Huckabee volunteers pray for victory

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff

DES MOINES -- It's 6:45 local time at the Embassy Suites, where Mike Huckabee's Iowa caucuses party will not officially begin for another 15 minutes.

But eight young Huckabee supporters are gathered in the middle of the ballroom floor, holding hands in a circle, as a young woman prays fervently to "lift Mike Huckabee up" and give him "victory tonight oh Lord" so that there can be prayer in schools and acceptance of Jesus Christ and an end to sin in Washington, etc.

She has been praying rapid-fire for at least 15 minutes. The prayer circle is in turn surrounded by a scrum of twice as many members of the media, sticking cameras between the Huckabee supporters' heads and lofting boom microphones into their midst. A campaign aide for the former Arkansas governor, wandering near the press table, said she's a volunteer "giving the media the story they want," he said, sighing.

A few minutes later, the circle sings "God Bless America" and break up. The woman who led the prayer said her name is Rebekah Swicegood, 22 and from Lowell, Ark. She said she plays harp at an area symphony and was home-schooled, as was everyone in her prayer circle.

She tells reporters that "Mike Huckabee is God's last chance for America."