OK Steve, I'm a sucker and went to the book link, not knowing any better, country bumpkin that I am. You're still holing out hope for an autographed copy, aren't you? ;)

LOL -- yes, I am. This holiday season, I did some shopping up at the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda near the Bethesda Row 5 Movie Theaters and saw piles of autographed copies -- but the line for the register was 30 minutes long. . .and then I decided to wait until I could get one for $1.00 used on Amazon...

best, steve

Boy, Amen and then some on inducting souls of relatives without knowlege or permission.

I think the Iowa results meant that people were voting for an open nominating process, not for or against any candidate in particular.

With the 2nd tier candidates throwing their support to Obama, it kept the process open. Richardson and Kucinich are not withdrawing, so it's still open, a three-way race. Kucinich and Richardson threw their support to Obama, just in Iowa. Gravel people will go to Kucinich, Dodd and Biden people, I'll bet, go to Richardson because he wants out Iraq yesterday.

With Dodd and Biden gone and Kucinich without any traction, Richardson with his UN experience is looking better and better to me. I think Iowa showed us no one has a true majority, just a razor thin plurality. We could have a brokered convention. It may be best for America for the nominating process to take until August. .. a lot can happen between now and then.

Of course I think the discussion is moot because I don't think Dopey and Darth will be leaving office at the end of their term. I think they'd rather declare a national emergency, and martial law and cancel elections.

Color me cynical.

Steve,

Your mormon barb is a common misconception. Mormons don't baptize dead people and then claim they are mormon. They baptize living people as proxies for the dead, so that in the afterlife, should that dead person decide (on their own) to become mormon, the physical baptism will have been performed (by proxy).

Yours is a common misconception held by many. Truthfully, it is more like purchasing a ticket "to heaven" and leaving it at the door for the interested party should they show up and decide they want to go in. They aren't "in" unless they decide they want to go "in".

Huckabee is a Southern Baptist, not a Mormon (like Romney). Did everyone miss this?

Patrick -- thanks for the very good and comprehensive explanation. I do a lot of genealogical research, which is helped immeasurably by the Mormon infrastructure, and I have to say your note is far more informed than the explanation I have received from many good, well-meaning Mormon librarians and genealogists.

To Dave -- I wasn't saying Huckabee was a Mormom...i was making a comparison of other issues..

best, steve

Dave, I gather that your point is that Reverand Mike Huckabee can baptize anyone, including a Mormon.

Back to point, that "crazy", John Bolton, should be exorcised from American policy making. Unfortunately, Huckabee would probably pardon him, too.

Bolton said the two "had never met," which isn't to say the two hadn't spoken on the phone informally.

I suspect Huckabee sees gains in associating with Bolton, Jesse Helms' longtime aide with establishment cred.

Bolton, though, as the neocon's neocon, presumably dislikes Huckabee as much as most Republican insiders.

Bolton's capable of suckering Huckabee by having that conversation, then (non)denying it after with some very specific language.

Funny how so many people can knock the Mormon practice of Baptism for the Dead (NOT OF THE DEAD!) without knowing what they're talking about.

Can one of these all knowing people explain this to me?

1 Cor. 15: 29
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?

hey is this van natter?