...final polling before the caucuses from Des Moines (or Dez Moynease for Easterns unfamiliar with flyover country) is out and shows that voters are getting more comfortable with Mitt Romney, even as social conversatives begin a fliratation with Rick Santorum.
The Des Moines Register’s latest Iowa Poll shows a surprise three-way match-up in contention to win the Iowa Republican caucuses: Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.
Santorum, who has been largely invisible in the polls throughout the campaign season, is now beating the other evangelical choices and has a clear shot at victory Tuesday night.
But political analysts note there’s little time for Santorum to cash in and regroup before New Hampshire, where voters weigh in nine days from now, while Romney is positioned to replicate what he’s done in Iowa in all the early states.
Chief Inspector Clouseau here. The Minkey has been found!
SAN FRANCISCO -- A beloved squirrel monkey known as Banana Sam was returned scared but safe to the San Francisco Zoo on Saturday night, two days after he was taken.
Banana Sam was "hungry, trembling and thirsty," after police returned him to the zoo, but a full physical examination showed he was healthy, zoo spokesman Danny Latham said in a statement.
The 17-year-old monkey was found at Stern Grove, a park about a mile from the zoo, police spokesman Carlos Manfredi said.
I am inordinately fond of monkeys. I like to watch them, I like to tease them, I like any commercial that has a monkey and I will buy any product advertised by a monkey, especially if it involves a smoking monkey.
Monkeys are little people in monkey suits.
Stealing a monkey is NOT cool. And somebody stole Banana Sam from the San Francisco zoo. If I found that person I would beat them with a monkey stick. I don't know what a monkey stick is, but it sounds like appropriate punishment.
Getty Images
Banana-Sam is a squirrel monkey like the ones in this picture.
By Mike Anderson
"...Someone broke into an exhibit and stole a monkey from the San Francisco Zoo, the zoo discovered Friday morning.
The one-foot-tall squirrel monkey's name is "Banana-Sam." He is 17 years old and weighs about two pounds.
The vandals apparently cut through a zoo gate overnight. Then they got onto the roof of the primate exhibits. The zoo found two holes cut through the mesh net where Banana-Sam was stolen.
Although he appears cute and cuddly, Banana-Sam has very sharp teeth and will not hesitate to bite if provoked, according to Zoo staff. His bites can easily cause infections. The monkey also eats very particular food.
“This was a criminal act of vandalism and trespassing and we are working with the police to identify the perpetrators,” said Tanya Peterson, President and Executive Director of the San Francisco Zoological Society.
Three days and counting until the Iowa Hawkeye Cauci begins and the national process to ridding ourselves of one of the worst President's in modern history begins.
