Palin's favorable numbers among Iowa Republicans are strong, says a new poll - though one in four members of her party there have doubts.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin's book tour brings her to Iowa in two weeks. If the former Alaska governor and last year's GOP vice presidential nominee decides to return to Iowa down to road to explore a race for the White House, a new survey suggests that Republicans in the state like her - but have some doubts.

According to a Des Moines Register Iowa poll, 68 percent of Hawkeye Republicans view Palin favorably. That's a statistically insignificant 2 points behind those who have a positive view of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, which traditionally kick off the presidential primary season.

Among other potential 2012 candidates: The survey indicates that two out of three view former House Speaker Newt Gingrich favorably and 58 percent have a positive view of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"With those kinds of numbers, if she were to become a candidate, while it's not a sure thing, she would be starting out in a very good position," veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Roederer told the Des Moines Register. Roederer ran McCain's 2008 Iowa campaign.

But according to the poll, nearly one in four Iowa Republicans view Palin unfavorably. That's double the 12 percent who view Huckabee in an unfavorable way.

Among all Iowans, the survey indicates that 55 percent hold an unfavorable opinion, with 37 percent seeing her in a positive light.

Palin's tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," brings her to Iowa on December 6. Palin's scheduled to sign copies of her book at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Des Moines Register Iowa poll was conducted November 8-11, with 800 registered voters in Iowa questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the overall sample.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Christie Vilsack, the wife of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, announced Monday that she will not challenge Republican Charles Grassley for his Senate seat in 2010.

"I am flattered and humbled by the requests from Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans to consider running," Vilsack said in a statement released Monday. "My careful consideration of the opportunity to represent Iowa in the Senate was done with great respect for those who came to me and the office itself."

Vilsack also said that she will continue to be active in Democratic politics in Iowa "and across the state in issues that affect the quality of life for all Iowans."

"While I will not be a candidate for office in 2010, never doubt I am committed to a life of service and to Iowa," she added.

Recent comments by Vilsack had led some political observers to believe that the she might mount a challenge to Grassley, who is up for re-election next year.

In addition to being Iowa's former governor, Vilsack's husband is now President Obama's Secretary of Agriculture.

Huckabee's book tour will take him to two crucial primary states.

(CNN) – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will visit the key Republican primary states of Iowa and South Carolina next month during a tour to promote his new holiday-themed book.

The Fox News talk show host has planned a three-stop swing through Iowa on Nov. 8 - one day after another potential 2012 candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, is scheduled to speak at an Iowa Republican Party event in Des Moines.

Huckabee plans to visit book stores in Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines to promote the book, "A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit." The former presidential candidate has returned to Iowa several times since his win in the Iowa caucuses in January 2008, most recently to raise money for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats.

Later that week, on Nov. 13, his book tour takes him to the conservative South Carolina upstate, where he'll sign copies of the book in Greenville and Spartanburg.

Also on Huckabee's calendar: five stops in Florida and one stop in evangelical-heavy western Michigan

Former Sen. Santorum, pictured here in a 2006 file photo, is headed to Iowa Thursday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Sen. Rick Santorum will make a foray into 2012 campaign territory Thursday, when the Pennsylvania Republican heads to Iowa to deliver a sharp critique of President Obama's first nine months in office.

Santorum acknowledged interest in a possible presidential run in a Tuesday conference call with reporters, but he emphasized that his visit to the Midwest political proving ground of Iowa does not mean he is a certain candidate for the Republican nomination. Instead, Santorum said that he is using this opportunity to raise his national profile, and noted he will speak out on issues that he thinks the GOP has failed to effectively address, such as health care.

The former senator credited talk radio with helping the conservative movement regain its momentum, but added that at times it has been "pretty shrill." Santorum said it is now time for Republican leaders to start promoting solutions and policies to counter Obama's legislative agenda. And the former senator said he plans to step up and begin talking about his vision for the future.

While Santorum lost his re-election in 2006, he is still well regarded in Republican circles, particularly among social conservatives.

The vice president will be the special guest at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Joe Biden's headed back to Iowa.

Wait - this isn't a flashback to 2007, when then-Sen. Biden was making his own bid for the White House. The vice president will be the special guest at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. The event, which is scheduled to take place November 21 in Des Moines, was announced by the Iowa Democratic Party and confirmed by the vice president's office Tuesday.

Next month, Biden will also lend a helping hand to Arlen Specter, the Republican-turned-Democratic senior senator from Pennsylvania, who faces a primary challenge next year from Rep. Joe Sestak.

The vice president's office confirms to CNN that Biden will appear with Specter at two events, a Bucks County Democratic Dinner on October 2 and a Allegheny County Democratic Dinner on October 19.

UPDATE: The Vice President's office confirms that Biden will attend an event for Rep. Paul Hodes - the New Hampshire congressman now running for the Senate - October 5 in New York City.

Comic-turned-Senator Al Franken drew big laughs at an annual Iowa fundraiser Sunday.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (CNN) - Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, the former comedian who has largely put the funny business on hold as he plays catch-up due to his late arrival in Washington, proved to a Iowa crowd Sunday that he's still got it.

The "Saturday Night Live" alum and Minnesota native was the keynote speaker at Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin's annual Steak Fry party fundraiser.

For obvious reasons, this year's speeches centered largely around health-care reform.

Harkin was recently named chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, taking control of the seat held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Also a member of that committee now, Franken, in his deadpan delivery, used sarcasm to highlight the importance of the post.

"Its not really that big a deal," he said to laughter, as he slowly went through the list of the group's topics. "I mean, it's only health. Education. Labor. And pensions. I mean, who really would care about those things? Except for maybe people who are concerned about their health or their kids' health or maybe want their kids to go to, oh, a good school, or I don't know, people who work."

The crowd of a couple thousand chuckled and gave him cheers and applause. He then got a bit more serious.

"I can't think of anyone better to lead the charge.. than Tom Harkin," Franken said.

In a media availability held before the speeches, Harkin said this wasn't the first time Franken was invited to speak at the event, an annual fundraiser for Iowa Democrats. He was scheduled to participate in 2001, but in the wake of of 9/11, the Steak Fry fundraiser was canceled that year, the only time in the last 32 years.

"Back then I'd have been happy just to be here as a friend and supporter. Eight years later I'm humbled to be here as a colleague." Franken said.

Franken, the junior senator from Minnesota, officially took office about six months later than the rest of the Senate's freshman class after a drawn-out recount and court battle with former Sen. Norm Coleman.

Given the recent history of speakers at the Steak Fry, having Franken may seem like a bit of an anomaly to some. The event is a staple for Democrats running for president - or just exploring the option.

The 2007 event offered six presidential contenders on one stage: then-Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, alongside former Sen. JohnEdwards, Gov. Bill Richardson, and Sen. Chris Dodd.

Franken told Radio Iowa earlier in the week that he was "not interested in running for president."

Comic-turned-Senator Al Franken drew big laughs at an annual Iowa fundraiser Sunday.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (CNN) - Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, the former comedian who has largely put the funny business on hold as he plays catch-up due to his late arrival in Washington, proved to a Iowa crowd Sunday that he's still got it.

The "Saturday Night Live" alum and Minnesota native was the keynote speaker at Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin's annual Steak Fry party fundraiser.

For obvious reasons, this year's speeches centered largely around health-care reform.

Harkin was recently named chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, taking control of the seat held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Also a member of that committee now, Franken, in his deadpan delivery, used sarcasm to highlight the importance of the post.

"Its not really that big a deal," he said to laughter, as he slowly went through the list of the group's topics. "I mean, it's only health. Education. Labor. And pensions. I mean, who really would care about those things? Except for maybe people who are concerned about their health or their kids' health or maybe want their kids to go to, oh, a good school, or I don't know, people who work."

The crowd of a couple thousand chuckled and gave him cheers and applause. He then got a bit more serious.

"I can't think of anyone better to lead the charge.. than Tom Harkin," Franken said.

In a media availability held before the speeches, Harkin said this wasn't the first time Franken was invited to speak at the event, an annual fundraiser for Iowa Democrats. He was scheduled to participate in 2001, but in the wake of of 9/1, the Steak Fry fundraiser was canceled that year, the only time in the last 32 years.

"Back then I'd have been happy just to be here as a friend and supporter. Eight years later I'm humbled to be here as a colleague." Franken said.

Franken, the junior senator from Minnesota, officially took office about six months later than the rest of the Senate's freshman class after a drawn-out recount and court battle with former Sen. Norm Coleman.

Given the recent history of speakers at the Steak Fry, having Franken may seem like a bit of an anomaly to some. The event is a staple for Democrats running for president - or just exploring the option.

The 2007 event offered six presidential contenders on one stage: then-Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, alongside former Sen. JohnEdwards, Gov. Bill Richardson, and Sen. Chris Dodd.

Franken told Radio Iowa earlier in the week that he was "not interested in running for president."

Sen. Tom Harkin recently became the chair of key Senate committee led by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy until Kennedy fell ill with brain cancer. 'It now falls to me to pick up the torch,' Harkin said Sunday.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (CNN) - Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat who recently filled the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Sunday that a Senate health-care reform bill would include a "strong" public option and that it would get through by the holiday recess.

He also said it will have support from "some" Republicans, although he said he isn't sure how many.

"I'm ready to carry on [Kennedy's] work, and I'm ready to get a health reform bill passed and to President Obama before Christmas comes this December," Harkin said in a fiery push for health reform during a speech at his annual Steak Fry, a fundraiser for Iowa Democrats.

"That bill - mark my word, I'm the chairman - is going to have a strong public option," he added to thunderous applause.

In a media availability held just prior to his speech, Harkin said he believed the legislation would be able to garner enough support from both sides of the aisle - potentially enough to label it bipartisan when all is said and done.

"We will have some Republicans on our bill," Harkin said.

While reflecting on Kennedy, Harkin called him a "great friend" whose legacy will be tough to live up to.

"We lost a great progressive, a great leader on so many issues...It now falls to me to pick up the torch," Harkin said, adding that he is up to the challenge.

"No one can take Ted Kennedy's place, but I tell you this, I'm ready for this fight, (and) I'm ready to lead this committee."

The Harkin Steak Fry is one of Iowa Democrats' biggest fundraising events. This year's keynote speaker was recently sworn-in Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota.

In years when Democrats are running for president - or even exploring the option - a stop at the Steak Fry is a must.

The 2007 fest presented six presidential contenders on one stage: then-Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, alongside former Sen. John Edwards, Gov. Bill Richardson, and Sen. Chris Dodd.

Sen. Grassley held a town hall in Iowa Wednesday.

(CNN) - Now it's the Republicans' turn to face the health-care debate back home.

Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley held the first of four town meetings in his home state Wednesday, welcoming what he called a much larger crowd than the usual political gathering.

"We're here at a time when I sense that people are scared for our country and that's why we're having big turnouts," he said to a mostly conservative audience of about 200 people.

The outdoor gathering in Winterset, Iowa, erupted in argument a few times after some left-leaning questions, but the overall tone was more orderly than similar health-care meetings by Democratic politicians.

Grassley is one of six members of the Senate Finance Committee - three Democrats and three Republicans - negotiating the only bipartisan health-care legislation so far.

Listen: CNN's Candy Crowley reports on Grassley's town hall

The six negotiators are not considering a government-funded public health insurance option favored by President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders, but are looking at non-profit cooperatives that would negotiate collective polices for members.

Grassley warned that the months of negotiations may fail to produce a bill he can support.

"Nothing may come out of our committee," Grassley said. "It may not be something I can agree with, so I may be pushed away from the table."

He listed his conditions for a bill, saying "what we stand for is that the government is not going to take over the health-care system."

Opponents of a public health insurance option - including Grassley - contend it would drive private health insurers out of the market.

"Government is not a competitor, it's a predator," he said to applause.

"Then everyone else's premiums go up and pretty soon there's not any private insurance."

His other requirements include no government intervention in patient-doctor relations, no public funds for abortion, and eliminating the denial of health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.

At the same time, Grassley explained specific provisions of proposed legislation to clear up misconceptions expressed by questioners.

He gave a detailed description of health insurance exchanges proposed by Democrats to offer consumers a choice of options.

"You would be able to go to an exchange on the Internet or an 800 number and compare prices or whatever," he said. "You'd be able to go to one site and get the best policy."

Grassley also called for reducing health-care costs through better management of chronic conditions and capping the damages in malpractice lawsuits.

Some questioners were angry about the current system, with one woman asking, "What are you going to do about these insurance companies that are putting everything in their pocket and just laughing at everybody else?"

Grassley said the bipartisan bill, if eventually completed, would hold down health insurance premiums and provide refundable tax credits to help low-income Americans obtain coverage.

His goal is to have a bill that can be supported by most senators, rather than just the Democrats and a few Republicans so that it can avoid a filibuster, he said.

The Iowa Republican Party wants Sarah Palin to visit its state.

(CNN) - Who wouldn't want a big name to headline a major fundraiser? And the Iowa Republican Party is going after one of the biggest draws right now, Sarah Palin.

As first reported in the Des Moines Register and confirmed by CNN, the state GOP is courting the Alaska governor to be the keynote speaker at their annual Ronald Reagan dinner this autumn. The event is the party's largest fundraiser of the year, and has become a popular stop for White House hopefuls.

Aides to Palin have not immediately responded to inquires from CNN regarding whether the outgoing governor will attend the dinner.

Palin shocked many across the country last week when she announced that she would not only not run for re-election next year, but that she would resign as governor later this month.

The stunning announcement sparked debate on whether Palin's decision would be a benefit or a detriment if she decided to make a bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Iowa is a crucial state in the race to the White House. The state's caucuses kick off the presidential primary season.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's term expires in 2011.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has a busy week of political travel ahead of him, sparking chatter that he's collecting chits for 2012 presidential run.

Barbour - a widely-respected figure among party insiders who will wrap up his second term, conveniently, in 2011 - is visiting a trio of important states this week, beginning on Monday in Virginia, where he's campaigning for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.

On Wednesday, he'll work his southern charm up north in Bedford, New Hampshire at a fundraising reception for the state GOP. And on Thursday, he's speaking at another state party fundraiser in the pivotal caucus state of Iowa.

Matt Strawn, the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, said Barbour was invited to speak at their "Night of the Rising Stars" in Des Moines, in part, because Barbour knocked off a Democratic incumbent to claim the governorship in 2003. Iowa Republicans are trying hoping for a similar result against Democrat Chet Culver next year.

"Haley has a message that will resonate with Iowa Republicans, capturing a governorship and providing competent and common sense conservative leadership," Strawn said.

Barbour, a 61-year old native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is a former lobbyist and Republican National Committee chairman who won the governorship in 2003 and was easily re-elected in 2007. Even with a Democratic legislature, he has governed as a strong fiscal and social conservative, although he did sign into law a cigarette tax increase in May.

He won praise earlier this year from many conservatives for opposing millions in federal stimulus cash devoted to unemployment benefits, which he said would force states to raise taxes when the money runs out. That stance is shared by McDonnell, the man he is campaigning with in Virginia today.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said Barbour can speak about his "great record" on job creation, energy development, and education reform - three pressing issues in the Virginia race. "So as Bob talks about how he will lead in Virginia, certainly Governor Barbour's model is one to look to," Martin said.

Jared Leopold, a spokesman for McDonnell's Democratic rival Creigh Deeds, countered that Barbour is an "old-style" cheerleader for the policies of George W. Bush.

Barbour helped raise $250,000 for McDonnell's campaign on Monday.

The official line on Barbour's travel is that his trips are in his role as a prominent GOP leader and as the Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. The Virginia's governor's mansion is the big political prize of 2009, and Iowa and New Hampshire both have gubernatorial races next year.

But politicians - especially sitting governors - rarely end up in Iowa and New Hampshire by coincidence, and Barbour is considered one of savviest political minds in his party. He has already lent his voice to the National Council for a New America, a Republican effort help re-brand the national party. The group includes other possible candidates like Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal and John Thune.

According to one of Barbour's longtime political confidantes, a 2012 run could be in the cards. But the adviser noted that Barbour is also a political junkie: as a former party chairman, he enjoys meeting with state parties and new candidates around the country to talk about upcoming elections.

"I think Haley is probably like a lot of other governors and senators who think, 'I could be that guy or gal who could lead the party,' and it may be that Haley is the person," said the confidante, who requested anonymity to speak freely about Barbour's ambitions. "But first-things-first. This year, and 2010, is first-things. Let's tend to those and then we'll see about 2012."

(CNN) - The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously rejected a state law Friday that banned same-sex marriage.

Iowa now will become the third state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage, after Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Friday's decision upheld a 2007 ruling by a lower court that Iowa's 1998 law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples went against the state's constitution. It becomes effective in 21 days.

"This is a great day for civil rights in Iowa," said attorney Dennis Johnson, a co-counsel with Lambda Legal, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of six same-sex couples seeking to marry in Iowa.

"Go get married. Live happily ever after," he said at a news conference where there was loud clapping among plaintiffs.

Other organizations were not pleased.

"It's, quite frankly, a disaster," said Brian English, a spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center. "Obviously, we're extremely disappointed. We're saddened. Perhaps a little bit surprised in the unanimous decision that the court handed down."

The state's highest court determined that "the Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution," court spokesman Steve Davis said in a written statement.

"The decision strikes the language from Iowa Code section 595.2 limiting civil marriage to a man and a woman. It further directs that the remaining statutory language be interpreted and applied in a manner allowing gay and lesbian people full access to the institution of civil marriage," the statement on the court's Web site says.

The Iowa Supreme Court said it has the responsibility to determine if a law enacted by the legislative branch and enforced by the executive branch violates the Iowa Constitution.

"The court reaffirmed that a statute inconsistent with the Iowa Constitution must be declared void, even though it may be supported by strong and deep-seated traditional beliefs and popular opinion," the court said.

Polk County District Judge Robert Hanson earlier determined that the law violated the state constitution's guarantee of equal protection, and hurt gay and lesbian couples "in numerous tangible and intangible" ways.

"Civil marriage in Iowa is the only gateway to an extensive legal structure that protects a married couple's relationship and family in and outside the state," Hanson ruled in Des Moines. "Iowa reserves an unparalleled array of rights, obligations and benefits to married couples and their families, privileging married couples as a financial and legal unit and stigmatizing same-sex couples."

The case was joined on appeal by several state lawmakers who opposed Hanson's ruling, calling it "a mockery of the judicial system."

They argued that the ruling stepped on the state legislature's authority by using the courts "to effectuate fundamental changes in public policieregarding marriage."

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal heads to the state that kicks off the presidential primary season.

(CNN) - Bobby Jindal's in Iowa today. Louisiana's Governor will make a stop in Cedar Rapids to tour some of the damage from devastating floods earlier this year. He'll also participate in a fundraiser with some of the victims from the flooding. Tonight Jindal heads to Des Moines, where he's the keynote speaker at a fundraising dinner for the Iowa Family Policy Center's "Celebrating the Family" banquet, a major Christian conservative event.

Jindal's considered by many in the Republican party to be a rising star and his trip to Iowa, the state that kicks off the presidential primary season, is raising speculation that he might be interested in making a bid for the Republican Presidential Nomination in 2012. But Jindal says such talk is misplaced and that he has no plans to make a run for the White House.

Jindal was a Congressman from Louisiana's first congressional district when he was elected the state's governor in 2007. At 36, he became the youngest current governor in the country. Jindal was born in Louisiana to parents who immigrated from India.

There was speculation this past summer that Jindal was, among others, in consideration for the Republican vice presidential nomination. In late July Jindal squashed such talk, saying he would not be the GOP vice presidential nominee. John McCain eventually picked another GOP governor, Sarah Palin of Alaska, as his running mate.

Harkin retains his Iowa senate seat.

(CNN) - CNN projects that four-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin will defeat Republican Christopher Reed in the Senate race in Iowa.

CNN projections are based on exit poll data from key areas.

Gov. Palin said Saturday that Sen. Obama has a big government agenda.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (CNN) - Campaigning Saturday in Iowa, a state where polls show Barack Obama enjoying a healthy lead just 10 days before the election, Sarah Palin warned that putting Obama in the White House along with Democrats running both chambers of Congress will turn the country into a nanny state.

Palin cautioned Iowans that under Obama’s “big government agenda,” their income, property and investments would be “shared with everybody else.” She labeled Obama’s plan to provide tax credits to lower and middle-income wage-earners “the philosophy of government taking more, which is a misuse of the power to tax.”

“It leads to government moving into the role of taking care of you, and government and politicians and, kind of moving in as the other half of your family to make decisions for you,” she said. “Now they do this in other countries where the people are not free. Government as part of the family, taking care of us, making decisions for us. I don’t know what to think of having in my family Uncle Barney Frank or others to make decisions for me.”

With audience members shouting “socialist!” throughout her speech, the Alaska governor said that time is running out for Americans to realize the danger of a having a Democrat in the White House.

“Are we hearing what he is saying with 10 days to go?,” she asked plaintively. “Are voters hearing what he is saying about his plans for bigger government?”

At the beginning of her remarks, Palin appeared to ad-lib a riff about her much-discussed wardrobe, which has the been the subject of scrutiny since Politico reported last week that the RNC spent $150,000 on clothes for Palin and her family before the Republican National Convention in September.

“Your state is filled with good, hard-working people all loving the outdoors,” she said, “and it was nice and crisp getting off the airplane and coming into the - it reminded me a lot of Alaska, so I put my warm jacket on, and it is my own jacket. It doesn't belong to anybody else."

Palin was introduced by Col. Bud Day, who shared a cell with John McCain in Vietnam and is one of the Arizona senator’s most loyal campaign allies. Day reached back 60 years to invoke the 1948 presidential election, and said that if Harry Truman was able to come back to defeat Thomas Dewey, McCain will be able to do the same against Obama.

Sen. Obama waved before boarding his campaign plane Thursday after an event in Indiana.

(CNN) – As Election Day inches closer, Barack Obama continues to hold a significant lead over John McCain, according to CNN's average of several recent polls.

The Illinois senator now holds an 8-point lead over McCain in the latest CNN poll of polls, 50 percent to 42 percent. That lead is 1 point lager than it was in Wednesday's poll of polls.

The national general election poll of polls consists of four recent surveys: Fox/Opinion Dynamics (October 20-21), Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby (October 20-22), Gallup (October 20-22) and Diageo/Hotline (October 20-22). The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.

A pastor at a McCain rally said non-Christians are hoping for an Obama win.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNN) – A minister delivering the invocation at John McCain’s rally in Davenport, Iowa Saturday told the crowd non-Christian religions around the world were praying for Barack Obama to win the U.S. presidential election.

“There are millions of people around this world praying to their god—whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah—that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens,” said Arnold Conrad, the former pastor of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Davenport.

The remark was made before McCain arrived at the rally but the Republican nominee's campaign quickly put out a statement distancing itself from the remarks.

“While we understand the important role that faith plays in informing the votes of Iowans, questions about the religious background of the candidates only serve to distract from the real questions in this race about Barack Obama's judgment, policies and readiness to lead as commander in chief,” said McCain campaign spokesperson Wendy Riemann.

This incident comes a day after a Minnesota voter asked Senator McCain if Barack Obama was an Arab at a town hall in Lakeville, Minnesota and just three days after Lehigh GOP County Chairman Bill Platt made a speech at a McCain rally in Pennsylvania where he refered to the Democrat nominee for president as Barack Hussein Obama.

(CNN) – Hillary Clinton is stepping up her efforts to push her supporters to vote and campaign for Barack Obama.

“As we continue to read the headlines about our troubled economy, the stakes of this election only get higher,” Clinton said in a Friday message. “Today I am asking all of you to hit the phones, hit the road and spread the word that we must elect Barack Obama President and we must send a filibuster-proof majority to Congress.”

Clinton’s political action committee, HillPAC, is launching a new grassroots movement on Saturday morning that will help mobilize volunteers to phone-bank, blog and canvass for Obama and other Democrats in tough congressional races. This effort, called “Hillary Sent Me!” will focus on a different battleground state each week.

“This is a call to action,” Clinton said. “We all have a role. And there is not a moment to lose. Tell them that Hillary sent you.”

Clinton’s speech to the Democratic National Convention at the end of August helped to bridge the gap between the two former rivals, as the former presidential candidate formally asked her delegates to vote for Obama. But John McCain’s campaign has continued to highlight Clinton voters who have endorsed the Republican nominee in a bid to woo disaffected former backers of the New York senator.

Hillary Sent Me! will send supporters to New Hampshire the weekend of September 27 to campaign for Obama and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who is fighting for GOP Sen. John Sununu’s Senate seat. The group will mobilize volunteers in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the middle of October.

New polls show a shift in one battleground race.

(CNN) — Barack Obama appears to be holding on to a significant edge in Iowa in new poll numbers released this weekend, but his advantage over John McCain in Minnesota, which hosted the Republican convention earlier this month, seems to have evaporated.

Obama, who won the Iowa caucuses in January, has 52 percent of the vote in that state to McCain’s 40 percent among likely voters in a Des Moines Register poll conducted September 8-10. A CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted August 31-September 2, during the GOP convention, showed a 15-point advantage for Obama, 55 to 40 percent over McCain.

But in Minnesota, where McCain accepted the GOP nomination this month, Obama’s 12-point edge in the last CNN/Time/ORC survey – also conducted during the Republican convention - has disappeared in a new Star Tribune survey: that poll finds both men tied at 45 percent each among likely voters, with 10 percent unsure.

During the convention, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said he thought his state "would be open to a candidate like Senator McCain" - but added that he believed "Democrats still have an advantage here."

Both surveys have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Election Center: Check out CNN's electoral breakdown

CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation surveys earlier this month also suggested tight races in four other battleground states: New Hampshire, Michigan, Virginia, and Missouri.

Those polls showed slim advantages for Obama in New Hampshire and Michigan, while McCain was narrowly on top in Virginia and Missouri.

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) - With Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama set to answer questions from Pastor Rick Warren at a forum on Saturday night, issues of faith dominated political headlines Friday.

In the latest episode of CNN=Politics Daily, White House Correspondent Ed Henry reports on McCain's efforts to hold on to the votes of social conservatives and evangelicals; voters that were critical to President Bush's election and re-election.  On the same theme, Carol Costello takes a more personal look at how each man deals with discussing his personal faith in his political life as a presidential candidate.

Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider goes back to Iowa, where the 2008 presidential campaign began in early January.  The state known for its first-in-the-nation caucus is shaping up to be a November battleground.

Finally, it's Friday so Jennifer Mikell brings you some of this week's most memorable moments from the campaign trail.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily.

The CNN Election Express is heading across the country.

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – We’re back where it all began. Iowa’s caucuses kicked off the presidential primary season back on January 3. And Barack Obama’s victory in Iowa altered the landscape in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The CNN Election Express spent about a month in Iowa late last year to cover all the campaign action. Now we’re back - and for good reason. If you thought once the caucuses ended, Iowa was out of the political picture: Think again.

Vice President Al Gore won the state by only 4,000 votes in the 2000 presidential election. President Bush carried the state by only 10,000 votes four years ago. This time around, the fight for Iowa’s seven electoral votes should be another close one. The most recent state polls give Obama a slight lead over presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.

Today we’re at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. The annual fair is a must for anyone running for the White House, and it’s also a great place to talk to voters about what’s on their minds.

McCain was here last week, speaking out and talking to voters.

"I've had the great honor as I’'ve been walking around here and meeting people and saying hello to run into our great men and women who have served in our military, and that includes the Iowa guard and reserve,” said McCain.

He never ran an all out campaign to win the Iowa caucuses. Not in 2000, in his first run for the presidency, when he came in fifth in the caucuses. And not this time, when he came in fourth.

“McCain put his money on New Hampshire, which he won both years. The New Hampshire contest includes a lot more Independents - and a lot fewer evangelical voters,” says CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider, who’s riding the CNN Election Express as we make our way from DC to Denver, site of the Democratic National Convention.

But that was then. This is now. And as Schneider says, “McCain’s not about to write Iowa off the way he did in the caucuses.”

The CNN Election Express is heading across the country.

ABOARD THE CNN ELECTION EXPRESS IN ILLINOIS (CNN) - We’re heading west, making our way through what can safely be considered Obama Country.

The Democrat’s presumptive presidential nominee also has a day job, and that’s Senator from Illinois. Before that Barack Obama was a longtime state lawmaker here, and prior to that he was a community organizer in Chicago.

We’ve been driving through a number of crucial battleground states on our way from DC to Denver, site of the Democratic National Convention, but this isn’t one of them. Vice President Al Gore won Illinois by double digits in 2000, Senator John Kerry took the state by double digits four years ago, and Obama’s expected to easily win his home state this time around.

While there’s not that much electoral drama in Illinois, it’s a different story in the two states we just passed through. Indiana’s a traditional red state that Obama would like to turn blue. And Michigan’s a state that's gone for the Democrats in the past two presidential elections, but John McCain would like to turn it red.

“I appreciate the warm welcome to Indianapolis,” said John McCain on July 1, the last time he campaigned in Indiana. And if history’s any indicator, that’s what the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee should expect.

Indiana’s voted Republican in every presidential election since 1964. George W. Bush won the state and its 11 electoral votes by 21 points four years ago.

But Obama’s working hard to put Indiana in play. And he may get a helping hand from Evan Bayh. Indiana’s Democratic Senator is also the state’s former two term governor. Bayh considered his own run for the White House before supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) in the primaries. Now he’s firmly backing Obama and is considered to be on Obama’s short list as a candidate for running mate. The two men campaigned together in Indiana last week.

It’s a different story in Michigan.

“I’m confident I will carry the state of Michigan,” said the Senator from Arizona last month. And McCain’s working hard to make that happen. He campaigned in Michigan on Wednesday, and it’s a safe bet he’ll be back again and again between now and election day.

And Mitt Romney may help him.

The former Massachusetts Governor was McCain’s rival during the primaries, but now he’s a major backer, and considered to be on McCain’s short list as a candidate for running mate. Romney has roots in Michigan. He grew up there and his father was the state’s governor.

Michigan’s voted for the Democratic candidates in the past four presidential elections, but it’s been close recently. Four years ago Kerry narrowly won the state and its 17 electoral votes. This time around, Obama has a slight lead in the polls.

In each state we’ve passed through, we’ve stopped and listened to voters, to find out what’s on their minds. We’ll keep doing that on the road to Denver. So if you see us, please come out and say hello.

We’re headed west. Next stop, Iowa. Another battleground state.

In a way it’s like going home, since the CNN Election Express called Iowa home for the month of December and the first few days of January. The Iowa Caucuses seem like ancient history now, but the first contest in the primary calendar made Obama a winner, and by doing that Iowa voters changed the landscape of the race for the White House.

See you in Iowa.

McCain visited the flood-stricken town of Columbus Junction, Iowa Thursday.

(CNN) - John McCain's campaign is striking back after a top staffer for Iowa Governor Chet Culver said Thursday that the Democratic governor had unsuccessfully asked the Arizona senator to avoid making a scheduled campaign trip to the flood-ravaged state.

Patrick Dillon, Culver’s chief of staff, said in a statement there had been worries McCain's arrival would put a strain on already-overtaxed area law enforcement. The presumptive Republican nominee visited several hard-hit towns in the state Thursday.

President Bush also visited Iowa Thursday.

A McCain aide said the campaign took steps to avoid burdening any flood recovery efforts. “We worked with the local authorities to make certain we weren’t getting in the way. We’d be happy to put you in touch with the local mayor and sheriff who were part of our tour,” a McCain aide told CNN and pointed to an AP-reported comment from the mayor of the town of Columbus Junction, Iowa that McCain’s Thursday visit had not posed any difficulties.

“The governor never called the campaign to express this concern,” the McCain aide added.

“We understand and share the governor’s concern - that’s why we worked closely with the local officials - and clearly stand ready to do anything to help the governor and the people of Iowa in any way we can.”

This week, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama visited the flood-threatened town of Quincy, Illinois. Iowa Governor Culver endorsed the Illinois senator during the Democratic primary season.

Although the Secret Service provides security for presidents and likely presidential nominees, the trips also call on the resources and manpower of local law enforcement.

McCain found his springtime Iowa swing a far more pleasant trip.

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – Ah, Iowa. Where the grass is a green, the temperature is a balmy 72 degrees, and a triumphant Sen. John McCain stands before a Republican audience as his party’s standard-bearer.

Yes, the landscape of the Hawkeye State has changed considerably since the political world evacuated en masse late in the evening on January 3, headed to New Hampshire and beyond on chartered jets, steeling themselves for just a few more weeks of campaigning, thinking each party’s nominees would soon be determined.

On Thursday, four weary months later, the national reporters and TV crews assigned to McCain’s campaign returned to Des Moines for the first time since January to cover a town hall put on by the presumptive Republican nominee.

The scene offered a few muted flashbacks to those frigid weeks before the caucuses: the fleet of women wearing fire truck red “Divided We Fail” t-shirts, the elderly gentlemen sitting and clutching small American flags, even the slow-paced, meet-the-candidate format of the town hall itself.

The politician on stage chatted about ethanol subsidies and lauded the tenacity of Iowa farmers. CNN even spotted Tim Albrecht, Mitt Romney’s ubiquitous former Iowa communications director, milling around, lending a friendly helping hand to the event planners. This all seemed familiar.

But in other ways during this journalist homecoming, it was bizarro Iowa.

Who turned off the windy snow? Where was David Yepsen? And John Edwards? What about the satellite trucks lining the Des Moines streets?

Although the warm weather hinted at the Iowa of last summer, when sweaty press hordes descended on the Ames Straw Poll and the Iowa State Fair to sample politics, meat-on-sticks and dairy items, there were no butter sculptures in sight on this day. Iowa had become a doppelganger of its former self.

The most substantial change was in McCain himself, the candidate who essentially spurned Iowa in 2000 and 2008 for the cramped diners and chummy bus rides of New Hampshire.

But on Thursday in Iowa, as McCain meandered across the dais at the Polk County Convention Center, he was the man. McCain, once left for dead here, was now the pre-eminent Republican in America. Not Romney. Not Mike Huckabee. Not any of the Republicans who camped out here for months on end, hoping to an Iowa victory would slingshot them to the nomination.

McCain had not fully won over conservative Iowans on his way to the Republican nomination. But here he was again, beaming and ready for the general election, re-introducing himself to the good Midwestern folks who will vote, not caucus, in November. If he didn’t need Iowans in January, he will certainly need them in the fall.

“The political reality is Iowa will again be a battleground state,” he said at the conclusion of his remarks, after about an hour and a half of health care chatter. “I intend to spend a lot of time here. It’s a great privilege to be back in the heartland of America.”

Perhaps recalling up some Iowa memories of his own, McCain polished off his remarks with a cheeky nod to the state’s culinary rituals.

“I also look very much forward to going back to the Iowa State Fair and having a pork chop on a stick, followed by a deep fried Twinkie!” McCain cheered.

With that, the reporters were hustled away to their bus and to the airport, assured with this visit that they would probably return sooner than they think. The Hy-Vees will be waiting.

– CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

(CNN) – Iowa has spoken, after nearly a year of campaigning by a crowded presidential field.

In Monday’s The Best Political Podcast, Chief National Correspondent John King reports on the Iowa caucuses. Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider delves into CNN’s Iowa entrance polling data and explains what caucus goers liked about Sen. Barack Obama and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

John King and Dan Lothian also look ahead to New Hampshire’s primary on January 8. Plus: the headlines percolating on the Political Ticker after the caucuses and political parting shot from I-Report cartoonist Jim Brenneman.

Click here to subscribe to The Best Political Podcast

–CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

(CNN) - The candidates, the press corps, the national parties may all be griping about 2008's incredibly early and compressed primary calendar - but it seems the rest of the country may not share those complaints, according to a new survey.

A Gallup poll released Friday found that 49 percent of the country thinks it's a good thing that the caucuses and primaries begin in January. Another 27 percent say it's neither good nor bad. Just 22 percent are troubled by the unprecedented early start to the presidential selection process.

The fact that the contest may be a relatively short sprint didn't seem to trouble a majority of those surveyed, either: 45 percent said it was a good thing that both parties' nominees would likely be known by early February, and 18 percent more said it would be neither good nor bad. Thirty-six percent said they'd like to see the process last longer.

Americans are less enthusiastic about the king-maker role now filled by Iowa and New Hampshire. While 26 percent thought it was a good thing that those two states always weighed in first, 28 percent thought it was a bad thing. Forty-four percent were ambivalent about the current arrangement.

But those surveyed appeared overwhelmingly unhappy about the fact that most of them may not get the chance to cast a meaningful presidential primary vote: 71 percent said that it was a bad thing that the nominees are usually determined before many states hold their primaries or caucuses. Just 11 percent said it was a good thing, and 17 percent said it was neither good nor bad.

The survey of 1,008 Americans was conducted December 10-13, 2007, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

–CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd abandoned their campaigns.

(CNN) - Delaware Sen Joe Biden and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd abandoned their bids for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night.

"I count the past year of campaigning for the presidency as one of the most rewarding in a career of public service. Unfortunately, I am withdrawing from that campaign tonight," Dodd said in an e-mail message sent to supporters tonight.

"But there is no reason to hang our heads this evening - only the opportunity to look towards a continuation of the work we started last January: ending the Iraq War, restoring the Constitution, and putting a Democrat in the White House. ... You've been an invaluable ally in the battle, and I'll need you to stick by my side despite tonight's caucus results."

"I'm withdrawing from the presidential race, but let me assure you, we do not exit this race with our heads hanging," Dodd told his supporters Thursday night. "Rather, we do so with our heads very, very high."
Dodd received less than 1 percent in the Iowa caucuses, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

The 5-term senator called his campaign "one of the most rewarding in my life of public service" and said the results, while not what he had hoped, "sent a clear message that his party is united in the belief that this nation needs change."

Biden sounded a similar note. In a speech before his supporters - who at one point chanted - "Joe, Joe," he said: "I ain't going away, let me make that clear." He said he had no regrets, and the reason he embarked on the campaign was because he believed in the nation. "There's no reason not to be happy," he said. "The promise of this nation is immense." He said he plans to return to the Senate as head of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson - who will finish a distant fourth in Iowa, with roughly 2 percent of the vote - is staying in the race. "We are on the way to New Hampshire tonight. We plan to make this a referendum on the Iraq war. This is far from over," Press Secretary Tom Reynolds tells CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.

Richardson Communications Director Pahl Shipley confirms the news, adding that "New Hampshire is a new game. Every vote counts."

Related video: Biden drops out

Related video: Dodd drops out

– CNN's Mark Preston and John King

Who will get second place in Iowa's Democratic caucuses?

(CNN) - John Edwards is neck-and-neck with Clinton for second place, because 19 percent of Democrats said in entrance polling that it is most important to them to choose a candidate who "cares about people" – 45 percent of that demographic went to the former North Carolina senator, while 23 percent went to both Obama and Clinton

Just over half of Democratic caucus goers said change was the number one factor they were looking for in a candidate, and 51 percent of those voters chose Barack Obama. That compares to only 19 percent of "change" caucus goers who preferred Clinton.

Meanwhile, only 20 percent of Democrats said Clinton's campaign mantra - experience - was the most important attribute of a presidential candidate. Clinton won 49 percent of those voters, while Richards came in second with 20 percent.

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

CNN's Mike Roselli captured the mood at camp Clinton Thursday night.

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – Long after the local and national TV outlets had turned away from her headquarters, Hillary Clinton was still going.

She worked the stage full of supporters that had assembled behind her. She hugged and shook hands with prominent backers such as Madeleine Albright and Terry McAuliffe and stopped to talk with Iowa surrogates who had become constants on her travels across the state. One woman decked out in full AFSCME regalia commanded the senator's attention until they were practically alone on the stage.

Sen. Clinton descended from the stage and worked the remaining fans pressed against the bunting clad ropeline, posing for pictures and signing autographs. She outlasted President Clinton, not one ever to leave a ropeline early.

Once the candidate had exited the ballroom, the campaign soundtrack looped for the umpteenth time as supporters milled about picking up signs, swilling beer, and posing for pictures at the podium where their candidate had just spoken.

–CNN Senior Political Producer Sasha Johnson

CNN is projecting this split of Iowa's 45 Democratic delegates, based on tonight's results:

Barack Obama: 16, Hillary Clinton: 15, John Edwards: 14

CNN is projecting this split of Iowa's 37 Republican delegates, based on tonight's results:

Mike Huckabee: 17, Mitt Romney: 12, Fred Thompson: 3, John McCain: 3, Ron Paul: 2

Dodd will reportedly drop out of the race.

A senior campaign aide tells CNN that Sen. Chris Dodd is abandoning his campaign for president - an official announcement is expected shortly.

Caucus goers enter the Lovejoy Elementary School in Des Moines.

The Iowa Democratic Party said that with 96 percent of the precincts reporting, they were seeing record turnout, with 227,000 caucus attendees. In 2004, their turnout was about 125,000 caucus goers.

The Iowa Republican Party is also projecting record turnout, with 120,000 people taking part in the Republican caucuses. About 87,000 people took part in the 2000 Republican caucuses.

Mitt Romney spoke in Des Moines, Iowa Thursday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN)– Supporters of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney are trickling in to the campaign’s Iowa headquarter in West Des Moines.

It's a very subdued crowd here, some still watching big TV screens, others just walked away from them after the results were projected. An adviser to the campagn points to the strong evangelical turnout among caucus goers for Romney's loss. That was the big wild card for Romney despite campaigning here for nearly a year and spending over six-million dollars on ads in Iowa.

Romney's family was with him on the campaign trail today. The campaign said he was watching results with them here at the hotel. We are waiting for him to come italk to his supporters.

Romney has been saying in recent days that if he comes in second, it would be a strong statement. He appeared confident earlier in the day, when he told crowds that he looked forward to debating the Democratic nominee.

–CNN's Mary Snow

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – So far, the press has spent hours watching aides tweak the podium and pace the press area, here in the ballroom at the Hotel Ft. Des Moines.

The ballroom is SMALL and will pack fast once supporters filter in - one assumes the temperature will rise from chilly comfortable to summer in Iowa. Areas outside the room have been set up for folks to mix and mingle - which we're told by aides they're doing.

Red, white and blue lights sit behind the curtains to give the old-fashioned space a patriotic glow. When Hillary Clinton emerges to speak to the crowd later this evening, she will do so in front of a large "Ready for Change, Ready to Lead Banner." There is a long tiered platform behind her posing the possibility that supporters and family members will stand behind her.

Reporters, producers and photographers are crammed on the riser trying to make nice - although there's already been a food spill and a hot light clipped a journalist as it tipped over. One imagines comraderie will fade when the candidate takes the stage and the whole press corps surges forward to get the shot.

(CNN) - I’ll be doing on-air “analysis” for CNN through the evening. In preparation, I‘ve been doing what I’ve always done as a reporter when I’m not out talking to people in person - working the phones. Usually I do that in my office in midtown Manhattan, a private and reasonably commodious outpost. But I haven’t done it from a newsroom (a huge one in the case of CNN’s New York operations) in a long time, and I must say it’s a nice feeling to be in a sea of reporters and editors and folks running around with the urgency that daily journalism demands, especially on a big story, which the Iowa caucuses– justifiably or not - have become.

(What seems unjustifiable is the disproportionate role of Iowa and New Hampshire in picking the President of the United States, an anomaly that ought to end after this year’s circus: No matter how diligent the citizens of these two small states - and they tends towards diligent-plus in these matters - the outsized role of two tiny provinces and their tiny populations is certainly is not the what ‘One-person, One-vote’ was supposed to mean…..Another subject for another day, but definitely part of the bizarre dynamic of whatever occurs tonight.)

The peculiar Iowa dynamic includes the arcane rules - and permissible horse-trading, perhaps - of the caucus system, in which there are no secret ballots, and people are herded across the room to declare their preference for president of the United States.

Hence, the following speculative morsel I picked up on the phone in a conversation with one Democratic candidate’s (obviously not Hillary Clinton) deputy in Iowa: his particular anti-Hillary camp’s expectation—or hope—that many caucus goers may be downright reluctant to be visibly observed by friends and neighbors as favoring Clinton. This reasoning (or wishful thinking) runs particularly strong regarding caucus goers who have initially favored a candidate who fails to reach the required 15 percent threshold. The supporters of such a failing candidate, under the theory explained to me, would be under especially heavy peer pressure, given the importance of their second-choice, and the high stakes generally of what is involved in this evening’s event. Thus (under the theory put forward) these individuals under intense observation in the caucus pen would rather not spend the rest of the political season being identified in their neighborhoods and community as the ones who threw their votes to Hillary Clinton, about whom antagonistic feelings of more than a few Democrats, not just Republicans, run high. (The so-called “polarizing factor.”) Interesting.

–CNN Analyst Carl Bernstein

Obama continues to face questions based on internet rumors

(CNN) - As he made a last-minute push for votes in Des Moines, Barack Obama was still finding Iowans curious about e-mailed rumors about his religion – or, for one voter, his alleged lack of one.

Zanata Moore-El asked Obama if he was an atheist.

"I'm a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ," Obama said. "Don't read e-mails."

Obama is a Christian, but e-mails speculating on his religious views, including his Muslim heritage, are still circulating despite being discredited.

"I hated having to ask him that," Moore-El told a reporter. "But I heard he was like an atheist. I don't want a president who's an atheist. I'm a firm believer in God. I just really wanted to make sure because I really wanted to vote for him and he has some good topics and everything."

– CNN Associate Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

(CNN) – Joe Biden is definitely a part of the conversation out in Iowa. Quite honestly, it seems to me that he doesn't have a hard time convincing voters that he is the best candidate for the job - the tough task is convincing folks that he is viable. But his camp seems confident that this is where their large group of legislators and party chairs will bring it home for them. Once they get into those rooms on caucus night, they say, they will see all the others for Biden - and between that and professional organizers doing their thing, they will bring it home to fourth place or higher.

–CNN's Donna Brazile

(CNN) - Ironically, I think the most brilliant thing any Democratic campaign has done is the work that Sen. Clinton's team has done - intentionally or not - to lower expectations. If she wins tonight, it's an upset almost; she's the only of the majors who can survive third place. She has a great team on the ground led by the former governor and presidential candidate Tom Vilsack.

–CNN's Donna Brazile

(CNN) – If Obama wins, he will likely do so on the strength of a broad coalition - Democrats and Independents, people new to the process, young and old. This will enable him to start settling "the electability" argument right away, and to move harder on experience.

–CNN's Donna Brazile

(CNN) - Tonight, we should pay attention to how well Edwards and Huckabee do. They've made Iowa somewhat of a referendum on populism. Virtually any result is interesting: if either wins Iowa with a populist message, the remaining members of the field have to move in their direction to pre-empt. If Huckabee wins, his victory is complicated, but it will speak volumes about the lack of an economic message in the rest of the GOP field at a time when the country is poised on the edge of a recession. If both lose, it is fascinating since Iowa is prime turf for it, and the country is hurting economically. It will mean that people don't see it as a viable answer to address kitchen table issues.

–CNN's Donna Brazile

(CNN) - There's a lot to watch in Iowa, of course, but I'm going to be keeping an eye on the results from tiny Warren County (pop. 44,000), which includes several suburbs south of Des Moines. Since 1980, Warren has been an uncanny bellwether for the results statewide, and this holds true for both Democratic and Republican races. In 1980, George H.W. Bush won Warren with 32 percent of the vote - the same as his winning statewide total. In 1988, Bob Dole won 36 percent in both Warren and the state. On the Democratic side, Al Gore won 64 percent in 2000, one percent more than his statewide total. In 2004, John Kerry won 37 percent in Warren, 38 percent in the state. It's almost bizarre. We should be getting the results in Warren, and the rest of Iowa, starting a little after 8 p.m. EST.

What kind of speech will Hillary Clinton give from this stage tonight after the caucus returns come in? (Photo Credit: Mike Roselli/CNN)

Suzanne Malveaux investigates how the Iowa Democratic Party will tally results from the caucuses on Thursday night.(Photo Credit: CNN)

(CNN) - Once the caucusing is done, the results have to be tallied in the first voting of the 2008 presidential primary race. In this report, Suzanne Malveaux explains the Iowa Democratic Party's system for tabulating results as they flow in from precincts all over the Hawkeye State.

(CNN) – Well over 200,000 Iowa Democrats participated in the caucuses tonight - a record- breaking number that hurt Edwards the most, our exit polls show.

According to the exit polls, 57 percent of Democratic caucus goers had never participated in a caucus before. Among that group, Edwards placed a distant third: he was at 18 percent among first timers, compared to Clinton's 29 percent and Obama's 41 percent.

Among experienced caucus-goers, Edwards came out on top with 30 percent, followed by Obama at 26 percent and Clinton at 25 percent.

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – Long after the local and national TV outlets had turned away from her headquarters, Hillary Clinton was still going.

She worked the stage full of supporters that had assembled behind her. She hugged and shook hands with prominent backers such as Madeleine Albright and Terry McAuliffe and stopped to talk with Iowa surrogates who had become constants on her travels across the state. One woman decked out in full AFSCME regalia commanded the senator's attention until they were practically alone on the stage.

Senator Clinton descended from the stage and worked the remaining fans pressed against the bunting clad ropeline, posing for pictures and signing autographs. She outlasted President Clinton, not one ever to leave a ropeline early.

Once the candidate had exited the ballroom, the campaign soundtrack looped for the umpteenth time as supporters milled about picking up signs, swilling beer, and posing for pictures at the podium where their candidate had just spoken.

–CNN Senior Political Producer Sasha Johnson

Carol Costello reports on criticism of Iowa's role in the 2008 presidential race. (Photo Credit: CNN)

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Caucus-goers in Iowa soon will cast the first - and perhaps the most influential - votes in the 2008 presidential race. In this report, Carol Costello looks at whether the small state has too much influence in the presidential election process.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - It's do-or-die time in Iowa for the field of White House hopefuls who have spent nearly a year campaigning in their quest to be the next president.

Caucus-goers in Iowa will cast the first votes in the 2008 presidential race on Thursday. In the latest Best Political Podcast, watch highlights of the candidates' final push for support in the Hawkeye State. Suzanne Malveaux also joins Wolf Blitzer to share her observations on the leading Democrats.

As important as Iowa is, New Hampshire's primary is just five days later on January 8. Looking ahead to next week, CNN has a new poll of likely Granite State primary voters. Bill Schneider takes a look at the close GOP and Democratic races in New Hampshire and John King reports from the campaign trail about Sen. John McCain's resurgence in a state known for its independent voters.

Click here to subscribe to The Best Political Podcast.

–CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

Mitt Romney is neck-and-neck with Mike Huckabee on caucus day.

MASON CITY, Iowa (CNN) - A pragmatic Mitt Romney vowed Wednesday to fight on, regardless of Iowa’s caucus results – a marked shift from the confident candidate who told reporters earlier this week "I think I'm going to win."

"We are in a neck-and-neck race," Romney told an audience of about 80 people gathered in an Iowa airport. "We are on a razor thin edge. I don't know who's going to be ahead in terms of the polls, but the difference as to who is actually going to win depends on who turns out, and so get your friends, make your phone calls, get in the cars, give me thirty minutes, forty minutes."

With rival Mike Huckabee continuing to narrowly lead polls and draw large crowds - he drew more than double Romney's crowd tally at another event in Mason City today - the former Massachusetts governor has cautiously avoided overly-optimistic forecasts over the last two days.

Romney, whose campaign is generally regarded to have the best ground organization in Iowa, has been concluding his speeches in recent days with similar pleas to his supporters to get out and caucus.

"I can't predict what the outcome's going to be here in Iowa," he told reporters in Bellevue earlier in the day. "I'm sure hoping that I get a first place finish. If I don't, I'm going to keep on battling."

Romney said he still thinks he will be the nominee, even if he does not win Iowa.