CORALVILLE – Rick Santorum got a lift when a new poll showed his support jumped from 5 percent to 16 percent just a week ahead of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses. After running the most intensive campaign of anyone in the GOP field of 2012 presidential hopefuls, ...

In the final run-up to the Jan. 3, the GOP presidential hopefuls are calling in favors from their friends and families to help them reach every likely caucusgoing Iowa. Newt Gingrich’s daughters, Kathy Lubbers and Jackie Gingrich Cushman, arrived in Iowa Dec. 27 to help dad ...

  By JON ERICSON/jonathan.ericson@wcfcourier.com CEDAR FALLS — Rick Santorum wants to cross electability off the list of negatives voters may hold against him. The former senator from Pennsylvania has logged more time in Iowa than any other candidate, having visited all 99 counties. Sometimes those events have drawn ...

  DES MOINES – Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said his goal is to “exceed expectations” when Iowa Republicans meet next Tuesday to choose the candidates they want to be the party’s presidential nominee in 2012. “My feeling is we have to exceed expectations and the expectations ...

  For ex-pat Iowans home for the holidays and others who are hoping to do a little caucus tourism this week, the opportunities are limited, but growing. The candidates are returning from Christmas break and haven’t released their full schedules. Here’s what we know: Rick Santorum is the ...

ANAMOSA – Michele Bachmann revved up the Dec. 22 leg of her 99-county bus tour by hopping on a vintage motorcycle at the National Motorcycle Museum. Bachmann, who is about three-quarters of the way through her pre-caucus tour, made a quick look around the museum after ...

Boston-Austin connection: It’s not just that they both have good hair, their last names rhyme and the both talk funny, but now Rick Perry seems to be channeling John Kerry. Perry has taken to adding this line, which sounds an awful lot like one Kerry used, ...

No doubt the most-watched political of the day will be The Family Leader’s announcement its endorsement of a candidate in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses. It comes on the heels of Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen’s announcement that he will endorse Newt Gingrich. A formal announcement is ...

  Texas political observers say their Gov. Rick Perry has a reputation as a dangerous campaigner, even more so when he’s behind. If that’s the case, Perry will be a dangerous man when he visits northeast Iowa today in search of support in the Jan. 3 first-in-the-nation ...

What’s their problem: As Iowans grow giddy with excitement at the approaching first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses, Gallup reports seven out of 10 American can’t wait for the election to be over. Say what? That’s like Hawkeye fans saying they can’t wait for the game to be over ...