to just have a one night stand with all of you."

"waiting and wondering... a 'Hugh-Duck' so to speak..."

"Buckle-Up!" - The Huck-Wagon approacheth...

GALLUP:

Meanwhile, Republican Mike Huckabee's standing in the national poll has shot up -- to the point where he leads a group of four GOP contenders basically tied for second place behind front-runner Giuliani.

Hid travel costs through obscure Mayoral agencies...

Long story short... Rudy obstructed the public's ability to transparently account for travel expenses while paying overtime for he, his wife, his mother, and his girlfriend's travel security. Of which really only HIS cost should be covered by taxpayers.

It has been known since 2000 that then-Mayor Giuliani used his official, taxpayer-funded NYPD detail to escort him to weekend getaways at Nathan's Southampton condo as early as 1999, well before his marriage to Donna Hanover dissolved the following spring.

Back then, the Giuliani administration stonewalled reporters trying to nail down the costs for guarding the mayor during his Nathan liaison. The full tab remains a city secret.

But the documents obtained by the Politico.com Web site through Freedom of Information laws now show for the first time how Giuliani's administration seemed to scatter travel costs for security details during that time among obscure mayoral offices.

Those included units for regulating lofts and providing legal help to the poor, the report said.

Coming amid a heated Republican primary battle for President, the gimmickry leaves Giuliani vulnerable to attack on several fronts: his boasts about fiscal stewardship as mayor, and as a fresh reminder of the affair before Nathan became his third wife.

"Well...maybe I am a whatever you need kind of guy!"

Our own Matt Lewis posted, what I believe (and if I'm mistaken - please set me straight Matt) to be a post that was designed to sort of defang the idea that Huckabee isn't jockeying for a VP slot with Rudy. He cited a clip from my buddy Scott Wilder's show in which the Huck-Wagon makes a very clear assertive statement on abortion - and it's importance to the GOP:

Mike Huckabee: It Means President Hillary Rodham Clinton. It means the Republican Party loses a whole lot of folks including people like me who didn't become pro life because of my politics I became political because of my pro life convictions. That's what worries me when I see some of the people who say I've argued it both ways, I can be for or I can be against. Hey whatever you need. Well I'm not a whatever you need kind of a guy.

Spotting this I tuned into Scott's program at 6pm EST this hour only to hear Scott express throrough dismay at Huck's less than straightforward answer to George Stephanopolis on ABC yesterday when asked very clearly what it would mean to have a pro-abortion candidate leading the ticket. The Huckster panned on the substantive question by saying it would be a cheap shot... thus putting him at complete odds with his earlier answer FROM JUNE 15.

The difference now - as Scott pondered aloud - is that Huck possibly sees himself a spot on the ticket or perhaps in the cabinet of a Giuliani administration.

Something I was publicly speculating about weeks ago...

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2pm:
Forgiveness should not mean access, but Kellie Pickler should at least meet with her mother. Pickler recently yelled into a television camera, "This is as close as you will ever get to me!" Having been abandoned my her mother at age 11, with her father in and out of prison, and being raised by her Grandmother, Pickler's mother now wants to reuinte for a sit down. Anyone who has ever known abandonment knows the ill feelings you can harbor towards those that walked out on you - I know I have and will share those on the air this afternoon. But does it mean that you don't extend grace nor wisdom to the person who may be seeking to reconcile for poor past actions? And after all what if they're only in it - in perhaps Pickler's case - for the money? 800.345.WMCA.

3pm:
The dumbest "five signs your man is cheating list" ever put together.  
1. He doesn't pay his bills on time...
2. He's a do-gooder...
3. He's rolling in the dough...
4. He's a yeller...
5. He's a mirror hog...
Perhaps the dumbest list of things to assume he is cheating on you ever assembled. Aren't there perhaps more significant signs? And for those of you who HAVE been cheated on in the past - did these fit the bill? Or is there a more significant set of five that can be assembled. Something a little more practical and helpful. 800.345.WMCA.

3:55pm: The McCULLOUGH PUNCH
Embarrass the wrong doers - and wrong doing will go down!

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"...get me a state trooper and bring her to my suite."

Five wierd ways you can tell if your man is cheating on you... all according to "experts." I'm sort of surprised "working late, lipstick on collar, mysterious hotel bills" didn't make the list. In fact I don't even think I agree with these...

Cheating Sign #1: He Doesn't Pay His Bills On Time
Cheating Sign #2: He's A Do-Gooder
Cheating Sign #3: He's Rolling In The Dough
Cheating Sign #4: He's A Yeller
Cheating Sign #5: He's A Mirror Hog

"I'm in Tennessee..."

The post I put up over the weekend regarding the Pickle's appearance on "Are You Smarter" brought some interesting response to the e-mail box. Dozens of folks opening up about their experiences in being abandoned. LOTS of people give Pickle a hard time for being the ditzy blonde. But when your father supposedly beat your mother so badly that she abandoned you with a word of warning - nor ever an ounce of interest in your life afterward... things haven't exactly gone you're way.