ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- Ron Paul took his presidential campaign here yesterday to Michele Bachmann’s congressional district in Minnesota, a non-early nominating state. Paul got a big ovation from about 3,000 attendees on what was the first day of deer-hunting season.

“Boy, what a nice reception,” Paul told the crowd. “It got my attention. It sure identifies the fact the revolution is alive and well.”

It’s all part of Paul’s unorthodox focus on caucus states in an effort to rack up delegates in places other campaigns might not be focusing, a senior Paul campaign source says.

Raising money and organization were both part of the event, where Paul hit many of his usual talking points on foreign and domestic policy. Minnesota Campaign Chair Marianne Stebbins was on stage asking the crowd for donations -- each seat in the Convention Center had envelopes in a "goody bag" for supporters to mail donations. The bag also included Paul campaign literature and a bumper sticker.

Stebbins then asked for people to volunteer in district offices, to make phone calls, and to help get voters to attend the caucus on Election Day, Feb. 7. In 2008, Mitt Romney won the GOP Minnesota caucus with 41% of the vote, followed by John McCain with 22%, Mike Huckabee with 20% and Ron Paul with 16%. 

This is the third time in the last six weeks (in three different states), where more than 1,000 supporters have attended a Ron Paul campaign rally -- on Sept. 23 in Baton Rouge, LA, where the campaign says “more than 1,300 Louisiana State University students, supporters, and community members” attended; and on Oct. 21 in Iowa City, IA, where more than 1,200 “members of the University of Iowa and general community” attended an event during homecoming weekend.

Paul once again seemed to sympathize with Anwar al-Awlaki -- an al Qaeda-linked, but American-born Muslim cleric -- killed in a Drone strike in Yemen, calling his death an assassination.

“We have so little respect for the rule of law, whether it’s domestically or internationally,” Paul charged. “We have become known as a country that endorses torture, don’t pay attention to habeas corpus, we have secret prisons around the world.  … We now have an announced policy by this president that this is legitimate policy to assassinate American citizens. No charges made no trial, the president himself becomes the prosecution, the judge the jury and the executioner.”

Paul went further, telling the crowd about Awlaki’s 16-year-old son Abdulrahm al-Awlaki, who was also killed in a separate Drone attack.

“That wasn’t enough,” Paul said of killing the elder al-Awlaki. “They thought his son was much involved and therefore a week or so later they sent another cruise missile, drone attack, they bombed and killed his son, Awlaki’s son. … They don’t talk about this case…. The kid was 16-years-old, was in the backyard barbequing with a friend of his. He was never charged. … What we must worry about is the rule of law, because it protects us and that has to be protected.”

Paul ended his speech by citing one of the Founding Fathers, Samuel Adams, and his belief that it does not take a majority to prevail.

“We need an irate, tireless minority willing to stand up and spread the brushfires of freedom in the minds and hearts of the American people,” Paul thundered. “And I believe that is what is happening; our time has arrived.”

Talk to the hand: Rep. Michele Bachmann hit back at former senior aide, who called her campaign a "mess."

DES MOINES, Iowa, and WASHINGTON -- Congresswoman Michele Bachmann swatted back at former campaign manager Ed Rollins, who has derided her presidential campaign as "a mess."

“There are some things I will never understand, put it that way,” the Minnesota congresswoman said during an appearance here on WHO Radio this morning after being asked about Rollins by host Jan Mickelson.

Bachmann quickly pivoted to why she is running for president -- building a border fence, getting rid of subsidies for illegal immigrants, making English the official language, cutting taxes, decreasing business regulations and repealing “Obamacare.”

That’s when Mickelson politely reminded her of his question, “I think the two words I asked was, Ed Rollins.”

Bachmann replied with a laugh, “You did!”  The presidential hopeful then glanced over at her staff sitting in the studio and said, “I don’t understand that, but I do understand why I’m running.”

WASHINGTON and SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum blamed a suicide bombing that killed 12 Americans yesterday in Afghanistan, in part, on President Obama.

"I think this is part of the consequences" of giving a timeline for when U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan, Santorum said yesterday at a fundraising dinner for Congressman Steve King (R-IA).

“[T]his is a dangerous enemy that has something that no enemy of the United States should have,” Santorum said, “And it was given to them by President Obama. And that is hope. They were given hope because the President of the United States said that he’s putting a timeline as to when American troops were going to leave. Once he’s done that, once he did that, he gave the enemy the hope that if they simply survive until then and maintain some level of activity that America will leave, and I think the best thing we can do for our troops is give them the best possible chance for success. And this President has not--, and I think this is part of the consequences.”

The suicide car bombing was “the single deadliest assault on Americans in the capital since the war began,” the New York Times writes.

Despite the death of Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki, and the ouster of Moammar Khaddafy, Santorum derided President Obama as a “weak horse” on foreign affairs.

“America’s foreign policy, it is pathetic,” Santorum said. "And as a result, we are vulnerable. We haven’t seen it yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a weak America is going to be preyed upon, because they do not believe this president has the ability or the courage to stand up and fight for ourselves.”

Santorum said, if he were president, “[W]e would commit ourselves to success in Afghanistan.”

What would constitute success in Afghanistan and when would U.S. soldiers leave under a President Santorum? 

“Success would be very clearly defined as the Taliban being, the threat of the Taliban would be diminished to the point it would not be significant to the security of the country of Afghanistan,” the former Pennsylvania senator said, adding, “[T]he issue is whether we will have, whatever government left behind, would be stable and secure enough to survive whatever threat. No one can suggest you can eliminate a threat, but you can reduce it to where it is not significant and once we have that accomplished, then we pull back and transition out of the country.”

CARROLL, Iowa -- Ron Paul outlined what he believed was the difference between “Occupy Wall Street” and the “Tea Party.”

“Some are demonstrating, because they’re scared to death they won’t get their handouts,” Paul said yesterday. “And the other half are demonstrating, because they’re sick and tired of paying for it. I’m on the side of sick and tired of paying for it.”

Paul's popularity has risen since 2008 largely because of the Tea Party. He doesn't lead in polling in any state, but he is routinely in the top three in states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

DES MOINES, Iowa – In a parade of speeches heavy on social issues and punctuated by a notable barb against Herman Cain on abortion policy, six Republican candidates made their presidential pitches to an audience of influential Iowa conservatives Saturday.

All but two of the major White House contenders -  Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman were absent -- appeared at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual fall forum, attended by more than a thousand Republicans in the first-in-the-nation caucus state.

Without mentioning the pizza magnate by name, Gov. Rick Perry used his remarks to ding the recently ascendent Herman Cain for a remark suggesting Cain supports a hands-off attitude towards government curtailing of abortion rights.

"It is a liberal canard to say I am personally pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision," Perry said.  "If that is your view, you are not pro-life, you are pro having-your-cake-and-eating-it-too."

Cain, who spoke before Perry, only briefly mentioned abortion in his opening remarks, declaring unequivocally that life is a fundamental right: "No abortions, no exceptions."

The field's only black Republican candidate also recalled growing up in Atlanta riding on segregated buses, but added to thunderous applause that “because of America's ability to change, I stand here today and I own the bus with my picture on the side."

Michele Bachmann also spoke at length about abortion as well as her personal relationship with faith.  “I believe the government must intervene and I stand for a constitutional amendment to protect life from conception to natural death,” she said.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich received one of the most enthusiastic responses of the evening, repeating his oft-used call for Lincoln-Douglass style presidential debates and lambasting "activist" judges who have ruled in favor of abortion rights.

Libertarian champion Ron Paul began to speak after Gingrich and some in the crowd departed.  The Texas congressman recited biblical references and told the crowd the Bible is filled with “dozens of quotations… telling us to have honest weights and honest measures.”

During the question and answer session, a moderator asked him what would he do to prevent “abortion on demand.” Paul responded, “As an OB doctor, I know when life begins. If I do harm to a fetus, I can be sued!”

Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who spoke last, described the family as the building block of recovery from the nation's fiscal woes. "If we don’t have strong families in America, we will not have a strong economy in this country," he said.

Santorum related the emotional story of the death of his newborn son and his struggle with faith afterwards, earning pin-drop silence from a supportive audience. "You want to know why I'm pro-life? Because God showed me if you're faithful, he will be faithful," he said.

Perry, Gingrich, Paul, and Santorum all spent time greeting voters at the Iowa State Fairgrounds before or after their remarks; Bachmann arrived late and Cain declined to spend much time with voters as he was ushered in and out of the room.

Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition President Steve Scheffler told NBC News before the event that the heavy focus on faith and family issues demonstrated social conservatives' eagerness to replace the current administration.

“It is indicative of the fact that this pro-family constituency is engaged and they want to stop the socialist policies of the Obama Administration,” he said. “They are ready to nominate someone who is going to carry the banner and win the election next fall.”

Despite the influence an endorsement from the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition would have, Scheffler said the organization would not choose a candidate. “We are just going to keep their feet to the fire,” he said.

LAS VEGAS, NV –- Yesterday afternoon at the Venetian Hotel, presidential hopeful Ron Paul unveiled his 11-page “Restore America” economic plan in front of a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. 

“I am here today to release a plan I have for balancing the budget and cutting in the first year, $1 trillion,” Paul said. “A lot of people will say, 'Well cutting $1 trillion in one year, that sounds radical.' But you know, I operate on the assumption that the radicals have been in charge way too long.”

The “Restore America” economic plan claims to balance the budget in three years, eliminate all foreign aid and dismantle at least five federal departments -- the Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, and Interior departments. "That’s a start,” Paul said with a laugh.

“Many of those important parts of each of those departments will be held in another department ... so nobody gets laid off immediately, they get laid off through attrition, because we’re going to learn to live with a lot less government and we don’t need to keep hiring more and more people to replace those who should be retiring.”

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh seemed to endorse Paul’s economic plan and the elimination of federal departments, telling a caller who asked about the deficit, “You’re not going to believe my answer. Ron Paul has a good idea.”

“Fooling around the margins in all this spending isn’t going to get it done... Genuine big spending cuts are the only thing that is going to bring us back into some semblance,” Limbaugh said. “Nobody on our side’s ever really proposed it, and Ron Paul is going to. Everything Paul is suggesting ... he will be the first candidate to actually do so. It’ll be interesting to see how they react to this.”

MARION, Iowa -- The wife of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, Ann, continued on her first swing through Iowa this election cycle, reiterating the importance of the state. 

“We’re here; we’re back in Iowa,” Mrs. Romney told more than 50 supporters gathered inside a state senatorial campaign headquarters. “We know Iowa is important, and we know that the process is important, and that’s why we’re here.”

In her short, 7-minute speech this afternoon, Romney talked a lot about her grandfather and how important it was to her to get America back on track. Unlike other stops, she left out her personal struggles with multiple sclerosis. She promised that her husband will improve regulations and will “be the one that throws that blanket off and get things going again.”

“It’s like throwing someone on your back and having to compete in a football game carrying someone around,” she said about the current state of regulation in America. “It’s just what has happened to America lately, and I can’t wait to get Mitt in the White House, so we can help.”

Jennifer Bioche, an uncommitted voter from Marion, Iowa, said, “I think she is a lovely lady. I think it is really spectacular that she is here to support a local candidate, that’s pretty remarkable.”

Romney was campaigning for Republican state Senate candidate, Cindy Goldings, who is in a tight race in Linn County. If she wins, the Iowa Senate will pull back to even numbers of Democrats and Republicans. Goldings was in the news last week after she did not meet with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who had offered to help her Senate run. She tried to clarify that situation before introducing Romney.

“Now, I need to make something very clear, because the news media has made a big deal out of this,” she began. “Michele Bachmann was coming here … a week ago. I was taking care of business; I really was. So, I was unable to meet with Mrs. Bachmann. I am so glad I was able to take care of that and be able to introduce Ann Romney.”

Following the quick event, the media were told Romney would not take questions but rather would mingle with the crowd before heading to her SUV. One reporter tossed out a question anyway, asking her about what her role as First Lady would be.

“At-risk youth has been a concern of mine and love of mine and passion of mine for a lot of years,” Romney said. A follow-up question went unanswered. 

She finishes her swing through Iowa tomorrow morning, speaking at a breakfast in Bettendorf. It is expected that Mitt Romney will come back to the Hawkeye State sometime in this month.

On the same day as the Republican presidential debate in Orlando, Congressman Ron Paul is playing a little offense.

In a USA Today op-ed, Paul takes a shot a Mitt Romney and the health-care legislation he signed into law in Massachusetts.

"The idea that more government involvement in health care is the solution, especially at a time when the nation is dealing with record deficits and debt, is preposterous," he writes. "And the promised effectiveness of forced mandate health care is easily disproven by looking at how such a system has worked in Massachusetts."

"Whether in Massachusetts or at the national level, even more government involvement will make things worse. There are no easy answers or silver bullets, but solutions lie in moving toward freedom, not more corporatism or socialism."

In addition to his op-ed, Paul's campaign is taking to the airwaves. As part of a $1 million ad buy, the Paul campaign has a new TV ad detailing his work for veterans and highlights his own military service. (Rick Perry is the only other military veteran running for president.)

The ad -- entitled “He Served” -- shows images of Paul in uniform as a United States Air Force flight surgeon in the 1960s, and it features two veterans who describe their experience during the Vietnam War. U.S. Army veterans Joe Pena and Rene Reyes detail how Congressman Paul helped them get long overdue medals. 

“It takes a veteran to understand a veteran, and he is a veteran himself," Pena says in the ad.

"Ron Paul is a veteran's best friend," Reyes adds.

And in a continued push to defend his non-interventionist foreign policy, Paul cites how his campaign received more donations from active duty military service members than other candidates combined –- including President Obama -- saying this Iowa on Tuesday: "It's very logical for the military people to say we want a commander-in-chief that will be cautious."

Ron Paul's presidential campaign used the occasion of Constitution Day for a 24-hour money bomb that raised more than $1 million from over 18,000 donors, according to the campaign.

Following Paul’s win at the California GOP straw poll on Saturday, where the presidential hopeful grabbed 45% of the vote, the campaign sent fundraising emails urging supporters to continue to donate and use the victory as “more proof of what polls have been saying for months” -- that Paul is “a top tier contender to WIN the Republican nomination for President,” and the Republican to “defeat President Obama.”

In a statement about the money bomb, Ron Paul 2012 Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton said:

“Our campaign continues to grow in strength and numbers, and the success of these truly grassroots events is a telling example of Dr. Paul’s support. Our rising poll numbers and successful fundraising demonstrate that Dr. Paul’s strong message of Constitutionally-limited government, a traditionally Republican non-interventionist foreign policy and a return to sound money is clearly resonating with the American people.”

According to the campaign, this marks the fifth time during the 2012 election cycle that Paul has raised over $1 million dollars for a single fundraising event.

The third fundraising quarter of 2011 ends on Sept. 30.

NBC's Alex Moe

Gov. Perry speaks to supporters in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Friday evening.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA -- Returning to the Hawkeye State for the first time since his debut in the presidential debates, Texas Gov. Rick Perry spent most of his two days here hitting chief rival Mitt Romney -- almost as much as President Obama.

Throughout his total of five stops in Iowa, Perry defended himself against criticisms leveled against him in the past two debates.

“I was the son of tenant farmers and sure wasn’t born with four aces in my hand,” Perry told the crowd of more than 100 supporters here at Tish’s Restaurant last night, where a handful of protesters also gathered outside. The comment was a reference to Romney’s assertion that job growth in Texas was more a product of Perry’s good fortunes than his policies.

Along with defending himself, Perry also went on the offensive against the former Massachusetts governor. He used the term “RomneyCare” and railed against government-mandated health care -- “whether it’s in Massachusetts or Washington, DC.”

“I think it is very important that we put someone as the nominee that doesn't blur the line between Obama and the Republican Party,” Perry said in Jefferson on Thursday night.

Yesterday afternoon, Perry toured Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Atlantic, IA, where he said no one told him the secret recipe for the soda.

“That’s one of the best uses of Iowa corn right there, and fresh Coca Cola right off the line,” Perry said after taking a sip out of Coke. “We had a little private meeting, no one was in there and nobody shared with me the secret recipe of Coke Zero.”

Perry was also questioned by reporters about the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the execution of Duane Buck in Texas. 

“We have a processes of justice in the state of Texas that I have full confidence in. As it goes forward, there are obviously ways to address any concerns,” Perry said in Atlantic. “Whether or not he is guilty is not the question. Whether or not the jury process was tainted will be decided by the Supreme Court and we will respect that.”

Iowa advisers say Perry will spend the remainder of the month focusing on fundraising, but they expect him to return to the first-in-the-nation caucus state in October.

A day after the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks and hours before tonight's Republican debate, GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul doubled down on his non-interventionist foreign policy, arguing that occupation is the reason for suicide terrorism.

"Though it is hard for many to believe, honest studies show that the real motivation behind the September 11 attacks and the vast majority of other instances of suicide terrorism is not that our enemies are bothered by our way of life. Neither is it our religion, or our wealth," he said in a statement posted on his congressional website.

"Rather, it is primarily occupation. If you were to imagine for a moment how you would feel if another country forcibly occupied the United States, had military bases and armed soldiers present in our hometowns, you might begin to understand why foreign occupation upsets people so much."

Paul added, "Yes, the attacks of 9/11 deserved a response. But the manner in which we responded has allowed radicals in the Muslim world to advance a very threatening narrative about us and our motivation in occupying their lands."

He concluded, "The truth is that ending these misguided wars and occupations will make us safer, more prosperous and more free."

Alex Moe, NBC News

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann serves burgers outside Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa Saturday morning.

AMES, Iowa –- Shortly before kickoff at the annual Iowa vs. Iowa State football game, Michele Bachmann mingled with tailgaters outside Jack Trice Stadium. Sporting a combo Hawkeye and Cyclone jersey with ‘Bachmann’ on the back, the congresswoman would not say who she was rooting for.

“I love everybody,” she said with a small Bachmann blimp floating overhead.

This was her second appearance in the Hawkeye State since her straw poll win and she pointed that out to reporters after flipping hamburgers for supporters who stopped by her tent.

“What we’re seeing on the ground is there’s only one candidate whose won anything in this race and it’s me and I was fortunate enough to win that straw poll here in Iowa,” Bachmann said when asked about fallout from the debate this week.

Also during the short press avail this morning that Bachmann addressed recent criticisms that she has not been spending enough time with voters.

“We love Iowa,” she said. “We’ve been in Iowa 70 days and I think what we’ve been known for is our time with people and talking with people so that’s why we’re here today with people again.”

The congresswoman was the only presidential candidate to attend the annual rivalry game that had just over 56,000 in attendance. She did participate in one tailgate game, cornhole. Bachmann tossed her second beanbag straight through the hole for 3 points. In addition to serving burgers and playing cornhole, she mingled with the crowd, signing autographs, taking pictures, and hugging lots of babies for roughly an hour before heading to the airport. (Iowa State would go on to beat Iowa 44 to 41 in triple OT)