State senator reports from Iowa

Ohio state Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester, spent last night in a high school cafeteria in Bettendorf, Iowa, speaking in front of 200 voters on behalf of former Arkanas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a GOP presidential frontrunner.

"I was given three minutes and so I basically took the opportunity to explain the fact that I had driven over 400 miles to be there that night because I share a lot of values with Huckabee and I think he's the best qualified for the position," said Cates, who drove up to Iowa on Wednesday.

Cates was driving back to Ohio today when The Enquirer reached him via cell phone.

Cates said former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., was at the same meeting - speaking on behalf of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"It was a very polite meeting. You had people come in there, some had stickers on for McCain, some for Huckabee, some for Romney. There was no confrontation," Cates said.

"It was very refreshing to see grassroots politics at its best."

Although Romney won both GOP precincts caucusing at the Bettendorf high school, Huckabee came out on top in the overall Iowa caucuses.