A Christmas wish: [Possible future Republican President] Mike Huckabee says that it’s important to remember that Christmas is about celebrating Christ’s birth, and wishes viewers a “Merry Christmas.” Why is this offensive? Why does Andrew portray this as crossing some sort of political line?

I think it’s the case that anybody who would be offended by this perfectly anodyne holiday greeting isn’t the sort of person who would vote for Huckabee anyway. Personally, I’m glad to hear some public official say “Merry Christmas” instead of the generic, non-offensive “Happy Holidays” (and it would have been great had he said Happy Hanukkah too, except Hanukkah ended on December 12)… — Crunchy Con

Smart move: In addition to being a smooth play for the votes of fellow believers, Huck’s new Christmas-themed ad disparaging all the political noise is not a bad response in it of itself. If you’ve come to Huck because you just liked him (and appreciated his Christian beliefs) his new spot will make you like him more. And negative information about his record won’t necessarily damage him. — Jonathan Martin’s blog, Politico

The Huckabee offspring: I can’t tell which kid it was in the picture, but Mike Huckabee’s son John Mark — the one who didn’t kill the dog — might have had quite the porn stash while attending Ouachita Baptist University, from where he graduated in 2000… — Wonkette

Gun totin’:

David Huckabee

AGE: 27
IN A NUTSHELL: Spoiled redneck sociopath
WARNING SIGNS: Republican Mike Huckabee’s gun-obsessed, portly son was arrested last April for trying to smuggle a loaded handgun through airport security. Allegedly defrauded the student activities board of Arkansas State University out of thousands of dollars. Was once implicated in the brutal killing of a stray dog.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO: FBI agents dig up a pet cemetery behind his trailer.
MONEY QUOTE: “My business doesn’t file taxes.”– Radar online

Why aren’t the GOP happy? With Mike Huckabee’s continuing surge, the Republican Party now has an Iowa front-runner whose religious beliefs are virtually identical to those of George Bush. He’s anti-choice, born-again, against gay-marriage, and gets political advice directly from God. So why is the Republican establishment suddenly in a state of near-apoplexy about Mike Huckabee? Shouldn’t they be happy? — The Huffington Post