A nation turns its lonely eyes to Fox News tonight at 5 p.m. for the Bret Baier program and news from Mike Huckabee, who once lived off taxpayers here, but took himself in more prosperous times o income tax-free Florida.

I expect he’s still running for president. I can’t decide if Fox’s participation in the hype means he has the Murdoch/Ailes stamp of approval or if the relative dead zone of 5 p.m. Friday is a counter-indication of Fox enthusiasm.

With no TV show, a coming end to his radio show and only $7.95 monthly subscriptions to his “exclusive” e-mail thoughts going these days, the Huck needs something else to keep him occupied. I’m confident his years of experience at the tradecraft will present ways to put his family and entourage on a payroll somewhere in the campaign period, however long it lasts.

UPDATE: People for the American Way has compiled a list of Huckabee’s Five Worst Moments to welcome him to the race. Five worst? These are pretty good (bad). But there’s so much material. The Banana Republic comic book compiled in one campaign against him remains a treasure.




NPR also posts five things to know about Huckabee. That first item, about how he ran marathons, doesn’t include the rest of the fitness story.

AND THIS JUST IN: Still your beating hearts. Tonight is only an announcement of when he’s going to announce whether he’s going to announce.


UPDATE THE LAST: Huck said he’d announced his plans May 5 in his hometown of Hope. Probably not at the old Clinton homestead.