Potential presidential contenders Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee will all make appearances in Iowa this month, throwing more speculative fuel on the already fiery debate over the Republican party’s pick for the 2012 election.
Their visits are also turning the state into a culture war battle ground, and Huckabee launched a fresh attack this weekend by celebrating the national “significance” of Iowa’s decision to oust three state Supreme Court justices who approved same-sex marriage.
“The significance and historic nature of the judicial elections here in Iowa were far bigger than the borders of Iowa,” said Huckabee in a speech at an evangelical gathering Sunday. “It was a very important statement that voters made, a statement that resonated across the country and one that I think will give legs to a larger movement over the next few years.”
The Iowa justice recalls were a rallying cry for social conservatives this overwhelmingly money-minded election year, and Huckabee made sure to stay on top of the waning tide: he stoked the flames in June by refusing popular Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ calls for a “truce” on social issues.
“The issue of life and traditional marriage are not bargaining chips nor are they political issues. They are moral issues,” Huckabee insisted at the time. Though certainly heartfelt, Huckabee’s latest outburst also reveals insight into his 2012 strategy.
When it comes to the issue of marriage equality, 2010 is going to be an important election, particularly on the state level where a number of states may move forward marriage equality legislation depending on who is elected into office.
I have to admit, when Judge Vaughn Walker released his ruling 
It isn’t often that straight people are affected by laws preventing same-sex marriages. But Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer is letting same-sex marriage laws affect his straight marriage. Stringer will marry his fiancé Elyse Buxbaum in Connecticut, instead of New York, 