The Des Moines Register is reporting that Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are expected to campaign across Iowa this weekend.

The McCain campaign has yet to confirm the schedule and could not be reached for comment, but the Register reports that Palin will speak for the first time on her own in the Hawkeye State at noon Saturday at Sioux City West High School.

Later on Saturday, McCain and Palin will hold a rally in HyVee Hall in Des Moines. Then on Sunday, McCain will hold a rally at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

This will be McCain’s fourth visit to the state since mid-September and follows a report from CNN that his campaign is preparing to concede the state to Democrat Barack Obama. Recent polls have shown Obama with a nine to 16 point advantage in Iowa, but McCain’s campaign says their internal polls have the race much closer.

UPDATE: McCain’s campaign has confirmed that Palin will be in Sioux City at 10 a.m. and then in Des Moines at 1:30 p.m. McCain is not expected to be at the Des Moines event after all, but will visit Iowa on Sunday.