Joe Kennedy III, grandson of Robert Kennedy, announced today that he is leaving his job at the Middlesex District Attorney's office to start an exploratory committee for a possible run for Rep. Barney Frank's Massachusetts Congressional seat.

Frank announced his intention to retire in November after he finishes his 16th term in the seat, citing redistricting as the reason.

Here's Kennedy's full statement:

I am announcing today my intention to explore a candidacy for the United States Congress in the Fourth District of Massachusetts.

I look forward to reaching out to the residents of the Fourth District over the coming weeks, and I will look back on my work as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County - and before then, in Barnstable County - with great appreciation for the dedication of my colleagues and their commitment to equal justice under law.  I loved my work in the courts and will remember its lessons as I seek the counsel of the citizens of the Fourth District.

One lesson that will stick with me from my time in the courts is how hard police, prosecutors and judges work together to achieve fairness. Fairness, the foundation of America's social compact, seems to be in short supply these days. We wage war, pass skewed tax breaks, and expand benefits by spendthrift borrowing, saddling the next generation of Americans with unsustainable debt.

Then when it comes time to restoring fiscal sanity to our budget, we see the middle class and the poor take the hit while the wealthy get more tax breaks.
 
The lack of common sense and fairness in Washington is a byproduct of the partisan gridlock that has turned obstruction into victory. Americans are better than that. Each and every day, we work with people of different backgrounds and political views to achieve a common purpose. Washington can and should do the same.
 
My decision to look seriously at elected office is grounded in a deep commitment to public service and my experience - both my own and that of my family -- in finding just, practical, and bipartisan solutions to difficult challenges. It is a commitment instilled in me at a young age and one that inspired me to join the Peace Corps after college and to become a prosecutor after law school.
 
I have given my notice of resignation to the Middlesex District Attorney's office, and my work will wind down over the course of the next two weeks.  I will then begin to reach out to the people of the Fourth District in order to hear directly from them about the challenges they are facing and their ideas on how we can restore fairness to our system. I will make a final decision about entering the race in the weeks thereafter.
 
I look forward to this new challenge, and to meeting people across the district in the weeks ahead.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Newt Gingrich is out with his first “contrast” television ad airing in both New Hampshire and South Carolina Thursday, marking a new phase of his presidential campaign.

The TV ad, which calls Mitt Romney’s economic plan “timid,” is a switch from the positive-only ads the campaign was running in Iowa -- all of those ads featured Gingrich doing the narration.

The “Bold, Conservative Leadership” ad uses video from previous Gingrich ads, but has a male narrator talking about the negatives of Romney’s economic plan and the positives of Gingrich’s jobs plan.

“Romney’s economic plan: timid. Parts of it virtually identical to Obama’s failed policies. Timid won’t create jobs and timid certainly won’t defeat Barack Obama,” the man says with Romney’s face faded in the background as somber music plays.

As more upbeat music plays and brighter images, the narrator goes on to praise the former House Speaker: “Newt Gingrich’s bold leadership balanced the budget, reformed welfare, helped create millions of new jobs. The Gingrich jobs plan: a powerful plan for growing our economy and creating jobs.”

But just before the Iowa caucuses, Gingrich vowed to keep his ads “happy and positive” even when his campaign moved into this contrast phase.

“Our ads are all going to be very happy and positive; we don’t do anything negative. All we have to say in a happy and positive way is Newt believes in defining the second amendment, here’s what Romney said about guns,” Gingrich told reporters in Burlington, Iowa, earlier this week.

Keeping the ads “factually accurate,” at least by his standards, is very important to Gingrich, who was heavily attacked by Romney, as well as many other candidates, the weeks leading up to the first-in-the-nation caucus.

“As long as it’s factually accurate, it can’t be seen as a negative campaign to describe accurately somebody’s record,” Gingrich said the day of the Iowa caucus.

The campaign will not confirm the size of this TV buy, but does say it is "significant" and will continue to run similar “contrast” ads in the early nominating states.

Here come the attacks on Romney… McCain’s revealing answer on Arizona and if it’s in play in the general election… Perry’s decision to stay in the race helps Romney… Obama’s recess appointments -- a fight he wants to have with Congress… Santorum raises $1 million after Iowa… Don’t forget about the pro-Santorum Super PAC… Update on the ad spending in NH, SC, and FL… And lots of campaigning in the Granite State today.

*** Here come the attacks on Romney: Unlike past presidential-primary front-runners, Mitt Romney has enjoyed this advantage over the past year: His GOP rivals have largely attacked each other, and have left him alone. Just last week in the lead up to Iowa, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann were blasting Rick Santorum; Perry also went after Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Santorum for their previous service in Congress; and Jon Huntsman hit Paul over those racially charged newsletters -- all leaving Romney unscathed. (The equivalent would be, in late 2007, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, and Chris Dodd all beating up each other instead of Hillary Clinton, which never happened.) But after Romney’s narrow win in Iowa, and now that Gingrich is looking for revenge, Romney has now become the target of attacks for the first time this campaign season. In fact, the Gingrich camp is now up with this TV ad hitting Romney in New Hampshire and South Carolina. The question becomes: How does Romney handle it?

*** McCain’s revealing answer on Arizona and immigration: Yesterday, one of us interviewed John McCain after he endorsed Romney at an event in New Hampshire. Toward the end of the interview, we asked McCain this question: Is Arizona in play in the general election? And his reaction was especially telling. He paused for a few moments and replied, “I think that if not this election cycle, the demographics are that Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, even Texas will all be in play.” McCain, who was once a principal architect of comprehensive immigration reform but who no longer supports it until the border is secured, added: “We have to fix our problems with the Hispanics.” Where does it start? “It starts with a way to address the issue of immigration in a humane and caring fashion -- at the same time emphasize the need to secure our borders.”

*** Perry’s decision helps Romney: Make no mistake: Rick Perry’s decision to stay in the presidential contest and campaign in South Carolina -- despite his fifth-place finish in Iowa (where he spent more than $4 million on TV ads) -- greatly helps Romney’s campaign. Why? Because it potentially splits up the conservative/Tea Party/evangelical vote. If both Bachmann and Perry had bowed out, that vote would probably go to either Santorum or Gingrich. In addition, it's -- shall we say -- interesting that Perry's decision surprised many of his own staff. Why the change of heart? Did Bachmann's withdrawal do it?

*** The fight Obama wants: As far as President Obama’s recess appointments yesterday, it is absolutely clear that he and his team want a fight with Congress -- and any legal challenge that comes with it. And they've made it clear if they don't currently HAVE a dispute with Congress, they are happy to pick a fight. And this fight, over the Consumer Protection board, has the added benefit of creating an "us vs. them" middle class narrative. After Obama made his recess appointment of Richard Cordray official, the Romney campaign fired off this press release: “This action represents Chicago-style politics at its worst and is precisely what then-Senator Obama claimed would be ‘the wrong thing to do.’ Sadly, instead of focusing on economic growth, he is once again focusing on creating more regulation, more government, and more Washington gridlock.” But the Obama campaign fired back with this: “By opposing the appointment of Richard Cordray to run the first-ever consumer watchdog bureau, Mitt Romney today stood with predatory lenders and Republicans in Congress over the middle class.”  By the way, given the speed of the Obama campaign response, it's another sign that the Obama campaign is already focusing on the person they believe will be their general election opponent.

*** Santorum raises $1 million after Iowa: Turning back to the GOP presidential contest, Santorum has raised $1 million since his narrow second-place finish in Iowa, a campaign staffer confirmed to NBC’s Andrew Rafferty last night. Can they keep it up?

*** Don’t forget about the pro-Santorum Super PAC: While the pro-Romney Super PAC Restore Our Future has received much attention -- and deservedly so -- for the impact that it played in Iowa, it’s worth pointing out the role that the pro-Santorum Red, White, and Blue Fund had as well. Although Santorum spent a mere $23,000 in advertising in the Hawkeye State, the Red, White, and Blue Fund spent $530,000 there. That’s not a small chunk of change. And organizers say it’s planning to start advertising in South Carolina. Meanwhile, NBC’s Michael Isikoff reports that the conservative investor Foster Freiss, is one of the principal backers of this pro-Santorum Super PAC. He declined to give precise figures on how much he has donated (“I don't dare let my wife know that," he joked), but said he wouldn’t object to a report that he was the major financial backer of the political action committee.

*** Update on the ad spending: By the way, here’s where things currently stand in the early-state advertising battle:
New Hampshire: Our Destiny PAC (pro-Huntsman) $1.8 million, Paul $1.5 million, Romney $1 million, Perry $234,000, Santorum $30,000.
South Carolina: Make Us Great Again $1.8 million, Romney $555,000, Perry $220,000, Paul $219,000, Restore Our Future $147,000, Santorum $12,000
Florida: Romney $823,000, Restore Our Future $790,000

*** On the trail: With five days to go until the New Hampshire primary, most of the action is in the Granite State: Santorum has events in Manchester, Northfield, Tilton, and Windham… Gingrich hits Plymouth, Littleton, Lancaster, and Meredith… Huntsman is in Hampton, Durham, Portsmouth, and Newport… And Romney begins his day in Salem before heading to Charleston, SC, where he holds an event with Gov. Nikki Haley and brand-new endorser John McCain.

*** DNC hits Romney: And with McCain once again stumping with Romney, the DNC has a new web video cataloging all of the instances from the 2008 when McCain criticized Romney for being a flip-flopper. The video asks, “Which Mitt is he endorsing?

Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 5 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 16 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 26 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 30 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 61 days
Countdown to Election Day: 306 days

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*** Thursday's “Daily Rundown" line-up (live from New Hampshire): Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on his support for Romney… Santorum supporter Ron Carey (who previously backed Pawlenty and once worked for Bachmann) on his candidate's surge and where it goes from here… NBC's Carrie Dann on Perry's plans to return to the trail… NBC's Pete Williams and Luke Russert on the battle over President Obama's recess appointments… And more 2012 news with USA Today's Susan Page, CNBC's John Harwood, and Michael Shear of the New York Times.

*** Thursday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include New York Magazine’s John Heilemann, former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, the New Yorker’s Kelefa Sanneh, and the Atlantic’s Megan McArdle.

*** Thursday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up (from Manchester, NH): NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Sen. Kelly Ayotte, former NH Sen. John Sununu, Sen. John Barrasso (about military defense cuts and the payroll tax), Politico’s Alex Burns, Vanity Fair’s Todd Purdum, the National Journal’s exclusive cover reveal with Ron Fournier, and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.

*** Thursday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews Time magazine’s Michael Crowley, Huntsman senior adviser Ben Porritt, and Jon Soltz of VotVets.

After his narrow victory in Iowa, Romney makes the cover of Time magazine: “So You Like Me Now?

The Washington Post: “Fresh off the slimmest of victories in the Iowa caucuses, Mitt Romney landed here Wednesday and immediately faced intense attacks from Republican presidential rivals who vowed to challenge him more aggressively. Newt Gingrich held a news conference in Concord to say that Romney is a liberal and a political chameleon, willing to change positions to suit his needs.”

Romney has a new TV ad airing in South Carolina that plays up the NRLB-Boeing flap in the Palmetto State (though the matter has now been resolved).

BACHMANN: She’s out. “Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann suspended her presidential campaign today, after a dismal finish in last night’s Iowa caucuses,” the Boston Globe writes. “Last night the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, and so I have decided to stand aside,” she said.

The New York Post in a rough headline: “Dud Michele quits.”

“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,” AP writes. “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.”

The Minnesota Star-Tribune also notes Bachmann “gave no indication of what's in store for her future -- or whether she even plans to stay in politics.” More: “The question that remains is whether the 55-year-old Bachmann, a party maverick who has built up a national brand through her campaign, is ready to return to Washington lawmaking as one of 435 House members. A founder of the Tea Party Caucus, Bachmann has developed a reputation for occasionally hijacking the message of Republican Party leaders in the House, where she is thought to have little chance of upward mobility. As she demonstrated in earlier protests against President Obama's health care legislation in Washington, her true power base lies outside Congress, not within it.”

SANTORUM: Now that Santorum is the anti-Romney front runner, the scrutiny is coming. NBC’s Michael Isikoff finds that a wealthy Wyoming financier is the principal backer of a pro-Santorum Super PAC Restore Our Future, which spent more than half-a-million dollars in Iowa on ads for the former Pennsylvania senator, and it figures to play prominently in South Carolina and other contests. Here’s his report and interview with Foster Friess.

Bloomberg digs through his financial disclosure and notes, “Since his 2006 re-election defeat, the former Pennsylvania lawmaker has gone from being one of the poorer members of the U.S. Senate to earning $1.3 million between January 2010 and August 2011.”

First Read noted back in November, as scrutiny was coming Newt Gingrich’s way on his payments from Freddie Mac, that Rick Santorum was also “not a lobbyist”: “A review of the financial disclosure form for Rick Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, shows he made $65,000 for “legislative policy consulting services" from American Continental Group, a government affairs and consulting firm -- a.k.a. a lobbying firm -- in Washington in 2010 up until Aug. 2 of this year when he filed his form. Santorum lists that he began working for them as a consultant in July 2009 and lists them as a "present" employer.”

PERRY: The Texas Tribune asks: “After Poor Iowa Showing, Why is Perry Still Running?”

“GOP contender Rick Perry seemed to change course Wednesday on his decision to bail from the race — announcing on Twitter that he was headed to South Carolina,” the New York Daily News notes.

ROMNEY: “Mitt Romney, able to seize the offensive in Iowa’s Republican presidential contest, turned overnight into a front-runner on the defensive as rivals stepped up attacks on the former Massachusetts governor in advance of New Hampshire’s pivotal Jan. 10 primary,” Bloomberg writes.

The Boston Globe similarly writes, “A shrunken field of Republican candidates yesterday launched a hectic one-week dash to win over New Hampshire’s famously fickle voters. Front-runner Mitt Romney, who holds a wide lead in statewide polls, came under assault from four remaining competitors as a flip-flopping moderate, presenting a new test of whether he can survive sustained scrutiny of his record.”

The New York Daily News: “Fresh off his paper-thin win in Iowa, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney swept into New Hampshire on Wednesday with a giant bull’s-eye on his back. Romney did his best to stay under the radar in the long leadup to Iowa as a rotating cast of candidates surged ahead in the polls and then flamed out. But no more.”

Joshua Green at Bloomberg notes, as NBC’s Garrett Haake did, that Romney declared he would win Iowa. “Less than 24 hours before the Iowa caucuses got under way, Mitt Romney, paragon of discipline, stood among empty oil drums and rusting tools in a Marion asphalt plant and let himself get a little carried away,” Green writes. “ ‘We’re going to win this thing!’ he declared to a cheering throng. His staff scrambled to tamp down this impromptu bit of expectations-setting. But his elation was understandable. The growing crowds validated his last-minute decision to compete all out in a state that four years earlier had spurned him, and he sensed a big win coming. And while his eight-vote squeaker didn’t provide the decisive margin he would have preferred, Romney still looks to have a clear path to the Republican nomination.”

“A political action committee called Restore Our Future, which supports Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, ran more than $1.2 million of negative ads in Iowa, mostly aimed at Gingrich. The PAC made at least one false statement and several misleading ones over the course of five of its last commercials,” Bloomberg notes.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to technical difficulty, we were unable to get in several other clips earlier. Those have been added in now.

“President Obama touched off a fierce election-year confrontation with Congressional Republicans on Wednesday, defying their deep opposition to appoint Richard Cordray as director of a new consumer protection agency and fill three labor board vacancies,” the New York Times writes. “The decision to install the four nominees without Senate approval under the constitutional provision for making appointments when lawmakers are in recess was a provocative opening salvo in Mr. Obama’s re-election strategy of demonizing Congress. It threatened to ignite a legal challenge and left Republicans fuming that the president was abusing the recess privilege.”

“President Barack Obama signaled readiness for a brawling election campaign by bypassing the U.S. Senate on high-profile appointments after disappointing supporters for not taking a stronger stance against Republicans,” Bloomberg notes. “The president’s defiance of congressional Republicans in naming a consumer financial watchdog and three National Labor Relations Board members without Senate consent may harm the chances of other nominees requiring confirmation for the rest of his term and also end in court. Yet Obama’s decision to make the appointments during a brief Senate recess helps frame his election-year gambit of running against a gridlocked Congress.”

“President Barack Obama is putting his personal stamp on a rejiggered Pentagon strategy for absorbing hundreds of billions of dollars in defense budget cuts, marking a turning point in U.S. security policy after a decade of war,” AP writes. “Obama planned to make a rare appearance in the Pentagon press briefing room Thursday to announce results of a strategy review that he ordered last spring. The aim was twofold: Streamline the military in an era of tighter budgets and reassess defense priorities in light of China's rise and other global changes. Obama's decision to announce the results himself underscores the political dimension of Washington's debate over defense savings.”

Just days after the Democratic Governors Association revealed raising $20 million in 2011, the Republican Governors Association tells First Read that it more than doubled that amount – raising $44.1 million for the year and having $26.6 million cash on hand.

A wealthy Wyoming financier and conservative philanthropist confirmed today that he is one of the principal backers of a new Super PAC that spent more than $530,000 on TV ads in Iowa supporting Rick Santorum and figures to play prominently in South Carolina and elsewhere.

Foster Freiss, the founder of a hugely successful mutual investment fund, told NBC News that he is "one of a number of contributors who have rallied" to the Red, White and Blue Fund, the new super pac supporting Santorum.

He declined to give precise figures on how much he has put into the Super PAC. " I don't dare let my wife know that," he joked, but said he wouldn't object to a report that he was the major financial backer of the Super PAC.

"If I put up a million bucks, it doesnt' compare...to the kind of commitment" the country's Founding Fathers made or American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan make, he said.

Freiss' funding of the Red, White and Blue Fund, which has not yet been publicly disclosed, is the latest example of how wealthy donors are pouring funds into Super PACs to influence the presidential election.

In the days before this week's Iowa caucus, the Red White and Blue Fund began doing a rash of media buys on Iowa TV stations, running ads touting Santorum as a "dedicated defender of the unborn" and "a resolute leader of the fight against radical Islam" ending with the words, "Rick Santorum, a real conservative America can trust."

The Red, White and Blue Fund registered with the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 1, 2011, but is not due to file any reports disclosing its contributors until the end of this month. Christopher Marston, a former Bush administration official, who is listed as Treasurer of the Super PAC, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Freiss, who is based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is the founder of an investment fund called Freiss Associates, which includes on its website a quote from a Business Week article touting him as "the longest surviving successful growth stock picker."

He has a long history of backing Santorum, having donated $250,000 to a conservative group, Softer Voices, that ran ads on behalf of Santorum during his unsuccessful 2006 reelection campaign. He also has been a major donor to other GOP and conservative causes over the years, having given $250,000 to the Republican Governors Assocation last year as well as pumping a reported $3 million into The Daily Caller, a conservative website run by former MSNBC anchor Tucker Carlson.

Freiss said one of the main reasons he is attracted to Santorum is his positions on national-security issues. "He's incredibly versed in one of the No. 1 issues of our time -- and that is violent Islamic extremism," he said. "And, as a result," he contended, "he'll be able to appeal to the Jewish vote, which last time went 68 percent for Obama."

But he said Santorum's appeal went beyond that because of his working-class roots and ability to work with Democrats in the Senate. When "you wrap the total package, in terms of electability," Freiss boasted, "Santorum will be able to appeal to so many different constituencies -- the blue-collar worker that wants to go back to work, the evangelical commuity, the Jewish commuity, the Catholic community."

LACONIA, NH – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich spent the day after the Iowa Caucuses holding events in the Granite State and took aim at the frontrunner in the state’s primary next week: Mitt Romney.

“There is an enormous difference between somebody who has spent their entire career as a Reagan conservative and somebody who has spent their entire career as a Massachusetts moderate,” Gingrich said at Belknap Mills Wednesday afternoon. “I think in terms of beating Obama, having a clearly defined conservative is vastly more likely to win than having somebody who’s confused.”

Gingrich finished a distant fourth in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses Tuesday night as Romney squeaked out a win -- just 8 votes -- over the late-surging Rick Santorum. Both Romney and Ron Paul hammered the Speaker in negative advertisements in the state throughout the month of December, causing Gingrich to fall in polls. But Gingrich says the race hasn’t deterred him

“In this campaign so far, I’ve been dead once, resurrected, limping along, the front runner, drowning in a tidal wave of Romney and Ron Paul negative ads, recovered and survived,” he said. “So I don’t worry about much of anything.”

Gingrich said the idea of Romney being “electable is just silly” even though the people of Iowa selected Romney as the winner of its caucus.

The Gingrich campaign started more aggressively targeting the former Massachusetts governor early Wednesday, running a full-page ad in New Hampshire’s Union Leader newspaper, claiming “Only a Bold Reagan Conservative Can Defeat President Obama” and that is not Romney.

These attacks appear to break Gingrich’s pledge to run a positive-only campaign although the former speaker claims he is just showing contrast, not going negative.

Gingrich chose to start hitting Romney in New Hampshire, a state that borders the one Romney governed and a place where the former governor even owns a house. Gingrich took aim at Romney’s real estate today, as well.

When asked by a man in the crowd if the former speaker would purchase a home here in the Lakes Region, Gingrich responded with a jab at Romney. “No, I can’t afford things like that, I’m not rich,” he said. And even Callista, his wife, chimed in, with a dig at the Romneys, who own three homes. “We have one home,” Callista said.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa –- Before a handful of supporters and members of her Iowa staff, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann today announced that she’s dropping out of the presidential race, the morning after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses.

“Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice,” Bachmann said. “And so I have decided to stand aside.”

She finished in sixth-place in the caucuses, a stunning reversal of fortune for a candidate whose early surge in polls propelled her to victory in the state’s straw poll, less than five months ago.

But Bachmann’s support had steadily waned since that win in August, despite efforts large and small to win Iowa voters. Only last week, Bachmann finished a grueling, 11-day bus tour of the state’s 99 counties.
 
And from the start, Bachmann emphasized having grown up here in Iowa, where she said she learned about simple values, such as thrift and plain-talk.

“I came here to this wonderful state of Iowa,” Bachmann said this morning, of her presidential run. “I had just one message. To tell you that I mean what I say, and I say what I mean.”

As if to prove her point, Bachmann’s remarks this morning re-iterated much of her stump message, casting her fight against President Obama’s national health-care law in grand, historical terms.

Referring to a painting hanging in the U.S. Capitol depicting the signing of the Constitution, Bachmann said the “poignant reminder” of our “fragile republic” called her to action during the 2010 debate over health care. The evening the bill was passed, Bachmann said, she decided to run for president.

“I ran because I believe that since Day 1, Barack Obama's policies, based on socialism, are destructive to the very foundation of the republic,” she added, using an attack on President Obama she had debuted only weeks ago, as part of her closing argument to Iowans.

Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, and much of her family -– including her mother, her three brothers, and her five children –- joined her on stage. The event, brief and low key, followed several frantic hours of media activity after reporters were instructed early this morning to return to the same West Des Moines ballroom where last night Bachmann had told supporters she would fight on.

The campaign’s scheduled trip to South Carolina had clearly been put on hold.

Sources close to the campaign say the candidate huddled with top staffers aboard her bus late into last night, but the decision was ultimately hers alone.

“It’s a very big decision, and she made it,” a top staffer said. “All on her terms.”

MANCHESTER, NH -- As the saying goes, better late than never?

With less than one week to go before New Hampshire votes, Jon Huntsman's campaign has announced he has raised enough money to air his first TV ad on the state's largest television station, thanks to a special fundraising effort along with a major personal contribution by Huntsman himself.

Spokesman Tim Miller told NBC News that the ad will go up "in a day or two" on WMUR, New Hampshire's largest television station. The 30-second advertisement, entitled "Only One," calls Huntsman a "consistent conservative" and runs through Huntsman's resume and hits on what has become his closing argument: the "trust and economic deficits."

"The ad will drive home a message Gov. Huntsman is uniquely qualified to deliver to New Hampshire voters about closing our economic deficit, creating jobs and restoring trust in Washington," Miller said on Wednesday.

Huntsman's inaugural ad will hit the airwaves just as the campaign spotlight shifts to New Hampshire from Iowa, which Huntsman skipped.

The ad is only possible thanks to a targeted online appeal for contributions to get Huntsman on the air starting late last week, coupled with Huntsman's own wealth. Two days after fundraising started, Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye decided to inject personal cash into campaign in the ninth hour.

As of this writing, the campaign had raised $88,115 from donors alone, according to its website. Most of this will be matched by Huntsman, though the campaign could not yet confirm exactly how much will be matched by the candidate and how much was raised before his pledge to match.

When the ad makes it on the air, it will be the fourth spot featuring Huntsman to go up here. Three pro-Huntsman ads from Our Destiny PAC, a super PAC supporting his candidacy, have aired in New Hampshire over the past several months.

Our Destiny, according to NBC's ad-tracking numbers, has spent $1.8 million in New Hampshire -- more than any other campaign or political action committee. That's followed by Ron Paul at $1.5 million, Mitt Romney at $1 million, and Rick Perry at $230,000.

MANCHESTER, NH -- Returning to the spotlight in the state that launched his successful bid for the GOP nomination four years ago, 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain endorsed Mitt Romney in New Hampshire today, calling for the state to "catapult" Romney to the nomination.

"I am really here for one reason and one reason only -- and that is to make sure that we make Mitt Romney the next president of the United States of America," McCain said, admitting to a bit of nostalgia for the Granite State. "New Hampshire is the state that will catapult him on to victory in a very short period of time."

Romney arrived in the Granite State energized by his eight-vote win in last night's Iowa caucus, which McCain jokingly referred to as his "landslide" victory. But the energy level faded at the town event here this afternoon after the laudatory introductions had faded.

Long the state's dominant front-runner, Romney faced a series of awkward questions in the town hall portion of the event, including one from a Chinese-American woman who accused Romney of "putting down" Asians; a 31-year old self-identified "Occupy Boston" member who asked Romney if corporations are "abusive people"; and a grade-school-aged boy, who asked Romney for his position on avoiding future conflicts in the Middle East.

While Romney largely handled the questions with aplomb, the atmosphere at the town hall was hardly that of a victory rally of a favorite son come home from the front. Mark Provost, the Occupy protestor, later told NBC News his group intends to make sure Romney faces tough questions all across the country.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Defying expectations that he would quietly drop out of the presidential race in the coming days, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced in a tweet Wednesday morning that he will continue to campaign in South Carolina despite a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. 

"This wasn't a hard decision," Perry told reporters after his 140-character announcement of the continuation of the campaign "marathon" -- which included a photo of himself in running gear -- stunned even some staff who scrambled to confirm his intentions. 

The governor told reporters that he made the decision to push forward during a morning jog in West Des Moines. "I was out on the trail when it kind of came to me." 

Perry offered some harsh words for the caucus state that handed him last night's defeat, saying he was looking forward to participating in "actual primaries" with "real Republicans."

"This is a quirky place,  a quirky process to say the least," he said of the Iowa caucus system. "And we’re going to go into places where they have actual primaries and there are going to be real Republicans voting."

"The fact it is was a pretty loosey-goosey process, and you had a ton of people who were there that admitted they were Democrats voting in the caucuses last night," he added. 

However, South Carolina has an open primary, meaning that political independents and Democrats can participate in that process, too. 

Perry told supporters in a speech that seemed just shy of a concession last night that he would "reassess" the future of his campaign in Austin. He is traveling as planned to his home state Wednesday but will participate in two debates in New Hampshire this weekend before pushing on to South Carolina. 

The campaign has been torn by spats -- some aired on the pages of national news outlets -- between the Texas-based loyalists on his staff and outside consultants who joined the campaign in the fall. Perry mentioned only two senior aides by name -- relative newcomer Joe Allbaugh and longtime Texas ally and communications director Ray Sullivan -- when asked whom he consulted about his decision to stay in the race. 

Perry declined to say whether or not there would be any staff changes after the Iowa defeat 

"I don’t have any idea," Perry said. "That’s not my area of expertise. I leave that to Joe Allbaugh.”

So how much has Rick Santorum spent so far in advertising in New Hampshire and South Carolina?

A grand total of $37,000, according to numbers from Smart Media Group Delta. And that’s just on cable and radio.

This amount includes $5,600 his campaign will place in South Carolina -- on FOX News -- from Jan. 5 through Jan. 11.

By comparison, Mitt Romney’s campaign has purchased more than $1 million of advertising time in New Hampshire, and $550,000 in South Carolina.

*** UPDATE *** Santorum's campaign has added another $7,000 to his South Carolina ad buy, bringing his NH-SC total to $44,000.

PITTSFIELD, NH -- Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman had this reaction to the news that John McCain -- whom Huntsman endorsed four years ago -- was backing Mitt Romney today in New Hampshire:

Nobody cares.

"I have great regard for Sen. McCain. I love the man. But it's another example of establishment piling on," Huntsman told reporters at Globe Incorporated, a first-responder fire suit manufacturer today.

"It seems the more establishment piles on, Dole, McCain, all the rest, nobody cares. Nobody cares about this. I mean, none of the endorsements that Romney picked up have been a thing in terms of how people respond, because the people are looking for a new generation of leadership. They're looking for a new approach to problem solving in this country. You can get all the Doles and McCains in the world as Romney probably will, but in the end, nobody cares."

Last night, Huntsman -- who has focused his entire campaign here and skipped Iowa -- had the same message for the eventual winner of the Iowa caucuses, Rick Santorum Mitt Romney: "Welcome to New Hampshire. Nobody cares."

The AP with the breaking news:

In a defiant display of executive power, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will buck GOP opposition and name Richard Cordray as the nation's chief consumer watchdog even though the Senate contends the move is inappropriate, senior administration officials told The Associated Press.

With a director in place, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be able to start overseeing the mortgage companies, payday lenders, debt collectors and other financial companies often blamed for practices that helped tank the economy.

Obama's decision to make a recess appointment is certain to cause an uproar from Capitol Hill to Wall Street. He is essentially declaring the Senate's short off-and-on legislative sessions a sham intended to block his appointments.

Our quick take: Here's another example of President Obama willing to pick a fight with Congress and willing to seize on an issue that could play well with middle-class Americans (who might stand to benefit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). However, his opponents will likely criticize him for making a move that George W. Bush never made -- making a recess appointment while Congress is still in session, albeit in a pro-forma session.

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.

*** 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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*** 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), Hotline’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.

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.”

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.”

This story was updated at 1:25a.m. ET

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Texan is going home. 

 After a disappointing fifth place finish in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night, Gov. Rick Perry announced that he will return to his home state to assess the future of a campaign that remained stalled for months despite prolific ad spending and a frenzied eleventh hour bus tour in the Hawkeye State. 

 "With the voters' decision tonight in Iowa, I decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race," Perry told several hundred supporters gathered in the West Des Moines hotel that served as the team's nerve center this week. 

Perry briefly choked up when reading aloud a letter from a supporter who drove from Texas to Iowa to support him.

Unlike his final Iowa campaign events - when he surrounded himself with loyal endorsers - Perry was joined only by his immediate family on stage as he thanked his supporters. 

"You've made every minute of this worth it for ourselves," he told backers. "And with a little prayer and reflection, I'm going to determine the best path forward, but I want to tell you there has been no greater joy in my life than being able to share with the people of Iowa that there is a model to take this country forward and it is in the great state of Texas."

Aides said that Perry discussed the decision with family, senior aide Joe Allbaugh and communications director Ray Sullivan in his hotel suite after the fifth place finish was projected. Perry himself pushed to make the announcement of his return to Texas on stage rather than through a paper statement. 

The next step for Perry will be a powwow with family and advisors as well as a data dive by aides into Perry's performance in the Iowa contest. 

"It's going to come down to a calculus of what the Iowa results really said beyond the first snapshot, what resources we have available financially and otherwise and how we read South Carolina and the potential there," communications director Ray Sullivan told reporters.  

In the waning days of the Iowa race, the campaign hoped that its ground game would propel the candidate to a surprise third place finish or a close fourth place showing. But public polls and internal surveys saw a stubborn lack of momentum despite more than 50 public appearances for the candidate since Dec 14. 

In addition to the weak debate performances and embarrassing gaffes that haunted his campaign, the campaign was also plagued by infighting between its old guard Texas loyalists and more recently added political consultants. 

A public announcement of Perry's next step will come no earlier than Thursday, Sullivan said. 

Earlier we noted that Mitt Romney underperformed in Eastern Mississippi River counties, but he underperformed in the West in counties bordering the Missouri River. 

Notably, Rick Santorum even flipped Woodbury (where Sioux City is), which Romney won in 2008.

WOODBURY
Santorum 32
Romney 28 (down from 38 in 08)
Paul 15

PLYMOUTH
Romney 29 (down from 34 in 08)
Santorum 28
Paul 15

SIOUX
Santorum 46
Romney 14 (same as 08)
Perry 14
Paul 13

LYON
Santorum 61 (Huckabee got 42 in 08)
Paul 11
Perry 10
Gingrich 8
Romney 7 (down from 20 in 08)

HARRISON
Santorum 25
Paul 21
Romney 18 (down from 35 in 08)

POTTAWATTAMIE
Romney 27 (down from 33 in 08)
Santorum 24
Perry 19