The Hill’s Andy Barr and Sam Youngman cover Hillary Clinton on the stump in Story City, Iowa. Read Sam’s story on the event.

Thursday night, The Hill’s Andy Barr and Sam Youngman were in Des Moines covering Mike Huckabee and the big crowds he draws in Iowa. The Hill will be in Iowa through the caucuses so be sure to check for the lastest stories and videos from Iowa.

I announced my support for Senator Obama before the debates began, but when Obama said in the course of the debate that he would support diplomatic initiatives with countries that currently hold adversarial relations with the United States, I knew he was my candidate.

I believe that America’s first line of defense is good foreign relations. Yes, the world is in a state of constant change, terrorism is a very serious threat, and America must protect its interest. But bellicose rhetoric and refusal to negotiate have not made the world safer.

A President Obama will make our world safer; will restore our national image; and remind us of the many benefits of peace, stability and human rights.

I’ve recently returned from Iowa as a national chair of the Hillary 2008 campaign and boy can I tell you – the energy is on! Iowans are serious about their caucus, and they know Hillary is serious about them.

We need a Democratic President in 2008. I believe every single Democrat running is able and qualified. I am supporting Senator Clinton as a national chair of her campaign because I think she is seasoned, tested and ready for the new times and the unexpected times. She is a leader who is unflinching, unflagging and unrelenting.

We have a rendezvous with destiny. We are on a historic journey to change the direction of this country. Hillary will make history, and Hillary will change history. This election is not about gender; it’s about an agenda. When we put Hilary in the Oval Office, she will take with her our hopes and dreams. She will help us reclaim America and be a new voice of America to the world. She will get us back on the right track, restoring our national honor and repairing friendships around the world.

I am supporting Hillary Clinton for President of the United States because, simply put, she is the best qualified for the job. She has been consistent in her support of issues that are important to my constituency and is not afraid to take a stand on an issue, be it popular or unpopular.

I have known her since 1992, when she came to Cleveland after the Democratic Convention. Since then we have forged a strong friendship and I fondly call her my ’sista’. Additionally, we have worked together extensively in Congress on various pieces of legislation. She has been a champion of voting rights and I am pleased to have been able to introduce the Count Every Vote Act with her for the past two Congresses.

Much like the election of Nancy Pelosi to the position of Speaker of the House, the election of Hillary as the first woman president of the United States is extremely exciting. Her election to the presidency will be not only historic, but will be an inspiration to all people, particularly our daughters of what they can become.

I told her more than a year before she announced her candidacy that I was with her if she chose to run. I remain just as committed today as I was that day in Cleveland, and I will be with her all the way!!!

After repeatedly rejecting previous efforts, the federal government has approved the state of Wyoming’s new plan to kill most gray wolves in the state. Approval of Wyoming’s plan clears one of the final hurdles to lifting federal Endangered Species Act protection for wolves in the Northern Rockies. Wyoming’s plan will go into affect when those protections are lifted. Published reports say federal officials expect this to occur by March 2008. Federal wildlife officials have already approved wolf management plans from Montana and Idaho, the other two northern Rockies states with wolf populations. Idaho plans to kill many of its wolves while Montana’s plan is more tolerant.

The Wyoming plan allows anyone to kill any wolf that wanders outside a small area in the northwest corner of the state. The plan even jeopardizes wolves that live for most of the year in Yellowstone National Park and leave the park for periods in the winter in search of food. Federal approval means Wyoming will be allowed to shoot and trap all but about 100 of the approximately 300 wolves currently living in Wyoming once delisting occurs. Read the rest of this entry »

How are subprime mortgage lenders getting into the holiday spirit this year?  By foreclosing on the homes of working families while doling out a whopping $38 billion in bonuses to wealthy executives.

This holiday season, more than 2 million American families face possible home foreclosure as a result of the subprime mortgage crisis.  Meanwhile, the same CEOs and executives who drove the nation into this mess are being rewarded to the tune of billions of dollars.

As heartbreaking as the mortgage crisis is on a personal level, its long-term impact on the lives of all Americans and our economy runs deep.  Mortgage lenders typically lose money on foreclosures, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Foreclosures threaten the solvency of financial institutions and make our whole economy shakier at a time we can least afford it.

Meanwhile, there’s a party on Wall Street. Read the rest of this entry »

Mitt Romney is a leader who gets results.  No matter the challenge (a business on the brink of bankruptcy or a state with high unemployment) Mitt doesn’t see problems, he sees opportunities.  He is a man of unquestionable character, striking dedication to family, record of conservative leadership in the toughest of environments and Mitt has the vision to lead America to a better day.

Americans are ready for a change. Governor Romney has a vision for building a stronger America with a stronger economy, stronger families and a stronger military.  It is this vision for conservative change in Washington that is resonating with voters throughout the country.

Governor Romney is the only candidate in this race with real leadership experience. Throughout his career, he has faced extraordinary challenges and always met them.  Whether it was turning around companies, the 2002 Winter Olympic Games or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Governor Romney has always shown the strong leadership and force of will for change. I am proud to be on Mitt Romney’s team and look forward to helping him towards winning the Republican nomination.

I have voted twice for this Energy bill because I think it is the correct course for our country at this time. We can choose to continue playing politics with our environmental priorities but make no mistake about it, when all is said and done it will be our children and grandchildren who will carry the burden of our failures. This may not be the legislation that will solve all of our energy woes but it is a good start and I am proud to have supported it once again.