From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller

DES MOINES, IA -- Edwards and Dodd were the only two presidential
candidates to speak to partygoers at a holiday fundraiser for Iowa Gov.
Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge Friday night. Individual attendees
paid $35 and families paid $50 for ribs, beer and a chance to hear the
candidates and several surrogates speak.

Edwards, who had spoken at the DNC fall meeting in Virginia earlier in
the day, addressed the crowd last. He gave a lengthier, more
issues-focused speech than any of the others. He began by expressing
gratitude to hard-working campaign staffers and his relief that Clinton
staffers in Rochester, N.H., were unharmed following the day's hostage
situation. He reminded the crowd of those less fortunate and to
celebrate "diverse faiths" during the holiday season.

After Culver, Dodd spoke, his wife Jacki standing just behind him. He
kept it short, telling a story about his 6-year-old daughter: "Grace
the other day asked her mother and I, she said, 'How is Santa Claus
going to know where I am?' I said, 'We'll take care of that.' So
yesterday in front of our home in Connecticut, we put out a sign. It
just says, 'Dear Santa, we're in Iowa. Grace and Christina.' Now we've
got a sign in front of our house here that says, 'Santa, this is where
we live here in Iowa.'"

Surrogates, who took turns at the mic, were former Texas Gov. Mark
White for Richardson, former Transportation Secretary Federico Pena for
Obama and Valerie Biden Owens, Joe Biden's sister and campaign manager.
Tom McMillan, a former congressman from Maryland, was expected to speak
for Clinton, but canceled when her campaign shut down for the day
following the hostage situation in New Hampshire. Former DNC chair
Terry McAuliffe was also a no-show. In the audience were Iowa Reps.
Leonard Boswell and Dave Loebsack and Rhode Island Rep. Patrick
Kennedy, a Dodd endorser. The president of the International
Association of Fire Fighters came with members of his union on Dodd's
behalf.

Faculty Lounge, a local lounge band made up of teachers, provided the
entertainment, and the dance floor was crowded after the speakers
finished. Outside the event, two men held up anti-Dodd signs in the
cold. The fundraiser came the night before each of the Democratic
candidates are expected in Des Moines for the Brown & Black and
Heartland Presidential forums. Equal to the political buzz in the room
was the buzz about an incoming winter storm threatening travel over the
weekend.

From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
DUBUQUE -- Remember "a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush?"

Seven years later, something like it may be back. At least in Iowa, is a vote for Huckabee, a vote for Giuliani?

At a house party meeting of the Iowa Christian Alliance here last
night, surprise guest Jim Bopp, a conservative activist and RNC
committeeman from Indiana who's endorsed Romney, issued this warning,
"I believe that a vote for any one other candidate in the Iowa caucuses
is a vote for Rudy Giuliani. This is the only man who can stop him from
getting the nomination."

But the "anyone else" really wasn't anyone other than the second man
from Hope. "My realistic choice is that either a conservative is going
to emerge that has the ability, the campaign, the money, to compete
with Rudy Giuliani in a very compressed primary season," Bopp said,
putting extra emphasis on the word, "money," "or Rudy Giuliani will be
our nominee. That is the choice." He then cited Romney for being the
conservative who's raised the most money and has the ground
organization to compete.

Immediately after, Bopp said, "You know, I love Mike Huckabee. I love the guy. He's great on life; he's great on family. But one thing I know for sure, he does not have the resources to compete."

Near the end of Romney's appearance, the candidate said after pointing out that both Bopp and ICA President Steve Scheffler had brought up Huckabee first, "We're both, I believe, almost identical on the issues of life and marriage and some of the issues that are of great concern to you. But we share a different view on immigration, for instance. So there are places where we do have some difference," he said, segueing from his initial answer on an education question into the contrast between the two due to Huckabee's support for in-state tuition aid for the children of illegal immigrants.

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
DUBUQUE, IA -- It's no secret that Iowa Christian Alliance president
Steve Scheffler isn't a Rudy fan. But tonight, within spitting distance
of Giuliani's rival GOP candidate Romney, Scheffler
explicitly urged Iowa Christians to oppose Giuliani in the race for the
nomination. "If our party nominates this guy," he told a crowd at a
Dubuque gathering of the ICA, "we will see a bloodbath at the polls
like we've never seen before."

Scheffler went on to slam Giuliani's position on same-sex marriage,
life issues and gun rights. "Rudy Giuliani cannot be elected," he said,
citing the ex-mayor's differences with social conservatives. "We cannot
afford to nominate somebody who's out of touch with the base."

Scheffler made the remarks at a house party here before introducing
Romney, who talked values and faith to Christian activists in Eastern
Iowa. He did not comment on Scheffler's remarks when he took the mic
himself.

The Iowa Christian Alliance has indicated that it will not endorse a candidate in advance of the Iowa caucuses. But it is widely considered to be one of the most influential organizing forces in the state for evangelical conservatives. Campaigns will likely watch the ICA's candidate briefing booklet -- to be released next Wednesday -- with close attention.

If you needed a sign that Giuliani might be in trouble in Iowa, consider this statement from Scheffler; Giuliani "needs to come in fourth place" in Iowa, he said. "Or," he added wistfully, "even worse."