'08 Race Delivers the Unexpected

The voting hasn't even begun and already there are surprises on both sides. Two new national polls show that darkhorse Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is making a serious move in the race for President. In Iowa his lead is even stronger, making the former front runner there, Mitt Romney, very nervous. Huckabee Moves Toward the Head of the Pack Huckabee was busy Monday receiving a key endorsement from Florida's Speaker of the House. "There are a lot of people running for President who wanted the endorsement of the speaker," Huckabee said. Yet Huckabee got it. It's part of the roll he's been on. Two new polls show him virtually tied for first nationally despite being in single digits just weeks ago. A CBS/New York times poll has Rudy Giuliani at 22 percent and Huckabee at 21 percent. A CNN opinion research poll has Giuliani at 24 percent with Huckabee right behind at 22 percent. In Iowa, Huckabee's lead is even stronger thanks to support from Evangelicals who seem to have taken to the Baptist preacher. All of this has caused Romney's campaign to plot a strategy to stop him. Romney Goes on the Attack Romney had been leading for months, but Tuesday he began running an ad attacking Huckabee on immigration. The ad said, "Mike Huckabee? Supported in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants. Huckabee even supported taxpayer-funded scholarships for illegal aliens. On immigration, the choice matters." Huckabee is running his own ads in Iowa on immigration: "Mike Huckabee will fight to secure our borders," the ad said. "We need to make it clear that we will say no to amnesty and no to sanctuary cities. " In cold wintry Iowa, things are just heating up.