Updated 1:42 p.m. — A major staple of the Republican presidential nominating process -- the straw poll of Republicans at the Iowa State University in Ames -- could go by the wayside if Iowa's GOP governor gets his way.

Gov. Terry Branstad, who's currently serving his fifth term as governor of the Hawkeye State, told the Wall Street Journal that the straw poll was no longer relevant.

© Brian Frank / Reuters / REUTERS

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad speaks as U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack looks on during a news conference at the Iowa State Capitol March 28, 2012.

"I think the straw poll has outlived its usefulness,"Branstad told the paper. "It has been a great fundraiser for the party but I think its days are over."

The governor's comments earned a rebuke from the chairman of the state Republican party.

"I believe the Iowa Straw Poll is possibly the best way for a presidential campaign to organize (put in place county and precinct leaders & activate them) for Iowa’s First in the Nation Caucus," said A.J. Spiker, the party chairman. "I think it is detrimental for any campaign to skip the opportunity presented in Ames and I disagree with Governor Branstad about ending our Iowa Straw Poll."

Ronda Churchill / AP

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, left, Indiana Gov.-Elect Mike Pence, center, and Republican Governors Association Chairman and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell participate in the RGA Annual Conference on Nov. 15, 2012, in Las Vegas.

The straw poll has more often offered a glimpse of candidates' organizational strength in Iowa, which traditionally hosts the first nominating contest in a presidential contest, than a good predictor of the nominee. Candidates often spend thousands (if not more) on courting votes in the straw poll, hosting elaborate barbecues and musical acts in hopes of emerging from the event with a burst of strength.

But the winner hasn't always gone onto the nomination. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann won the straw poll this summer, earning a boomlet for her longshot bid for the nomination that fizzled weeks thereafter. Mitt Romney, the eventual Republican presidential nominee, didn't participate in the straw poll (though he stopped at the state fair during the same weekend); he lost the Iowa caucuses to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum by just a few votes, despite not having campaigned in the state.

"You saw what happened the last time," Branstad told the Journal. "I don’t think candidates will spend the time or money to participate in a straw poll if they don’t see any real benefit coming out of it."

The event was consequential -- in a negative way -- for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who had been thought to be a major contender versus Romney for the GOP nomination. But after Pawlenty's campaign bet almost all of its chips on the Ames event, he ended his bid for the presidency.

Still, the event is a major fundraiser for the Iowa GOP, and future candidates looking to add some momentum to their own campaigns might elect to participate anyway in the straw poll, a bit of presidential pageantry dating back to the 1980 election.

MINNEAPOLIS – Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, the Tea Party champion and failed Republican presidential nomination candidate, secured a fourth term by winning a very tight race for re-election against Democrat challenger businessman Jim Graves early on Wednesday.

Bachmann led Graves by 3,256 votes - or just under one percentage point - out of more than 351,000 votes cast in the Minnesota 6th Congressional District with 98.2 percent of precincts reporting, according to unofficial state elections returns.

In a statement released to NBC News, the Congresswoman said: "It has truly been an honor and a privilege to represent the people of Minnesota's Sixth District in Congress, and I am humbled that they have placed their trust in me for another term.

"I pledge to continue to work everyday to create jobs and do everything I can to make life more affordable for Minnesota's families. Our children and grandchildren deserve a future filled with opportunity in a country that is safe and secure, and that's what I'm fighting for in Washington."

A champion of Tea Party backers of smaller government and conservative on social issues such as abortion and gay rights, Bachmann was running in what has been regarded as the most conservative-leaning district in Minnesota.

Slideshow: The political life of Michele Bachmann

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

A look at the political life of the third-term Minnesota congresswoman who's running for the GOP nomination.

Launch slideshow

Her bid for the Republican presidential nomination until early in 2012 raised her name recognition nationally, but left her vulnerable to accusations by Graves that she was not representing district interests.

Her remarks, including an insistence on a link between an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Muslim Brotherhood, were denounced by some in her own party.

Bachmann, a former Minnesota state senator, has never won more than 53 percent of the vote in the district and won by only 3 percentage points in the last presidential election year of 2008.

The redrawing of districts after the 2010 census put Bachmann, who lives in Stillwater near the Minnesota border with Wisconsin, outside of the sprawling district that takes in suburbs to the east, north and west of Minneapolis and St. Paul and stretches northwest to include farms and smaller cities.

It was the nation's most expensive House race in terms of both money raised and spent by the candidates as of mid-October, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The candidates had raised a total of $22.7 million and spent $20.8 million, the center reported, but Bachmann had outspent Graves by more than 12-to-one.

Bachmann sought to tag Graves, founder of the AmericInn hotel chain and now the head of Graves Hospitality, as a supporter of President Barack Obama's health reform law in television ads early in the campaign.

Later Bachmann commercials portrayed the congresswoman as focused on the needs of district residents and able to work across party lines to reach goals.

Graves, who describes himself as fiscally conservative, has said there are positives in the Obama healthcare program, but the "heavy lifting" has not yet begun. Graves also has said he believes Bachmann has been ineffective as a congresswoman.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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The top Republican in Congress on Thursday criticized Rep. Michele Bachmann and four other fellow House Republicans for making "pretty dangerous" accusations when they questioned the security clearance of a Muslim aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The comments of House Speaker John Boehner came after Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, blasted the five lawmakers for seeking an investigation into whether Huma Abedin, Clinton's deputy chief of staff, had connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political organization.

Related: McCain defends Clinton aide

Boehner, speaking at a regular news briefing, said "accusations like this being thrown around are pretty dangerous." He said he did not know Abedin, but "from everything I know of her, she has a sterling character."

McCain took to the Senate floor Wednesday to accuse the lawmakers of making a "sinister" attack on Abedin. Following the custom in Congress, he did not name them but left no doubt he was talking about Bachmann, as well as Reps. Louie Gohmert, Trent Franks, Thomas Rooney and Lynn Westmoreland.

They sent a letter in June to the State Department's inspector general suggesting members of Abedin's family may have connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the writers said may be seeking access to high levels of the U.S. government.

Most attention has focused on Bachmann, who earlier this year failed in her bid for the Republican presidential nomination. She has long been criticized by fellow Republicans, among others, for controversial comments and factual errors.

Bachmann defended her actions Thursday on the talk show of conservative host Glenn Beck. "If my family members were associated with Hamas, a terrorist organization, that alone could be sufficient to disqualify me from getting a security clearance," Bachmann said, according to a transcript of her remarks. "So all we did is ask, did the federal government look into her family associations before she got a high-level security clearance."

There is no evidence connecting Abedin or her family to any terrorist organization, McCain stressed in his Senate speech.

"Rarely do I come to the floor of this institution to discuss particular individuals," McCain said. "But I understand how painful and injurious it is when a person's character, reputation and patriotism are attacked without concern for fact or fairness."

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He called Abedin "an intelligent, upstanding, hard-working and loyal servant of our country and our government, who has devoted countless days of her life to advancing the ideals of the nation she loves and looking after its most precious interests."

A State Department spokesman said Clinton "very much values" Abedin's "wise counsel and support" and called the allegations preposterous.

McCain was supported on Wednesday by Edward Rollins, a prominent Republican strategist who worked on Bachmann's primary campaign.

On the Fox News website, Rollins wrote that he was "fully aware that she sometimes has difficulty with her facts," but said "this is downright vicious and reaches the late Sen. Joe McCarthy level," a reference to the U.S. senator from Wisconsin who rose and then fell accusing government officials and others of being communists in the 1950s.

"....Shame on you, Michele!" Rollins wrote, adding that she should apologize to Abedin, Clinton and "to the millions of hardworking, loyal, Muslim Americans for your wild and unsubstantiated charges."

The lawmakers' June 13 letter, which they released publicly, asserted that the State Department had recently taken action "enormously favorable" to the Muslim Brotherhood and that its interests could pose a security risk for the United States.

The letter cited a security study by an outside group alleging that three members' of Abedin's family, including her father who died two decades ago, and her mother and brother were linked to operatives or organizations of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Abedin is married to former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, a Jew. 

Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) offered a personal and passionate defense of top State Department aide Huma Abedin in the face of conservative allegations that she is using her position in "unduly influencing" foreign policy in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood.

McCain called allegations that Abedin has ties through her family to the Muslim Brotherhood "sinister" in a rare speech on the Senate floor taking fellow Republicans to task.

"Rarely do I come to the floor of this institution to discuss particular individuals. But I understand how painful and injurious it is when a person's character, reputation, and patriotism are attacked without concern for fact or fairness," McCain opened.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, led four other Republican lawmakers in writing a letter last month requesting that the State Department investigate whether Abedin, who is Muslim, has any ties through her family to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic political group that found success in recent Egyptian elections.

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Bachmann has expressed concerns about how Abedin, who is married to former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner (D), was able to obtain a security clearance.

McCain condemned these accusations as unsubstantiated.

"These sinister accusations rest solely on a few unspecified and unsubstantiated associations of members of Huma's family, none of which have been shown to harm or threaten the United States in any way," he said. "These attacks on Huma have no logic, no basis, and no merit. And they need to stop now."

McCain called Abedin a "friend" who is an "intelligent, upstanding, hard-working and long servant of our country and our government."

"Put simply, Huma represents what is best about America: the daughter of immigrants, who has risen to the highest levels of our government on the basis of her substantial personal merit and her abiding commitment to the American ideals that she embodies so fully," he added.

McCain picked apart the rationale of Bachmann and her colleagues, who wrote their June letter based on a report "The Muslim Brotherhood in America," produced by the Center for Security Policy.

"The letter alleges that three members of Huma's family are 'connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations.' Never mind that one of those individuals, Huma's father, passed away two decades ago. The letter and the report offer not one instance of an action, a decision, or a public position that Huma has taken while at the State Department that would lend credence to the charge that she is promoting anti-American activities within our government."

McCain has spent time traveling with Abedin while she served as a personal aide to Hillary Clinton during Clinton's time as a senator from New York.

He ended his floor speech with a strong show of support. "I have every confidence in Huma's loyalty to our country, and everyone else should as well."

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner defended President Obama's economic record, saying his policies have been "remarkably successful."

"History will judge what [President Obama] did as remarkably effective crisis management at a deeply dark time for the world economy."

Geithner also attempted to calm fears of some, like Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) who say that if the United States continues on it's current fiscal path, in two years it will suffer similar problems as can be seen happening in Greece today.

Geithner said there is "no risk of that."

On the campaign trail, Mitt Romney has tried to make up for poor polling among women voters by arguing that the president's policies have adversely affected females in the country. Romney has stated that 92% of the jobs lost under President Obama were ones held by women. Secretary Geithner dismissed Romney's numbers, saying "That's a ridiculous and deeply misleading look at the economy."

Then, with the female vote getting so much attention this week, we featured a debate between two influential women in their parties: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).

Comments about Ann Romney by Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen, who was scheduled to appear on Meet the Press this morning, caused a firestorm among Democrats and Republicans that led to President Obama weighing in to distance himself from the remarks.

Both Bachmann and Gillibrand criticized Rosen's comments and turned focus back to the economy. Bachmann, the former presidential candidate even waded in to the race saying she is "very seriously looking" at endorsing Mitt Romney.

You can watch our entire program on our website including our roundtable discussion featuring former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN), Republican strategist Mike Murphy, and NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie and Chuck Todd.

We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.

April 27, 2011 – Obama releases long-form birth certificate

The White House released President Barack Obama’s so-called “long form” birth certificate last April, primarily in response to provocations by Donald Trump, the real estate magnate and reality TV host who had flirted with a bid for the Republican nomination. Trump actually spent a brief period of time atop the polls versus the rest of the fledgling GOP field. Obama decried “carnival barkers” in remarks upon the release of his birth certificate, and Trump faded in the polls before deciding to run for president.

May 15, 2011 – Gingrich calls Ryan plan ‘right-wing social engineering’

Having just launched his campaign for president, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared on “Meet the Press,” where he faced a question about Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan’s new budget. The plan had been under attack by Democrats who asserted Republicans would end Medicare as it’s currently known by most Americans. 

“I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering,” Gingrich said of the plan. It prompted immediate backlash from conservatives who supported the plan. Ryan himself quipped: "With allies like that, who needs the left?" – a line rival campaigns would use later against the former speaker.

May 31, 2011 – Palin and Trump grab a slice

At this point in the 2012 cycle, whether Sarah Palin would be throwing her hat in the ring for the GOP nomination was a persistant, lingering question.

Her bus tour through the Northeast, which stopped in New Hampshire the same day Mitt Romney formally launched his candidacy in the state, only stoked speculation that Palin would make a run for the White House.

But the most press-frenzied moment of her trip came on May 31, when Palin’s tour bus rolled into Manhattan. She met Donald Trump, who had announced that he would not be a candidate for president, for a slice at a New York pizzeria while a throng of media observed from the outside.

June 9, 2011 – Gingrich suffers mass resignations

Jason Minick / AP

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, speaks during the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill, Pa., Saturday March 24, 2012.

With his campaign reeling from the scrape with Paul Ryan, revelations that Gingrich had enjoyed a six-figure line of credit with the jeweler Tiffany & Co., and an ill-timed vacation to Greece, a throng of the former speaker’s top aides resigned all at once. The resignations prompted speculation in the media about when – not if – Gingrich would be forced to end his campaign.

June 13, 2011 – Pawlenty passes on ‘Obamneycare’

Tim Pawlenty had hoped to emerge as a major challenger to Mitt Romney this cycle, and a day before Republicans gathered for one of their earliest debates, the former Minnesota governor trotted out a new attack line against Romney.

Pawlenty coined the term “Obamneycare” during an appearance on FOX News Sunday, a term meant to fuse the president’s health reform law, an unpopular plan with conservatives, and the similar law Romney had implemented while governor of Massachusetts.

But just 24 hours later, Pawlenty declined to repeat that same attack while sharing the stage with Romney, and suffered a blow to his campaign. He would eventually drop out of the race after the Ames Straw Poll in August.

Pawlenty went on to endorse Romney, though ironically, other Republican candidates have used the “Obamneycare” slur against Romney.

Aug. 11, 2011 – ‘Corporations are people, my friend’

Mitt Romney was widely expected to run for president again, but took a deliberately slow pace in getting his campaign up to full speed.

Romney didn’t participate in the Ames Straw Poll, but he joined most of the other Republican candidates in the time-honored tradition of going to the Iowa State Fair. That included a soapbox speech for Romney, where he was met by a liberal heckler who pressed Romney on favorable treatment of corporations.

“Corporations are people, my friend,” Romney blurted in response. The comment went viral immediately on Twitter, and Democrats quickly pounced to paint Romney as an ally of big business.

Aug. 15, 2011 – Perry says printing more money is ‘almost treasonous’

After an incredibly hyped launch to his candidacy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry marched into Iowa with a schedule full of campaigning.

To conclude his first full day on the trail, though, Perry seemed to suggest that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be acting treasonously if he were to authorize a more expansive monetary policy before the election. Moreover, Perry hinted that Bernanke would be treated poorly at the very least if he were in Texas.

“If this guy prints more money between now and the election,” Perry said at a gathering in Cedar Rapids, “I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we — we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous — or treasonous in my opinion."

August 2011 – ‘9-9-9’

Herman Cain debuted his catchphrase-based tax plan in August, and it would serve as a cornerstone of the former pizza magnate’s surge in the polls later in the fall. 

The plan called for a radical restructuring of the tax code, replacing much of it with a nine percent tax each on individual income, corporate income and sales.

The plan, and the number nine, would develop into Cain’s boilerplate response to most questions about his economic policy. Serious scrutiny of the plan suggested that it would blow a serious hole in the deficit, and Cain’s rivals attacked the introduction of a sales tax as a slippery slope that threatened abuse by the government. 

Sept. 7, 2011 – Audience cheers Texas executions

At an NBC News debate in September – Rick Perry’s first – moderator Brian Williams posed a question to the Texas governor about the record number of prisoners executed during his time in office.

When Williams noted the 234 executions, members of the audience broke out into applause regarding the question, which was intended to ask Perry whether he had any doubt about whether any of those prisoners might have been innocent. 

"But in the state of Texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you're involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of Texas, and that is, you will be executed,” Perry said, earning more applause from the audience. 

When pressed by Williams on the crowd reaction, Perry added: "I think Americans understand justice. I think Americans are clearly, in the vast majority of cases, supportive of capital punishment."

The strong reaction from the crowd set the tone for a number of debates during the primary season, where reactions from the audience - in part - framed perception of the candidates on TV.

Sept. 13, 2011 – Bachmann says HPV vaccine causes 'retardation'

The morning following a presidential debate, Bachmann appeared on the TODAY show and suggested that the vaccine for the Human Papilloma Virus might be linked to intellectual disabilities.

Her poll numbers tarnished by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who had mandated the vaccine for young women during his time in office, Bachmann attacked Perry for forcing the vaccine on young women.

But on the TODAY show, Bachmann went a step further. “I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Fla., after the debate,” she said. “She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter ... This is a very real concern and people have to draw their own conclusions.”

Sept. 23, 2011 – Debate audience boos gay soldier

A Republican debate in mid-September featured some questions submitted to the candidates by YouTube users.

One such question came from a member of the U.S. military who was gay, just days after the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy had ended.

“In 2010, when I was deployed to Iraq, I had to lie about who I was, because I’m a gay soldier, and I didn’t want to lose my job,” said Stephen Hill, whose image was projected on a large TV screen in the debate hall. “My question is, under one of your presidencies, do you intend to circumvent the progress that’s been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military?”

The question was met with some loud boos from members of the audience, which came on the heels of their controversial reaction to the execution of prisoners in Texas just a couple of weeks earlier.

Oct. 8, 2011 – ‘Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan’

Herman Cain began to surge in the polls in early October, and started to receive more serious questioning about his views, especially foreign policy.

Cain had emphasized his 9-9-9 tax plan as the primary element of his candidacy, and admittedly said that he would leave foreign policy to advisers.

“I’m ready for the ‘gotcha’ questions and they’re already starting to come. And when they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan I’m going to say, 'You know, I don’t know. Do you know?' And then I’m going to say, 'how’s that going to create one job?'” he told the Christian Broadcast Network.

The interview led to even more pointed questioning of Cain’s foreign policy views and a more aggressive vetting of the former pizza executive’s record in the press. 

Oct. 18, 2011 – ‘I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake!’

At the height of his battle against a surging Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Mitt Romney called into question Perry’s toughness on illegal immigrants given the law Perry had signed granting in-state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants who attended colleges and universities in Texas.

Perry turned the line of attack against Romney, saying the former Massachusetts governor had hired a lawn care company for his home that had employed illegal immigrants. Romney offered an explanation, albeit an inartful one that made him seem like a political opportunist.

"So we went to the company, and we said, 'Look, you can't have any illegals working on our property,” Romney said. “I'm running for office, for Pete's sake! I can't have illegals!'”

Nov. 7, 2011 – Sharon Bialek accuses Herman Cain of harassment

After climbing his way to the top of the polls of Republican presidential contenders, various media outlets reported that Cain, during his time as head of the National Restaurant Association, had been forced to settle at least two claims of sexual harassment against him.

The accusers remained anonymous, and Cain vehemently denied having ever acted inappropriately (and still does today).

Nonetheless, it was the eventual emergence of Sharon Bialek, with the assistance of celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, who put a public face to the accusations against Cain. Bialek offered graphic descriptions of her allegations, which added fuel to the fire that had engulfed the Cain campaign. The former Godfathers Pizza CEO would suspend his campaign just a few weeks later.

Nov. 9, 2011 – ‘Oops.’

Maybe no single word is more associated with Rick Perry’s bid for the presidential nomination than “oops.”

The Texas governor had received a great deal of scrutiny for his poor performances in debates, where he minced words and appeared fatigued at points. His stumbling answer to a question regarding his plan to eliminate three government agencies crystalized that narrative and virtually crippled his candidacy.

“Commerce, Education and the  — what’s the third one there? Let’s see,” Perry said, pausing.

"The third agency of government I would do away with – the Education, the Commerce. And let's see. I can't. The third one, I can't. Oops."

Nov. 9, 2011 – Gingrich says he served Freddie Mac as a ‘historian’

After Newt Gingrich had begun to surge again in the polls, Mitt Romney’s campaign countered by digging up the former speaker’s work for troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

At a debate in Michigan, Gingrich explained his paid contract with Freddie Mac by denying having ever lobbied for the company. Instead, the ex-speaker asserted, he had consulted with the company in his capacity as a historian.

“I have never done any lobbying, every contract that was written during the period when I was out of the office specifically said I would do no lobbying, and I offered advice. And my advice as a historian, when they walked in and said to me, we are now making loans to people who have no credit history and have no record of paying back anything, but that's what the government wants us to do, is I said  — I said to them at the time: This is a bubble. This is insane. This is impossible,” he said.” 

Nov. 14, 2011 – Cain: ‘I got all this stuff twirling around in my head’

Besieged by accusations of sexual harassment, Herman Cain hardly made matters better for his campaign during a sit-down interview with the editors of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

When asked about his position on President Obama’s management of the uprising in Libya last year, Cain appeared taken off-guard by the question and not immediately familiar with the president’s policy. His answer was captured on video.

"I do not agree with the way he handled it for the following reason — nope, that's a different one. [pause] I gotta go back and see," he said. "I got all this stuff twirling around in my head. Specifically, what are you asking me that I agree or not disagree with Obama?" 

Dec. 10, 2011 – The $10,000 bet

Another spat between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry at a Republican debate in December led to a cringe-worthy moment.

The Texas governor asserted that Romney had removed a passage expressing support for health care mandates in the paperback edition of his book. Romney insisted that was not the case, and was so confident in his stance that he offered Perry a wager.

"Rick, I'll tell you what — $10,000 bucks, $10,000 bet," Romney said, extending his hand to shake Perry’s. (The Texan declined.)

The moment provided fodder for Romney’s foes, Republican and Democratic, to underscore his wealth — painting him as the type of person who could casually bet ten large.

Jan. 19, 2012 – Gingrich angrily rebuffs ‘open marriage’ question

Newt Gingrich was sure to face a question at this pivotal debate before the South Carolina about the allegations leveled by one of his ex-wives that Gingrich, while he was speaker of the House, had requested an “open marriage,” or otherwise wanted a divorce.

The allegations cut directly to the questions of character that rivals of Gingrich sought to stoke.

But when CNN anchor John King asked the question to open the South Carolina debate, the ex-speaker showed a flash of anger in response.

"The destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office, and I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that," he said, earning raucous applause.

The response was so effective that none of Gingrich’s rivals piled on, all declining to comment on the allegations against Gingrich.

Jan. 25, 2012 – Gingrich pledges lunar colony by 2020

Fresh off his upstart victory in the South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich sought to challenge Mitt Romney one-on-one in the succeeding primary in Florida.

The former House speaker campaigned through the state, including a stop in its hard-hit Space Coast – where he causally suggested one of his most “grandiose” ideas of the campaign.

"By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon. And it will be American," Gingrich told a crowd, prompting guffaws from the media and rival campaigns. Romney would eventually win Florida by a healthy margin. 

Feb. 1, 2012 – ‘I’m not concerned about the very poor’

Continuing an alarming string of gaffes after major primary wins, Mitt Romney gave an interview the day after winning the Florida primary in which he seemed to shrug off helping the poor.

"I'm in this race because I care about Americans. I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it," Romney said on CNN. "I'm not concerned about the very rich, they're doing just fine. I'm concerned about the very heart of the America, the 90 percent, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling."

While the comment was meant to emphasize the focus of the Romney campaign on the middle class, the remark had major reverberations and forced an explanation from the campaign. Romney would have to continue to toil for weeks before gaining a stronger grip on the nomination.

Feb. 24, 2012 – Romney’s Ford Field speech

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Members of the Detroit Economic club gather to hear a speech by Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney during a luncheon at Ford Field on February 24, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan.

Mitt Romney returned to Michigan, the state where he was born and raised, to deliver what had been billed as a major economic address at Ford Field, the downtown home of the Detroit Lions.

But when the press arrived to the stadium, it was mostly empty except for some risers and about 1,000 seats for the members of the Detroit Economic Club in attendance. Romney’s speech and their applause echoed throughout the cavernous sports complex, making for poor optics for the speech.

The event was originally intended to be held in a hotel ballroom. But when tickets sold out in less than an hour, a larger venue was needed. Unfortunately, the one selected couldn't possibly be filled.

Making matters worse, in a question-and-answer session following his remarks, Romney pivoted to talk about his love for cars, and the American cars he and his wife owned.

“I drive a Mustang and Chevy pickup truck. Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs, actually," he said, again inviting critics to highlight his personal wealth. 

Feb. 26, 2012 – Santorum says JFK speech made him sick

Amid a very tough battle against Mitt Romney in Michigan, Rick Santorum faced fresh questioning about whether he stood by remarks he made the preceding year, when he said he “almost threw up” after reading John F. Kennedy’s speech on the separation of church and state.

"Well, yes, absolutely,” Santorum said on ABC when asked whether the speech really made him ill. “To say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes you throw up. What kind of country do we live that says only people of non-faith can come into the public square and make their case? That makes me throw up.”

The comment came at a point when social issues had reached the forefront of the campaign, driven by a nationwide debate over coverage for contraceptives, and whether religious institutions’ insurers should be exempted from a requirement to cover birth control.

March 21, 2012 – Etch A Sketch

The day after winning the Illinois primary by a commanding margin, a top aide to Mitt Romney appeared on CNN and likened the candidate’s pivot to the general election to erasing an Etch A Sketch.

“Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes,” adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said. “It's almost like an Etch a Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again.”

Democrats and Romney’s Republican rivals quickly pounced on the gaffe. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich each showed up to campaign events throughout the day with the children’s toy in tow, and reference to the moment was incorporated into one of Vice President Biden’s later campaign speeches.

Romney had to react quickly to control the damage, hastily arranging a one-question press conference to mitigate the fallout.

"I'm running as a conservative Republican," he told reporters in Maryland. "I'll be running as a conservative Republican nominee."

Mar. 25, 2012 – Santorum calls reporter’s question ‘bulls***’

The odds growing that he would become the Republican nominee, Rick Santorum suggested at a campaign stop in late March that giving President Obama a second term would be better than electing Mitt Romney.

When asked by a New York Times reporter about the remark, Santorum reacted angrily.

"Quit distorting my words," Santorum said in Wisconsin. "If I see it, it's bulls---."

The rival Romney campaign played up the comment to portray Santorum’s campaign as having come off the rails.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann suggested she may wait to endorse whomever wins the Republican nomination in her first appearance Wednesday on MSNBC since dropping out of the presidential race.

"My decision’s already made. I’m on board with whoever the nominee will be, because I’m all in for defeating Barack Obama in the upcoming election," Bachmann said, adding later, "I just think it’s very clear that we haven’t seen any of the candidates make the final sale."

The remarks cast further doubt that Bachmann will make an endorsement in the coming weeks.

(A report in the Boston Globe that Bachmann was in “negotiations” to endorse Mitt Romney days before the Minnesota caucuses won pushback from the Congresswoman herself, who declared the story “completely false.”)

Asked whether her resistance to endorsing is a signal that the field is weak, Bachmann deferred, drawing a parallel to 2008.

"We saw Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton literally giving each other black eyes,” Bachmann said.
 
“It wasn’t pretty four years ago, on the Democrat side of the ticket,” she continued, adding, “I think once our side decides on a candidate, then we’ll lock arms, we will be all-in together.”

The payroll tax cut fight also came up during her interview.  Bachmann reiterated her opposition to the cut, insisting as she often did during her run that the money was drawn from a “social security trust fund.”

“When you go to the general treasury and open the door to that vault, only moths and feathers fly out.  There’s nothing in there.  We’re broke,” Bachmann said.

Bachmann dropped out of the race on Jan. 4, one day after finishing last among the Republican candidates competing in the Iowa caucuses.

Andrew Burton / Getty Images

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaks during a news conference after ending her campaign for Republican presidential candidate on January 4, 2012 in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Michele Bachmann's decision to end her presidential campaign leaves the Minnesota Republican with another big one: whether to seek a fourth term in the U.S. House or direct her newfound political celebrity elsewhere.

Bachmann would be heavily favored to keep her seat in the Republican-leaning 6th District unless it's significantly reshaped by redistricting early this year. But after months in the national spotlight of the presidential race, she could determine she'd be more influential in a different role.

"I don't think she'll run for re-election," Kent Kaiser, a Minnesota GOP operative who supports Mitt Romney for president but remains a Bachmann fan, wrote in an email to The Associated Press. She could try instead for an appointment in a new Republican administration, he wrote, or consider a potentially lucrative spot on the speaking circuit.

Recommended: 5 days from next US vote, rivals race for money  

Kaiser said Bachmann might try to model her path after the one taken by another tea party favorite Sarah Palin, who as John McCain's running mate in 2008 was the first woman on a national GOP ticket. Palin, who weighed a 2012 presidential run herself, resigned as Alaska's governor to join the speaking circuit and write a book.

"She must look at Palin and believe she could be even better in the media, as a kingmaker, and as a speaker," Kaiser said.

Bachmann didn't tip her hand about future political plans during her concession speech Wednesday in Des Moines but vowed to remain engaged in issues, especially in her opposition to changes in federal health care law.

"Make no mistake: I will continue to fight for our country," she said.

Bachmann's strength is considerable in her district, which starts in the suburbs east of St. Paul and loops north to St. Cloud. Though she spent much of the past half-year out of state on the presidential trail, no Republican or notable Democrat dared announce a campaign for her seat. In previous races, Bachmann raised piles of money and easily handled well-funded Democratic opponents; the woman Bachmann defeated in 2010 moved to another district to try her luck this year against a less formidable incumbent.

"It's hard to see who would want to or be able to mount a serious challenge to her if she wants to run for re-election," said Harry Niska, a Republican activist in the 6th District.

David FitzSimmons, chairman of the 6th District Republican Party, said Bachmann would be able to argue that she shifted the tone of the GOP presidential race to the right, particularly in her strong and repeated denunciations of President Obama's health care overhaul.

"Because of her, that entire field had to go on the record on that issue, they had to fight over who would be the fastest to repeal Obamacare," said Fitzsimmons. He said he does not know Bachmann's plans but assumes she will run again.

Her deadline to file for reelection isn't until June 5, though she'd likely get in sooner than that.

Bachmann's presidential campaign did present Democrats with some political fodder, should they face her again. She often stressed her family roots in Iowa — she was born in Waterloo but moved with her family to Minnesota while still young — and in recent months, missed most congressional votes.

"I think she's got some questions to answer back home," said Bill Usher, chairman of the 6th District Democrats. "Like, you know, why did you basically ignore your district until you couldn't anymore? She's going to have to answer why running for Congress wasn't that important until she had to bail out of the presidential race."

Since declaring her candidacy June 13, Bachmann has missed 71 percent of key votes in the House, according to a database compiled by Project Vote Smart, a nonpartisan organization that compiles information on candidates and government officials. At times she went months between votes.

Still, even Usher acknowledged her formidability. "No matter what people think of her, she was a money machine. She raised record-breaking amounts for her last race."

Bachmann and other potential candidates may wait to commit until after new congressional lines are drawn. The 6th District saw more population growth in the last decade than any other in Minnesota, meaning it could be redrawn in a way that makes it less favorable to Republicans. Minnesota Democrats have proposed a map that would throw Bachmann into the same district as six-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum. A state judicial panel will set the final map.

Republicans don't have a strong challenger to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, but that could be a treacherous race for Bachmann given Klobuchar's popularity and Republican struggles in statewide races in recent years.

Bachmann might even decide to leave politics altogether for the speaking circuit or the gloss of TV or radio, where she could easily exceed her $174,000 annual congressional salary.

"There's no question that this woman was made to be in the talk media world, either as a guest or as a host/commentator," said Michael Harrison, publisher of the trade publication Talkers. He said she would be a major acquisition if she decided to go into talk radio or television.

It's that, or put her fate once more into the hands of voters. In the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury, at the east end of her district, interviews with some of Bachmann's constituents the day her campaign folded found that those who liked her still did. And those who didn't still didn't.

"She's worn out her welcome," said Todd Doeser, 42, a sales rep for a food company who has never voted for Bachmann. "She was more focused on running for president than she ever was on this job."

But Debora Boyd, 48, a Herbalife distributor, called Bachmann "a good strong voice for conservatives" and said she hoped to see her run for re-election.

"It's too bad they didn't rally around her for president," Boyd said. "But if she comes home, we'll rally around her here."

Chris Carlson / AP

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., joined by husband Marcus, left, family and friends, announces that she will end her campaign for president Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann has suspended her campaign for the White House.

"I have decided to stand aside," she told a room of supporters and reporters in Iowa. Bachmann said she leaves the race knowing the campaign was run "with integrity." She said now, the country needs to "stand united behind the person our party chooses to be the standard bearer."

Bachmann stressed that her faith in God and the nation remain "unshakable."

After a dismal, sixth place finish in Tuesday night's caucuses, the Minnesota congresswoman canceled a campaign trip to South Carolina and scheduled Wednesday's news conference.

Recommended: Michele Bachmann cartoon slideshow

Even before the official announcement, reports surfaced of her plans. The National Journal quoted a senior Republican official who said the candidate realized "there was no viable way forward." 

Bachmann, 55, had told a small group of supporters Tuesday night that she was staying in the presidential race — as the only true conservative who can defeat President Barack Obama. But her campaign was known to be low on money.

She peaked early with a first place finish in the Iowa GOP's summer straw poll, but by mid- to late September polling showed Bachmann in single digits. She focused her campaign efforts on Iowa, where she grew up.

This campaign suspension leaves her supporters up for grabs as Rick Santorum tries toestablish himself as the conservative heavyweight in the Republican race. Santorum's near-tie with caucus winner Mitt Romney topped a risefrom deep in the polls to contender for the presidentialnomination.

Charles Dharapak / AP

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, greets supporters at his caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.

What we learned from last night: 1) Romney still has a problem with his party’s conservative base… 2) Rick Santorum may be for real… 3) New Hampshire is going to be fascinating to watch… Also: Measuring Santorum’s NH bounce… Romney gets McCain’s endorsement (but is that the best way for him to shore up his conservative-base problems?)… On Paul’s third-place finish… Newt strikes back… Perry sounds like he’s done… So does Bachmann (she holds a presser at 11:00 am ET)… And the GOP’s record (and still disappointing) turnout.

Read Wednesday's original First Thoughts: What we learned from last night

*** What we learned from last night: Despite the thrilling photo-finish start to the first voting of the 2012 presidential contest -- with Mitt Romney finally topping Rick Santorum by just eight votes (!!!) -- we learned pretty much what we already knew heading into last night’s Iowa caucuses, albeit with one big exception. We learned that Romney has a LONG way to go with his party’s conservative base. Of the 47% of caucus-goers identifying themselves as “very conservative,” Romney got just 14% of that vote (compared with Santorum’s 35%). Romney won another 14% from the nearly six in 10 who are evangelical Christians (versus Santorum’s 32%). At some point, he will have to win where conservatives put him over the top, and once he does he’ll be the nominee -- but not until then. (Maybe it'll be in South Carolina, maybe Florida, but he needs it somewhere.) We also learned that Romney still can’t crack the 25% he continues to get in many polls (and what just happened to be the percentage he won in Iowa four years ago).

*** Glass half full for Romney: On the positive side for Romney, we learned that he does MUCH better among Republicans who see the economy as their top issue and who want to beat President Obama in November. And we learned that his final opponent probably won’t be Newt Gingrich or Rick Perry, two folks who either had the money or the potential to go toe to toe with Romney over the long haul. On Monday, Romney said he was going to win Iowa. And he did. Unfortunately for him, his victory -- something he was unable to accomplish four years ago -- got overshadowed by someone else.

*** Santorum may be for real: The one thing we didn’t know heading into last night that we ultimately learned: Rick Santorum is for real. Indeed, he became the story of the night, consolidating just enough of the conservative/evangelical vote to nearly win. (By the way, we’re guessing had Santorum had one more day, he probably would have won). His challenge now? To get the time to start putting together the resources and campaign infrastructure to compete with Romney in New Hampshire and beyond. What to watch: Do movement conservatives who have so far stayed on the sidelines (the Palins, the Cains, the DeMints, Tea Party groups, etc.) begin rallying to his side? This is the last conservative train leaving the station. Does Romney upset these folks enough that they want to potentially upset the eventual Republican nominee? That's the calculation that may be taking place among these folks.

*** New Hampshire is going to be fascinating to watch: And here’s another thing we didn’t know that we ultimately learned from last night: The upcoming New Hampshire contest is going to be FASCINATING, as well as potential trouble for Romney. It’s do-or-die time for Jon Huntsman. Gingrich last night warned that he will make New Hampshire his Alamo (more on that below). So you could have Huntsman hitting Romney from the middle and Gingrich hitting him from the right. That creates an opportunity for Santorum, who has the potential to stay above that fray and pull off another surprising finish. Second place in New Hampshire is worth something if it’s 25% or more.

*** Measuring Santorum’s New Hampshire bounce: How much can Santorum benefit in New Hampshire with his virtual tie for first in Iowa? Traditionally, the top-three finishers in Iowa haven’t experienced much of a boost – just 3 points jump on average from the last New Hampshire poll before the Iowa caucuses to the actual New Hampshire result. But the 1996 Republican presidential primary might be instructive (another year when a fairly weak front-runner (Bob Dole) was running for the second time and against a Democratic incumbent in the general election.) In 1996, Pat Buchanan finished second in Iowa and jumped 12 points in New Hampshire to win with 27%. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who faced questions of viability in the Granite State and was polling at just 9%, got a 14-point bounce and finished a very close third with 23%. The last Suffolk tracking poll showed Santorum at just 5% in New Hampshire, so if he gets the 12-to-14 point Buchanan-Alexander bounce, he could finish with 17%-21% -- still far short of what Romney is expected to get.

*** Romney gets McCain’s endorsement: When Romney gets to New Hampshire today, he’ll pick up the endorsement from John McCain, NBC News has confirmed. This means, by the way, that Romney will now have endorsements from three of the four living past GOP nominees (George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, and John McCain). The exception: George W. Bush. But here is something to chew on for Romney: If he has a problem with conservative Republicans, and if they are his threat heading into the future GOP contests, why is he highlighting the Republican whom many movement and social conservatives love to hate?

*** Obama camp on Romney’s “poor performance”: Not surprisingly, the Obama campaign has pounced on last night’s results for Romney. “A day after predicting victory and after six years of trying to win Iowa, Mitt Romney was unable to reach the same margin of the vote he received in 2008 among a Republican field widely recognized as weak,” a campaign official emailed First Read. “It was a poor performance from a candidate who did everything possible to win -- even sacrificing principles to become the self-professed Tea Party candidate and to get to the right of Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich.” Also, the Obama campaign’s Jim Messina and David Axelrod will hold a conference call with reporters at noon ET.

*** On Paul’s third-place finish: Turning to the other candidates, Ron Paul certainly did well with the young voters, independents, and first-time caucus-goers. But it wasn’t enough to avoid finishing third, at 21%. With his campaign money and his devoted followers, Paul has the potential to stay in the race for the long haul. But third place is a disappointment for the Texas congressman, because Iowa was the one place that had the potential for him to score a victory.

*** Newt strikes back: Gingrich made it very clear in his speech last night that he’s going on the attack against Romney. During his speech last night, Gingrich praised Santorum for running a positive campaign, but then he added: “I wish could say for all candidates.” Gingrich went on to say that the GOP would have a debate on whether to elect a Reagan conservative who helped change Washington, or a “Massachusetts moderate good at managing decay.” In fact, his campaign is already running a full-page ad in the New Hampshire Union Leader casting Romney as a “timid Massachusetts moderate.”

*** Perry sounds like he’s done: When Rick Perry -- after finishing a disappointing fifth -- said he was traveling home to Texas to assess the state of his campaign, he sounded like someone who is already done. We’d be very surprised if he makes it to New Hampshire or South Carolina.

*** Is Bachmann about to call it quits? Meanwhile, NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reports that Michele Bachmann -- who finished in sixth – will be holding a media avail this morning at 11:00 am ET at the West Des Moines Marriott. Spokeswoman Alice Stewart says that Bachmann has canceled her trip to South Carolina. While Bachmann last night vowed to stay in the race, this feels like someone who could call it quits today.

*** The GOP’s record (and still disappointing) turnout: Here’s a final point on last night: GOP turnout in Iowa -- roughly 122,000 -- was a record. And it was important for Republicans that this turnout exceeded what they got in 2008 (118,000). But make no mistake: It was a disappointing number, especially given what Republicans were hoping for to show the enthusiasm to defeat President Obama in the fall. Getting 140,000 or 150,000 would have shown real enthusiasm. Republicans didn’t get that last night. It may have been more a reflection on the candidate field than on the prospect of defeating the president.

Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 6 days

Countdown to South Carolina primary: 17 days

Countdown to Florida primary: 27 days

Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 31 days

Countdown to Super Tuesday: 62 days

Countdown to Election Day: 307 days
 

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PROGRAMMING NOTES.

*** Wednesday's “Daily Rundown" line-up (live from New Hampshire): Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) on last night's results and what's next for his campaign… Southern Illinois University's David Yepsen and the University of New Hampshire's Dante Scala on what Iowa momentum (or lack thereof) means for New Hampshire and beyond… Rep. Steve King (R-IA) on what he saw in his caucus last night… More 2012 headlines and analysis with NBC's Ron Mott, the New York Times' Gail Collins and WMUR's James Pindell.

*** Wednesday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews former NH Sen. Bob Smith (a Gingrich supporter), SC Dem Chair Dick Harpootlian and SC GOP Chair Chad Connelly, FL GOP Chair Lenny Curry, the New York Times’ Charles Blow and Karen Hunter, the Nation’s David Corn, Dem strategist Steve McMahon, and MSNBC political analyst Michelle Bernard.

*** Wednesday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’S Thomas Roberts talks with MSNBC’S Ed Schultz, Gingrich campaign adviser David Winston, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Politico’s Reid Wilson, the Huffington Post’s Jennifer Donahue, Republican Strategist Susan Del Percio, and Democratic strategist Doug Thornell.

*** Wednesday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include former Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton, MSNBC Political Analyst Richard Wolffe, MSNBC contributor Meghan McCain, Time’s Rana Foroohar, and the Huffington Post's Jon Ward.

*** Wednesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up (from Manchester, NH): President Obama delivers remarks on the economy from 1:15 pm to 1:45 pmET. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell also will talk to the Washington Post’s Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza, Romney adviser Kevin Madden, Steve Forbes, and Politico’s Joe Williams.

*** Wednesday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews The Hill’s AB Stoddard, Michael Smerconish, Steve Deace, and Scott Siepker.

2012: Eight is Enough

The Des Moines Register: “Mitt Romney wins Iowa caucus by 8 votes.” (The print edition front page: “Romney wins by 8 votes.” Subhed: “Contrasting tactics yield photo finish.”)

The AP’s Beaumont: “In many ways distinctly different, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney took near opposite paths to twin victories in Iowa's presidential caucuses.”

With 30,015 votes, Romney finished six votes short of his 2008 total of 30,021.

The New Hampshire Union Leader: “Romney edges Santorum by 8 votes in Iowa caucuses; on to NH.”

“Mitt Romney’s quest to swiftly lock down the Republican presidential nomination with a commanding finish in the Iowa caucuses was undercut on Tuesday night by the surging candidacy of Rick Santorum, who fought him to a draw on a shoestring budget by winning over conservatives who remain skeptical of Mr. Romney,” the New York Times says.

The New York Daily News: “Mitt Romney tops Rick Santorum in historically-close Iowa caucuses.” Its lede: “Mitt Romney pulled off a shocker over a surging Rick Santorum in an historically-close Iowa caucuses Tuesday night - winning by a razor-thin eight votes out of nearly 122,000 that were cast. Santorum’s strong showing dashed Mitt Romney’s hopes to quickly lock up the inside track to the GOP nomination.”

The New York Post front page: “GOP dead heat.”

The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.: “Right candidate could topple Romney in S.C.”

The AP: “Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney waged a seesaw battle for supremacy in Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses late Tuesday night, a dramatic opening round for the campaign to pick a challenger to President Barack Obama.” It called the dead heat, a fitting conclusion to a race as jumbled as any since Iowa gained the lead-off position in presidential campaigns four decades ago. Regardless of the outcome, there was enough for both to claim a victory -- Romney as the man to beat for the party's nomination and Santorum as the leader among those struggling to emerge as the former governor's unvarnished conservative rival in the primaries yet to come.”

“Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he's looking forward to a long nomination race as he finished in a dead heat Tuesday with Rick Santorum in the Iowa caucuses,” AP’s Hunt writes.

“Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum declared that his strong Iowa showing means it's ‘game on’ for the party's presidential nomination, and he's heading to New Hampshire for round two,” AP’s Glover writes.

BACHMANN: “Michele Bachmann told a small group of supporters Tuesday night that she's staying in the presidential race as the only true conservative who can defeat the sitting president, despite a bleak showing in the Iowa caucuses,” the New York Daily News writes. “The Minnesota congresswoman was running in last place among six candidates as returns came in from the nation's first Republican presidential nominating contest.”

HUNTSMAN: “As all eyes turn from Iowa to New Hampshire, Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman today sharpened his critique of his major rival in New Hampshire, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney,” the Boston Globe writes. Huntsman said: “If you’re the largest recipient of funds from the banking sector, as Governor Romney is, for example, do you think you can fix what needs to be fixed?” No way, no how. It’ll be a status quo outcome.”

Yesterday, Huntsman had a message for whoever the winner is of the Iowa caucuses, per NBC’s Jo Ling Kent: "Welcome to New Hampshire. Nobody cares."

Marking his 150th public campaign event last night, Huntsman -- who skipped campaigning in Iowa and is fully focused on New Hampshire -- got his biggest New Hampshire audience since entering the GOP race, with more than 350 people packing an iconic town hall.

PAUL: “Ron Paul, the libertarian maverick, displayed the strength of his candidacy among young people at a joint public event on caucus day,” the Boston Globe writes

PERRY: “Perry’s stunning revelation – which pundits believe will soon lead to the official termination of his campaign – was a stark reversal from his tough talk just hours before,” the New York Daily News writes. “He vowed to stay in the race. Perry released a campaign schedule for South Carolina – held in two weeks – and he also announced a TV ad buy in the Palmetto State, seemingly clear signals that he intended to fight in the Southern battleground state.”

ROMNEY: “Mitt Romney likes to boast that he built his 2012 presidential campaign for the long haul. Good thing,” the Boston Globe’s Glen Johnson writes. “By virtually splitting the vote in last night’s Iowa caucuses with Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, Romney not only gained an emboldened opponent with an organization of this own (Paul), but also one with an ideological backing that has always eluded him (Santorum). In addition, he now faces a trident of sorts, as a wounded Newt Gingrich launches his own assault on the former Massachusetts governor.”

OBAMA AGENDA: Obama speaks to Iowa Democrats

President Obama holds an event on the economy in Cleveland, OH, and he speaks at 1:15 pm ET.

“Trying to drown out the Republican din Tuesday night, President Obama said his first three years in office have shown he is making good on his 2008 campaign pledge to bring hope and change,” the New York Daily News writes. “‘In some ways, I’m actually more optimistic now than I was when I first ran, because we’ve already seen change take place,’ Obama said in a Web chat with Democrats in Iowa, who held their own caucus, albeit symbolic, on the same night as the GOP. ‘And part of what 2012 is about is ... reminding the American people of how far we’ve traveled.’

More: “Obama used the video talk to tick off the promises he has kept since he won the contested Iowa Democratic caucus in 2008: ending the Iraq War and expanding the number of people with medical insurance and a variety of middle-class tax break.”