Play Ball! Cleveland Vs. Ho Chi Minh City
A sure sign that there remain no hard feelings between Washington and Hanoi is the move by veterans and baseball this month to promote the sport in Vietnam. Jan Scruggs, head of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, tells us that he and newly signed Cleveland Indians pitcher Danny Graves will present little-leaguers with equipment and coaching tips during a January 16-25 trip by the fund to foster friendship. "Baseball is a far more powerful weapon than a B-52," says Scruggs, "and no one gets hurt." Why Graves? He was born in Vietnam, the son of an American soldier and Vietnamese woman. Michael Marine, U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, tells us that the fund's efforts will gain special credibility through Graves. And, Marine says, baseball could really take off there as a result. "It wouldn't take long for Vietnam to have its own pipeline to the majors."

For Love, It's Money in Iowa
If money talks in politics, then it's already getting pretty loud in Iowa, home to the first presidential caucus slated for 2008. Here's the 411: Rep. Jim Nussle is the Republican front-runner in the Iowa 2006 gubernatorial race, making him the go-to guy for likely presidential candidates hoping to curry favor with a potential GOP guv. But when Nussle asked the political action committees of some possible 2008 candidates for donations, not everybody ponied up. Those who did, according to soon-to-be-released financial reports: Virginia Sen. George Allen $10,000; Arizona Sen. John McCain $5,000; Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback $2,000; and Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum $1,000. Who didn't: Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist, New York Gov. George Pataki, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But, we're assured, Pataki and Romney showed their love by offering to help raise money.

First Buck Bagged in the 2008 Race
If he decides to run for president, don't look for Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to pull a last-minute stunt to grab the gun vote as Sen. John Kerry did with his October 2004 goose hunt. Huck's already at work establishing his hunting credentials. The proof: He sent us a picture of him cradling his biggest kill ever,a 10-point buck. "I make truly excellent venison chili," he brags, though he also gave some meat to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. Huckabee says it was a 200-yard shot, made easy with his .300-caliber Magnum Weatherby rifle. The buck, which you can see at www.usnews.com/whispers, will be mounted. While he has been gunning for deer for about six years, Huckabee is better associated with duck hunting, having once taken Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia out for mallards. As to touting his hunting roots well before deciding to run in 2008, he denies a political motive. "When you have a 10-point whitetail in your sights, there isn't a bad time--just take the shot."