Slated on Backbone Radio, January 6 Listen every Sunday, 5-8pm on 710 KNUS, Denver.. 1460 KZNT, Colorado Springs... and streaming live at 710knus.com.
No, I'm not supporting Huck for President, and we're not pals. But as the surprising Arkansan shakes up the GOP race, I can say I "knew him when." Back in 1995, the then-lieutenant governor was featured in a TV special on term limits that I produced, and he toured us around Little Rock on his funny, fascinating "Clinton scandal" route. Interesting, engaging, entertaining, different? My day with Huckabee was all of those, and it's his personal touch -- in addition to the economic populism and the connection with values voters -- that's helped him break out of the pack for a win in Iowa and a remarkable rise in the national polls.
Couple this with the shellacking Barack Obama gave Hillary Clinton on the Democrat side in Iowa -- oh, the horror of it -- and campaign year 2008 is off to a roaring start. We'll cover all of it this Sunday on Backbone Radio. Please listen in and call in.
** David Sirota, the lefty Denver Post columnist and blogger with whom I will be teaching a DU adult course later this month, will stop in to explain why he thinks this is the Dems' year. I'll tell him why that's moonshine.
** Mike Littwin, who's now in New Hampshire after covering Iowa for the Rocky Mountain News, will talk about what NH voters may do when they have their say on Tuesday. I'll try to antidote his liberal slant, as well.
** We'll also preview the legislative session with free-enterprise lobbyist Tim Jackson... talk about inner-city schools with Kent Hutcheson of Colorado UpLift... and forecast Colorado's youth vote with teenage conservative activist Jimmy Sengenberger.
"Don't tread on me," the old spirit of defiance to tyrants and enemies, is good preparation for Americans facing a new year and new challenges. Here at Backbone Radio, that spirit is alive. It's on our banner as we stride into 2008. Want to march with us?
Yours for self-government, JOHN ANDREWS