Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucus Jan. 3, made a swing through Oklahoma with stops in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He said Oklahoma is critical to his winning the nomination, adding that only about 8 percent of the delegate votes had been counted so far in the presidential primary race. He was asked at a news conference what he meant recently when he said Republican Mitt Romney did not reach "political puberty until he was 60." Huckabee said he was referring to Romney's change of positions on some issues. "I think you can't just have a change of opinion on fundamental issues over and over," Huckabee said. He said he believes the reason the country is off track is "we seem to forget who we are." America's tax system needs to be reformed, he said, adding he believes in the "fair tax," which is a national sales tax.

Your pets in the snow

Get your own free photo page and see photos from other Dayton-area residents. ohsnap.daytondailynews.com.

Times Exclusive: Clinton tells of appreciation for El Paso

Editor's Note: After her rally Tuesday at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton sat down with El Paso Times reporter Ramon Bracamontes for an exclusive interview. Here is part of that interview; the rest of the interview will be published in Sunday's El Paso Times.

Q Why did you choose El Paso to start your Texas campaign?

A I wanted to come to El Paso because I wanted El Paso to know how much I appreciate everything they have done for my husband and me and I want El Paso to know that I will work to be a good president for this community.

Q How important was it to start the Texas campaign on a good note?

A Well, I am excited about this campaign in Texas. I have so many friends here.

The unkindest bites are the human ones

It is estimated that there are between 3-6 million animal bites per year in the U.S, that 80-90 percent are dog bites, and 5-15 percent come from cats. About 1 million people each year seek care in the emergency room for dog or cat bites.

Dogs have strong jaws and relatively dull teeth. Wounds caused by dog bites tend to involve more crushing, tearing and lacerations rather than puncture wounds. Crushed tissues are particularly susceptible to infection. Dog bites occur most frequently on the extremities (upper slightly more often than lower), followed by the head and neck.

Small children receive more bites to the face, neck or head because they're near a dog's mouth. There are about 15-20 fatalities a year as a result of dog bites; most involve infants and young children.

Real I-D Becomes a Reality KOLO Blog Listing

The federal government mandated the Real ID Act in 2005, but only now are the states being asked to implement in. The program was a plan to combat terrorism, attached to a war spending bill. There was very little discussion at the time, and Real ID continues to fly below the radar. Of the 7 people we interviewed for this story, NOT ONE had even heard of the multi-billion dollar unfunded federal mandate.

But a numbers of problems arise... What are the real intentions of the "Real ID" program? Is it one step closer to the federal government tracking our every move? Inital prototypes of "Real ID" including microchips imbedded in the card. So do the newest passports. Another problem is how the act was passed. In my opinion it's just plain wrong for the federal government to pass a 4 billion dollar government mandate without letting the public know. Finally, by mandating this program, the federal government is forcing the states to not only comply, but pay. It seems to me, like it's blatant abuse of the entire idea of a democracy.