‘2012’

Not only is U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin confident that the Senate Democratic Caucus will be able to block filibuster attempts on a health care reform bill, but he is looking forward to the jockeying that will come from both political parties once the bill is signed.

Harkin said he “can only hope” that Republicans who have opposed reform efforts will make the legislation a theme in their speeches on the campaign trail.

“I hope it is an issue next year,” he said.

The Republican Party should steer clear of infighting and focus on the fiscal issues that unite them, former New York Gov. George Pataki told the Associated Press on the eve of a speech in Iowa.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will visit the Hawkeye State next month to promote her new book, “Going Rogue,” according to a press release from the bookstore chain Barnes and Noble.

The Republican Party isn’t big enough to “throw people overboard,” so while internal debate is healthy, the party must ultimately stick together, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told a crowd of GOP activists in Des Moines on Saturday.

The 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary is shaping up to be a spirited affair, with candidates already actively campaigning and taking shots at their fellow Republicans more than seven months before Election Day.
But Civic Skinny, the anonymous gossip columnist for Des Moines’ Cityview, says the contest is as much about revenge and staking a claim on [...]

Tuesday’s election results should be greeted with happiness for Republicans but they should not be seen as a public repudiation of President Obama, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday morning.
“I don’t think it’s a referendum on Obama,” the Republican lawmaker said in a conference call with reporters. “I think it’s a — it’s a referendum [...]

U.S. Rep. Steve King has no plans to run for president, but since he never had intentions to run for Congress, he refuses to rule out the possibility of a 2012 campaign.
The Kiron Republican told Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO-TV that he wants to be a part of the national debate over how to “refurbish [...]

With Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty coming to Des Moines next weekend, coupled with the strange dust up over Sarah Palin’s speaking fee for a speech she never intended to give, 2012 prognosticators have had plenty to keep them busy.
Now, throw former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee into the mix.

It was a mistake for his presidential campaign to skip Iowa, and it likely cost him his party’s nomination, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a recent interview with New York Magazine.

There has been a lot of chatter recently about which potential Republican presidential candidates might be wise to skip the 2012 Iowa Caucuses.