Senate Candidate in Hawaii Gets Unusual Support From Alaska

Linda Lingle may enjoy the broad and hopeful support of the Republican Party in her bid to fill an open Senate seat in Hawaii, but she can count out Representative Don Young of Alaska, a Republican who is not only supporting Ms. Lingle’s Democratic opponent, Representative Mazie K. Hirono, but went out of his way to make an ad with his House colleague.

After discussing his work with Ms. Hirono on an amendment that helped save funding for schools for native populations in their respective states, Mr. Young says: “Here’s what’s important, Hawaii: If you’re looking for a United States senator who doesn’t just talk about ‘bipartisanship,’ but actually knows how to work with both Republicans and Democrats to get things done, Mazie Hirono will be that senator.”

The often-irascible Mr. Young then tries to make unkind remarks about Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader and former speaker, while Ms. Hirono gives him a playful nudge.

Lawmakers from Hawaii and Alaska often bond over the far-flung and federally dependent nature of their states in a way that defies party loyalty. But endorsing a Democrat against a Republican challenger in a Senate race that could potentially help Republicans vault to a majority in the Senate, and to do it in such a public and aggressive manner, is unusual to say the least.

“Having worked together on several issues important to both Alaska and Hawaii,” said Luke Miller, a spokesman for Mr. Young, “Congressman Young and Congresswoman Hirono have developed a close personal friendship and working relationship. Congressman Young respects Congresswoman Hirono’s ability to work across party lines and do what’s best for the people of Hawaii.”

Mr. Young should not expect to hear “mahalo” from his fellow Republicans.

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Santorum: I'm conservative candidate for Alabama

PELHAM, Ala. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum appealed Thursday for votes in Alabama's upcoming primary, calling the state the "heart of conservatism" and casting himself as the best fit for its voters.

During appearances in the Birmingham suburb of Pelham and earlier in Huntsville, the former Pennsylvania senator said he was the true conservative presidential candidate who would present the best contrast to Democratic President Barack Obama in November. His campaign hoped wins here and Mississippi, as well as Saturday's contest in Kansas, would push rival Newt Gingrich from the race and leave Santorum as the leading alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney.

The former Massachusetts governor is too moderate and too much like Obama, having enacted a state health care package that became the model for Obama's national overhaul, Santorum said. Rival Newt Gingrich also has backed health insurance mandates, he said.

"Why would this area of the country put forward a candidate that gives away the most important issue in this election?" Santorum said in a crowded banquet room at a civic building. With his arms spread wide, he added: "There's one option not to give it away."

"We believe in you!" a woman called from the back of the room earlier.

"Unlike President Obama, I believe in you," Santorum said to loud applause.

Santorum was waging a campaign on two fronts: to emerge over Gingrich as conservatives' preferred alternative to Romney, and to derail Romney's march toward the GOP presidential nomination. He told reporters before a late speech in Mobile that strong showings in Alabama and in Mississippi were key to that plan.

"If we can finish first or second in Mississippi and Alabama on Tuesday, that will be a big win for us and hopefully get this race down to two candidates," he said.

"Then we can, again, make the case that there's one conservative who can win in every other place in this country, that has earned the right to take on Gov. Romney, one-on-one, and give conservatives a chance to coalesce around one person to able to win this nomination for the conservative cause."

Santorum and Gingrich were both campaigning hard to win Southern states that will vote in the coming days.

Gingrich has just two wins to his credit: South Carolina and his home state of Georgia. His spokesman said that Gingrich must win the next Southern contests to justify a continued campaign.

In Huntsville, Santorum drew big ovations from hundreds gathered at a state-owned museum with calls for increased federal spending on defense and space programs and less spending on social welfare programs.

Standing under a Saturn V rocket hanging from the roof of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, he recalled watching the moon landing as a child. He also praised Huntsville's importance to the Apollo missions and NASA in general.

"As an American, I want to say thank you, Huntsville," Santorum said. "Thank you for the work you've done."

Forty-seven Republican convention delegates are at stake in Alabama's Republican primary on Tuesday. Romney visits Alabama on Friday. Gingrich visited earlier in the week, including a stop at the space museum.

Decatur resident Robert Couey, who attended both space center events, said Thursday that he doesn't support Romney and contended that Romney isn't conservative enough. Couey said he likes Santorum, adding that he thinks Gingrich has been inconsistent on issues.

"He speaks with conviction," Couey said of Santorum. "Gingrich is intelligent. He has the background but look at ... all the things he's said."

Huntsville resident Gay Nyberg said she is down to deciding between Santorum and Gingrich. Romney, she said, isn't for her.

"I think the other guy is not a true conservative," she said, "and I don't know that I can trust him to represent me."

___

Associated Press writer Philip Elliott in Mobile, Ala., contributed to this report.

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Santorum Says Romney GOP's 'Weakest Candidate' -- but He's Not

COMMENTARY | Just before Super Tuesday, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told Ohioans that his chief rival, Mitt Romney, was the Republican Party's "weakest candidate" to oppose President Barack Obama in November, offering himself as a more optimal choice. Citing Romney's association with Massachusetts health care, the supposed blueprint for the much-maligned national health care system ("Obamacare"), Santorum said it would hurt Romney's chances of winning.

But Santorum could be wrong...

"He would be the weakest candidate we could possibly put forward on the most important issue of today," the former Pennsylvania senator asserted, according to CNN, the "important issue" being health care.

Santorum supported his comments with a 2009 USA Today op-ed piece written by Romney himself, where he called on Obama to get ideas on how to better construct the national health care legislation. He said that the former Massachusetts governor was going to have a difficult time avoiding and/or defending against questions about the plans' similarities if he won the Republican nomination.

But therein might lay the strength in Romney's position. Instead of avoiding or defending, perhaps embracing the issue and simply pointing out the differences in the two health care plans could prove beneficial to his campaign. Instead of taking the stance that the health care system in Massachusetts and the national system proposed by the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 are so different, Romney could point out what should be dispensed with nationally and what, if anything, could be enhanced or replaced.

Because: Not everyone is opposed to the Health Care provisions. In fact, a Pew Research poll released in November revealed that 38 percent of Americans wanted the legislation repealed, while 31 percent want it expanded. Another 22 percent believed it should be left as is.

Although Romney would be certain to take some hits from the party die-hards (especially Tea Party movement members), a stance that merely defends the Massachusetts plan and points out the weaknesses of "Obamacare" would more likely find traction among independent voters and conservative Democrats, appealing to far more Americans than the avid repeal message being sent by Santorum. He is also less likely to alienate most Republicans in this fashion, many of whom will vote for him simply because he is the GOP candidate.

"Weakest" candidate because of health care? Hardly. Santorum should worry that more Republicans, regardless of their personal positions, don't see it as an electable strength.

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Clear Lake Area Republicans host candidate forums Thursday - Houston Chronicle

If you are a Republican in Harris County, you need to mark your calendars and be on hand this Thursday for three candidate forums to be held by the Clear Lake Area Republicans.

The Clear Lake Area Republicans are hosting a candidate forum for the Republican primary races for the Harris County District Attorney, Tax Assessor, and Republican Party Chairman on Thursday evening, March 1, 2012 at the Bay Oaks Country Club (14545 Bay Oaks Blvd., Houston, 77059) . The event will start at 6:30 p.m., and the forums will start promptly at 7:00 p.m.

I really don’t care much about the Tax Assessor/Collector race. I mean, by all accounts, incumbent Don Sumners has done a decent job and hasn’t done anything that would typically warrant a primary challenge. I don’t like the fact that Houston City Councilman Mike Sullivan ran for reelection this past November knowing full well he didn’t want that job – and will have to resign early if he defeats Mr. Sumners. This just plays into the charge in recent years that R’s run not to govern but to move to other offices. A charge that unfortunately rings with some truth. Regardless, either man would do a decent job as Tax Assessor/Collector.

And then we have the race generating the most headlines, with incumbent District Attorney Pat Lykos being challenged by Mike Anderson. Once again, we find that DA Lykos hasn’t done anything would typically warrant a primary challenge unless you count being mean or not being a debutante, choosing instead to work in a man’s world. But there is a challenger and he does have a different vision for that office, a vision that many Republicans have traditionally preferred, so come on out and let the chips fall where they may.

And last but not least, we have what could be the most important race on the ballot, the one for party chair. I’m finding it hard to be too enthused about it this year after the disappointment of failing in an all out effort in 2010 but perhaps a forum is just the thing to get me pumped up about the possibility of replacing decade long officeholder Jared Woodfill. Jared is a very nice person and is a devoted spokesperson for the party – but he isn’t chairman material, no matter how many times he gets elected. The party is broke, not only financially but it is void of new ideas and energy. Committees have zero input, there is no outreach to the middle or to minorities, candidates are shaken down for money, and precinct chair positions remain unfilled with no effort to fill them because the ones applying might not be the “right kind” of Republicans. Can Paul Simpson address all or some of these issues? Frankly, I don’t know. That is why I need to be there to listen and try to figure it out. I do know that he has put in a lot of time as a volunteer trying to recruit precinct chairs and setting up precinct information databases, stuff that the party should have been doing.

So come on out and together we’ll figure out who is best to carry the Republican banner in November.

Click here for a map and directions.

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Candidate Ron Paul -- Hard Sell or Republican Front-Runner (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | According the latest news from Yahoo! News, the Ron Paul campaign could use the old Anne Murray song, "Everything that is old, is new again" as its theme. Paul, who ran unsuccessfully in the 2008 election for president, is starting to surge in the polls leading up to the Iowa caucus. What is behind this increased support and what are his chances to actually take down incumbent Barack Obama?

The Paul campaign in 2008 was largely based in the colloquially named "grassroots style." It borrowed a tactic that Obama successfully used to get into the White House by focusing on the Internet and social media for fundraising and getting his message out. It worked really well and that foundation has carried over to this election cycle.

The 2012 Paul campaign has expanded to look more traditional. According to an AP story, he has expanded his on the ground team in Iowa to three times its previous size. Phone calls and TV ads have been an everyday staple in Iowa, each loudly broadcasting his name and message. Voters in Iowa have responded in the first hurdle to the GOP nomination by giving Paul a four-way split in the latest Real Clear Politics Poll average. Only six points split Paul from Herman Cain, the leader in Iowa so far.

In a previous article, I posted about Rick Perry's Achilles' heel. Unfortunately, Paul has one too. Domestically, he is very sound and in line with mainstream Republican voters. He is strong on the borders, a spendthrift on the budget and very much pro-life.

These topics are very popular with Republican voters and no doubt are at the heart of his support. Where his major problem areas lay are in his very much isolationist foreign policy and military positions. He has said Iran is harmless to the U.S. and we should not concern ourselves there. He favors the full withdrawal of troops from overseas and the withdrawal of all foreign aid. This runs counter from many in the Republican Party and is the area where Paul can be a hard sell to voters.

It looks like people are beginning to look past these shortcomings and focus on his domestic ideas. In the revolving carousal of the Republican front-runners, it appears that it is slowly becoming Paul's turn.

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Which Presidential Candidate Will Drop Out Next? (ContributorNetwork)

There are six weeks until the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Yet there are still eight candidates vying for the GOP nomination for president in 2012. Only former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race, on Aug. 14, one day after a third-place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll. Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race since then. Despite sexual harassment scandals and possible shady dealings, U.S. News and World Report states candidates have remained in the race thanks to steady donors and publicity due to debates.

Who will be the next candidate to drop out? Here's a look at who might be next to fall and when.

Jon Huntsman

The Los Angeles Times reports candidates will be in Iowa today at the Thanksgiving Family Forum in Des Moines. About 2,500 people are expected to attend as candidates try to woo voters to choose them in Iowa's caucuses. The event is geared for social conservatives. The Hill reports two candidates will not be showing up to speak at the event. Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman will not be there.

Fox News states Huntsman doesn't even get in double digits in polls. His moderate views may not spur conservative voters in Iowa to choose him in the caucus. The Huffington Post reported in mid-October that Huntsman's campaign was in debt $890,000 despite an influx of $2 million of his own money. Huntsman has never gained ground in polls and may exit even before the Iowa caucuses.

Looking back at the 2008 Republican primary, the New York Times reported Mike Huckabee won with over 34 percent of the vote. There were eight candidates on the ballot, including Tom Tancredo who got five votes. PBS states Tancredo dropped out three weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Should Huntsman drop out of the race, he may have such an announcement just before Christmas.

Rep. Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota may be the next to step out of the race. Her paid staff in New Hampshire quit in mid-October as she has been focused on a campaign in Iowa to try to win the caucuses there. Bachmann won the Iowa Straw Poll in mid-August but has gone down in public opinion polling since then.

In less than a month after her win in Iowa's famous straw poll, Bachmann stood at 6 percent in national polls, according to the Washington Post. Winning Iowa is one thing, but making a claim on the national stage is another. Huckabee won Iowa in 2008 but then Sen. John McCain got the 2008 nomination against then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Bachmann may be like Pawlenty. If she doesn't have a strong showing in a border state to Minnesota, the 2012 nomination may be too farfetched for her.

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum is a former senator from Pennsylvania. The National Journal reports Santorum may have difficulties in standing out from other candidates. Despite raising $30 million against Sen. Bob Casey in 2006, Santorum lost by more than 20 points despite being a two-term Senator.

Santorum hasn't had any scandals in his campaign yet hasn't made any waves with voters. He has been focused on social issues and foreign policy as opposed to the economy and two wars. His current focus is the "Faith Family and Freedom Tour" while having a simplified plan to jumpstart the economy.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

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The Strange Ways Candidate Gary Johnson Gets Media Attention (The Atlantic Wire)

It's difficult for a marginalized presidential candidate to get attention without saying or doing something embarrassing. For the most part, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson isn't one of those fringe candidates, but--as The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf has noted here, here and here--he isn't getting media share like the better-known, backed, and funded GOP contenders. So he's clearly been trying to create his own buzz, with mixed results.

Related: First Official Republican 2012 Candidate Is Gay

Today, Johnson made news for launching a new website catered to gamblers before his trip to Las Vegas on Thursday, of which CNN briefly noted: "Gary Johnson is trying to hold 'em - poker players." The site was only his latest effort to get a little bit of attention, and we've noticed a few similar PR moves of his recently. Here's our quick list.

Related: Obama Must Be Thrilled: Trump Wants to Run as an Independent

Appealing to Poker Players and Heading to the World Series of Poker Party - Take a look at Gary Johnson's special website set up to help raise funds from those who don't think the federal government should be "involved in restricting lawful commerce that doesn't harm anyone," (i.e. gambling) as he put it on the site. It's a little Ron Paul-esque, but seems to have the intended effect: Matthew Kredell, a writer at Poker News noted "Even today, only a fringe candidate would go out on that ledge to court poker players. But for any candidate at all to see value in the poker vote is progress."

Related: Trumpdate 2012: Gives $50,000 to Rahm, Doesn't Vote Much

Arguing With an Obama Impersonator on Fox Business Network - In retrospect, this surreal moment of television has to be considered a misstep: how can a presidential candidate be taken seriously when he's earnestly arguing with an Obama look-alike now-known for telling racy jokes at June's Republican Leadership Conference? Of course, Johnson didn't know that said-impersonator Reggie Brown would be mired in controversy only a little over a week later. But the candidate should have known he was walking into a circus on Fox Business Network with this faux-debate:

Related: Drunk Pawlenty Worker Tries to Break Through Teen's Door at 3 a.m.

Responding to Every Single Question at the Debate He Wasn't Invited To - His notable exclusion (he didn't have enough support in national polls) from the much-hyped CNN presidential debate in June doesn't mean he missed much: it was Michele Bachmann's night anyway. But, dutifully, Johnson produced a 40-minute video splicing moderator John King's questions with his own trademarked answers. Of his answers, an impressed Conor Friedersdorf wrote: "If another lesser known produced a 40 minute clip with answers so compelling that I thought they could go viral, or were worthy of wider attention, I'd totally hit the embed button again."

Related: Mitt Romney Still Outpacing Rivals in Money and Polls

Trumpeting 'Legalize Marijuana' as a Signature Issue - He's done interviews with 420 Times magazine, been the unofficial choice of a High Times magazine staffers straw poll, and boldly endorsed marijuana legalization at CPAC. So by now, he seems to have established himself--aside from Ron Paul--as the Republican candidate who supports the legalization of pot. He even devoted his valuable, brief moment on the Colbert Report to give his full-throated endorsement: Leveraging Counterintuitive Positions: "I didn't create a single job" - A few weeks ago,  the conservative National Review magazine praised the former New Mexico governor's record on job growth in comparison to the other contenders, saying "Gary Johnson has the best record of the official candidates." (We made a chart of the job growth numbers cited in the report.) Instead of just accepting the praise, Johnson responded: "Contrary to the news, I didn't create a single job," before explaining that he didn't want to take credit for growth in his state. In a savvy move, he did, however, transform National Review's praise into a blurb for his campaign ad, below:

Want to add to this story? Open Wire.

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GOP candidate Pawlenty raises $4.2M (AP)

WASHINGTON – A campaign aide to Tim Pawlenty says the Republican presidential hopeful raised $4.2 million in the fundraising period that ended Thursday.

Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant says the former Minnesota governor has more money in the bank than the party's 2008 nominee, John McCain, had at this point. Conant did not disclose the sum, but McCain had $1.4 million.

Pawlenty has been raising money for both a primary and a general election campaign. Aides did not break down how much of his fundraising was for a primary and how much is off-limits unless he is the GOP's nominee.

Rival Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was expected to report $15 million to $20 million for his fundraising quarter. Romney is only raising money for his primary.

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Karl Rove 'super PAC' won't favor any 2012 candidate during primaries (The Christian Science Monitor)

Washington – Supporters of Mitt Romney, the front-runner in the Republican presidential field, have launched a “super PAC” to raise money to promote his candidacy, even as leaders of American Crossroads, the biggest of the Republican super PACs, promised Friday to remain neutral during the primary season.

That signals that American Crossroads intends to save most of its fire for the general election, when the GOP nominee will be up against a well-funded President Obama, and will not choose a horse in the GOP nominating race.

The wrinkle in that scenario is that the new pro-Romney PAC and American Crossroads share a key executive – an overlap that had reporters closely questioning the Crossroads leaders about the neutrality assertion when they appeared Friday at a Monitor-sponsored breakfast gathering.

Gas prices and five other liabilities for Obama in 2012

Since the 2010 Supreme Court decision that opened the door to campaign spending by a wider array of contributors, so-called super PACs (political action committees) have been springing up. It's now permissible for these super PACs to raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations, and unions, as long as the donors are disclosed and the groups do not coordinate their spending with federal candidates.

According to a Washington Post report, Romney supporters have launched Restore Our Future PAC. It is not known how much Restore Our Future has already raised to support the Romney campaign.

American Crossroads, a group founded by Karl Rove, former President Bush's political adviser, among others, insists it will remain neutral during the 2012 primary season.

“It is important for us to clearly state that Crossroads … will not be involved in the Republican presidential primary. We are just not going to do that,” said the group's chairman, Mike Duncan. Though the group says it will not spend money to advance the cause of any primary candidate, it might spend as the primary season ends if Democrats attack the GOP's presumptive nominee, its executives said.

Reporters asked Mr. Duncan and Steven Law, the group’s president and CEO, pointed questions about American Crossroads' neutrality. The Washington Post story about the pro-Romney super PAC noted that its board of directors includes political operative Carl Forti, who was political director for Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. Mr. Forti is now political director of American Crossroads.

“Carl is a contract employee with American Crossroads. He has other clients; we knew he had other clients. But clearly none of us are going to be involved personally in presidential campaigns. And he is not either,” Duncan said.

“The only thing I would add to that,” said Mr. Law, “is the work that Carl does for us is work that every contender for the Republican nomination would be supportive of, which is that he is helping find ways to make sure President Obama does not return to office.”

Getting bin Laden and five other boosts to Obama's reelection bid

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Texas Gov. Perry not a 2012 candidate just yet (AP)

By PHILIP ELLIOTT and BRIAN BAKST, Associated Press Philip Elliott And Brian Bakst, Associated Press – Sat Jun 18, 9:05 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – A candidate in waiting, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is elbowing the Republicans already in the 2012 presidential race as he courts party activists, operatives and donors still shopping for someone to back against President Barack Obama.

His appearance Saturday at the Republican Leadership Conference offered yet another tantalizing hint that he's ready to upend a crowded field of candidates who have worked months to amass name recognition, organization and campaign cash. The longest serving governor of his state drew much interest despite little effort so far to put together a traditional campaign.

"I stand before you today as a disciplined conservative Texan, a committed Republican and a proud American, united with you to restoring our nation and revive the American dream," Perry said during an address that repeatedly drew the crowd to its feet.

He sounded every bit a candidate.

"Our shared conservative values, our belief in the individual is the great hope of our nation," he said.

Perry has long insisted he wouldn't run. But in recent weeks, he has softened his refusals and his advisers have started laying the groundwork for a campaign in Iowa. They characterize it as a coin-toss whether he enters the field in the coming weeks. The coyote-shooting, tough-talking ex-Democrat has never lost an election. As Republicans try to determine the strongest challenger to Obama, the party establishment and tea partyers don't seem satisfied with their current options.

Perry's message to them: say what you think.

"Our party cannot be all things to all people. It can't be. Our loudest opponents on the left are never going to like us so let's stop trying to curry favor with them," Perry said. "Let's stand up and speak with pride about our morals and our values." The Republican presidential field remains murky.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who used Monday's debate in New Hampshire to enter the race, raised the Minneapolis crowd to its feet Saturday at the other end of the Mississippi, referring to herself as "a very different kind of leader."

It's a pitch similar to that of Herman Cain, a former pizza executive and tea party favorite who has never served in public office. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a favorite among the libertarian wing of the party, won the New Orleans straw poll after a rousing speech railing against Washington and the Federal Reserve.

All are trying to spark interest and capture the imagination of their party's most active members. In speeches tailored for the party's base, they hit similar messages about making Obama a one-term president, repealing his health care overhaul and lowering taxes.

Bachmann kept at it Saturday, telling the conservative bloggers in Minneapolis that Obama has a "morbid obesity when it comes to spending and deficits."

Absent from the Southern event were the nominal front-runner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.

Pawlenty spoke in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday before speaking to the online activists at Minneapolis's RightOnline conference.

"The issue isn't, `Can somebody stand up here and chirp and give a speech?' The issue is do you have the fortitude to do it? Do you have the leadership ability and experience to do it?" Pawlenty said, drawing a polite reception compared with the rousing one given Bachmann hours earlier.

Much of the talk this past week about Pawlenty concerned his self-described lackluster debate performance and his fumbled-then-renewed attack on the health care overhaul that Romney put in place in his state.

Romney has assembled a strong organization and is expected to produce impressive fundraising results in the latest reporting period. But questions about his record and authenticity give some hesitation.

Romney finished in fifth place in a straw poll of participants here, behind a second-place Huntsman, who is set to join the GOP field on Tuesday.

Such pining for new candidates already has resulted in disappointment.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour both decided to skip the race. Donald Trump flirted early and then left.

Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and the GOP's 2008 vice presidential pick, overshadowed former Romney's presidential announcement in New Hampshire with an East Coast bus tour that took her to his home base of Boston and then across the border into the state the hosts the first nominating primary.

She hasn't said what she will do.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign troubles have helped Perry. Gingrich's senior aides resigned en masse in disagreements with the candidate. Many of Gingrich's top aides are alumni of Perry campaigns and could return to Texas should Perry decide to run.

Indications were that he was leaning that way.

Gingrich's former political director was laying the groundwork for Perry in Iowa. Perry planned a national day of prayer in Houston, a move seen by GOP insiders as a play to evangelicals who are an important part of the GOP base, particularly in Iowa. Yet he is starting late.

Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina traditionally are won through frequent visits and courting the local officials who deliver supporters, block by block. Perry has not been to Iowa since the 2008 campaign when he campaigned in the state for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

He could make up for his tardiness with toughness: "That mix of arrogance and audacity that guides the Obama administration is an affront to every freedom-loving American."

___

Bakst reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

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