The Prince of Darkness doesn't like Mikey

Bob Novak, conservative columnist extraordinaire, seems a little upset at indications that Mike Huckabee (left) is gaining a head of steam in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Novak's tirade portends a broader campaign of attacks on Huckabee and further division between the theocrats and pragmatists in the Republican Party. Sounds like fun.

Who could have foreseen this?: The GOP front-runner is a thrice-married pro-choicer who favors gun control and gay rights, while a prominent right-wing pundit is bad-mouthing a Christian clergyman who's running for president on an anti-abortion platform.

Ronald Reagan must be spinning in his grave.

POSTSCRIPT: Newtie says Obama's gonna kick ass in Iowa. Let's hope so.

Why would Hastert quit in mid-term?

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, whose 14th District of Illinois borders on RascalLand, is expected to announce soon whether he'll run for a 12th term.

Nobody will be surprised if Hastert decides against a bid for re-election. Indeed, several would-be successors in both parties already are champing at the proverbial bit.

But political columnist Bob Novak suggests that a more dramatic departure by Hastert -- a mid-term resignation -- might be in the offing.

And then there's this from Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet, who says Hastert is running low on campaign money and has spent a bundle on lawyers to deal with any potential hassles arising from last year's Mark Foley sex scandal. Sweet also sees the possibility of mid-term resignation by Hastert.