Lanky Link: Abraham Lincoln's many losses along the way to the White House

By Jack Brummet, Presidents Editor

• When he was 22, his business failed. 
• At age 23, he lost a bid for U.S. Congress. 
• The next year, another business he started went under.
• Finally at age 25, he was elected to the state legislature. 
• When he was 26, his girlfriend died. 
• At 27, he had a nervous breakdown. 
• When Lincoln was 29, he was beaten in the race for the post of Speaker of the House Illinois legislature. 
• When he was 31, he was defeated as an Elector (you, know - the electoral college). 
• At age 34, he was beaten when he ran for congress, 
• When he was 37, he ran for Congress once again and won, but, alas, two years later, he was not re-elected.  When he was 46, he ran for the Senate and lost. 
• The next year year, he ran for Vice President and lost. 
• At the age of 51, he was elected President of the United States.

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Rick Perry's Report Card from Texas A & M (not so good)

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor with research by Jack Brummet, Editor in Chief

Governor, and Presidential hopeful, Rick Perry did not exactly reach for the stars during his college years at Texas A & M University.  Later in his career there, he did become a student leader.  But he could only do that after he emerged from academic probation.  If you check out the transcript below, you will note that he almost never earned a grade higher than a C in his courses -- a C in U.S. History, D in Shakespeare, and a D in economics. One semester, he even got a C in P.E. 

click transcript to enlarge

The Governor also got shelled in classes in his animal science major.  In fall 1970, he received a D in veterinary anatomy, and flunked a second course on organic chemistry, and took a C in animal breeding. He did receive an A in world military systems and a class called the“Improv. of Learning," which were his only two A's in college. 

"A&M wasn't exactly Harvard on the Brazos River," recalled a Perry classmate in an interview with The Huffington Post. "This was not the brightest guy around. We always kind of laughed. He was always kind of a joke."

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Huck-a-mania! Ex-Governor Huckabee nipping at the heels of the "front-runners" who laughed at him weeks ago

click to enlarge Mike Huckabee

Ex-Governor Huckabee continues to surge in the polls. Sure, he may come back down to earth, but it seems like he is having one of those "Howard Dean" moments of political Midas Touch. In the first full round of tracking polls since last week’s “debate” among G.O.P. Presidential hopefuls, Huckabee pulled within three points of Rudy Giuliani. Before that debate, Giuliani was ahead of Huckabee by twelve points.

New polling data released today shows that Huckabee has pulled within 1% of Hillary Clinton in a general election match-up. Huckabee is leading in Iowa and tied for second in New Hampshire. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows Giuliani with 20% support nationwide, Huckabee at 17%. Fred Thompson 14%, John McCain 13% and Mitt Romney, 11%. Ron Paul is pulling 7%.

The G.O.P. is experiencing some disequilibrium over the last week, between the debate, the Chuck Norris endorsement of Huckabee, and the apparent flowering of Huck-a-mania! Some of the frontrunners are gasping for air like goldfish on the sidewalk.

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Rudolphs Giuliani loses another supporter: his daughter Caroline

click Caroline Giuliani's Facebook profile to enlarge


It looks like Rudy Giuliani can't count on his daughter's vote. And his son's (see All This is That: Giuliani son: "I have problems with my father, but it doesn't mean he won't make a great President." ). Or most certainly his ex-wife's (the lovely Donna Hanover). In his 2008 presidential bid, he'll be going without the support of his ex-family. According to 17-year-old Caroline Giuliani's Facebook profile, she's supporting Barack Obama. Go to Slate.com to read Lucy Morrow Caldwell's story.

Other recent articles on The Mayor of 9/11 on All This Is That:

The Mayor of 9/11, Rudy Giuliani, admits he exaggerated how much time he spent at ground zero

Presidential Candidate-Mayor Of 9/11 Giuliani In A Snit Over Jeri Kehn Photos Garnering Too Much Attention

None of the above: the top Republican Presidential candidate

Vanity Fair asks "Is Rudy Giuliani crackers?"

Giuliani warns of a "new 9/11' if Democrats take the White House

The Scariest Looking Public Figure We Know Endorses Rudolph Giuliani For President

Giuliani: The Candidate For 9/11—See The Onion

Giuliani son: "I have problems with my father, but it doesn't mean he won't make a great President."

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As We Predicted, The Romney Campaign Surges

Yeah, the early polls showed him seriously lagging behind Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. And you had to wonder. . .if he couldn't make inroads on those two knuckleheads, maybe he really didn't have the mojo after all. But on Monday, Mitt Romney burst into full bloom with his announcement that his campaign had netted a stunning $23 million that rivaled the $26 million previously announced by Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, and now, today, the $25 million raised by Barack Hussein Obama. And he did it with name recognition far below his two Republican rivals. It's getting interesting on both sides!

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