McCain Regrets Use of Term 'Tar Baby'

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is seen during a campaign stop in Concord, N.H., Wednesday, March 14, 2007.(AP Photo/Jim Cole) (Jim Cole - AP)

Huckabee, who has formed an exploratory committee to run for president, has defended the destruction of the drives and said it was done to protect sensitive information, such as employees' or constituents' Social Security numbers and credit card information.

The former governor spent the remaining $13,000 in the governor's emergency fund to destroy the computer equipment before he left office Jan. 9.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The throng of states maneuvering to hold presidential primaries on Feb. 5 highlights the importance of early season contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, where voters have a chance to "know the heart" of candidates, Republican contender Mitt Romney said Friday.

"The preservation of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina being first in the nation is ... a good thing," the former Massachusetts governor said during a fundraising swing in California. Because of their relatively small size, residents in those kickoff states are able to "really get to know the heart of the candidate, to spend time with them one on one in very small group settings."

"That kind of close scrutiny really does serve the nation," Romney said.

On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation moving California's presidential primary to Feb. 5, a day that could become the de facto national primary, with more than 20 states angling to hold contests that day.

Other states with Feb. 5 primaries are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho (Democrats only), Missouri and Utah. New Mexico Democrats have set their presidential caucus for Feb. 5, and the West Virginia GOP plans to hold its state convention to select presidential candidates on that date. Fifteen other states are considering that day for their primaries.

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CHICAGO (AP) _ Federal regulations governing money lenders who provide mortgages and other credit to high-risk borrowers will be scrutinized during a Senate hearing next week, Sen. Christopher Dodd said Friday.

The Democratic presidential hopeful from Connecticut said he is concerned about an increasing number of home foreclosures in the U.S. Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said the panel will hold a hearing Thursday to try to find a solution.

"The primary group I want to hear from are the federal regulators who have responsibility and jurisdiction over these issues," Dodd said during a campaign stop in Chicago. "I want to keep people in their homes, but I don't know how to do that yet."