Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., joined by husband Marcus, left, family and friends, announces that she will end her campaign for president Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012.

Like a true Iowan, Michele Bachmann’s direct influence on the presidential race won’t go much further than the Iowa caucuses.

“Last night the people of Iowa spoke with a clear voice, so I have decided to stand aside,” the congresswoman said yesterday, ending her presidential campaign.

Others, like Texas Gov. Rick Perry will trudge forward to South Carolina or New Hampshire, limping or not.

One candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, bet almost everything on Iowa and the conventional wisdom of retail politics. His rocketing from polling obscurity to virtual victor of the caucuses capped off Iowa’s chief role in the presidential race, at least until 2016.

We’ll see you in 48 months.

The Register Recap

3 TICKETS OUT OF IOWA, 3 VERY DIFFERENT TICKETHOLDERS

Jason Noble, Tony Leys and William Petroski break down the results:

Romney’s county victories in eastern, western and central Iowa population centers underscored his campaign’s precision targeting. Santorum’s 63-county land grab revealed the fruits of a dogged retail campaign. Paul’s appeal to the east showed off his crossover potential.

But in the end, the sharply different strategies brought all three to very nearly the same place. Winner Romney and third-place Paul were separated by fewer than 4,000 votes — about 3 percent of those cast. And Romney and Santorum — surely you’ve heard the score on that already — ended up a mind-boggling eight votes apart.

AN ANATOMY OF CAUCUS DRAMA

Jennifer Jacobs reports:

“It was just nuts for it to be this close with 120,000 votes cast,” Republican Party of Iowa Executive Director Chad Olsen, who oversaw the vote tabulations, told The Des Moines Register on Wednesday. “It will probably never happen again in our lifetimes.”

BACHMANN BOWS OUT

Jason Noble reports:

Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign that began in Iowa and was defined by Iowa ended this morning in Iowa. …

Bachmann, 55, staked her entire campaign on success in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, but fell far short in the voting. She won just five percent of the vote – good for last place among the six actively campaigning candidates.

PERRY STILL RUNNING, DESPITE ‘LOOSEY-GOOSEY’ CAUCUSES

I report:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Wednesday morning that his campaign for president will continue onward to South Carolina, home of the primary season’s third contest, criticizing the Iowa caucuses in which he placed fifth as “a quirky process” in “a quirky place.”

CAUCUS NIGHT’S BIGGEST WINNERS: EDITH AND CAROLYN

Daniel Finney reports on the stars of Clinton County:

In the end, the viewing public’s best insight into resolution of the closest Iowa caucuses in history came down to a pair of diligent 70-year-old Clinton women checking their paperwork while on the phone with CNN early Wednesday.

THE PATH FOR MITT AHEAD

Tony Leys reports:

David Oman, a former Iowa Republican Party co-chairman who advised Romney’s campaign here, said Romney probably will be assisted by Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to compete in South Carolina despite his fifth-place Iowa finish.

SANTORUM SEEKING CASH AND ORGANIZATION

William Petroski reports:

… some political strategists are skeptical. By concentrating so much on Iowa, Santorum ran what was essentially a governor’s race, they said. And he will most likely face the same post-Iowa challenges that wiped out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee after he won the Iowa GOP caucuses in 2008.

PAUL PREPS FOR TWO-MAN RACE

Mary Stegmeir reports:

Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton said Iowa has positioned Paul for a “two-way race” against Mitt Romney. Rick Santorum, who finished just eight votes behind Romney, doesn’t have the fundraising or organization necessary for a national campaign, he said.

ALSO:

Gingrich comes out swinging in New Hampshire

Iowa returns to normal as candidates bid adieu

Future is fuzzy for Occupy Des Moines, members admit

Other Iowa Mentions

Slate: Radio host Steve Deace makes a pitch for Newt on caucus night

Washington Post: The 2012 Iowa caucuses and the 10 closest races in history

After narrow caucus win, Obama team calls Romney ‘the 25 percent man’

For Santorum, Wednesday began with emptying the Chuck Truck

AP: Iowa vote doesn’t resolve GOP search for identity

New York Times: Will Congresswoman Bachmann seek re-election? 

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, joined by his wife Ann and sons at the Hotel Fort Des Moines Tuesday evening.(Rodney White/The Des Moines Register)

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

360 days. 914 events. 10 candidates, then nine, then eight. A final field of six serious contenders.

Millions of dollars spent. Innumerable miles driven. Diner, factory, Pizza Ranch.

1,774 precincts. 122,255 voters.

In the end, it came down to eight votes.

At 1:34 a.m. Wednesday, with confirmation from Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn, Mitt Romney out pointed Rick Santorum by eight votes across all of Iowa.

The Register Recap

THE TUMULTUOUS CAUCUSES

Slow-and-steady Romney was the winner only after five other candidates challenged him for front-runner status, surged in the polls and then faltered as the scrutiny intensified.

A DIVERSITY OF OPINION

The top three finishers in Iowa’s 2012 caucus illustrate the wide range of opinions held by Republicans in the state, and undermine the notion that only a candidate appealing to a narrow cross section of voters can find success here, Columnist Kathie Obradovich writes.

‘PLEASANTLY SHOCKED’

What’s the word for that feeling felt by Rick Santorum supporters Tuesday night? Ah, yes, elated.

LEAN, MEAN, TARGETED

Mitt Romney played possum throughout the long caucus season, looked alive late and came away with a victory.

THE ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ CAUCUS

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad examined the field in Tuesday’s nail-biter, diagnosing Michele Bachmann with a bad case of lateness and brevity and granting Santorum “a second look.”

LONG HAULS VS. BIG BOOSTS

Iowa Congressman Steve King says the caucus results show that Romney’s in it for the long haul, but that Santorum will receive a big boost.

CONFIDENCE IN THIRD

Ron Paul cheered his third-place finish and promised continued momentum in New Hampshire.

NO NASTY ADS

Fourth-place finisher Newt Gingrich said he would continue his campaign in New Hampshire, but would do so without the “gotcha” TV ads he decried his rivals for deploying against him.

REASSESSING

Rick Perry’s fifth-place finish has him returning to Texas to “reassess” his candidacy.

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Although she finished last among the six candidates competing in Iowa, Michele Bachmann will carry on to South Carolina.

DECLARING SUCCESS

Occupy protesters wrapped up a week of caucus-related demonstrations Tuesday with declarations of victory for the 99 percent.

ROCKIN’ THE CAUCUS

Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann and four Romney sons rallied students at Valley High School Tuesday morning, imploring them to get active in politics and to support their candidacies. Paul won the most applause.

ROMNEY AT REST

Mitt Romney’s final Iowa campaign event Tuesday morning was a low-key affair — drawing 100 supporters and 100 more media at the Temple of the Performing Arts in downtown Des Moines. He stuck to the script, jabbing incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and playing up his business background.

THE BATTLE IS ON

Rick Perry compared caucus day to a couple of war-defining battles in a speech Tuesday morning to 400 campaign volunteers. “This is Concord. Is this Omaha Beach. This is going up the hill,” he said. He later became emotional during an event at Nationwide Insurance in Des Moines, wiping away a tear as he discussed the sacrifices made by veterans.

BACHMANN MEETS A GOOD FRIEND

Michele Bachmann appeared at a press conference Tuesday morning with Iowa Congressman Steve King. The conservative power player declined once again to endorse her, but offered kind words of support. It was the second time in a week that King stood at Bachmann’s side on the campaign trail.

READY, AIM, ROMNEY

Democrats, including Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, were in Des Moines ahead of their own caucuses on Tuesday lobbing hand-grenades at Mitt Romney, who is seen as the most formidable general-election opponent for incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama.

GOOGLED

The Google-sponsored filing center for media at the Polk County Convention Complex was a marvel of high-tech shwag and Silicon Valley cool.

NO 2012 REPRISE OF ‘GET OUTTA OUR TOWN’

Jason Walsmith, the Des Moines indie rocker who recorded a song lamenting the disruption caused by the 2008 caucuses, forsaw no similar complaints in 2012.

Other Iowa Mentions

The New York Times reports Santorum’s close finish undercuts Romney’s hopes of quickly securing the nomination.

The Washington Post reads Tuesday’s close three-way race as the sign of a “splintered and increasingly fractious field.”

Politico reports that the knives will be out against Romney in New Hampshire, South Carolina and other early states, as rival candidates seek to stop a man they see as unreliably conservative.

ABC News declares Santorum the winner of the all-important expectations game.

The Atlantic, by contrast, sees even the close victory placing Romney in a position of strength, since two of his biggest threats were weakened by their own poor showings — Gingrich and Perry.

Slate offers three lessons from the Iowa caucuses — including this biggie: Republicans aren’t all that excited about 2012.

CNN finds five lessons, noting the importance of evangelicals, late-stage momentum and the traditional Iowa strategy, but also the meaninglessness of the Iowa Straw Poll.

The Iowa Republican credits Romney for adeptly lowering expectations in his second caucus campaign.

NPR News takes a wider view, and finds much to criticize about the media’s coverage of the caucuses.

Today in Iowa

All the planes depart Des Moines, bound for Manchester or Charleston.

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are now battling for a win.

Rick Perry spoke to about 150 supporters at the Santa Maria Vineyard & Winery in Carroll on Monday. A handful of well-known supporters stumped for Perry throughout the day. / Andrea Melendez/The Register

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.

After months of retail politics with candidates, endless TV ads and enough campaign mailers to possibly save the U.S. Postal Service, the Iowa caucuses are here. Tonight, a small group of Iowans will play a significant role in pushing candidates forward toward the White House.

Candidates, start your engines. The primary kicks off today.

Voters, find your caucus location here.

The Register Recap

YESTERDAY’S CAMPAIGNING: A RETROSPECTIVE

Jennifer Jacobs (and a select group of Tweeters) bring you all the drama from the candidates’ last push across the state yesterday:

Iowa became the stage for electrifying political theater on caucus eve as six GOP presidential candidates tried to make a last-minute connection with voters — all while hounded by hundreds of reporters who documented their every move in mini messages on Twitter.

An expected 115,000 to 120,000 Iowa Republicans will record their choices tonight, GOP strategist John Stineman of West Des Moines estimated.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED TONIGHT

Who wins? Who gets hurt? Will the polls be proven right?

Jennifer Jacobs asks ‘em all.

OBRADOVICH SAYS IGNORE THE PUNDITS

From her latest column:

If you show up and cast your vote, then you will have done what mattered. Don’t let some talking head in the Beltway or in New York City tell you otherwise. They’re invited to watch, and they’ll say what they will. But they don’t get to make a choice in Iowa tonight. You do.

A CALL TO ACTION FOR IOWANS

From the Register’s editorial board:

For Iowans who engage in the political process in their neighborhood precinct caucus, Tuesday night’s exercise will be about more than just raw vote totals. Still, the ultimate goal is nominating a candidate who could be the next president of the United States.

SANTORUM:  crowds keep growing; about 400 at Altoona Pizza Ranch

GINGRICH: I made a mistake in saying I wouldn’t win the Iowa caucuses

PAUL: pushes big economic change

BACHMANN:promises a ‘miracle’ on caucus night

ROMNEY: “We’re going to win this thing”

PERRY: ready for long haul, he says 

HUNTSMAN: confident about skipping Iowa

Other Iowa Mentions

AP: Hours from voting, Iowa still unpredictable

NYTIMES: In Iowa, Six Candidates Compete to Beat Expectations

WASHINGTON POST: The 6 counties to watch

KAY HENDERSON:  Iowa GOP to count votes for Cain, “other” as well as “no preference”

Today in Iowa

Mitt Romney
When: January 3, 2012, 7:55 a.m.
Where: Temple for Performing Arts, 1011 Locust St, Des Moines
What: Romney hosts a grassroots campaign rally.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 3, 2012, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Elly’s Tea and Coffee in Muscatine, 208 W 2nd St, Muscatine
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: January 3, 2012, 9:45 a.m.
Where: Valley High School Gym, 3650 Woodland Ave, West Des Moines
What: Rock The Caucus Assembly.

Ron Paul
When: January 3, 2012, 9:45 a.m.
Where: Valley High School Gym , 3650 Woodland Ave, West Des Moines
What: Rock the Caucus Assembly.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 3, 2012, 11:30 a.m.
Where: The Drake Restaurant, 106 Washington St, Burlington
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: January 3, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Principal Financial Group, 711 High St, Des Moines
What: Perry will hold a Town Hall meeting with Principal employees.

Rick Perry
When: January 3, 2012, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Nationwide/Allied Insurance, 1100 Locust St, Des Moines
What: Perry will hold a Town Hall meeting with Nationwide/Allied employees.

Ron Paul
When: January 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Courtyard Des Moines Ankeny, 2405 SE Creekview Dr, Ankeny
What: Ron Paul 2012 Iowa Caucus Night event.

Rick Perry
When: January 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Sheraton West Des Moines, 1800 50th St, West Des Moines
What: Caucus Night Event.

Rick Santorum
When: January 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Stoney Creek Inn Des Moines, 5291 Stoney Creek Ct, Johnston
What: Rick Santorum for President Iowa Caucus Night Victory Party.

Mitt Romney
When: January 3, 2012, 8:45 p.m.
Where: Hotel Fort Des Moines, 1000 Walnut St, Des Moines
What: Romney holds Romney for President Caucus Night. Doors open for general attendees at 7:30 pm.

Mark Marturello/The Des Moines Register

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.

Mitt Romney is in Davenport today at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, then businesses in Dubuque, Marion and Clive.

After a weekend trip home – a break no other candidate took – Ron Paul is on a “whistlestop” tour today with his son, Rand, in Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls and Mason City.

Rick Santorum is doing meet-and-greets in Polk City, Perry, Boone, Newton and Altoona today.

Newt Gingrich is in Independence, Walford and Davenport – at both the Hotel Blackhawk and his Davenport campaign office.

Rick Perry is at meet-and-greets in Sioux City and Carroll then a campaign rally at the Hotel Pattee in Perry (Perry in Perry!)

Michele Bachmann is at a Maid-Rite in West Des Moines today and a headquarters event in Urbandale. (And she has a new Iowa TV ad.)

The Register Recap

THE FINAL 36
In the 36 hours between 7 a.m. today and 7 p.m. Tuesday, each Republican presidential candidate will deliver his or her closing arguments to Iowa caucusgoers. Some ideas on some possible keys to success, and what they might want to avoid.

THE EXPECTATIONS
A respectable top two finish is enough to keep Romney as the perceived national front-runner; Paul’s support has likely reached its capacity; and Santorum’s performance will be judged in relation to other social conservative candidates, not by his final vote tally. That’s the thumbnail rundown by Timothy Hagle, University of Iowa associate professor of political science. None needs a first-place finish to declare victory Tuesday.

IOWA CAUCUS VOTER GUIDE
How to caucus, what you need to know about each candidate. Our special section from Sunday’s newspaper.

HOW TO FIND YOUR CAUCUS SITE
The Republican Party of Iowa has a handy search-and-find.

MITT ROMNEY’S NEW YEAR’S DAY

SANTORUM ‘HAS SPENT HIS CAREER IN GOVERNMENT’
At a diner in Atlantic, Mitt Romney called Rick Santorum a friend and noted that the former Pennsylvania senator endorsed his presidential candidacy four years ago, but he added that Santorum lacks the private business experience that Romney has.

BIG CROWD IN COUNCIL BLUFFS: It was one of Romney’s biggest crowds in Iowa this cycle, with more than 600 on a Sunday afternoon. Ann Romney shared stories about raising five children, and how he supported her through the years she struggled to cope with multiple sclerosis.

MOST BRANSTAD-ISH: The Quad-City Times endorsed Branstad Sunday.

SAYS ROMNEY COST HIM HIS JOB: Democrats introduced reporters in Iowa to a former employee of Bain Capital, Mitt Romney’s former company, who said Romney’s decisions cost him and many others their jobs.

ONE ARRESTED AT ROMNEY HQ: At Mitt Romney’s Iowa headquarters, protesters said they wanted to see more transparency. “Mitt Romney will not release his tax returns. Mitt Romney will not also release the information about who has given him money, like the PACS,” one said.

RICK SANTORUM’S NEW YEAR’S DAY

FLIP-FLOPS? Asked to defend his endorsement of Mitt Romney in 2008 as “the clear conservative candidate, Rick Santorum said on “Meet the Press”: “What changed was who he’s running against.” And Santorum was asked about his change of mind on abortion. In 2006, he said he supported exceptions in the cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. Now he says he opposes all abortions. “Today I would support laws that would provide for those exceptions but I’m not for them,” Santorum answered.

‘TOUGH GUY CONSERVATIVE’ GETS EMOTIONAL: To more than 100 people at the Daily Grind coffee shop in downtown Sioux City, Rick Santorum backer Brad Thor choked up explaining why the candidate means so much to him.

IN ROCK RAPIDS: “I know we’re going to get a big number out of here,” Rick Santorum told a crowd of about 200 people Sunday night. “Make sure that we don’t get every vote because they’ll claim fraud.”

NEWT GINGRICH’S NEW YEAR’S DAY

ROMNEY-BOATED: Gingrich wants to aggressively counter Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. “He didn’t get rid of me, he just slowed me down,” he said in Marshalltown. As for the attack ads from a pro-Romney super PAC that isn’t directly associated with the Romney campaign: “I feel Romney boated,” he said, a reference to ads that hurt Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in the 2004 elections.

TOO REASONABLE: Newt Gingrich, who is recovering from the flu, was asked by an audience member in Waterloo what he perceives to be his greatest weakness. His answer: “Probably that I’m too reasonable and I should have responded to the negative ads sooner.”

ON SANTORUM: “I’m not going to say anything negative about Rick Santorum. He’s a terrific guy,” Gingrich said. ”I think I’m the more experienced national leader with the greater ability to actually change Washington and that’s what I would make the final argument on.”

RICK PERRY’S NEW YEAR’S DAY

PERRY TAKES IT SLOW: Rick Perry and his family attended a New Year’s Day service at a West Des Moines megachurch on Sunday. Perry had no other events scheduled for the first day of 2012, but will continue hard on the campaign trail today.

MICHELE BACHMANN’S NEW YEAR’S DAY

BACHMANN PROJECTS SERENITY: Down in the polls and all but counted out of Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, Michele Bachmann projected a serenity founded on her faith during an appearance at a church in Oskaloosa. She expressed confidence during several TV interviews. To Wolf Blitzer on CNN Sunday: “Nothing has gone wrong, Wolf, we’re looking at Tuesday night.”

Other Iowa Mentions

CNN: Almost two-thirds of Iowa’s Republican political pros predict that Mitt Romney will win the state’s caucuses on Tuesday.

IOWA RACE TIGHTENS IN LAST 48 HOURS: Iowa is an effective three-way tie, although Mitt Romney is ahead by the slimmest of margins, says The New York Times’ Nate Silver.

NEW YORK TIMES: Romney Fights for First-Place Showing in Iowa Caucuses

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Republican candidates set stage for final push in Iowa

WASHINGTON POST: In Iowa, Republicans make final push before voting begins

POLITICO: Iowa front-runners take fire

Today in Iowa

At 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Embassy Club of Des Moines: “Politico Preview: An Evening of Conversation and Cocktails,” with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, then a roundtable with NBC’s David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell; Kathie Obradovich, political columnist for The Des Moines Register; CBS’s Bob Schieffer and Norah O’Donnell; and USA Today’s Susan Page. The Politico politics team will be there, too, per Playbook’s Mike Allen.

Mitt Romney
When: January 2, 2012, 8:10 a.m.
Where: Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport
What: Romney hosts a grassroots campaign rally.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 2, 2012, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Heartland Acres Agribition Center, 2600 Swan Lake Blvd, Independence
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: January 2, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Reising Sun Cafe, 107 S 2nd St, Polk City
What: Meet and greet in Polk City.

Ron Paul
When: January 2, 2012, 11:15 a.m.
Where: Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel, 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines
What: Ron Paul “Whistle-stop” tour with Rand Paul.

Rick Santorum
When: January 2, 2012, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Hotel Pattee, 1112 Willis Ave, Perry
What: Meet and greet in Perry.

Mitt Romney
When: January 2, 2012, 11:50 a.m.
Where: Weber Paper, 4300 Chavenelle Rd, Dubuque
What: Romney hosts a grassroots campaign rally.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 2, 2012, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Schrader Excavating and Grading, 1840 Commercial Dr, Walford
What: Town Hall Meeting.

Rick Perry
When: January 2, 2012, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Stoney Creek Inn, 300 3rd St, Sioux City
What: Meet and greet in Sioux City.

Ron Paul
When: January 2, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Where: SteepleGate Inn, 100 W 76th St, Davenport
What: Ron Paul “Whistle-stop” tour with Rand Paul.

Michele Bachmann
When: January 2, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Paula’s Maid Rite Restaurant, 524 Elm St, West Des Moines
What: Meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: January 2, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch – Boone, 1703 Story St, Boone
What: Meet and greet in Boone.

Ron Paul
When: January 2, 2012, 2:30 p.m.
Where: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids
What: Ron Paul “Whistle-stop” tour with Rand Paul.

Rick Perry
When: January 2, 2012, 4:00 p.m.
Where: Santa Maria Vineyard and Winery in Carroll, 216 W 6th St, Carroll
What: Meet and greet in Carroll.

Ron Paul
When: January 2, 2012, 4:00 p.m.
Where: Park Place Event Center, 1521 Technology Pkwy, Cedar Falls
What: Ron Paul “Whistle-stop” tour with Rand Paul.

Rick Santorum
When: January 2, 2012, 4:00 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch in Newton, 1500 W 18th St S, Newton
What: Meet and greet in Newton.

Mitt Romney
When: January 2, 2012, 4:10 p.m.
Where: Pate Asphalt, 3285 3rd St, Marion
What: Romney hosts a grassroots campaign rally.

Ron Paul
When: January 2, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Prime n Wine, 3000 4th St SW, Mason City
What: Ron Paul “Whistle-stop” tour with Rand Paul.

Rick Santorum
When: January 2, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch – Altoona, 465 Center Pl SW, Altoona
What: Meet and Greet in Altoona.

Rick Perry
When: January 2, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Hotel Pattee, 1112 Willis Ave, Perry
What: Campaign Rally in Perry.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 2, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Newt 2012 Davenport Office, 909 W 76th St, Davenport
What: Davenport campaign office visit.

Mitt Romney
When: January 2, 2012, 8:40 p.m.
Where: Competitive Edge in Clive, 9350 Hickman Rd, Clive
What: Romney hosts a grassroots campaign rally.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 2, 2012, 9:00 p.m.
Where: Hotel Blackhawk, 200 E 3rd St, Davenport
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

It’s 2012! A new year! An election year! A caucus year!

Gifts aren’t customary for New Year’s, but Rick Santorum got a great big one at 7 p.m. last night, when the Register’s final Iowa Poll before the caucuses placed him in third and surging hard among likely Republican caucusgoers.

Mitt Romney leads the poll with support from 24 percent of respondents, followed by Ron Paul at 22 percent and Santorum at 15 percent. In the poll’s final two days in the field, though, Santorum surged to second, at 21 percent.

Columnist Kathie Obradovich recognizes that the Iowa caucus winner isn’t always the one who takes first, but the one who beats expectations — a fact that bodes well for Santorum.

Here’s a deeper look at the numbers for every candidate, and an even deeper analysis by Pollster J. Ann Selzer.

The Register Recap

SANTORUM UNSURPRISED

The good news for Santorum in the Iowa Poll came as no surprise to the candidate himself and his advisers, Bill Petroski reports. Santorum credited his efforts “building trust” with voters for the late surge that has propelled him into the race’s top tier.

Santorum also received a special visit from 44 Ohio high school students.

THE OCCUPATION CONTINUES

Eighteen protesters participating in demonstrations linked to Occupy the Caucuses were arrested at various Republican candidate campaign headquarters on Saturday. Michele Bachmann referred to those who turned out at her Urbandale headquarters — 10 of whom were arrested — as “Obama’s re-election advance team,” although the demonstrators took their protests to incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama’s campaign office as well.

THE POP ROCKS PRESIDENT

Romney spent New Year’s Eve campaigning in northwest Iowa, and taking tough questions from crowds numbering in the hundreds. In Sioux City, a woman asked him to bring back Pop Rocks, while a man asked him if he broke racketeering laws with his $10,000 bet in a debate last month.

At an earlier stop in Le Mars, he took a serious question on a serious topic: Iran.

NEWT, FREE-WHEELING

Newt Gingrich lashed out at Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, the federal Department of Education and “activist judges” during stops in western Iowa on Saturday.

NOT MEASURING THE DRAPES

Rick Perry projected presidential confidence on the trail, even as his wife didn’t. He suggested the presidency would prevent him from finishing his term as Texas governor, while she said she was more focused on the campaign task at hand than making plans for life as First Lady.

VETS <3 PAUL

Twenty-five Iowans joined Veterans for Ron Paul on Saturday.

CONFIDENT AS EVER

Michele Bachmann on Saturday reassured her staff and predicted a strong finish in Tuesday’s caucuses despite discouraging poll numbers and a tough week of staff upheaval and dysfunction. She also picked up volunteer support from a contingent of college Republicans from Oral Roberts University, where she studied law.

MATTHEW MODINE GETS POLTICAL

Actor and filmmaker Matthew Modine is screening three politically themed films in Iowa on Sunday and Monday.

Other Iowa Mentions

The New York Times reports on the last-minute dash for votes in Iowa.

The Times also has a great look inside the various campaign headquarters, noting the ambiance and GOTV tactics and eccentricities of each.

The New York Times also (are you seeing a pattern here?) notices Romney out on the trail quoting and interpreting patriotic songs.

The Times also reports on the politico-media complex that has temporarily taken root in the bars and hotels of downtown Des Moines.

The Times — if you’re wondering whether they’ve basically moved their entire political operation to Des Moines, the answer is yes — also has a nifty graphic illustrating the ins and outs of Iowa political advertising.

Politico heralds the arrival of Santorum’s moment.

Politico also finds Gingrich much more on message than usual.

The Washington Post finds Iowa voters struggling between “electability” — code for Romney — and “sincerity” — code for not Romney.

The Post emphasizes, in a separate story, the indecisiveness of Iowa voters with two days left before the caucuses.

The Atlantic considers Santorum’s signature sweater vest — a popular Twitter topic lately among caucus watchers.

The Iowa Republican offers caucus predictions from Kevin Hall and Craig Robinson.

Today in Iowa

Michele Bachmann
When: January 1, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Jubilee Family Church, 401 South D Street, Oskaloosa, IA
What: Testimony at church service.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 1, 2012, 12:00 p.m.
Where: West Towne Pub, 4518 Mortensen Rd, Ames
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 1, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Junction Sports Bar & Grill, 3303 S Center St, Marshalltown
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Mitt Romney
When: January 1, 2012, 2:15 p.m.
Where: Family Table Restaurant – Atlantic, 609 W 7th St, Atlantic
What: Romney meets with voters and discusses jobs and the economy.

Rick Santorum
When: January 1, 2012, 2:30 p.m.
Where: The Daily Grind, 511 4th St, Sioux City
What: Santorum will hold a campaign rally in Sioux City.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 1, 2012, 4:30 p.m.
Where: LJ’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill, 3550 Kimball Ave, Waterloo
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: January 1, 2012, 4:45 p.m.
Where: Northwestern Bank, 122 Central Ave NW, Orange City
What: Santorum will hold a campaign rally in Orange City.

Mitt Romney
When: January 1, 2012, 5:05 p.m.
Where: Bayliss Park Hall, 530 1st Ave, Council Bluffs
What: Romney hosts a grassroots campaign rally.

Rick Santorum
When: January 1, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Rock Rapids, Rock Rapids
What: Santorum will hold a campaign rally in Rock Rapids.

Newt Gingrich
When: January 1, 2012, 12:00 p.m.
Where: West Towne Pub, 4518 Mortensen Rd, Ames
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wipes a tear from his eye as he speaks about his mother during a Moms Matter campaign stop at Java Joe's in Des Moines on Friday, December. 30, 2011. (David Purdy/The Des Moines Register)

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011.

Tonight, as we gather with family and friends to remember how we’ve gotten to this point in 2011, we’ll also look forward with celebration and expectancy to what’s to come.

Yes, tonight is Dec. 31, and we all know what that means: The giant ball that is The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll will drop (at 7 p.m., not midnight).

The Register Recap

COULD SANTORUM OUT-HUSTLE THE DONALD?

Bill Petroski measures up the leadership qualities of Rick Santorum, the new kid climbing toward the top tier of Republican candidates, as part of the Register’s latest profile series:

Santorum’s friends and Republican activists in Pennsylvania describe the former attorney as brilliant and having a photographic mind — skills that make him a quick study on complex policy issues. He has a master’s degree in business administration and a law degree, and he worked as a lawyer and a legislative staffer before running for Congress.

“He will outwork anybody, maybe with the exception of Donald Trump,” said Charlie Artz, a Harrisburg, Pa., lawyer and longtime Santorum pal.

SANTORUM: ARE YOU OK WITH MY ISU SWEATER VEST?

Perry Beeman on Santorum’s Cyclones football watch party:

He soon traded his navy sweater vest for one bearing the ISU logo at Ames.

He had sent his daughter to pick one up, and turned down a jersey from a local resident. “I have a sweater vest coming. Is that OK?” Santorum told the woman.

NEWT CRIES

Jason Clayworth reports on Gingrich’s rare moment:

“I get teary-eyed every time we sing Christmas carols,” Gingrich said before he was overcome with emotion at an event hosted at Java Joe’s Coffee in Des Moines  by CafeMom.com, a secular, bipartisan organization.

ROMNEY SUPPORTERS OK WITH COLD WEATHER, DISLIKE GOLFING

Tony Leys reports:

“We’re out in the cold and the rain and the wind because we care about America,” Romney said. The former Massachusetts governor noted that President Barack Obama is vacationing in his home state of Hawaii. “He just finished his 90th round of golf,” Romney said to groans from the audience outside a Hy-Vee grocery store.

And Christie threatens Iowans, Jersey-style:

 ”But let me tell ya, if you people disappoint me Tuesday, if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do on Tuesday for Mitt Romney. I will be back, Jersey-style. I will be back.”

RICK ON RICK: PERRY UNFURLS MORE EARMARK ATTACKS

Perry’s new criticism comes as he trails Santorum by one point in a recent NBC/Marist poll:

“So, Senator Santorum, just to get a little more specific here,” Perry said to a crowd at Doughy Joey’s, a pizza shop in Waterloo. “Please tell me why you asked taxpayers to support ‘The Bridge to Nowhere’ in Alaska? Why did you ask the taxpayers of Iowa to support a teapot museum in North Carolina? An indoor rain forest in Iowa? And the Montana Sheep Institute? Why were those important enough for you to vote for?”

SMALL CROWDS FOR BACHMANN

Jason Noble reports on her Thursday appearance with Congressman Steve King:

But even with King by her side, Bachmann’s crowd in Early numbered less than a dozen, most of whom were employees of the Crossroads Restaurant and Lounge, where the event was held. A midafternoon stop at the Central Perk coffee shop here drew perhaps 30.

In light of the Bachmann-Sorenson-Paul drama, Noble also asks whether state senators can receive campaign payments.

PAUL CHUCKLES, DISMISSES CLAIMS THAT HIS VIEWS ARE ‘DANGEROUS’

Mary Stegmeir reports:

“When government gets too big” — that’s dangerous, the 76-year-old Texan told a crowd of 200 in LeMars.

He chuckled as he offered his audience members a tongue-in-cheek advisory about the contents of his stump speech.

“I will be talking a lot about personal liberty and our Constitution, but I will warn you, it’s been described as a ‘very dangerous’ philosophy,” Paul said.

He also said controversial newsletters haven’t hurt him politically:

He later added:  “People who know me best — people in my (Texas congressional) district —- have heard these stories for years and years. And they know they weren’t a reflection of anything I believed in.”

And Ron Paul campaign merchandise is selling like libertarian hot cakes.

IN #OCCUPY NEWS:

Regina Zilbermints profiles leaders of the movement in Des Moines

Some of the littlest occupiers pitch their message:

“It felt like we made (the signs) for nothing,” said Chloe Craig, 8, of Des Moines.

Other Iowa Mentions

GINGRICH HIT HARD BY IOWA MAILERS

The New York Times’ Jeff Zeleny reports:

For all the talk about the confidence of Mitt Romney in the days before the Iowa caucuses next week, his campaign continues to relentlessly hammer Mr. Gingrich. While Mr. Gingrich and his advisers concede that the negative messages have damaged his candidacy, not everyone on the receiving end of the mail agrees.

PAUL SHOWS APPEAL TO NW IOWA

The Iowa Republican’s Kevin Hall reports:

There were more attendees at (Paul’s) stop in Sioux Center than the 137 people who voted for him in the whole county in 2008. Ron Paul’s message has not changed, but the country has. So have the minds of Sioux County voters.

IOWA MEDIA GO NATIONAL

Well-deserved mentions for two Register rock stars from the Huffington Post’s Michael Calderone:

Over at the Des Moines Register, Jennifer Jacobs has won plaudits from her colleagues … Jacobs’ colleague at the Des Moines Register, columnist Kathie Obradovich, has also been a familiar face on national networks.

Today in Iowa

Newt Gingrich
When: December 31, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Tish’s Restaurant, 1207 S 35th St, Council Bluffs
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 31, 2011, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Bloomers on Central Gourmet Coffee and Gift Shoppe, 900 Central Ave, Fort Dodge
What: Meet and greet in Fort Dodge.

Rick Perry
When: December 31, 2011, 12:45 p.m.
Where: The Gigglin’ Goat, 628 Story St, Boone
What: Meet and greet in Boone.

Rick Santorum
When: December 31, 2011, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Indianola Public Library, 207 N B St, Indianola
What: Meet and greet in Indianola.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 31, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Atlantic Bottling Company, 4 E 2nd St, Atlantic
What: Atlantic Bottling Employee Town Hall meeting.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 31, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Bachmann Campaign Headquarters, 2775 86th St, Urbandale
What: Bachmann will make get-out-the-vote phone calls with volunteers.

Rick Santorum
When: December 31, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Where: National Sprint Car Museum, Knoxville
What: Santorum will visit the National Sprint Car Museum in Knoxville.

Rick Santorum
When: December 31, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Pella Public Library, 603 Main St, Pella
What: Meet and greet in Pella.

Mitt Romney
When: December 31, 2011, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Family Table Restaurant – Le Mars, 511 Hawkeye Ave SW, Le Mars
What: Romney meets with voters and discusses jobs and the economy.

Rick Santorum
When: December 31, 2011, 4:00 p.m.
Where: Smokey Row Coffeehouse, 109 S Market St, Oskaloosa
What: Meet and greet in Oskaloosa.

Rick Santorum
When: December 31, 2011, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Bridgeview Center, 102 Church St, Ottumwa
What: Santorum will host a New Year’s Eve rally in Ottumwa.

Mitt Romney
When: December 31, 2011, 5:35 p.m.
Where: Stoney Creek Inn, 300 3rd St, Sioux City
What: Romney will hold a Town Hall meeting in Sioux City.

IRONIC PHOTO MOMENT: In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Sorenson departed his post as Michele Bachmann's Iowa campaign chairman and joined the Ron Paul campaign. He was doing a Fox News interview about his change of heart on Thursday when Bachmann's bus rolled behind him. (Matt Woolbright/Special to the Register)

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Friday, Dec. 30, 2011.

While it’s been unseasonably warm in Iowa this week, things in the caucus scene got particularly hot on Thursday: Michele Bachmann and fher former Iowa chairman, Kent Sorenson, traded stories about his departure from her campaign, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum got in it over earmarks and moderate Republican candidate Jon Huntsman made a moderately funny joke about Iowa.

The Register Recap

NEED SOME CAUCUS MAGIC? 

What candidate doesn’t? Jennifer Jacobs pulls the rabbit from the hat:

Campaign aides said the best organizational tool is a face-to-face chat, but phone calls and emails are the most practical ways to verify and re-verify support.

If Iowans don’t get a “don’t-let-us-down” phone call on Tuesday and an icy wind is howling, it will be just as easy to stay home and watch reruns of “Glee” and “NCIS.”

More campaign abracadabra here.

DEMS SHAPED ROMNEY’S LEADERSHIP

Tony Leys examines Romney in the Register’s latest leadership profile of the candidates:

Mitt Romney credits much of his political skill to his experience with an unlikely group — Democrats.

When Massachusetts voters chose Romney as governor in 2002, they forced him to face an overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature. As a Republican, he would be unable to force through any partisan proposals. So, he says, he had to win over the sort of Democratic legislators whom strident members of his party often demonize.

Romney also caught a question yesterday symbolizing his greatest challenge in Iowa: convincing voters he’s a true conservative.

OCCUPY PROTESTERS TARGET DEMOCRATS

Here’s the story.

And check out this photo by the Register’s Andrea Melendez from this story:

Frankie Hughes, 14, of Des Moines was arrested while protesting on Thursday. Andrea Melendez/The Register

THE END OF AN ERA FOR BACHMANN, OR AT LEAST A BUS TOUR 

Jason Noble wraps up Bachmann’s breakneck, 99-county tour:

She celebrated the final stop here with a sheet cake emblazoned with a map of Iowa and a live interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Inside the Snack Time Family Restaurant, Bachmann cut the cake, handed out pieces and then led the assembled crowd in singing “God Bless America.”

And as of yesterday, Bachmann still was accusing Sorensen of nabbing oodles of cash for defecting to Team Ron Paul. He denies it.

BATTLE OF THE RICKS: AN ISSUE OF EARMARKS

Rick Perry introduced a new knock into his message yesterday on Rick Santorum, a candidate who jumped him in at least one poll this week, calling him a “prolific earmarker” both at Iowa stops and over Iowa airwaves in a new radio ad. 

Santorum defended his earmarks by saying, essentially, yes I used earmarks:

“People say that I voted for ‘The Bridge to Nowhere,’ Santorum said. “I did. I went with the federalist argument, which is, ‘Who am I in Pennsylvania to tell Alaska what their highway priorities should be?’ “

PERRY BLANKS ON SUPREME COURT CASE HE OPPOSED

My report on Rick Perry’s answer to a question on Lawrence vs. Texas:

“And I wish I could tell you I knew every Supreme Court case. I don’t,” Perry said. “I’m not even going to try to go through every Supreme Court case. I’m not a lawyer.”

While Perry isn’t a lawyer, he did refer to Lawrence vs. Texas three times in his 2010 book, “Fed Up,” calling the case one in which “we Texans were at the center of the issue at hand.”

GINGRICH NOT SHAKEN BY POLL SLIDE

Jason Clayworth reports:

“Considering that I’m 20 points ahead in some other states, it would be fairly foolish for me not to stay in the race. It is a long way from here to picking a nominee,” Gingrich said.

(CAUCUS) VACATION ALL I EVER WANTED

Some Iowa families — and a few out-of-state visitors, too — are taking advantage of the combination of holiday school breaks and the crush of barnstorming presidential candidates to engage in some political tourism.

And surprise! Jon Huntsman’s got little love for Iowa.

Other Iowa Mentions

NBC/MARIST POLL: NEWT FALLS TO FIFTH

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul are running neck-and-neck in Iowa, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is surging and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich collapsing just four days before the state’s Jan. 3 caucuses, according to a new NBC News-Marist poll.

Santorum remains in third on this one, with Perry moving to fourth. See it here. 

Politico reports:

Iowa Rep. Steve King’s assessment on Ron Paul, one of the two co-frontrunners going into his state’s caucuses next week: “He’s not dangerous unless he’s president.”

But King predicted big things from Rick Santorum, who’s starting to turn heads thanks to a retail-intensive campaign that’s just recently earned him a string of evangelical endorsements and a third place showing in Wednesday’s CNN poll.

ALSO:

Nearly half of Iowa ads attack Newt Gingrich, CNN reports.

Iowa’s evangelicals are circling ’round Santorum, says Reuters.

Team Bachmann’s rise and fall, as seen by WaPo’s Kate Tumulty

New ad urges caucusing for Sarah Palin, the Times reports. Seriously.

Today in Iowa

Newt Gingrich
When: December 30, 2011, 7:00 a.m.
Where: Wakonda Club, 3915 Fleur Dr, Des Moines
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Mitt Romney
When: December 30, 2011, 8:05 a.m.
Where: Hy-Vee Westlakes Shore, 1725 Jordan Creek Pkwy, West Des Moines
What: Romney will host campaign rally.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 30, 2011, 9:15 a.m.
Where: Black Bear Diner, 5030 Sergeant Rd, Sioux City
What: Meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 30, 2011, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Crossroads Restaurant and Lounge, U.S. 71, Early
What: Meet and greet and remarks with Congressman Steve King.

Rick Perry
When: December 30, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Doughy Joeys Pizza, 300 W 4th St, Waterloo
What: Meet and greet in Waterloo.

Ron Paul
When: December 30, 2011, 1:00 p.m.
Where: LeMars Convention Center, 275 12th St SE, Le Mars
What: Plymouth County Town Hall Meeting.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 30, 2011, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Central Perk and Dessert, 14 S 14th St, Fort Dodge
What: Meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 30, 2011, 2:45 p.m.
Where: Fainting Goat, 118 10th St SW, Waverly
What: Meet and greet in Waverly.

Ron Paul
When: December 30, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Sioux Center Public Library, 102 S Main Ave, Sioux Center
What: Sioux County Town Hall Meeting.

Rick Santorum
When: December 30, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Buffalo Wild Wings, 400 S Duff Ave, Ames
What: Santorum will host a Pinstripe Bowl Watch Party in Ames.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 30, 2011, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Adams Street Espresso, 213 W Adams St, Creston
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 30, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Mason City Country Club, 3331 19th St SW, Mason City
What: Guest at the Cerro Gordo County GOP Fundraiser.

Rick Santorum
When: December 30, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Legends American Grill, 2902 S Center St, Marshalltown
What: Santorum will host a “Faith, Family and Freedom” Town Hall in Marshalltown.

Ron Paul
When: December 30, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: River’s Bend Convention Center, 300 3rd St, Sioux City
What: Sioux City Town Hall Meeting.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 30, 2011, 8:00 p.m.
Where: M’s Fine Dining, 504 W Sheridan Ave, Shenandoah
What: Jobs and Growth bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 30, 2011, 8:45 p.m.
Where: Okoboji Grill, 8481 Birchwood Ct, Johnston
What: Santorum will host an Insight Bowl Watch Party in Johnston.

Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, during a lighter moment at a stop Tuesday night in Decorah. (Jason Clayworth/The Register)

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011.

Questions resurface about whether Newt Gingrich’s consulting crossed into lobbying; the Register reviews Ron Paul’s leadership style; and nearly two-dozen presidential candidate stops in Iowa create a smorgasbord of campaign color.

The Register Recap

DID NEWT GINGRICH LOBBY?
Two U.S. House representatives from 2003 told The Des Moines Register that Newt Gingrich personally urged members of Congress to vote for a controversial Medicare expansion bill. Gingrich has insisted he never lobbied members after he resigned in 1998. An expert says what Gingrich did technically doesn’t qualify as lobbying, even though it would appear that way to the average person.

RON PAUL’S STEADFAST IDEALS
Tenacity and steadfast ideals have transformed Ron Paul from a quorum of one into a leading candidate of the Republican 2012 presidential race, according to sources quoted in the latest leadership profile in a series the Register is publishing on each major candidate.

ON THE TRAIL
Republican presidential candidates held 22 campaign stops in Iowa Tuesday.  Register columnist Kathie Obradovich had her own observations, and here are a few highlights from our team of writers.
* Fewer stops: Newt Gingrich’s new tour will make half the Iowa stops that were announced last week. The campaign said it was about logistics. One observer says it feeds a perception that his campaign is poorly organized.
* Ignoring pundits: Rick Santorum urged Iowans in Fort Dodge to ignore the national pundits and support his candidacy.
* Late start: Michele Bachmann’s ninth day of her 99-county bus tour got off to a late start due to a delayed plane.
* Focused on Mitt: Newt Gingrich made direct contrasts between his proposed policies and those of Mitt Romney.
* A Perry moment: A state representative introduced Rick Perry as the governor of California. Oops.
* Hope and change: Mitt Romney told a crowd in Davenport that President Barack Obama has failed to fulfill promises he made to Iowans.
* Mayoral endorsement: Newt Gingrich was endorsed by Dyersville’s mayor.
* A warning of socialism: Michele Bachmann warned people of encroaching socialism.
* New stump speech: Rick Perry returned to Iowa with a more-scripted message.

ANTI-ABORTION TELECONFERENCE ZEROES IN ON RON PAUL
Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich took part Tuesday night in a national teleconference town hall meeting about abortion. During the call, Ron Paul’s statement saying he couldn’t apply the 14th Amendment to the unborn was called into question.

OCCUPY LAUNCHES WEEK-LONG PROTESTS
The crowds weren’t initially as big as expected, but Occupy Des Moines members launched a planned week-long series of protests leading up to the Iowa caucuses. Within a few hours, however, about 200 people showed up and indicated they plan to protest at the offices of presidential candidates.

NEWT GINGRICH, RICK SANTORUM LAUNCH NEW ADS
Newt Gingrich’s campaign today launches a Iowa new television ad that talks about jobs, energy and beating President Obama. Meanwhile, Rick Santorum hits the radio with an ad that repeats his name 10 times.

Other Iowa Mentions:
WASHINGTON POST: Iowa caucus 2012: A waste of time for candidates

WHO RADIO: Santorum: If I’m last in Iowa, I’m out

FOX NEWS: Can Rick Santorum pull off an upset in Iowa?

USA TODAY: Perry aims for comeback in Iowa

REUTERS: For Iowa, campaign brings more attention than money

NEW YORK TIMES: Republican Rivals Unleash Broadside on Paul in Iowa

BLOOMBERG: Good Times on Iowa Farms Make Economy Less of Caucus Concern

ABC NEWS: GOP Rivals Unleash Blistering Attacks on Ron Paul

POLITICO: Iowa GOP moving vote-count to ‘undisclosed location’

POLITICO: Mitt Romney in striking distance of Iowa win

Today in Iowa

Rick Perry
When: December 28, 2011, 7:00 a.m.
Where: Iowa Machine Shed Restaurant, 11151 Hickman Rd, Urbandale
What: Guest at the Westside Conservative Club Breakfast in Urbandale.

Mitt Romney
When: December 28, 2011, 7:20 a.m.
Where: Pearl Plaza inside Elly’s Tea & Coffee, 217 W 2nd St, Muscatine
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 28, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
Where: Ariana’s Cafe, 1008 1st St W, Independence
What: Meet and greet in Independence.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Nodaway Diner, 502 SE Kent St, Greenfield
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Adams Street Expresso, 213 W Adams St, Creston
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 28, 2011, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Southbridge Mall in Center Court , 100 N Federal Ave, Mason City
What: Meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 11:00 a.m.
Where: Kay’s Kafe, 608 Davis Ave, Corning
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Ron Paul
When: December 28, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Iowa Speedway Media Center, Newton
What: Jasper County Town Hall Meeting.

Rick Santorum
When: December 28, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Cafe Manna Java, 700 Locust St, Dubuque
What: Santorum will host a “Faith, Family and Freedom” Town Hall in Dubuque.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Junction Cafe, 804 Pollock Blvd, Bedford
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Mitt Romney
When: December 28, 2011, 12:20 p.m.
Where: Homer’s Deli & Bakery, 241 Main Ave, Clinton
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Peggy Sue’s Good Eats, 103 W Monroe St, Mt Ayr
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 28, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Sports Page Grille in Indianola, 1802 W 2nd Ave, Indianola
What: Meet and greet in Indianola.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 28, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Chocolate Season, 16 E State St, Algona
What: Meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Dinky Diner, 104 4th St, Decatur City
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 28, 2011, 2:30 p.m.
Where: USA Furniture and Bedding, 9029 Tamarack Dr, Dubuque
What: Santorum will visit USA Furniture and Bedding in Dubuque.

Ron Paul
When: December 28, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
Where: GuideOne Insurance, 1111 Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines
What: Ron Paul will visit GuideOne Insurance.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Family table Restaurant in Osceola, 1610 Jeffreys Dr, Osceola
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 28, 2011, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Smokey Row Coffee Shop in Pella, 639 Franklin St, Pella
What: Meet and greet in Pella.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 4:10 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch in Indianola, 1709 N Jefferson Way, Indianola
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 28, 2011, 4:15 p.m.
Where: La Chiesa Restaurant, 24 W Park St, Spencer
What: Meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 28, 2011, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Smokey Row in Oskaloosa, 109 S Market St, Oskaloosa
What: Town Hall meeting in Oskaloosa.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 5:15 p.m.
Where: The Northside Cafe, 61 W Jefferson St, Winterset
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Mitt Romney
When: December 28, 2011, 5:40 p.m.
Where: Centro Incorporated, 950 N Bend Dr, North Liberty
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 28, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
Where: TrueNorth Learning Center, 500 1st St SE, Cedar Rapids
What: Santorum will host a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch in Waukee, 448 SE University Ave, Waukee
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Ron Paul
When: December 28, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E Grand Ave, Des Moines
What: Ron Paul will hold a veterans rally at the Knapp Learning Center on the State Fair Grounds in Des Moines.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 28, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Kinzler Construction, Le Mars
What: Meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 28, 2011, 8:15 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch – Boone, 1703 Story St, Boone
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Tomorrow in Iowa

Rick Santorum
When: December 29, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
Where: Kirkwood Room, 515 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City
What: Santorum will host a “Faith, Family and Freedom” Town Hall in Iowa City.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 29, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Newt 10 2012 Sioux City Campaign Office, 708 Pierce St, Sioux City
What: Gingrich will greet supporters at the Sioux City Campaign Office.

Rick Perry
When: December 29, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Coffee Corner, 125 W Washington St, Washington
What: Meet and greet in Washington.

Ron Paul
When: December 29, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Hotel Pattee, 1112 Willis Ave, Perry
What: Perry Town Hall Meeting.

Rick Santorum
When: December 29, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: The Button Factory in Muscatine, 215 W Mississippi Dr, Muscatine
What: Santorum will host a “Faith, Family and Freedom” Town Hall in Muscatine.

Mitt Romney
When: December 29, 2011, 12:25 p.m.
Where: Music Man Square, 308 S Pennsylvania Ave, Mason City
What: Mitt Romney’s campaign will release more details soon.

Rick Perry
When: December 29, 2011, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Blue Strawberry Coffee Company, 118 2nd St SW, Cedar Rapids
What: Meet and greet in Cedar Rapids.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 29, 2011, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Regatta Grille , 1520 E Lakeshore Dr, Storm Lake
What: Meet and greet.

Ron Paul
When: December 29, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Cass County Community Center, 805 W 10th St, Atlantic
What: Cass County Town Hall Meeting.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 29, 2011, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Boulders Inn & Suites, 2507 Boulder Dr, Denison
What: Meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 29, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Fisher Community Center, 709 S Center St, Marshalltown
What: Town Hall meeting in Marshalltown.

Mitt Romney
When: December 29, 2011, 5:45 p.m.
Where: Kinzler Construction, Ames
What: Mitt Romney’s campaign will release more details soon.

Ron Paul
When: December 29, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mid-America Center, Arena Way, Council Bluffs
What: Council Bluffs Town Hall Meeting.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 29, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Santa Maria Vineyard and Winery, 218 W 6th St, Carroll
What: Meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 29, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: CASI Center for Active Seniors, 1053 W Kimberly Rd, Davenport
What: Santorum will host a campaign rally in Davenport.

Iowa guide to presidential politics for Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011.

Iowans have 22 opportunities to see a GOP presidential candidate speak live and in person today; campaign stops are scheduled all over the state.

Rick Santorum starts in Fort Dodge today. Newt Gingrich hops on his new bus for the first leg of a 44-city bus tour in Iowa, starting in Dubuque.

Mitt Romney will talk about scaling back government in Davenport tonight.

Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann both return from Christmas break today, and both start their tours in Council Bluffs.

Tonight, radio talker Steve Deace (99.3 FM 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.) will have Bachmann, Gingrich, Perry and Santorum on for a presidential forum on abortion and other issues. (To participate, click here.)

The Register Recap

$10 MILLION AD BLITZ
GOP presidential candidates and the political action committees that back them have together spent more than $10 million in advertising on television and radio in Iowa this month alone, a grand slam of advertising that outpaces amounts of previous years.

When it comes to TV ads in Iowa, Rick Perry is the king of the airwaves, spending $2.86 million in December alone, according to ad tracking figures provided by the campaigns last week.

Here’s many, but not all, of the ads that hit Iowa airwaves this month.

50 IDEAS BEFORE BREAKFAST
Newt Gingrich’s friend and former congressional colleague Bob Livingston of Louisiana recently repeated a joke that is both compliment and dig: “Newt Gingrich has 50 ideas before breakfast, and at least three or four of them were good.” This is from the second in a front-page series of leadership profiles on the candidates.

Click here for a gallery of 115 photos of Gingrich in Iowa.

ROMNEYS MOVE IN ON IOWA
Mitt Romney during a tele-town hall Monday night with Iowans: “I think people have to look at their leader and say, ‘This is a person who I have confidence in and will tell me the truth, who will care for me and not just care for him or herself.’” He said he will be in Iowa to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

And he sounded confident about next fall’s debates, if he’s the nominee. “I’m very confident that I will be able to stand up to Barack Obama’s — how shall I say it? — his inaccurate perceptions,” Romney said, according to Radio Iowa.

His wife, Ann, and three of his sons Josh, Craig and Matt, join him on his bus tour this week. So will several well-known GOP politicians, including Chris Christie and John Thune, who were talked up earlier this year as possible presidential candidates themselves.

SANTORUM HUNTS FOR ENDORSEMENT
Rick Santorum blasted four game birds out of the gray December sky here Monday, but he missed bagging what could have been a much bigger prize — an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Steve King. King’s Dec. 17, 2007, endorsement of Thompson was important to his candidacy.

OCCUPY PROTESTERS BRACE FOR ARRESTS
Hundreds of “Occupy” protesters arrive in Des Moines today to kick off a week of commentary on banks and corporations taking advantage of people through subprime mortgages, sky-high executive pay amid lay-offs and lopsided tax loopholes.

Other Iowa Mentions

FACT CHECK ON PAUL AND THE RACIST NEWSLETTERS: “Certain passages in the newsletters suggest that Paul, or at least someone using his persona, wrote for the publications,” the Washington Post concludes. “Paul offers implausible explanations for why so many derogatory statements made it into his publications, insisting he knew nothing about them.”

FROG ENTRAILS AND THE IOWA CAUCUSES: Opinion writer Donald Kaul: “The caucuses are the second-most fraudulent event on the nation’s political calendar. The first, of course, is the Ames Straw Poll. It’s entirely meaningless, but political reporters pay attention to it because if they didn’t, their editors would make them cover a real story, like a meeting of the local water board.”

FACTORS IN THE CLOSING CHAPTER: The New York Times’ Jeff Zeleny looks at a few factors shaping the closing chapter of the preseason race, including organization, a rising Santorum and challenges for Gingrich. “If the evangelical vote is splintered and Ron Paul’s people aren’t going anywhere, Mitt Romney could end up winning the Iowa caucuses as a result,” said Mike Huckabee, the 2008 caucuses winner told the Times. “It would not put me on the floor if that happened.”

FROM POLITICO’S PLAYBOOK: “OVERSERVED — Pizza Ranch,” writes Politico’s Mike Allen. “A Christian pizza-and-chicken buffet chain based in Iowa: N.Y. Times Magazine, March 13, 20011, “The Pizza and the Power” … WSJ, Sat., p. A6, “Pie in the Sky: The Iowa Pizza Circuit” … L.A. Times, today, A1: “Iowa pizza chain is a slice of daily life for the GOP.”

A LONELY IOWA CHRISTMAS FOR SOME CAMPAIGN WORKERS: Except for Jacob Fullmer, a 27-year-old staffer from a small town in Idaho, Mitt Romney headquarters here was empty on Christmas Eve, writes Robin Abcarian of the Los Angeles Times. “I know he’s very passionate about what he does,” his sister told the Times, and started to cry. “And we’re very proud of him. But of course, if we had a choice, we’d have him here with us.”

SIX CANDIDATES ON A SPRINT: Iowa GOP leaders say “anecdotal evidence suggests that after visiting all 99 counties, many of them multiple times, Santorum’s hard work may finally be paying off with a late surge,” write the Washington Post’s Philip Rucker and Dan Balz. And some question whether it is too late for Gingrich to regain his standing.

IOWA: WHO WILL SURVIVE? “No matter who wins, Iowa will reshape the Republican presidential race one week from today – and almost certainly in ways that don’t adhere to any semblance of a traditional political script,” write Politico’s Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns.

JON HUNTSMAN CAN’T CAMPAIGN IN IOWA… But he can be seen on a Harley, the Atlantic writes.

IOWA WILL THIN THE GOP FIELD: “It is useful to remember that the Iowa caucuses are just the first stop in a process that will last until at least June as it did four years ago in the battle for the Democratic nomination between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton,” writes Rich Galen for the Daily Beast.

IOWA’S CAMPAIGN ECONOMY: CNN Money: “It’s a boost for Iowans … no question,” said Kimberly Busbee, a make-up artist who counts a few of the candidates among her clientele. “It probably quadruples my income in a month.”

RON PAUL ‘CAN’T BE ALLOWED TO WIN IOWA’: “Should Rep. Ron Paul, who first ran for president in 1988, win Iowa, it may be the last time the state has the honor of being the first state to hold a vote every four years,” writes Washington- and Austin-based GOP strategist Mark Mackowiak.

Today in Iowa

Rick Santorum
When: December 27, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
Where: Fort Dodge GOP Headquarters, 900 Central Ave, Fort Dodge
What: “Faith, Family and Freedom” Town Hall.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Scooter’s Coffeehouse, 3030 W Broadway #1, Council Bluffs
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet. Media availability.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 10:25 a.m.
Where: Kings Cross Cafe, 97 Maple St, Mondamin
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 27, 2011, 10:45 a.m.
Where: Main Street Cafe, 102 S Main St, Council Bluffs
What: Meet and greet in Council Bluffs.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 11:10 a.m.
Where: Dairy Queen, 2805 Iowa Ave, Onawa
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 27, 2011, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Historical Park Inn, 15 W State St, Mason City
What: “Faith, Family and Freedom” Town Hall.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 12:45 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch – Harlan, 613 Court St, Harlan
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 27, 2011, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Dubuque Golf and Country Club, 1800 Randall Pl, Dubuque
What: Meet and greet.

Rick Perry
When: December 27, 2011, 1:15 p.m.
Where: Glenn Miller Museum, 122 W Clark St, Clarinda
What: Meet and greet in Clarinda.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Oasis Steak House & Lounge, 104 S Walnut St, Glenwood
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet

Rick Perry
When: December 27, 2011, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Adams Street Espresso, 213 W Adams St, Creston
What: Meet and greet in Creston.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 3:45 p.m.
Where: Penn Drug, 714 Illinois St, Sidney
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 27, 2011, 4:30 p.m.
Where: National Farm Toy Museum, 1110 16th Ave Ct SE, Dyersville
What: Meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 4:40 p.m.
Where: Home of Robin Read, 404 S Center St, Shenandoah
What: House party.

Rick Santorum
When: December 27, 2011, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Scratch Bakery, 315 Main St, Cedar Falls
What: Tour stop.

Rick Perry
When: December 27, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Clarke Electric Co-Op, 1103 N Main St, Osceola
What: Town Hall meeting in Osceola.

Mitt Romney
When: December 27, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Hotel Blackhawk , 200 E 3rd St, Davenport
What: Mitt Romney will delivers campaign remarks in the Gold Room at the hotel.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 5:45 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch – Red Oak, 1511 N Broadway St, Red Oak
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Rick Santorum
When: December 27, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St, Waterloo
What: Campaign rally.

Newt Gingrich
When: December 27, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mabes PIzza, 110 E Water St, Decorah
What: Meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 7:10 p.m.
Where: Pizza Ranch – Atlantic, 1512 E 7th St, Atlantic
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

Michele Bachmann
When: December 27, 2011, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Darrell’s Place, 1st St, Hamlin
What: Bus tour stop, meet and greet.

See our handy candidate tracker for more details.