Susan Davis reports on the presidential race.

The Speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio, along with state Rep. David Rivera endorsed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for president. What’s interesting about Rubio’s nod is that it was not for Fred Thompson — the candidate Rubio was widely rumored to be considering not too long ago.

The St. Petersburg Times has a lot of good detail on the endorsement, including a conference call today by Mitt Romney backers held in part to play down the importance of the Rubio’s endorsement but in effect giving weight to the endorsement. “We have some concerns as conservatives about Mike Huckabee,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney (R., Fla.), citing Huckabee’s record on taxes. Feeney, a former Florida House speaker, noted that three former speakers (himself, Allan Bense, and John Thrasher) are all backing Romney. “Three speakers beat one speaker,” Feeney joked.

Huckabee’s campaign also announced today that his wife, Janet, will be in New Hampshire Tuesday to formally accept the endorsement of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association. It is the first time they have ever recommended a Republican candidate to their 16,000 members in the state. The New Hampshire NEA also endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side.

Susan Davis reports on the presidential race.

Sen. Hillary Clinton brought her mom, Dorothy Rodham, and daughter, Chelsea, to Iowa this past weekend, and now Sen. John Edwards is getting in on the family act.

The former North Carolina senator’s parents, Wallace and Bobbie Edwards, will campaign in New Hampshire on Tuesday and Wednesday on behalf of their son. In both his 2004 and 2008 runs, Edwards frequently discusses his “son of a mill worker” upbringing, and his campaign has recently run ads like this and this in South Carolina. Edwards’s parent will host six meet-and-greets in rural northern New Hampshire to talk about how their son’s “small town upbringing and work in the mills gives him a deep and personal understanding of the issues facing rural and working Americans,” according to the campaign.

Susan Davis reports on the presidential race.

There’s been overwhelming Oprah Winfrey coverage for her weekend campaign swing through three early voting states on behalf of Sen. Barack Obama. But it’s still an open question whether her endorsement will help Democratic presidential candidate win his party’s nomination.

Obama’s campaign released interesting numbers this morning on how Winfrey aided their grassroots effort. According to campaign spokesman Bill Burton, at least 66,500 people attended the rallies in Iowa (29,000), South Carolina (29,000) and New Hampshire (8,500). The campaign relied on 4,250 volunteers to make the events happen.

In South Carolina, 68% of attendees were making their first communication with the Obama campaign, and more than 9,600 signed supporter cards at the event. In New Hampshire, 2,300 new supporters signed up in the past week, and 650 people signed up to volunteer for the campaign. Not to mention the largely positive wall-to-wall television and newspaper coverage the events offered the Obama campaign over the weekend. It should come as no surprise that Winfrey, whom Michelle Obama proclaimed “The First Lady of Television,” is also really good on the stump.

Readers: How big an effect will Oprah Winfrey have on the Obama campaign?

Susan Davis reports from Coral Gables, Fla., on the Republican debate.

Many Republicans on the stage tonight at the Spanish-language Univision debate (English transcript of the debate) had reservations about appearing before a Hispanic audience, but the 90 minute forum offered few tough questions and no heated exchanges between the seven candidates. The initial reluctance displayed by the major candidates to accept the first invitation this past summer seemed almost puzzling tonight as the debate put no candidate in the hot seat on one of the toughest domestic issues the next president will face.

Sen. John McCain was the only major candidate to accept the first invitation to appear on Univision, prompting the Spanish language channel to cancel what they had hoped to be a September debate. But after Fred Thompson joined McCain in agreeing to appear, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani lined up in short order.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee referenced that reluctance tonight, when the moderators asked if Republicans saw a risk in participating. “The far greater risk is if we didn’t,” Huckabee said, “It would insult our own party, it would insult the country.” Republicans should accept invitations by all populations, whether Hispanic, black, or union audiences, Huckabee added, a thinly veiled reference to Romney, Giuliani, McCain, and Fred Thompson’s absence at an African American forum hosted by Tavis Smiley on PBS in September.

But what was more curious were the moderators, Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas, who offered few pressing follow-up questions despite immigration becoming one of the more contentious issues in the primary season. Huckabee offered a plan last week that would effectively kick out the 12 million estimated illegal immigrants in the country, and Romney and Giuliani have battled endlessly over who was tougher on cracking down on illegal immigrant populations in their former careers as Massachusetts governor and New York City mayor. McCain saw his popularity in conservative circles plummet when he attempted to move legislation in Congress this year that included provisions to create a path to citizenship.

Despite all of that, the seven candidates are walking away unscathed. No one veered off message, attacked an opponent, or said anything that could offend an Hispanic audience. They overwhelmingly spoke positively, even affectionately at times, to the contributions the Hispanic community offers in the U.S. The night was punctuated with lines like this: “We cannot allow this nation to be inhumane or without love and compassion,” said McCain.

Susan Davis reports from Coral Gables, Fla., on the Republican debate:

Mitt Romney fired his landscaping company last week because they continued to hire illegal immigrants , but he side-stepped a question over whether he reported the company to authorities. “You know we are a very compassionate people and we are also people who follow the law,” he said, noting that the landscaper was an “old friend” but that he had kept in his employ two individuals here illegally. “I told him ‘That’s it.’” Romney did not explicitly say it at this evening’s Univision debate, but he has argued previously that it’s not the responsibility of individuals to investigate and report illegal immigrants to authorities. Romney offered a defense of his landscaper saying that he doesn’t have an official mechanism to determine his employees’ status, and he used the opportunity to advocate for a national employer verification system.

Susan Davis reports from Coral Gables, Fla., on the Republican debate:

Huckabee took a softer line in Sunday’s debate. Photo: Associated Press

The first half of the Univision debate was dominated by questions on the Republican Party’s ties to the Hispanic community and immigration. Co-host Maria Elena Salinas noted that the Spanish-language channel fielded questions from viewers for the debate and 85% of those submitted were in regards to immigration. The seven Republicans on the stage — Rep. Tom Tancredo (R., Colo) boycotted because the debate is not conducted in English — largely approached the issue with a softer touch, with many acknowledging that Republicans need to do more to cultivate Hispanic support.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee unveiled one of the toughest immigration proposals so far last Friday, which would require the 12 million estimated illegal immigrants in the country to register with the federal government and return to the home countries before applying to return legally. Huckabee offered a more empathetic tone today. “I think Hispanics want the same thing everybody wants,” he said, arguing that there needs to be greater efforts to improve education in the community. “I think if our policies reflect lifting people up we’ll get the [Hispanic] vote.” The hosts did not press Huckabee on his plan to force illegals to return to their home countries when he said, “The pathway has to include people going to the back and not to the front of the line.” Huckabee said there should be “a reasonable window of time where they would go back to their native country and being the process” to return. Huckabee outlined a 120 day window in his proposal. He also said the legal immigration process needs to be expedited. “If you can get an American Express in two weeks, it shouldn’t take seven years to get a work permit to work on a farm.”

Other candidates offered olive branches to the Hispanic community arguing that the principles of the Republican Party often resonate with Hispanic voters. “There are some peculiar connections between our party and the Hispanic community,” said Mitt Romney, noting that high numbers of Hispanics serve in the military, own businesses, and are people of faith. Rudy Giuliani said that as mayor of New York City he was reelected twice with the help of the Hispanic vote. Sen. John McCain noted that he has earned 70% of the Hispanic vote in his Arizona home state and unsuccessfully fought for immigration reform in Congress. “I understand their issues and challenges they face,” he said.

Fred Thompson, however, said the party was mired down in Washington and aligned with corruption and that if Republicans get back to their roots, Hispanics will follow. Rep. Duncan Hunter noted that it was a Republican president — Ronald Reagan — who fought communism in Latin America. “That’s the Republican Party,” he said. Rep. Ron Paul reasoned that Hispanics are part of the larger group of Americans angry with the Republican Party over the war in Iraq. “Hispanics like everybody else wants change in our foreign policy.”

Susan Davis reports from Coral Gables, Fla., on the Republican debate:

Republicans were giving the audience mostly what they wanted to hear at the Univision debate until Rep. Ron Paul (R., Texas) was asked about U.S. relations with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. “We create the Chavezes of the world, we create the Castros of the world by interfering and creating chaos in their countries, and they respond by throwing out their leader,” the Texas lawmaker said to resounding boos and jeers in the crowd. Paul regularly faults U.S. foreign policy for escalating tensions with foreign countries, but that line isn’t going to win much support in the vastly anti-Castro Florida community. Paul was alone in his view point on the stage. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain both aligned themselves with King Juan Carlos of Spain, who garnered headlines recently when he told Chavez to “Shut Up.” “I agree with how King Juan Carlos spoke to Chavez,” Giuliani said, to cheers, “Chavez is acting like a dictator and should be treated that way.“

Amy Chozick reports on the 2008 presidential race:

Hillary Clinton will hold a question and answer session with billionaire Warren Buffett in San Francisco on Tuesday, an appearance that could signal that as her rival Barack Obama enjoys the endorsement of Oprah Winfrey, the well-organized Clinton campaign is being more aggressive in requesting the support of the nation’s top investor. Mr. Buffett’s assistant, Debbie Bosanek, said that he has not changed his mind to her knowledge and still supports both candidates.

The 77-year-old businessman hasn’t endorsed a candidate, but has said he is willing to throw his substantial fund-raising capabilities behind both Mrs. Clinton and Democratic rival Barack Obama.

Mr. Buffett, who runs Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., held an event for Mrs. Clinton in New York in June that raised at least $1 million for the campaign. In August, he held an event at the Ironwood Country Club in Omaha for Mr. Obama that drew at least 200 people with a minimum entrance price of $500 a person. About 40 people donated at least $2,300. Mr. Buffett has said that either candidate would make an excellent president.

Mr. Buffett has long identified with Democratic causes and criticized the Bush administration’s fiscal policy. In 2003, he served as an economic advisor for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, during the former actor’s 2003 gubernatorial run. Mr. Buffett has also spoken favorably about the presidential prospects of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who recently left the Republican Party to become an independent.

The “Conversation with Warren Buffett” event at the San Francisco Hilton Hotel is expected to draw about 1,200 people including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and John Doerr, a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Tickets will cost between $100 and $2,300 and the proceeds are expected to raise around $1 million for the Clinton campaign. The New York senator will be speaking to Mr. Buffett about the economy, health care and other general domestic issues, which have in recent days eclipsed the Iraq War as deciding issues for many voters.

“Sen. Clinton values Mr. Buffett’s support and counsel, and greatly admires his legendary philanthropic contributions,” says Blake Zeff, a Clinton spokesman.

Winston Wood reports on the 2008 presidential race:

Though he’s repeatedly said he has no interest in an independent run for the White House, that hasn’t stopped his old party from pressing Ron Paul to pick up the torch one more time.

The Libertarian National Committee, meeting in Charleston, S.C., Sunday unanimously approved a resolution urging the iconoclastic Texas congressman to seek the party’s presidential nomination.

The committee said that through the success so far of his bid to win the Republican presidential nomination, Paul “has ignited a renewed passion for liberty across America.” If he fails to get the GOP nod — he polls in the middle of the eight-man field, but trails the front-runners badly — they asked him to accept their party’s nod at the Libertarian national convention in Denver Memorial Day weekend.

His fundraising ability could be a principal appeal for the perennially underfinanced Libertarians. His independently run, online fund-raising operation, fueled by individual small donors, has put nearly $10.5 million in his coffers since Sept. 1. He also has the experience. As the 1988 Libertarian nominee he received 432,179 popular votes.

The 1980 election was the party’s high-water mark, when Ed Clark drew 921,299 popular votes, about 1% of the total that sent Ronald Reagan to the White House. With a candidate enjoying higher name recognition and continued funding by way of the Internet, Libertarian leaders may feel they could top that next year and have the kind of impact Ross Perot had in the 1992 George Bush-Bill Clinton race — if only their man would say “yes.”

Laura Meckler reports on the presidential campaign.

Mike Huckabee, his fund-raising robust and poll numbers climbing, is stepping up his television advertising. Two new ads hit the Iowa airwaves Monday, and he goes on the air for the first time in both New Hampshire and South Carolina.

The first Iowa ad is a get-tough spot on immigration, emphasizing his support for a secure border and his opposition to amnesty. It’s meant to counter any impression that he’s soft on illegal immigrants, given his passionate defense of scholarships for children brought to the U.S. illegally.

The second new ad — beginning Monday in both Iowa and New Hampshire — is a feel-good spot featuring a photo of Huckabee as a child with his family, including an allusion to his impoverished youth.

“Family is where people learn what the basic rules of life are,” he says. “When you grow up and life’s a struggle, you have a whole different understanding of what most people are going through.”

In South Carolina, an ad will begin running Monday that has been airing in Iowa for two weeks. It emphasizes Huckabee’s faith — the words “Christian leader” appear in large print on the screen — and his unwavering views, in an implicit contrast with rival Mitt Romney, who used to favor abortion rights.

“Faith doesn’t just influence me. It really defines me. I don’t have to wake up every day wondering what do I need to believe,” he says. The spot alternates Huckabee speaking in a voice over and to a cheering audience. “Let us never sacrifice our principles for anybody’s politics. Not now, not ever.”

“I believe life begins at conception,” he says. “We believe in some things, we stand by those things, we live and die by those things.”