With a debate between the Republican presidential candidates scheduled for Thursday night and the Iowa straw poll in Ames on Saturday, GOP hopefuls continued to work the Hawkeye State Tuesday, looking to build momentum.
Five of the candidates -- U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, businessman Herman Cain, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania -- campaigned across Iowa, hoping to gain traction since former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the front-runner in the race, is downplaying the straw poll.
Bachmann started the day in Sioux City before heading over to Arnolds Park and Humboldt. Looking to bolster her organization in Iowa and rally fellow conservatives to her candidacy, Bachmann showcased endorsements from two Iowa state representatives -- Mark Brandenburg of Council Bluffs and Betty De Boef of What Cheer, and conservative activist Danny Carroll.
"I've heard Congresswoman Bachmann speak several times and have been impressed with her from the very beginning," said Brandenburg. "With the tremendous drop in the stock market, we need a fiscal conservative like her who will get the job done."
"Michele's view on social issues lines up with my own," sad De Boef. "I'm impressed with the fact that the congresswoman stands firm and will not back down when the pressure is on."
Bachmann insisted that the new endorsements would help her appeal to conservatives in the Hawkeye State.
"It is an honor to receive the support and endorsements from Representatives Brandenburg and De Boef who are strong leaders in Iowa," Bachmann said. "We share views on faith and family, in our pro-life stance and on fiscal responsibility, and we agree that we need a principled leader in the White House in order to get our country back on track."
Ron Paul kicked off his final push before the straw poll with an event in Fairfield on Tuesday night. He will be joined by his son, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in events across Iowa later in the week.
The Paul team continues to insist they have momentum in Iowa, pointing to a recent Rasmussen poll which had their candidate in third in the state.
This is more great news for the campaign, said Jesse Benton, a spokesman for Ron Paul. We want this momentum to keep us moving forward as more people express their desire for a presidential candidate with a consistent record of championing freedom and limited government.
Pawlenty began the day in Sully before speaking to social conservatives in Des Moines. The former Minnesota governor held a town hall event in Boone and toured a school in Humboldt on Tuesday afternoon. After giving a speech to the Humboldt Republicans, Pawlenty ended the day in Fort Dodge.
The former Minnesota governor unveiled a new commercial, taking aim at President Barack Obama on the economy. In the new ad, Pawlenty included tracks concerning continuing high unemployment and S&P lowering the federal credit rating.
Santorum held a series of town hall meetings in Cedar Falls, Independence, Oelwein, Strawberry Point and Manchester on Tuesday. He visited the site where Field of Dreams was filmed in Dyersville on Tuesday afternoon before heading to Dubuque for his sixth town hall meeting of the day. With his family in tow, the former senator has been touring Iowa for the last three weeks.
Passing through Hazleton on my way to Fayette and Delaware counties. Also been to Altoona and Scranton, Iowa, Santorum posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday. Feels like home."
Santorum announced this week that his campaign will have entertainment in Ames with connections to "The Day the Music Died -- the plane crash in Iowa back in 1959 that killed rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. Santorum will have Hollys old band, the Crickets, and Big Bopper Jr., the son and namesake of the singer of Chantilly Lace, perform on Saturday in Ames. The Santorum camp will be serving pork burgers and peach jam to attendees.
"After three weeks of traveling across Iowa and meeting thousands of Iowans, we are excited to cap off our family trip with a day of fun in Ames," said Santorum. "We are all looking forward to eating, singing and dancing, along with the traditions that make summertime in Iowa ... the heart of the American experience."
Cain started the day in Davenport before heading over to Cedar Rapids and Fort Dodge. While he has stated that his campaign needed a top three showing in the Ames straw poll, pundits are increasingly thinking Cain will not be able to pull that well. Cain has backed off his initial remark.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
