There are three candidates really competing in Iowa – Romney, Huckabee, and Thompson – and Giuliani and McCain just want a respectable finish before heading into more favorable territory in New Hampshire.

The big three in Iowa have been going at it tooth and nail.

One Huckabee rival (okay, maybe two, which more or less narrows down your list of suspects) points to this unflattering coverage on Fox News from Carl Cameron:

CAMERON: Now that Huckabee is within striking distance, an old video has emerged from before his 100-pound weight loss, when he called for tax increases as Arkansas Governor.
HUCKABEE: The surcharge on the income tax. That’s acceptable.
CAMERON: This morning, he said those tax hikes were in response to a court decision.
HUCKABEE: That was in the context of the Supreme Court order that we had to fund education at a higher level.
CAMERON: In fact, that’s not true. In a Huckabee campaign statement this afternoon, they acknowledged that the tax hikes were to cover a general revenue shortfall in the state budget.

(I would note that some people’s reaction to the video might be to ignore what Huckabee is saying and respond entirely to the visuals – ”man, Huckabee used to be a house!”)

Jeff Sadosky, spokesperson for Team Fred, asked, “Misleading statements, tax increases, a smooth talking former Governor of Arkansas, didn’t we go down this road once already?”

On the other hand, anybody want to guess who Huckabee’s jabbing at in this comment: “In Iowa, people auction their cattle, but not their presidential candidates. It’s not so much about how much money you spend.”

Or later: “Asked about criticism he has faced for this plan, Huckabee said: “I guess Mitt Romney would rather keep people out of college so they can keep working on his lawn, since he had illegals there.”

Team Thompson’s e-mailed jab at Romney from this morning is below the fold, as well as Team Thompson’s response…

#more#

Mitt Romney says his government-mandated health care plan is one of his most important accomplishments as governor. But what does his plan really accomplish, and is this the kind of health care plan YOU would want to be forced to pay for?
Today, November 15th, Massachusetts residents who fail to register with the government and show proof of health care coverage will be slapped with a tax penalty for this year!
For individuals, the amount will be on average $219 this year and they will receive a punitive fine as much as $2,000 over the next year.1
Small business owner? It’s even worse; you’ll be fined $295 per employee who isn’t enrolled in Romney’s government-mandated health care plan!2
So what sort of services does Romney’s health care plan provide?
Per the state website:
$50 co-pay for abortions3
While court mandate requires Massachusetts to cover “medically necessary” abortions in state-subsidized health plans4, Mitt Romney’s plan covers ALL abortions – no restrictions.5
After it passed, Romney vetoed dental care for Medicaid recipients from his health plan, but did nothing to prevent coverage of abortion on demand for a mere $50.6 Romney has tried to distance himself from his Hillarycare-type plan,7 but you can watch the video where he takes full credit. There’s nothing conservative about Mitt Romney’s health care plan. It’s a government subsidized health care plan that requires citizens to register with the state, slaps working people with tax penalties, and provides $50 abortions on demand.
Contrast this with Fred:
-100% pro-life voting record.
-Has said repeatedly that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
-Opposes embryonic stem cell research and human cloning.
Tuesday, The National Right to Life Committee endorsed Fred. NRLC is the nation’s largest pro-life organization representing over 3,000 local chapters in all 50 states.
Help support the true conservative.
https://www.fred08.com/Contribute.aspx
Thanks for your support,
Todd Harris
Communications Director
Friends of Fred Thompson
1. (Michael Tanner, “No Miracle In Massachusetts,” Cato Institute, 6/6/06; Steve LeBlanc, “Timing Of Health Care Law’s Penalties Could Pose Risk For Romney, MA,” Associated Press, 11/9/07; William C. Symonds, “In Massachusetts, Health Care for All?” Business Week, 4/4/06; Geradline A. Collier, “It’s Not an Option.” Telegram & Gazette, 10/24/07)
2. (Steve LeBlanc, “Timing Of Health Care Law’s Penalties Could Pose Risk For Romney, MA,” Associated Press, 11/9/07; William C. Symonds, “In Massachusetts, Health Care for All?” Business Week, 4/4/06 )
3. (Menu of Health Care Services: http://www.mass.gov/Qhic/docs/cc_benefits1220_pt234.pdf)
4. Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Attorney General, 677 N.E.2d 101 (Mass. 1997)
5. (Menu of Health Care Services: http://www.mass.gov/Qhic/docs/cc_benefits1220_pt234.pdf)
6. (“Romney’s Health Care Vetoes,” Associated Press, 4/12/06)
7. (Rich Klein, “Romney distances self from Mass health plan,” Boston Globe, 2/3/07)
6. (Chapter 58 Section 3 (q) Section 16M (a), http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw06/sl060058.htm)

UPDATE: Guaranteeing an endless round of back-and-forth press releases in my e-mailbox for the rest of the day, Team Romney responds to Huckabee:

Governor Mike Huckabee: “I guess Mitt Romney would rather keep people out of college so they can keep working on his lawn since he had illegals there. But the point is, you don’t punish a child for the crime of the parent.”
MacCallum: “What do you think about that Governor?”
Governor Mitt Romney: “Well, you know, this is not a laughing matter. Illegal immigration is not a joke, it’s something serious. And the seriousness of this is very plain to see, which is in the case of Mike Huckabee, he believes that illegal aliens ought to get a tuition break. He fought for that in his state schools. I had a bill like that put on my desk. I said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘It’s simply not fair for the children of illegal aliens to get a special discount on their tuition when U.S. citizens from all the other states would have to pay a higher rate.’ It doesn’t make sense for the children of citizens to pay a higher rate than the children of illegal aliens.”

And they respond to Thompson’s “attack email,” they post a response…