Rick Santorum's Iowa Victory Speech

Live Streaming Video from the 2012 Iowa GOP Caucuses

Bachmann Campaign Imploding

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN) speaks during a campaign event at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, Iowa December 29, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Joshua Lott

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has lost a second top campaign staffer in another setback before the Iowa caucuses on January 3, NBC News reported on Thursday.

Read the rest of this entry at Reuters >>

Romney Leads, Santorum Surges in New Iowa Poll

Rick Santorum speaks during a town hall meeting at the Fort Dodge GOP Headquarters in Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press)

Mitt Romney has claimed a narrow lead over Ron Paul in Iowa, according to a new CNN/Time poll. But it is Rick Santorum who may be showing the most momentum with just days left before the caucuses.

Much of the movement is driven by a collapse in support for Newt Gingrich. He led the previous CNN survey in Iowa with 33% support, well ahead of Romney at 20% and Paul at 17%.

The new results put Romney ahead of Paul 25% to 22%, with Santorum now at 16% -- a jump from just 5% earlier this month. Gingrich has slid 19 points to 14%, though he still leads Rick Perry (11%) and Michele Bachmann (9%).

Santorum has watched all year as a rotating cast of Republicans enjoyed nominal front-runner status, and the media attention that comes with it. His moment may be coming at the most opportune time.

The former Pennsylvania senator may be catching fire with the social conservative voters who also propelled Mike Huckabee to a surprise victory four years ago. Santorum has been lining up endorsements from prominent evangelical leaders, most notably former gubernatorial candidate and Huckabee backer Bob Vander Plaats.

According to the CNN/Time poll, 43% of likely caucusgoers say they can still change their mind.

Read the rest of this entry at The Los Angeles Times>>

Santorum Gaining in Iowa

From Fox News

With 45 percent of Iowa Republican voters undecided and a roller-coaster ride about to come to a screeching stop next Tuesday with the GOP caucuses, it may be Rick Santorum's turn to take the final ascent and surprise the political class by ... doing better than expected?

Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, has been touted as the sleeper candidate by none other than 2008 Iowa caucuses winner Mike Huckabee. He has relentlessly campaigned in the state, hitting all 99 counties and moving his family out there. He has held 350 campaign events in the past year.

He has received key endorsements from well-known social conservatives in the state, and has had solid performances at each of the debates. And he's running an old-school style campaign that Iowa voters expect in the retail-style politics of the Hawkeye State.

Rick Santorum Gaining Ground in Iowa

Rick Santorum is finally rising in the polls in Iowa. And Santorum gained a key evangelical Christian leader's endorsement Tuesday.

From The Christian Science Monitor

By Liz Marlantes

Republican presidential candidate, former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum, speaks in Osceola, Iowa, Dec. 19, 2011.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The headline out of the latest Rassmussen poll surveying Republican voters in Iowa is all about Newt Gingrich’s continuing slide. The poll shows Gingrich now in third place, with 17 percent, behind Mitt Romney (25 percent) and Ron Paul (20 percent).

But just as interesting to Decoder is the fact that the poll also shows former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum now in fourth place, with 10 percent (tied with the other Rick, Perry). That’s the best result for Santorum so far this cycle. In fact, it’s the first significant movement he’s had in any poll at all - and, needless to say, it’s coming at an opportune time.

The Family Leader's Unedited Endorsement of Senator Rick Santorum

An important and thoughtful endorsement by The Family Leader, an influential network of Iowa churches.  The Family Leader's endorsement propelled Governor Mike Huckabee to a win in the Iowa Caucuses four years ago.  We have no doubt that it will do the same for the consistent, experienced and principled conservative in the race this year -- Senator Rick Santorum.

Influential Iowa Network of Churches Endorses Rick Santorum

The Family Leader, an influential Iowa-based, pro-family network of churches that advances a Christian point of view "in the churches, in the legislature, in the media, in the courtroom, in the public square," today endorsed Senator Rick Santorum for the GOP nomination for President.

Two of Iowa's most prominent evangelical leaders, Bob Vander Plaats and Chuck Hurley, spoke on behalf of the organization.  Senator Santorum has recently signed a pledge authored by The Family Leader which states:

"Faithful monogamy is at the very heart of a designed and purposeful order — as conveyed by Jewish and Christian Scripture, by Classical Philosophers, by Natural Law, and by the American Founders — upon which our concepts of Creator-endowed human rights, racial justice and gender equality all depend."

Newt Gingrich has sought the organization's endorsement but has failed to sign their pledge.

Des Moines Register Guest Columnist Endoreses Rick Santorum

"Santorum is the unifier our nation needs after Obama's divisiveness."

Iowa Republicans have a special opportunity, and responsibility, to choose the best candidate to represent our party on the national stage. As Iowa’s Republican national committeewoman and one of the leaders in the pro-life movement, I have taken this charge seriously and have worked to learn about each of the candidates running to be our next commander-in-chief.

Just as important as our need to defeat President Obama is our need to return our nation to its founding principles.