Sen Clinton and her daughter shook hands with supporters in the cold and snow outside her event in Muscatine — and the snowman those supporters built for her outside. While Chelsea imitated its arms-out pose, Hillary buttered up the Iowa crowd, saying the snowman should be named “caucus.”

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Independence, IA

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The Romney campaign told the traveling press that they would be making an unscheduled campaign stop here. They explained that an event was previously scheduled and then cancelled, but supporters were gathered there and Romney was going to pop by and say hello.

Instead, Romney decided to respond to Governor Huckabe’s attack ad that he didn’t release:

“You know in reaction to the press conference Governor Huckabee had today I think that I’d note that I’m running a serious campaign, that there are serious issues that face the country at this time. I want to bring change to Washington, that’s what my campaign is about. The press conference which Governor Huckabee had today I think is confusing to the people of Iowa. On the one hand he wants to run a positive campaign and on the other hand he shows a negative campaign ad and hopes that people promote it and provide it to the public through the earned media. And I think that’s a very confusing and puzzling message. With that, who wants a slice of pizza?”

He then took out a box of pizza and offered it to the media.

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Earlier in the day the travelling press tried to get Romney to respond, but he just said to check with his press secretary, Eric Ferhrnstrom and then jumped into the MittMobile. Maybe the pizza made him reconsider. . .

Following up on yesterday’s email, the Giuliani campaign sent a memo titled “Looking Good,” to reporters today arguing that they remain “convinced that our strategy we have long had in place is right - bold, innovative and designed to deal with the radically different election calendar.”

Giuliani’s decision to bypass Iowa, New Hampshire and the early states—what the campaign calls the antiquated “Carter/Clinton” approach—is being questioned, but the memo argues that the new election calendar will “prove us right.” With all of the political reporters focusing on Thursday’s caucus, where Giuliani will likely finish outside the top 3 or 4, the campaign saw it fit to send this message.

“Our rivals seemingly have built campaigns based on the old calendars’ strategies — a couple of very early state wins to propel them deeper in to the nomination process. To the contrary, our plan allocates time and resources to the many states which vote a bit later…putting a high priority on spending our time and money in a proportional basis in Florida and the large delegate states voting on February 5th is clearly the right thing to do.”

Full memo after jump

(more…)

Barack Obama has taken to asking voters to make him their second choice candidate - although he jokes they’d be better served if he were their first choice, of course. Why? Well, in order for a candidate to remain viable in the Iowa caucus system, he or she has to have at least 15% support from caucus goers. If a candidate, say a Chris Dodd, doesn’t get that magic percentage, his supporters will have to realign behind another candidate.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters on a conference call this morning that Obama and Edwards, and not Hillary Clinton, will be the two candidates likely to get support from Richardson, Kucinich, Dodd, and Biden supporters. Which could lead to Iowa success.

So Obama was sure to hear out 59-year-old Gene Blanshan, a self-described Biden supporter, at an event in Jefferson, Iowa. Blanshan asked the senator why he should pick Obama over Edwards as his second choice.

Obama spent a few minutes outlining the differences, including where he has consistently stood on issues like NAFTA, No Child Left Behind, and the Iraq war. He added, “The point I am making is in my gut, there is a consistency of who I am fighting for, what I believe in, choices I have made in my life that can give you some assurance of when I get into the White House, I am going to be fighting for you. And I am not going to be different as time goes on.”

Blanshan was immediately swarmed by the press following the event. He told us he asked Edwards the same question - and he made up his mind as to who his number two candidate is.

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I asked Senator Obama what his New Year’s Eve plans are tonight - here’s how this candidate will bring in the new year, just three days to the all-important Iowa caucuses.

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The Romney campaign launched a new ad today, “Everywhere.” The campaign describes it as “positive and forward looking.” It is the presidential hopeful’s closing message to Iowa caucus-goers.

Romney looks straight at the camera and talks to the viewer while an American flag seems to float in the background.

The commercial borrows from his stump and sells himself as the man who is not a DC politician and can fix the country:

“Everywhere my family and I go we hear that America’s challenges are simply too big for Washington politicians. I’ve spent my life tackling big problems – helping turn around business, the Olympics, and state government. . .It’s time to turn around Washington.”

The Romney campaign has launched several negative ads over the last few days going after Mike Huckabee and John McCain. This latest ad does not mention any of Romney’s rivals.

KEOKUK, IA –For the second day in a row, Hillary Clinton criticized John Edwards’ heated anti-corporate message without saying his name — arguing that instead of “yelling and screaming,” a leader should expend that energy actually making change.

After chastising Edwards and Barack Obama for focusing too much on each other (”My two leading opponents are spending a lot of time right now talking about each other. I’m going to keep talking about the people of Iowa and the people of America”), Clinton claimed she won’t just talk about fighting special interests, she’ll beat them.

“You know, these are great applause lines and speeches and people get really excited, because we all know the power has shifted way too much to the wealthy and the well-connected. And we’ve got to bring that power back.  But I submit to you there isn’t anybody running who’s taken on more special interests and gotten more done and survived the incoming fire than I have.”

“It’s easy to talk about taking on special interests,” she said. But, “you don’t need to do by yelling and screaming. Save your energy, get the job done.”

“Instead of generating like a lot of heat, rolling your hands and jumping up and down,  let’s just sit down and figure out and figure out how we’re going to beat ‘em. “

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Clinton, IA

The Romneys spoke at Happy Joe’s pizza place here to about 60 people. It was their standard routine, but Romney was confident—saying he could win, but still playing the underdog card:

“When I got going in this campaign I think 5 or 6 percent of folks in Iowa had heard of me and thought they might support me and now it looks like I’m in a pretty good position to take this whole thing.”

In his plea to get people out to caucus he reinforced how important Iowa is:

“It’s getting real close. You’re about to say what your voice will tell you about where we should go as a nation. Who our nominee should be–the whole nation is watching.”

Romney is on the fourth day of his “Strong America” bus tour making as many stops as possible before the Iowa caucuses this Thursday.

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clever, and simple

Des Moines, Iowa -

Governor Mike Huckabee went for a  3 mile run around Gray’s Lake park this morning. Huckabee is a marathon runner, who famously lost  100 pounds, in large part, due to his new found love of running.  After today’s run he took questions from reporters; I asked who would win in a foot race between him and Mitt Romney.

“Bring him out here, let’s see, “Huckabee said, smiling. ” Of  course, he’ll be running both ways the whole time.” 

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