Gringrich, Huckabee

My Bad: It's been one of those weeks. So we have a LOT of catching up to do.

I'm not flying home to Illinois for Thanksgiving. Can I still get someone from the TSA to come manhandle me at my house or do you have to go to the airport for that?

Newt Gingrich sure sounds like he is running for president, doesn't he? He signed books in West Des Moines this week and said he and his wife would decide whether to run in February or March. It is nice to have a deadline, isn't it? Sure helps those of us trying to handicap the 2012 race. On Channel 13's Insiders, Polk County Democratic Chairman Tom Henderson doubted Gingrich will run. He thinks Gingrich is just trying to stay in the news, sell books, etc.

Mike Huckabee told me Sunday he doesn't have a timetable for making his decision. So, let the speculation continue. I asked since Sarah Palin said this past week that she could beat President Obama, does he think he could beat the Prez? Huck said since he thought he could beat him in 2008, he thinks he could beat him in 2012. Huck also said Palin's decision on whether to run will have no effect on his decision. Wouldn't they be fighting for some of the same social conservatives in Iowa in the caucus? That could be quite a battle in the Hawkeye State. (Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson offers her word-by-word account of Hucks' visit.)

Huck's news conference came before his speech with the FAMiLY LEADER organization at the kickoff event at First Federated Church in Des Moines. And, yes, the "i" is lower case, where the other letters are all in CAPS. Our reporter, Emily Carlson, who also covered the event, told me organizers said there is no "i" in team, so it is not supposed to be capitalized in the word, FAMiLY. There you have iT.