Wheels Turning for the 2012 Iowa Caucuses
by Paul DeatonIn a New York Times story, Jeff Zeleny reported that President Obama will close the office of political affairs at the White House and transfer those duties to the Democratic National Committee. Patrick Gaspard, 2008 Obama campaign director, will transfer from the West Wing to become executive director at the DNC, assuming daily operations there. Tim Kaine remains as DNC chair, according to the Times. Obama is expected to file papers for re-election with the Federal Elections Commission in March and open his Chicago campaign headquarters soon thereafter. Next week, Organizing for America will be keeping the home fires burning with some State of the Union Watch parties in Iowa. (Click here, then on “watch party info” to find one near you.)
In the meanwhile, Bob Vander Plaats' conservative organization The Family Leader has scheduled a new Iowa lecture series, with presidential hopefuls Tim Pawlenty, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Herman Cain planning to participate. Others invited to the lecture series are Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, John Thune, Sarah Palin, Haley Barbour and Mike Pence. Lectures are expected to begin in February and continue until the Republican straw poll in August. ~Paul Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County and weekend editor of Blog for Iowa. E-mail Paul Deaton
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