SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007

EVERYBODY’S WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND. Welcome to the special weekend Iowa Straw Poll edition of the National Review Online Digest, featuring Laura Ingraham, Byron York & more.

THE WINNERS AND LOSERS.

EARLY-SUNDAY UPDATE: Here's Byron York's wrap-up.

After a long delay, Mitt Romney wins. Mike Huckabee comes in second. Kathryn Lopez writes in response:

I think that means Tommy Thompson is gone.

I think Sam Brownback ought to consider returning to the Senate.

Team Thompson will notice they beat Rudy without even...being in the race.

Alan Keyes didn't rate? Bummer.

As for John McCain: At least he beat John Cox.


FIRST LADY. Laura Ingraham emceed Saturday’s Republican presidential straw poll in Ames, Iowa. In between her straw-poll duties, the popular radio talk-show host and New York Times-bestselling author (Power to the People!!!) blogged in “The Corner” -- including about Ron Paul crop circles from inside the backstage women’s bathroom. Some outtakes:

• No More Mr. Nice Guy. “I kind of want a mean, tough S.O.B at this point -- who can cut the legs out from underneath the Dems and the dinosaur media who are invested in America’s defeat. Someone who seems pleasant on the surface but who knows how to send in the daisy-cutters when al Qaeda or Taliban thugs are sleeping.”

• Lee Ermey as White House press secretary: “Private Thomas, is it? Think you’re smart, don’t you? Well, get used to this -- you do what I say or you will be crying for your binky by the end of the day! You, stupid, worthless, treasonous, Commie-sympathizing barnacle on a ship of fools!”

• Is Tommy Thompson headed to Graceland next?

• It’s never too late for Alan Keyes.

• “This is going to be a wild ride to ‘08.”

• Who is John Cox?


BYRON DOES AMES. National Review White House Correspondent Byron York is also at the straw poll. He blogs:

• “GOP intensity slump”?

• Mike Huckabee underwhelmed. But plays in his own band.

• “We Win -- You Lose.” Tom Tancredo had a winner of an applause line.

• Romney didn’t say a whole lot about abortion.

• In hot, hot, hot Ames, folks made quick exits from Romney Square, Brownbackville, Huckabeeland, and Ciudad Tancredo.


WATCHING AMES FROM AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM.

Rich Lowry blogs:

• It’s Mitt’s show so he can do cheese if he wants to.

• On Mike Huckabee’s poor pitch: “Hi, I’m Mike Huckabee and I Have No Money.”


Kathryn Lopez:

• Finds a rare Romney photo.

• Blogs on Brownback’s mini-National Right to Life Committee convention. And tonal surprise.

• Yeah, whatever happened to those “Abolish the Department of Education” Heritage Foundation policy papers? Go Ron Paul!!

• Anti-Mormonism in Iowa -- it’s hot and ugly.

• Rudy reminds press people he’s still around.

• Argues Romney couldn’t win on abortion in Ames if he said anymore than he did about it.

• Early in the day, Team Romney lowers expectations.


And Jim Geraghty:  

• on what’s really at stake at Ames:

if a candidate performs badly enough, those invitations to future debates might end up getting “lost in the mail”... We’ve had four debates. Everybody's had a chance to make their case. If you can't generate some numbers at Ames, the press and race watchers will start concluding you can't generate numbers anywhere...

• on all the pre-season games.


NOT ABOUT AMES. Jonah Goldberg on the Democrats and enemy combatants. Larry Kudlow on the market.


UNCOMFORTABLE DISCOVERY WHILE ON PATROL. W. Thomas Smith Jr., embedded in Iraq, writes from outside Fallujah:

As we moved out on foot beyond the patrol base and along a bomb-cratered road, we found some copper wire used to make IED pressure-plate triggers.

ILLEGAL-IMMIGRATION TRAVESTY. Those slaughters in Newark, New Jersey? An illegal immigrant -- out on bail -- was behind them. Greg Pollowitz keeps an eye on the “undocumented“ murderer.


AND THAT’S NOT ALL, FOLKS. Just jump in “The Corner” and scroll down to read the whole Saturday afternoon liveblog, as it happened.

Check National Review Online’s homepage Sunday morning for Byron York’s straw-poll analysis -- and tune into Meet the Press to see his legendary mane.

And then, of course, more Ames, war, and other fresh features on Monday morning. Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for spending some weekend time with NRO. — K.J.L.

NRO, EASY. SIGN UP FOR “NRO DIGEST” E-MAIL DELIVERY.

Just enter your e-mail address below to sign up for e-mail delivery of this feature every weekday and we’ll do the rest: