The patriarch of the Duggar family, the 19-member clan subject of a TLC reality show, joined Rick Santorum on the campaign trail Monday to endorse the former Pennsylvania senator.

Jim Bob Duggar made an appearance on behalf of Santorum at the Pizza Ranch in Boone, Iowa on Monday, "asking Christians in America to get behind Rick Santorum" in the battle for the GOP nomination.

The Santorum campaign, which is leaning on support from social conservatives in its bid to win tomorrow's Iowa caucuses, touted the Duggars' support in a subsequent release.

"Rick Santorum is a pro-life, Christian conservative with the family values and common sense business perspective that we need to get our nation back on track, to create jobs and to stand for what is right!" Michelle Duggar said in that statement.

The endorsement isn't the first social conservative act of support for Santorum; he'd been backed by Bob Vander Plaats, a social conservative leader in the state, and courted many of the same activists to have propelled former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to victory in the 2008 Iowa caucuses.

But the Duggars' endorsement is maybe the most prominent for Santorum, given the ratings for their show, "19 Kids and Counting," and their identifiable status as evangelical Christians -- an important voting bloc in Iowa.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- With less than 48 hours to go until the Iowa caucuses become fodder for the history books, Texas Gov. Rick Perry says that the "marathon" of the presidential race is actually just beginning.

"This is the first, let's say, mile one of the marathon," Perry said during a Caucus Eve appearance in Sioux City. "I've run a marathon before. I felt great at mile one. As a matter of fact I felt pretty great at mile 17 and 18. At mile 21 you kinda start hitting that wall a little bit. And we'll see who's still running at mile 21."

"I finished my marathon," asserted Perry, an avid runner who says he tries to lace up his track shoes at least four times a week. "And I expect to finish this marathon as well."

The argument continues a case that the campaign has been making privately to potential supporters but that Perry himself did not publicly assert until this morning: that Perry's campaign -- unlike socially conservative rivals Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum -- has the nationwide infrastructure and fundraising ability necessary to go the distance and win the GOP nomination.

The campaign hopes that his 1,500 Iowa precinct captains and throngs of out-of-state volunteers will help boost the candidate above the fourth or fifth place finish predicted in recent polls. Exceeded expectations could remind disappointed supporters of the organizational and financial muscle flexed by Perry's campaign before a series of poor debate performances tempered his brief status as the campaign's frontrunner.

The candidate was introduced Monday by onetime presidential hopeful Steve Forbes and was joined by a throng of Texan lawmakers and supporters in addition to about 100 Iowans at a rustic hotel festooned with taxidermic creations.

Perry, who yesterday appeared publicly only for a brief visit toa West Des Moines church, exhibited renewed energy Monday as he echoed past swipes at rivals Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.

"I understand what pork-barrel politics is all about. I scratch your back, you scratch mine," he said of Santorum, whose past earmarking is also the target of a new web ad by the campaign. "That is not conservative governing, That is fleecing America and it's gotta stop."

But, as usual, Perry saved his harshest language for the man whose job he's eying.

"America, on the cusp of bankruptcy?" he asked incredulously. "Because [Barack Obama] truly believes if you print enough money that you'll create jobs. And we will expose him for the fraud that he is every day," he said. "I look forward to the opportunity."

BEDFORD, NH -- As Rick Santorum is surging toward a strong finish in Iowa, his campaign believes he is well positioned for a better-than-expected performance in the next contest: the New Hampshire primary.

"We are ready," Santorum state director Nick Pappas told NBC News. "We are not going to be behind the eight ball on this one. It's just a matter of time, we are definitely prepared for what is coming."

Even before he began to rise in the Iowa polls, Santorum was bullish on his chances in the Granite State, where he plans to campaign immediately after the Jan. 3 caucuses. "I guess I feel very confident we are going to do well here, but we're just taking it a day at a time and working hard at it," he told NBC News in Merrimack, back in early December.

Santorum's strategy here is nearly identical to his Iowa ground game: old school retail politics that is all about frequency. His events, like in Iowa, often only garner a handful voters each (and sometimes just this NBC News reporter). But Santorum has built an organization that his campaign thinks will be able to wage a noble fight in the final days ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary.

For starters, Santorum's national campaign director, Mike Biundo, is a New Hampshire political expert who has been involved in local politics for the better part of 20 years. He has directed successful mayoral and congressional campaigns for Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH). Chosen early on to head up Santorum's New Hampshire political action committee, Biundo is also no stranger to presidential campaigns; he worked for Tommy Thompson in 2000 and helped drive Pat Buchanan to a New Hampshire primary victory in 1996.

In October, when Biundo was elevated to national political director and then national campaign manager, it was clear New Hampshire would remain a key state for the shoe-string campaign, and Biundo would help Santorum learn from others' mistakes.

"We talked about what happened with Huckabee in New Hampshire in 2008," Biundo told NBC News, recalling his first conversation with Santorum in December of 2010. "Huckabee was up coming into New Hampshire but without spending a lot of time or groundwork here. So we knew, to bring momentum to South Carolina, we had to put together a very good organization in New Hampshire early -- so if Iowa did what we thought, we would come into New Hampshire with something work with."

"New Hampshire strategy starts with hard work and it can't happen in a week," Biundo added.

The efforts has produced six-person staff that looks very much like the "little engine that could" that Santorum often refers to in Iowa. A small army of faithful volunteers manage daily responsibilities and have put out more campaign road-side signs than any campaign except Mitt Romney. If signs indicated campaign strength, Santorum would place a close second.  The navy blue signs dotted with a white eagle are in every corner of the state.

In addition, Santorum has a modest -- yet pronounced -- base of conservative support. Today, five more state representatives endorsed him, adding to a list that now totals 22. Despite his low polling, Santorum managed to snag rare state senator and county sheriff endorsements, the latter from the same county where Mitt Romney owns a vacation home.

Santorum also hopes to be on the air soon with television and radio ads. He has not aired any spots to date with little money to spare.

On the issues, Santorum's socially conservative credentials have been an unlikely advantage in a state whose Republicans are considered more moderate than those in Iowa. Conservative activists like Karen Testerman -- who previously served Michele Bachmann as a New Hampshire adviser -- have signed on because of his unabashed support of traditional family structures and anti-abortion rights position.

"Voters realize these issues are tied into their pocketbook," state director Pappas said. "Especially abortion, Planned Parenthood taking tax dollars, and broken families. Social issues are attached to the pocket book."

Lastly, Santorum has been a familiar face in New Hampshire, having campaigned in the state as much as Mitt Romney  has, and being second only to Jon Huntsman (who nowadays doesn't campaign anywhere else). And when he's on the ground here, he draws attention to his northeast roots, saying that his home of Pennsylvania "looks a whole lot like Manchester and Nashua."

Pappas, the New Hampshire director, says they aim to lock down 70 to 80% of voters at every event, big or (mostly) small. And Santorum has no problem doing campaign stops with attendees counted on one hand. In the far reaches of north country, Santorum told NBC News he hopes the personal touch will be remembered when voters walk into the voting booth January 10.

Still, Santorum has an enormous uphill battle to do well in New Hampshire. In addition to receiving just single digits in the latest Suffolk/7News poll, the survey finds him with a net-negative image.

"They have the core of a very solid foundation here because they've worked hard over the past year. But ... the big challenge is his image ratings are poor. He is upside down in his favorability ratings, and probably over 80% of the state already has an opinion of him," explained Rich Killion, an unaffiliated political consultant who formerly supported Tim Pawlenty.

Killion expects to see a bump from Santorum's Iowa performance, but believes it's unlikely the candidate can pull off a miraculous victory. National campaign manager Biundo is realistic but hopeful.

"We just have to do better than people expect here, and I think we'll be able to do that," said Biundo.

As for Santorum himself, Biundo says the former two-term Pennsylvania senator believes in his on-the-ground model more than ever and refuses to be anything but positive in the face of an enormous Romney campaign that has largely dominated the state.

"When Iowa ended up lighting the fire, we knew there would be plenty of kindle in New Hampshire to build on the momentum," Biundo said.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- At a Des Moines hotel rally this morning with son Rand at his side, Ron Paul says enthusiasm for his limited government message is building ahead of tomorrow's caucus, while warning that a vote for his rivals tomorrow would be a vote for the "status quo."

"Believe me, you don't have to choose another candidate because the others represent the status quo," Paul explained in a stop here after having taken the weekend off to spend the New Year's holiday with family in Texas. "Variations of the status quo, but they're not talking about a foreign policy to defend America, they're talking about mischief around the world and policing the world."

A partition had to be opened by hotel staff inside the Marriott ballroom to make room for a large and vocal crowd, who greeted Paul with chants and cheers of support. A large media presence was also on hand, with more than a dozen still photographers snapping away at the base of Paul's podium.

"Today we're moving in the wrong direction, but the American people are stirring, this is what this campaign has been all about -- this is what the vote is about tomorrow, are we sick and tired of the expansion of government?" the congressman asked the crowd. "The endless spending and the deficit, doing the things they weren't supposed to do and forgetting about doing the things they should be doing?"

"The next generation is here today, that is why we have to change things today and bring back the traditions of America which means liberty, peace and prosperity," Paul said, to applause.

His son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, warmed up the audience promising a Iowa victory. He echoed his father's individual liberties and small government message asking, "anybody here want government to mind their OWN business?!"

DAVENPORT, IA -- Ann Romney recalled moments that any mother of multiple children could appreciate: the name-salad directed by mothers toward their children after an instance of misbehavior.

"At the last stop I introduced my son who is here as Matt. His name is Craig. But it reminded me of what it was like when I was an exasperated mother and I would say 'TaggMattCraig... you know who I mean! You!" Mrs. Romney said, earning knowing laughs from the crowd who had gathered for her husband's campaign rally.

It was the kind of accessible, humanizing anecdote that has made Ann Romney -- the mother of five sons whom she sometimes describes as "naughty" boys -- such an asset to Mitt Romney on the trail.

As a candidate, Mitt Romney has famously struggled sometimes to connect with the voters who crowd his events. He tends to focus almost exclusively on policy and politics on the stump, eschewing issues like family or fatherhood. Ann's anecdotal tales of being an "exasperated wife," have become ice-breakers with packed crowds at near every stop, and voters and political observers alike have praised her increasingly comfortable appearances on the trail.

But she's also emerged into a more explicitly political role as of late, opining this morning on the state of the race in Iowa.

"This is a serious thing we're all coming to, and I sense something happening as we've been going across Iowa," She said. "I sense a feeling, a coalescing, a momentum or whatever it is you want to call it around Mitt, and I think people are starting to figure out that this is the guy who is going to beat Barack Obama."

Mrs. Romney has also been more prominently featured in the campaign's advertising, praising her husband's character in one television ad, and doing the same in a new web ad, launched just this morning.

“I believe in him. I believe he has the experience. I’ve seen him in every situation. I’ve seen him as a husband, as a father, as a governor, and as a successful businessman," Mrs. Romney says in the ad. "Everything he does, he does well and he does it with his heart and his commitment.”

Previously a rarer figure on the campaign trail, Mitt Romney's wife of 42-years (not 25, as he once infamously flubbed at a debate) has become a near constant presence in the final weeks before primary voting begins in earnest. She joined her husband on his bus tour of New Hampshire last week, and is crisscrossing Iowa by his side this week. When Romney returned to New Hampshire this past Friday and Saturday morning, Ann continued on in Iowa, campaigning with Chris Christie on her husband's behalf.

The former first lady of Massachusetts is usually introduced by her husband, who often tells of their first meeting at a high school party, when she, then Ann Davies, was just 15.

"I was immediately struck by that beauty," Romney reminisced this morning in Davenport, telling the story of how he drove Ann home that night and never looked back. "We've been going steady ever since."

And while Mrs. Romney can quickly draw knowing sympathy from a roomful of women by telling stories of trying to manage her five rambunctious sons with a husband regularly traveling for work, and of her difficult battle with multiple sclerosis, she also elicits laughs with her tales of revenge as a grandmother.

"The best part of having children, I will tell you, is the grandchildren. And the best part of being a grandmother is watching their children misbehave," Mrs. Romney said this morning, smiling. "These boys deserve it."

The former Massachusetts governor continues to dote, though, on his wife's twin role in his bid for the presidency.

Following an appearance this morning by Mrs. Romney on "Fox and Friends," where she was peppered with questions about her husband's record at Bain Capital, and his travails as a candidate. Afterwards, the former Massachusetts governor praised her performance at a rally here.

"She was marvelous. They asked her tough questions and she did exactly what you're supposed to do: she didn't answer them," Romney laughed, before launching into his stump speech, on jobs and the economy.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa -- Newt Gingrich said Monday that he doesn't expect to win tomorrow's Iowa caucuses in a bow to his sinking poll numbers in the state.

The former House Speaker, who led in polls of likely Iowa caucus-goers as recently as early December, sought to lower expectations for his showing tomorrow night.

"I don't think I'm going to win," Gingrich told reporters during a press availability. "If you look at the numbers, that volume of negativity has done enough damage. But on the other hand, if the Des Moines Register was right and 41 percent [are] potentially undecided, who knows what's going to happen."

"Whatever I do tomorrow night will be a victory because I'm still standing," he added, noting that this is the second time he has had to fight after many political observers had written off Gingrich's campaign last summer after the majority of his staff quit

Gingrich has been pummeled by negative ads over the past month that have taken a toll on his political fortunes in Iowa. The NBC Newst-Marist poll released on Friday found that he had slid to fifth place among likely caucus-goers.

As for how badly he wanted to win, Gingrich said his desire to come out on top tomorrow didn't surpass personal items like his family.

"No, of course I don't want it more than anything," he said.

Gingrich also announced that he will be caucusing tomorrow night at the Blackhawk County caucus super site, a popular destination for caucus-goers where thousands of Iowans are expected to be in attendance. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who was born in nearby Waterloo, will also be speaking at that particular caucus site, as will Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

DES MOINES, IA -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry is reminding Iowa voters that Rick Santorum lost his last statewide contest by an embarrassing double-digit margin, as well as arguing that the former Pennsylvania senator lacks the national organization to win the GOP primary in 2012.

"His ... argument is 'I'm the guy that can win,'" Perry said of Santorum. "He got beat by 18 [percentage] points his last race. I mean this guy has proven that he can't win races when it matters against a liberal Democrat."

Perry, who himself has never lost an election, told NBC's Chuck Todd in an interview on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" that Santorum would also be hurt by his past endorsement of party-switcher Arlen Specter.

"That's a movement conservative? I don't think so" Perry said.

The Texas governor argues that he is the only candidate who can compete with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul in a long nominating process.

"I'm the only one of the social conservatives and the fiscal conservatives that are running that actually has the ability to raise the money, to have the organization, to run though and finish the primary process," he said. "Santorum and Bachmann don't."

Perry said his resources will make him competitive in Nevada, Florida, and his home state of Texas.

"At the end of the day, we have the national organization and fundraising capabilities to run through this thing," he said. 

The GOP race in Iowa increasingly looks like Romney vs. Santorum… Inauthentic conservative vs. Washington insider… Remembering the Oct. 18 debate exchange between Romney and Santorum… Why Santorum is surging… Team Obama doesn’t think Santorum can do the distance… Second-guessing Paul’s weekend in Texas… And Romney still up in New Hampshire in new poll.

DES MOINES, IA – With one day to go before the Iowa caucuses, the Republican presidential contest looks increasingly like a battle between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. And yesterday, the two men began to draw contrasts with each other, albeit mildly. Campaigning in Atlantic, Romney opened the same playbook he used against Newt Gingrich -- portraying the former Pennsylvania senator as a Washington insider. “Like Speaker Gingrich, Sen. Santorum has spent his career in government, in Washington,” Romney said yesterday, per NBC’s Garrett Haake. “Nothing wrong with that, but it is a very different background than I have.” Romney also made this playful dig at Santorum. “Sen. Santorum was kind enough to endorse me last time around. I appreciate that.” (On “Meet the Press” yesterday, Santorum responded that his ’08 endorsement of Romney was “the best chance to stop John McCain… It's not like I was an early supporter of Romney. I endorsed him actually seven days before he dropped out of the race.”

*** Inauthentic conservative vs. Washington insider: For his part, Santorum cast Romney as an unreliable conservative. While acknowledging on “Meet the Press” that every GOP presidential candidate is more conservative than President Obama, Santorum said, “The question is: Are those values ones that you can trust when they become president of the United States? Is it someone who you know is going to fight not just for certainly things, but for the entire Republican platform?” Later in the day, in Sioux City, Santorum took this implicit shot at Romney. “Don’t put forward somebody who isn’t good enough to do what’s necessary to change this country,” he said, according to the New York Times. “Put forward someone that you know has the vision, the trust, the authenticity, the background, the record to make that happen.”

*** Remembering their Oct. 18 debate exchange: If the race turns into Romney vs. Santorum (along with Paul), it’s worth remembering the former Massachusetts governor and former Pennsylvania senator sparring over health care at the feisty Oct. 18 debate in Las Vegas -- the same debate where Romney put his hand on Rick Perry. Santorum said, “You just don't have credibility, Mitt, when it comes to repealing ‘Obamacare.’ Your plan was the basis for ‘Obamacare.’ Your consultants helped Obama craft Obamacare. And to say that you're going to repeal it, you have no track record on that -- that we can trust you that you're going to do that.” Later in the exchange, Romney said, “Rick, you had your chance. Let me speak.” Santorum fired back, “You can’t change the facts.” Romney: “Rick, you had your chance. Let me speak.” Santorum: “You’re out of time. You’re out of time.” Is this possibly a preview for the next month?

*** Why Santorum’s surging: If you’re looking for a reason why Rick Santorum is surging, look no further than the enthusiasm that greeted him at two events yesterday in the most conservative part of the state, as one of us observed first hand. More than 150 people packed into a coffee house in Sioux City, and then about 200 people packed into a bank basement in Orange City, home to a significant share of the religious voters that propelled Mike Huckabee to victory in 2008. And there were very few undecideds in these crowds -- they were with Santorum. Many had liked Michele Bachmann, even Newt Gingrich. But they made up their minds in the past week to go with Santorum, who, they said, has "conservative convictions," is a "hard worker," was more electable, and didn't have the "baggage." If, in fact, Santorum has locked up evangelical voters, he stands a good chance of winning Iowa here tomorrow night.

*** Team Obama doesn’t think Santorum can go the distance (or even survive into next month): However, in chatting with some of the Team Obama folks who have come here to Des Moines, they don’t believe that Santorum has the ability to go toe to toe with Romney -- the same way that Newt Gingrich or Rick Perry potentially could. Even if Santorum wins Iowa tomorrow, it’s quite likely that Romney -- with his resources -- can lap the former Pennsylvania senator by the end of the month. On one hand, they are happy Romney still has base problems and hasn't used his time in Iowa to fix them. On the other hand, they are disappointed that it's Santorum and not Newt or Perry who is rising. After all, Team Obama has dreamed about Romney having to struggle and keep courting the right for the next six MONTHS, not six WEEKS.

*** Second-guessing Paul’s weekend in Texas: If Ron Paul ends up out of first and second -- and instead finishes third in Iowa -- the Paul supporters might second-guess why Paul was back home in Texas over the weekend rather than campaigning in Iowa. Just some food for thought…

*** On Perry, Gingrich, and Bachmann: As for the other candidates, Perry was on “TODAY” this morning, accusing Santorum of voting to raise the debt ceiling eight times and calling him a “serial earmarker.” Then, in an interview that will air on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” later this morning, Perry questioned whether Santorum had the resources to wage a successful campaign against Romney. Meanwhile, per NBC’s Alex Moe, Gingrich yesterday claimed that he had been “Romney-boated” -- a variation to the phrase “Swift-boated.” And yesterday in Iowa, Bachmann delivered a narrative of her coming into her Christian faith to about 100 people at Jubilee Family Church in Oskaloosa, NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reports.

*** Matthews and Gingrich: Also yesterday, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews asked Gingrich some questions while the former speaker was campaigning in Iowa. On the pro-Romney Super PAC ads hitting him, Gingrich told Matthews: “So part of the question you have to ask yourself is, he's assuming the American people are stupid. I don't think the American people are stupid. I am sure…” Matthews: “But the polls are responding, the polls are reacting…” Gingrich: “I am sure within a few weeks every American will know this is his PAC with his staff.” Be sure to watch MSNBC’s “Hardball” for all of Gingrich’s answers.

*** Poll: Romney still up in NH: Turning from the race in Iowa to next week’s contest in New Hampshire, NBC’s Jo Ling Kent reports that Romney maintains his commanding lead in the Granite State, according to a new Suffolk poll. The survey has Romney at 41% among likely Republican voters -- followed by Paul at 15%, Gingrich at 11%, and Huntsman at 9%. Also, per a campaign press release this morning, Santorum is heading to New Hampshire the day after the caucuses, while Bachmann has decided to travel straight to South Carolina.

*** White House vs. Congress: Just asking, but did the Obama White House go a bit too far in telling reporters in Hawaii that it would contrast itself with Congress in 2012? For one thing, it produced this headline in the New York Times: “Obama to Turn Up Attacks on Congress in Campaign.” Is that what the White House really wants voters to see? Second, there’s no doubt the White House wants to distance itself -- and contrast itself -- from Congress. So why say it?

Countdown to Iowa caucuses: 1 day
Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 8 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 19 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 29 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 33 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 64 days
Countdown to Election Day: 311 days

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*** Monday's “Daily Rundown" line-up (live from the Polk County Convention Center in Des Moines): Rick Perry on his expectations for Tuesday and beyond… Latest from the trail with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, the Washington Post's Dan Balz and NBC's campaign embeds Anthony Terrell and Jamie Novogrod… More 2012 news with the Des Moines Register's Kathie Obradovich, Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson and former RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

*** Monday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews Hardball’s Chris Matthews, former Cain Iowa Chair  Steve Grubbs, former Gingrich spokesman Rich Galen, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse, and University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato.

*** Monday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up:  MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts interviews Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz (a Santorum supporter), the Des Moines Register’s Rick Green, and Iowa for Freedom State Chair Bob Vander Plaats.

*** Monday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include New York magazine’s John Heilemann, the Nation’s Ari Melber, the Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis, the Grio’s Joy-Ann Reid, Jimmy Williams, and the Bachmann campaign’s Alice Stewart.

*** Monday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up (live from Java Joes in Des Moines): NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Rick Santorum, Ron Paul’s campaign manager Jesse Benton, the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza and Amy Gardner, the Des Moines Register’s Ann Selzer, former White House Deputy Communications Director Jen Psaki, GOP strategist Doug Heye, and Texas Monthly’s Jake Silverstein.

*** Monday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews the Washington Post’s Anne Kornblut, GOP strategist David Winston, and Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee.

“The caucus clock is ticking. In the 36 hours between 7 a.m. today and 7 p.m. Tuesday, each Republican presidential candidate will deliver his or her closing arguments to Iowa caucusgoers,” the Des Moines Register’s Clayworth writes, before breaking down the keys to success for each candidate.

“Mitt Romney sought to convert his tentative standing atop the polls into a first-place finish in the caucuses here, telling Iowans on Sunday that he had the “capability to go the full distance” against President Obama, as his rivals beseeched voters not to settle on a candidate lacking full commitment to their conservative values,” the New York Times says. “Just as confidence had been rising among Mr. Romney and his aides that they could pull off a win here on Tuesday night, they were faced with a new challenge from Rick Santorum, who emerged as the latest in a rotating cast of surging alternatives, ebullient about his rising standing in the polls and support from excited crowds on Sunday in Sioux City and Rock Rapids.”

GINGRICH: Gingrich complained yesterday that he’d been “Romney-boated” in this election, NBC’s Alex Moe reports. But he contended that Romney “didn't get rid of me, he just slowed me down.” He added, “He would buy an election if he could.” Asked if Romney is buying it, Gingrich said, “Well I dunno, 3.5 million in negative ads, you tell me.”

The New Yorker looks at the Gingrich “bottle rocket.”

PAUL: The heir: “Paul will be joined by his son, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, during stops in Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls and Mason City,” the Des Moines Register notes.

“Texas Representative Ron Paul today stood by statements he made in his 1987 book arguing that someone who is a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace should bear some responsibility for resolving the problem and that society should not bear the burden of paying for the care of AIDS victims,” the Boston Globe notes of Ron Paul’s appearance on FOX News Sunday.

Paul said: “If it’s just because somebody told a joke to somebody who was offended, they don’t have a right to go to the federal government and have a policeman come in and put penalties on those individuals,” Paul said of verbal harassment. “They have to say maybe this is not a very good environment. They have the right to work there or not work there.” Paul continued: “Because people are insulted by rude behavior, I don’t think we should make a federal case about it.”

PERRY: “Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his family attended a New Year’s Day service at a West Des Moines megachurch on Sunday,” the Des Moines Register reports of a church with 15,000 members and “is the fastest growing in the United States.” “Perry had no other events scheduled for the first day of 2012, but will continue hard on the campaign trail today.”

ROMNEY: “Romney has continued with the same optimistic campaign speech. As large crowds have packed into his events, Romney has praised America and attacked President Barack Obama while largely ignoring his GOP rivals,” AP writes, but: Romney has been much sharper with the rivals when his campaign worried they could have the money, organization and potential support to challenge him for the Republican presidential nomination.”

“Mitt Romney lightly criticized former senator Rick Santorum here this afternoon and sought to brandish his own conservative credentials, a renewed attempt at broadening his support and capturing a victory here Tuesday night,” the Boston Globe writes. Romney: “I can tell you that our backgrounds are quite different,” Romney said, when asked to contrast his record with Santorum, who is surging toward second place in polls. “Like Speaker Gingrich, Senator Santorum has spent his career in government, in Washington — nothing wrong with that. But it’s a very different background than I have.”

SANTORUM: At two stops in the Northwestern, socially conservative corner of Iowa, Santorum made his closing argument on what he called a “thank you” tour. “You here in Iowa are the Lexington and Concord,” he said. “You take the first shot. Do not miss. Do not miss. The country is too important.” He repeated several times that he believed, “This is the most important election in your lifetime … I don’t care how old you are.”

Twice yesterday he poked fun at Texas Gov. Rick Perry, saying eliminating whole departments is easier said than done. “I love these candidates, who say, ‘I’m going to get rid of this one, and this one, and uh— one other one.” That got laughs before Santorum, smirking, said, “Rick Perry’s a good guy.”

He took this implicit shot at Romney: “You can’t buy Iowa. You gotta work.” And he took aim at the field in general for not wanting to talk about their records: “If I had their record I’d just talk about what I’d do, too.” And, of course, he also hit Ron Paul, dismissing his foreign policy.

At both stops, he got questions about why he supported Arlen Specter. Santorum talked about judges and that if there was no Specter, there might not have been Justices Roberts or Alito. Both men who asked the questions said they were convinced.

But most of his remarks were trained on President Obama. Santorum compared what the U.S. is going through to “the economic malaise of Jimmy Carter.” And: Obama “doesn’t believe America is a place for good.” Under Carter, he said there was a “hostage crisis.” Under Obama, there’s now a “nuclear crisis” and he “does nothing to stop Iran.” And he hit notes intended to resonate with white, working class, conservative-leaning voters on what they see as issues of economic fairness – talking about welfare, illegal immigration, and he talked an awful lot about being the grandson of a coalminer.

The AP, in the lead story of the Sioux City Journal, writes: “He began his campaign day at the Daily Grind, a downtown Sioux City coffee shop that's very popular - but nothing like it was on Sunday, when it was so jammed that movement was next to impossible.” And: “Later, in Orange City, far from the state's population centers, hundreds of Santorum backers jammed a bank conference room, spilling out into the hallway.”

More: “As the former Pennsylvania senator's poll numbers have improved, the feel of his campaign events has changed dramatically, and the candidate himself is distinctly upbeat. He has worked for years to build his ties to Iowa's potent conservative electorate, and there are signs it could be paying off.”

The New York Post: “On the Sunday before tomorrow’s caucuses, scores of God-fearing Iowans looked on in wonderment at Rick Santorum’s Lazarus-like rise in the polls.”

The Boston Globe’s Jan, though, doesn’t see Santorum as having locked up religious voters: “Despite a surge in the polls in recent days for former Pennsylvania governor Rick Santorum, voters who identify with the religious right remain divided among several conservative candidates - paving the way for a Romney victory despite the fact that many Christians consider his record too moderate on key issues such as marriage and abortion. Some religious conservatives, seeing Romney as the inevitable nominee, say they may even caucus for him.”

The Washington Post: “With Republican voters in Iowa set to finally begin picking a nominee to challenge President Obama, GOP officials in Washington are quietly and methodically finishing what operatives are calling “the book” — 500 pages of Obama quotes and video links that will form the backbone of the party’s attack strategy against the president leading up to Election Day 2012.”

More: “The document, portions of which were reviewed by The Washington Post, lays out how GOP officials plan to use Obama’s words and voice as they build an argument for his defeat: that he made specific promises and entered office with lofty expectations and has failed to deliver on both.”

 Updated at 9:05a.m. ET:

WATERLOO, Iowa -- On the first day of the New Year, Newt Gingrich admitted to having been “Romney-boated” with the immense amount of negative ads being run against him, vowing that his campaign will run more contrast ads going forward.

Mitt Romney “didn't get rid of me, he just slowed me down,” Gingrich told reporters in Marshalltown, Iowa, Sunday afternoon. Asked whether he felt like he had been “swift-boated” by the barrage of ads run against him in recent weeks, Gingrich responded, “I feel Romney-boated” – a reference to the outside advertising campaign launched against Democratic nominee John Kerry in 2004.

The former House Speaker even hinted that Romney was trying to buy the election.

“He would buy an election if he could,” Gingrich told NBC News. But he wouldn’t directly say Romney was attempting to buy the 2012 election. “Well I dunno, $3.5 million in negative ads, you tell me,” Gingrich continued. 

Romney, campaigning on the opposite side of the Hawkeye State Sunday, pushed back against these allegations from the Speaker. 

“Speaker Gingrich I think announced that he raised $10 million this quarter and he ought to be proud of that. We’re working hard to raise funds, as well, this is an election,” Romney said in Atlantic, Iowa. “However, that’s not being driven by money raised, its being driven by message connection with the voters, debate and um experience and I think that those are the features that are driving the campaign so far and I think they probably will be through the entire process.”

Gingrich told reporters his campaign would be increasing the number of positive yet contrast ads on television and radio moving ahead to better combat the negative attacks from his GOP rivals.

“If somebody spends $3.5 million lying about you, you have some obligation to come back and set the record straight,” the Speaker said after his campaign heavily underestimated the damage these ads could do.

The negative attacks have worked here in the first-in-the-nation caucus state: Gingrich dropped from first place in the Des Moines Register’s early December poll to fourth place in Saturday’s DMR poll. Romney now leads in Iowa, according to the new poll, with Ron Paul and Rick Santorum finishing ahead of Gingrich. 

Gingrich told the standing-room only crowd inside LJs Neighborhood Bar and Grill here in Waterloo that not answering these negative ads was his biggest weakness. 

“I am too reasonable and I should have responded to the negative ads two weeks earlier,” Gingrich said after an interesting exchange between himself and wife, Callista, when the Speaker was asked about his biggest weakness.

The crowd began to laugh after Gingrich and Callista looked at one another with smiles about Newt’s biggest weakness. “Go ahead,” Callista told him as many in the audience expected him to perhaps mention his infidelities years ago. Rather, Gingrich stayed the course and linked his weakness answer back to the negative ads.

The Speaker’s ‘Jobs and Growth Bus Tour’ continues Monday with four stops in Eastern Iowa on caucus eve.

NBC’s Garrett Haake contributed to this report.

SIOUX CITY and ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Devotion is key in this part of the state, its most conservative corner. And, just two days before Republican caucusgoers cast the first votes of the 2012 presidential election, devotion to Rick Santorum here seems to run deep.

“He’s a true conservative,” said Beth Goethschius, of Sioux City, one of about 150 or so people, who packed into The Daily Grind coffee shop in downtown Sioux City to hear Santorum speak.

“He is the most consistent conservative,” said Dale Nystrom, a physician from Hawarden, who was among about 200 people, who filled chairs, leaned against walls, and backed up the stairs of the basement of a bank around the corner from “Bibles for Missions” and off the town square of rural Orange City, about an hour north of Sioux City.

Nystrom and his wife Lynette signed up this week to be Santorum precinct captains.

“He’s a hard worker,” said Lynette, who said she’s been with Santorum since August and convinced her husband, who liked Rep. Michele Bachmann and then Newt Gingrich, to get on board. “I talked him out of it,” Lynette said with a smile and a laugh. Dale smirked and nodded in agreement.

At Santorum's events very few were undecided. Most had their minds made up -- and they were with the former Pennsylvania senator. If that’s any indication, then Santorum’s scuffed-up shoe leather campaigning over the past year, which has taken him to all 99 counties, has paid dividends. If he has, in fact, locked up religious conservatives, who made up 60% of GOP caucusgoers in 2008, he could be on the cusp of pulling off a meteoric upset.

Of the other candidates making a play for evangelicals, voters here in the Northwestern part of the state, said they liked Bachmann, but didn’t view her as electable or of presidential timber. And few, except one 18-year-old, first-time caucusgoer, even mentioned Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

In 2008, Mitt Romney actually won Woodbury County, where the population center Sioux City is. In an event there yesterday, Romney was well received. But in Sioux County, where Orange City is located, Mike Huckabee ran up the score winning 53% of the vote. Romney finished third (behind John McCain) with just 14%.

At both Santorum events, religion was evident. In Sioux City several Santorum lines were greeted with "Amens." In Orange City, a pastor introduced him with a prayer. He called it an "honor to pray for Rick Santorum," who is "standing for righteousness even when it's not popular. ... We commit him to you, Lord."

Mary Clark, also of Sioux City, said she made up her mind to caucus for Santorum “a couple days ago.” “He’s a conservative,” Clark said, noting that she had seen all of the candidates in person. Santorum, more than the other candidates, she said, seemed to be able to express how his experience in Washington would be helpful. She believed he could get things done.

Ryan Beardshear, 30, of Sioux City, also cited Santorum's experience. “He has a proven track record of experience,” Beardshear said. He said he had been with Bachmann, but now his “mind is made up” to go with Santorum. “He’s a better fit,” Beardshear said. “It’s not a canned speech” with Santorum.

Myrtie Demarest and husband Gaylen drove 40 miles from Cushing, Iowa, to hear Santorum speak in Sioux City. They also said they liked what they heard.

“He has conviction,” Myrtie said. “He’s not ashamed.”

But they also like Bachmann and don’t have their minds fully made up.

“They’re real close,” Gaylen said. Asked what would make up his mind, looking down, he paused, then said, “We’re going to pray about it.”

For Rick Fetterman, there’s no question.

“I’m fully decided,” said Fetterman, 50, who works at a nearby Holiday Inn, but said he is finishing up studies to be an evangelical minister at Sioux Land Christian College. “I believe 100 percent in Rick Santorum.”

Fetterman said he, too, liked Bachmann, but the endorsement of a local pastor made up his mind. Plus, Bachmann’s slide in the polls, he said, made this clear to him: “I don’t think the people of America are ready to put a woman in office.”

Several voters said they made up their minds in the last few days. Most said they had also really liked Herman Cain but he’s no longer an option. They also liked Bachmann. And some said Newt Gingrich.

April Buysman, of Orange City, said Santorum had “more hold of the facts” than Bachmann.

Jerry Goedhart, of Orange City, said of Santorum, “He’s more genuine. He comes down to your meetings. He doesn’t stand above anyone.”

“He’s like a regular person,” said Carolyn Goedhart, Jerry’s wife.

Dale Nystrom said he didn’t think Bachmann “had what it took to stand up to liberals." Santorum, on the other hand, won as a conservative in a blue state, he said.

Many said they had liked Gingrich and thought he might be the best to debate Obama. But the word repeated over and over with voters about why they’re no longer with Gingrich: "baggage."

Gingrich has been pummeled on air here in the Hawkeye State with negative ads. One analysis by the Campaign Media Analysis Group said 45 percent of ads that have run were negative against Gingrich. Many admitted to seeing the ads, but didn’t believe they had an impact on them.

“Santorum has less baggage,” said Gene Nitzschkie, of Sioux City. “I know a lot of what’s said about Newt in those ads is B.S., but….” 

Lynette Nystrom said she didn't trust Gingrich’s "impulsivity.” “I wouldn’t want him to have his finger on the red button," she said.

Most voters cited "core convictions" when talking about Santorum, and they believe he "shares my beliefs."

A few said they were still undecided -- leaning toward Santorum, but also considering Romney. Santorum "believes what I believe," said Sue Conaway, of Orange City. But she also believes Romney could win the presidency.

To a person here -- unlike at other events for Romney and Perry First Read attended this week -- they all said they would caucus. And that conflict between shared values and electability could well decide the outcome of the caucuses.

Des Moines - As Republican candidates crisscross Iowa seeking last-minute support, the Democratic Party is ignoring the field and focusing on front-runner Mitt Romney.

Today in a Des Moines press conference the DNC turned to a former factory worker who lost his job in the 1990’s to attack what it calls Mitt Romney “job killing record” in the private sector.

Randy Johnson, a former union official at an Indiana paper plant that Bain Capital purchased and then sold after labor discussions broke down in 1995 said of Romney, “I really feel that he didn’t care about the workers.”

Johnson said he’s telling his story now to let voters decide for themselves whether Romney should be president.

Now employed by the United Steelworkers Union in Pittsburgh, Johnson admitted Bain likely acted legally in its dealings with Ampad, but he’s accusing Romney of getting rich at the expense of workers.

“They let Ampad go bankrupt and they made 100 million…tell me there’s nothing wrong with that.”

This is not the first time Johnson’s story has been used as a political weapon against Mitt Romney. In 1994 Democrats used Johnson’s story in television ads attacking Romney during his campaign against then incumbent Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Romney’s 14-year tenure at Bain has been a frequent target of attack from the Obama re-election team and his Republican rivals.

Romney claims during his time at the firm Bain created a net total of 100,000 jobs, but he’s also acknowledged not all of the investments have worked out.

“We invested in over 100 different businesses,” he said last month on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,”  “and in those businesses, many were successful, added lots and lots of jobs. Some were not successful. That is the nature of free enterprise.”

On the campaign trail Romney argues that private sector experience is what’s needed to turn around the economy.

FRANKLIN, N.H. -- While the rest of the pack campaigns in Iowa, here in New Hampshire Jon Huntsman is playing the electability card aggressively, calling himself the only viable alternative to Mitt Romney. Today, the former Utah governor who is skipping Iowa said that while Iowa is key in "winnowing down" the Republican field, he believes the New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary will determine the candidates' electability in a race against an "establishment" candidate.

"Electability is not going to come out of Iowa, it is going to come out of New Hampshire," Huntsman told voters in Franklin, referring to his 6 rivals campaigning in Iowa this weekend. "Electability is what people are going to be looking for in South Carolina and in Florida."

"I think there's a natural winnowing out process that takes place in Iowa," he added earlier in Derry. "There will be an outcome and that outcome will be quickly forgotten and then you have New Hampshire."

Huntsman argues that New Hampshire "will set the standard going forward." As he tries to downplay his absence from the Iowa caucuses, he added that he believes the Jan. 3 results will be forgotten "within a day or two."

It is an ideal but unlikely scenario for Huntsman, regardless of which GOP candidate walks away with the Iowa win on Tuesday. Despite the fact he has invested everything in New Hampshire, he has trailed front-runner Mitt Romney by double digits in state-wide polls since he got into the race last spring.

However, the wide gap has not stopped Huntsman from painting the New Hampshire contest as a two-man race. The former ambassador to China has targeted the lion's share of his attacks on Romney, calling him a "serial flip flopper" and predicting he would be an "status quo" president."

"You want Romney? Everybody wants an alternative," Huntsman said. "Let's face it, they want competition in the marketplace. And they are still looking for that key alternative."

Huntsman took every opportunity to draw clear distinctions between himself and the former Massachusetts governor.

"We are two different people. How can you bring change to Congress and capitol hill when you have half of congress supporting you?" Huntsman said in Franklin today, referring to a long list of prominent endorsements Romney has received. "No way, no how."

Huntsman has received almost no national-level endorsements except for former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge.

Yet at the same time, the candidate's campaign staff also seem threatened by Ron Paul. Starting last week, the campaign have put out a series of direct attacks on Paul, who also tops Huntsman in the polls in New Hampshire. Huntsman has called the libertarian-minded Paul "unelectable" and his foreign policy untenable to audiences across New Hampshire. And last night shortly after midnight, the campaign unveiled a new Twilight Zone-themed web video that features controversial statements by the Texas representative.

When asked about the new spot today in Derry, Huntsman tried to play down Paul's role as his competition.

"You have to compare and contrast with the leading candidates in the race here in New Hampshire," he told reporters. "It's only natural and that's what people expect. That's how people can better understand you and your message."

He quickly pivoted back to the electability factor.

"But I don't believe Ron Paul can go on and win the general election," Huntsman said. "I don't believe he can put together enough mainstream support to be successful in the general election and that's increasingly the question people I think need to ask."

ATLANTC, Iowa - With only days to go until the GOP primary contest finally begins in earnest, a new set of polling has brought forth a new anti-Romney candidate in the race, and today for the first time, Mitt Romney was asked by reporters to draw contrast between himself, and the surging former Sen. Rick Santorum.

Keeping with his tradition of rarely attacking his Republican rivals directly, Romney reminded the press that Santorum endorsed him in 2008, and that the former Pennsylvania congressman and senator spent the majority of his career in Washington.

"I don't think I’ve spent a lot of time trying to describe differences on policy. But instead I focused on the things I believe and the choices that Americans have to make. Senator Santorum was kind enough to endorse me last time around. I appreciate that. And we’ve been friends," Romney said.  "I can tell you that our backgrounds are quite different. Like Speaker Gingrich, Senator Santorum has spent his career in government, in Washington, nothing wrong with that, but it is a very different background than I have and I think the people of this country recognize that with our economy as the major issue we face right now that it would be helpful to have someone who understands the economy firsthand."

Asked later whether he or Santorum, who has ridden a wave of evangelical and social conservative support to third place in the latest Des Moines Register polling, was the more conservative, Romney again chose not to attack Santorum directly, but to speak about his own record, concluding:

"I'll let people make their own assessment of our respective records, but I'm a conservative. I'm proud to be a conservative businessman, and I think what distinguishes me from the others in the field is that I understand the economy first hand, having lived in it. And I look forward to a spirited campaign"

The questions about Santorum came at the end of a chaotic retail campaign event, in which more than 75 journalists from local, national and international media overwhelmed campaign and restaurant staff at The Family Table restaurant in Atlantic, Iowa, spilling into the kitchen and out onto the street as space in the restaurant disappeared. The pack underscored Romney's recent reclamation of frontrunner status here, but also prevented him from talking to more than a few dozen voters, who clung to their tables and bar stools amid the crush and trample of camera crews and notepad-wielding reporters.

While working the room after his brief remarks, Romney was asked to respond to the latest poll numbers (by a voter or a journalist, it was impossible to tell) that have him leading here by a narrow margin, 24 percent to 22 percent over Congressman Ron Paul of Texas.

"I think it's really hard for pollsters to know exactly who is going to come out and who is not, but it's encouraging," Romney said. "I'm pleased that we're seeing the kind of crowds we're seeing and the kind of enthusiasm, so it's encouraging."

Another encouraging sign for Romney? His fourth quarter fundraising. Asked to predict his total haul for the final three months of the year -- a dollar amount described to NBC by a Romney campaign fundraiser last week as "phenomenal," -- the candidate sounded confident.

"We’ll do better this quarter than any quarter so far but I don’t have a final figure for you and when we do we’ll let you know," he said. 

Breaking down the Des Moines Register poll… How Santorum and Romney could end up winning Tuesday’s caucuses… Santorum’s appearance on “Meet the Press”… Paul’s appearance on CNN… The campaigning continues, even on New Year’s Day… And DNC tries to seize on the Bain Capital issue.

DES MOINES, IA -- The Des Moines Register’s poll last night became the third-straight survey in the past week to show the same storylines in the GOP presidential contest in Iowa -- Mitt Romney in the lead (but not above 25%), Ron Paul a close second, and Rick Santorum surging in third place. The numbers from the poll conducted Dec. 27-30 of 602 likely caucus-goers: Romney 24%, Paul 22%, Santorum 15%, Gingrich 12%, Perry 11%, and Bachmann 7%. But get this about Santorum’s surge: In the Des Moines Register’s final two days in the field, he jumped into second place and was running neck and neck with Romney. “[Santorum] averaged 10 points after the first two nights of polling, but doubled that during the second two nights. Looking just at the final day of polling, he was just one point down from Romney’s 23 percent on Friday.”

*** How Santorum and Romney can win: Bottom line: You can see how Santorum might be able to win this thing, especially if Perry and Gingrich supporters decide to go with the former Pennsylvania senator. What’s more, Santorum appears to have crossed a viability threshold, with just 6% of likely caucus-goers in the poll finding him the least electable in a general election. Indeed, Santorum’s closing TV ad in Iowa plays up his electability, calling him the “trusted conservative who gives us the best chance to take back America.” On the other hand, you once again see how Romney can win the Iowa caucuses -- with 25% or less -- because the conservative vote gets divided up.

*** Other numbers in the poll: 51% of likely caucus-goers surveyed in the poll said their minds were made up, while 41% said they could still be persuaded. Also, Gingrich was seen as the most knowledgeable (41% said that) and Bachmann the least knowledgeable (26%); Ron Paul was the most consistent (35%), and Gingrich and Romney the least consistent (36% and 24%, respectively); Romney the most electable in a general election (48%), Paul and Bachmann the least electable (29% and 28%); and Bachmann, Paul, and Santorum the best able to relate to Iowans (all tied at 20%), and Romney and Gingrich the least able to relate to Iowans (26% each).

*** Santorum on “Meet the Press”: One of the more fascinating parts of Rick Santorum’s appearance on “Meet the Press” this morning was his talk about having to accept compromise -- for example on abortion -- to get where you want to go. “I supported the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act," he said. "Now does that ban all abortions? No. But it moves the country in the right direction. And so what I've said in the past consistently is I'll support laws that move the ball forward.” He went on to say, “Of course my background is to find compromise. That's what you have to do in order to get things done. You don't compromise on your principles.” The word “compromise” might not sit well with some conservatives; then again, it highlights a sense of pragmatism not often associated with Santorum. NBC’s David Gregory also asked Santorum about his endorsement for Romney in 2008 and what has changed since then. His answer: “Well, what changed was who he's running against... I made the political judgment, right or wrong, that the best chance to stop John McCain, which was what my concern was, I had served 12 years with John McCain.”

*** Paul talks Civil Rights Act, Iran, and third-party bid: Meanwhile, on CNN this morning, Paul was asked about his opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He said the country was better off without Jim Crow laws, but said the Civil Rights Act “destroyed the principle of private property and private choices.” He added that it creates the slippery slope of the government coming into people’s bedrooms. “It is the government that causes so much of the racial tensions,” he said. On Iran and it acquiring nuclear weapons: “I don’t want them to have a weapon… We just need to be more cautious… We don’t need a war in Iran carelessly.” And Paul once again didn’t rule out a third-party presidential bid, if he doesn’t become the GOP nominee. “I don’t like absolutes,” he said. “I have no plans on doing it.” Paul added, “On Tuesday, we’ll find out a lot more on the future of this election.” *** EDITOR'S NOTE *** This item mistakenly said earlier today that Paul had said the country was better "with" Jim Crow laws. That was a typo and has since been fixed. He said that the country was better off "without" Jim Crow laws.

*** On the trail: With two days until the caucuses, all of today’s New Year’s Day activity is in Iowa: Bachmann attends church in Oskaloosa… Gingrich holds events in Ames, Marshalltown, and Waterloo… Perry attends church in West Des Moines… Romney stumps in Atlantic and Council Bluffs… And Santorum holds rallies in Sioux City and Rock Rapids… Meanwhile, Jon Huntsman continues to campaign in New Hampshire… And Ron Paul, at home in Texas, is off the campaign trail.

*** DNC seizes on Bain: Also in Des Moines, IA today at 4:00 pm ET, the DNC is holding a press conference with a worker -- Randy Johnson -- who was laid off from his job at an American Pad and Paper plant in Indiana that Romney’s Bain Capital took over in 1992.

Countdown to Iowa caucuses: 2 days
Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 9 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 20 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 30 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 34 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 65 days
Countdown to Election Day: 312 days

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The results from the latest Des Moines Register poll, the gold-standard in the state: Romney 24%, Paul 22%, Santorum 15%, Gingrich 12%, Perry 11%, Bachmann 7%. (Msnbc.com’s Michael O’Brien wraps it here.)

But check THIS out: “Santorum, who has been largely invisible in the polls throughout the campaign season, is now beating the other evangelical choices and has a clear shot at victory Tuesday night,” the Des Moines Register notes. “What makes Santorum’s growth spurt particularly striking is his last-second rise: He averaged 10 points after the first two nights of polling, but doubled that during the second two nights. Looking just at the final day of polling, he was just one point down from Romney’s 23 percent on Friday.”

The Register’s Obradovich: “The deck has been reshuffled in the final days of the Republican presidential campaign in Iowa, and there’s still one more hand to play out on caucus night. Rick Santorum, who hasn’t held so much as a ten-spot through months of campaigning in Iowa, is suddenly drawing aces. If the trends reported today in the Register’s Iowa Poll continue, Santorum is in position to win the big pot come Tuesday night.”

The New York Times’ wrap on yesterday’s activity: “The Republican presidential candidates spent the final day of the year jostling for a large share of undecided voters on Saturday, with the cast of former front-runners fighting to not be left behind when the contest to pick a challenger to President Obama begins on Tuesday.”

BACHMANN: Despite the trends in the polls and the low turnout at Bachmann events, she “assured her volunteers on Saturday that together they were poised to pull off a caucus night surprise,” the Des Moines Register writes. She contended: “The 99-county tour was our path to victory.” Brad Zaun, Iowa campaign chairman “went so far as to say the campaign expected a top-three finish on Tuesday night.”

HUNTSMAN: His campaign is up with a new web video hitting Paul, NBC’s Jo Ling Kent reports.

PAUL: Fellow libertarian Gary Johnson endorsed Ron Paul in Iowa. Johnson switched parties and is launching an independent presidential bid.

Passing the torch: And look who’s coming to town… “Ron Paul is planning a Jan. 2 whistle-stop tour throughout Iowa with his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, in a final push on the last day before the Iowa caucuses,” The Hill writes.

PERRY: “After the last two scheduled stops of his tour today, Gov. Rick Perry made an impromptu visit to a local precinct leader and knocked on a few doors in a West Des Moines neighborhood,” the Texas Tribune writes. It says he’s gotten some bigger crowds and more media attention. He’s harped on his outsider credentials and that Santorum has “continued to be his main target. He slammed the former Pennsylvania senator for earmarks and his votes to increase the debt ceiling while in Congress.”

ROMNEY: Taegan Goddard asks, “Like Father, Like Son?: “A reader flags this passage from Theodore H. White's The Making of the President 1968, which was published in 1969, on Gov. George Romney, Mitt's father: ‘Above all, he looked like a President. Handsome, silver-haired, robust, masculine, smiling or stern, he seemed cast for the part by Hollywood's Central Casting. Correspondents who liked him called him 'Mr. Straight Arrow;' those whose flesh crawled at his pieties called him 'Mr. Square,' or worse... He would make a forthright statement one day, then, like a man making up his mind in public, contradict it or modify it on another.’”

Romney today picked up an endorsement from the Quad City Times.

SANTORUM: Sen. Chuck Grassley had nice things to say about Santorum: “I can say this: The sincerity and effort that he has to get his point across in the presidential campaign is almost a total reflection of how he operated as a United States senator. He is transparent. A tough fighter. A person not afraid to take on tough issues.” (Hat tip: GOP 12.)

“President Obama, after objecting to provisions of a military spending bill that would have forced him to try terrorism suspects in military courts and impose strict sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, signed the bill on Saturday,” the New York Times says. “He said that although he did not support all of it, changes made by Congress after negotiations with the White House had satisfied most of his concerns and had given him enough latitude to manage counterterrorism and foreign policy in keeping with administration principles.”