This just in from Lynn Sweet in Des Moines and Abdon Pallasch following Barack Obama in Ames.....
DES MOINES, IA—A poll released Monday night put White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) solidly in the lead for the first time in Iowa, sending him into Thursday’s caucus with newfound momentum.
“It looks like it may be working,” Obama said at a New Year’s Eve rally at Iowa State University in Ames after he learned he led the Des Moines Register final Iowa Poll. LINK TO REGISTER STORY
“So we just might pull this this thing off, Iowa. Who would have thunk it.”
DES MOINES -- Think of the Iowa Democratic presidential caucus as a contest of Olympians when it comes to the three front-runners, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
They are all running their personal best. But Thursday night, only one will come in first, and every poll shows it is too close to call.
(December 30, 2007 Sunday Final Edition sorry, server problems delayed posting)
DES MOINES, IOWA--At dusk Thursday, in an annex of Hillary Rodham Clinton's main Iowa campaign headquarters, dozens of operatives formed a chain loading snow shovels and boxes filled with election materials and T-shirts for precinct captains onto a fleet of rented U-Haul trucks.
The Clinton campaign is leaving nothing to chance in turning out the caucus vote for the New York senator on Thursday. And if it snows (the forecast now is "mostly sunny"), the campaign expects its volunteers to wield shovels if that's what it takes to get Clinton supporters to their neighborhood caucus.
DES MOINES, IA.--The campaigns are hustling to finish producing new end of campaign spots to deliver to television stations before they close for the weekend. Campaigns will also have less potential to throw last minute spots into the rotation because of the New Years Day holiday.
Barack Obama released two new spots on Friday and more are on the way..... This is an Iowa ad.
DES MOINES, IA.--A new wave of spots are hitting Iowa the weekend before the Jan. 3 caucus. Hillary Rodham Clinton talks about the housing crisis in this ad, one of her closers.
DES MOINES, IA.—The Obama campaign faced a distraction on Thursday after some news outlets ran stories suggesting chief Obama strategist David Axelrod seemed to link Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vote to authorize the Iraq war with the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
DES MOINES, IA.—The assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday shook off the domestic narrative—at least for a day-- that has been dominating the closing days of the deadlocked Democratic presidential primary in Iowa.
With the race so close, Bhutto’s death could have an impact on the outcome in Iowa and the other early voting states if the conversation turns to national security experience and judgment in an age of terrorism.
But then again, a severe winter storm the night of Jan. 3 may also make a difference on who wins in Iowa.
DES MOINES, IA.--The assasination of Benizir Bhutto quickly brought a strong reaction from top U.S. government officials and the 2008 GOP and Democratic presidential candidates.
Included in this searchable package
*Statements from President Bush and Senators....Joe Biden, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, John Kerry, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Lieberman and former Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. John Boehner.
*White House briefing.
Teleprompter laptop loaded with Barack Obama speech. Obama reads from text for major speeches. (photo by Lynn Sweet)
DES MOINES, IA.--White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) departed from his prepared text at the start of a speech billed as his closing argument to say he was "shocked and saddened" by the assasination of Benizar Bhutto.
"We want to make clear we stand with Pakistan in their quest for Democracy."
Obama underscored the highly aspirational core of his campaign and his hope and change message in his speech. Hope, said Obama is not "blind optimism."
Excerpt...."In the end, the argument that is going on between the candidates in the last seven days is not just about the meaning of change. It’s about the meaning of hope. Some of my opponents appear scornful of the word; they think it speaks of naivete, passivity, and wishful thinking.
But that’s not what hope is. Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before or that roadblocks will stand in our path."
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa -- "You want to make a good closing argument," Barack Obama is saying Wednesday, explaining why he is sharpening and retooling his stump speech, bolstering his message of change and methodically working to portray Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretive and anything but a change agent.
The Illinois senator is commenting about the tight Democratic race in a Hy-Vee grocery store, his first visit to a food store since he started his presidential run almost a year ago. He shook hands and visited with surprised shoppers, asking them for their caucus vote.
WEBSTER CITY, IA.--Barack Obama picks up two boxes of Christmas cookies and some fruit during a stop at a Hy-Vee grocery. The cashier rang up $12.46. I asked him when he was last in a grocery store. "I have to admit," he said, "I have not grocery shopped since I started this campaign. It actually feels pretty good."
Obama made his first appearence, albeit short on the press bus when the entourage was ready to leave to drop off the cookies. (photos by Lynn Sweet)
MASON CITY, IA.---A candidate can't be everywhere; surrogates fill the gaps. Michelle Obama is starting a seven-day Iowa swing on Wednesday and Barack Obama's two half sisters will also be traveling for him in the state.
Obama launches a "Stand for Change" swing in Mason City this morning.
Clinton starts a "Solutions: Time To Pick A President” tour today with former President Clinton and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and his wife Christie.
Obama has a time-effecient system to autograph his books people bring to events. Here, a staffer at an Obama rally Wednesday morning at Newman Catholic High School asks a woman to leave her book with her and fill out a slip with id information. Obama later, in a holding area,will speed sign books lined up at a table. (photo by Lynn Sweet)
DES MOINES, IA.--After a short Chrisman break, five Democrats and three GOP presidential contenders plus their surrogates are stumping in Iowa on Wednesday, as their television spots saturate the airwaves.
Between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., with just a bit of channel surfing, I saw two Barack Obama spots; two Mitt Romney; two Joe Biden; one Chris Dodd; one Hillary Rodham Clinton; one Mike Huckabee; a spot for Edwards paid for by the Alliance for a New America, a 527 third party organization run by a former Edwards campaign manager, followed by an ad featuring Elizabeth Edwards funded by the campaign.
DES MOINES, IA.—There is a group of freelance photojournalists who are taking extraordinary pictures of the 2008 presidential contenders in Iowa. Last Spring, the four news photogs moved to Des Moines and rented a split level house.
They’ve gotten beyond visual clichés and the staged photo op. Each day, they pick a snap and feature it on their web site, www.thestumpinggrounds.com Check out their work http://www.thestumpinggrounds.com/ LINK
(Photo by Lynn Sweet)
Teleprompter laptop loaded with Barack Obama speech. Obama reads from text for major speeches. (photo by Lynn Sweet)
(photo by Lynn Sweet)
Obama has a time-effecient system to autograph his books people bring to events. Here, a staffer at an Obama rally Wednesday morning at Newman Catholic High School asks a woman to leave her book with her and fill out a slip with id information. Obama later, in a holding area,will speed sign books lined up at a table. (photo by Lynn Sweet)