Monday on the trail: Candidates' final rallies in Iowa

Follow our reporters around the state as they track candidates ahead of tonight's caucuses:

Paul campaign registers last-minute student voters

AMES, Ia. — The Rand Paul campaign spent a pre-caucus rally at Iowa State University making sure students were registered to vote and they knew where to caucus.

Volunteers handed out voter registration forms along with temporary tattoos and bumper stickers. The campaign set out to get 10,000 students committed to caucus for Paul under a plan they deemed "The Iowa 10,000.” The campaign announced Sunday it had reached that goal.

Paul spoke for about 15 minutes before campaign volunteers stood at the front of an auditorium in Curtiss Hall with precinct location signs. Students who live in the same precincts were set to go to their caucus site together.

When Paul asked the crowd of about 200 who was caucusing for him, the majority raised their hand.

In typical Paul fashion, his speech in front of the students was not devoid of policy. But he did start with a jab at Republican candidate Carly Fiorina for supporting the University of Iowa over her alma mater, Stanford, in the Rose Bowl.

“Oh yeah, that’s a genuine politician, to root against your alma mater because you just happen to be campaigning in Iowa," he said. "That probably epitomizes the problem in Washington — everybody pandering just to sort of get your vote.”

— Kim Norvell

With final Iowa countdown, Cruz eyes New Hampshire

With his final countdown now including the minutes to caucus night, Ted Cruz already had his sights on New Hampshire.

“We win tonight in Iowa and we go with a head of steam to New Hampshire where right now we’re in second place in New Hampshire,” said Cruz, a U.S. senator.

The Texas Republican made the case at a rally in Marion Monday that he is better positioned moving forward than the last two Republican caucus winners, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee.

Both “came out of Iowa with a win but no money, no infrastructure, no path to going forward and winning the nomination. We’re in a dramatically different position today,” Cruz said, citing his campaign having about $19 million cash-on-hand.

About 260 people showed up for Cruz giving him multiple standing ovations.

Even if he leaves Iowa without a win, Cruz thanked Iowans for their time as he campaigned.

“Tonight, I hope we’re going to win, I pray we’re going to win, I believe we’re going to win. But I’ll tell you right now, whether we win or come in dead last, this past year traveling the state of Iowa … it has been a privilege, it has been an honor, it has been extraordinary,” Cruz said.

--  Matthew Patane

O'Malley wishes he had $5 million more

Martin O’Malley will always remember the mom whose story he made famous in what was widely regarded as his best line from a November debate.

“A woman in Burlington whose son has served two tours of duty in Iraq in the United States Army came up to me and said, ‘Gov. O’Malley: When you’re engaged in the debate … please don’t refer to my son as a pair of boots on the ground. My son is an American soldier and a human being,’” O’Malley said when asked about his favorite Iowa moment. “I was glad to be able to allow that woman from Burlington to shape this Democratic debate. I think it resonated deeply with a lot of people.”

O’Malley arrived at his Des Moines campaign headquarters just after 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” blared from a car stereo as he ran inside to cheers.

Despite low standing in polls, O’Malley could outperform expectations with a strong showing key supporters — including Latino voters, said Finn Andersen, a Roosevelt High School freshman who was working phones as soon as school let out for the day. Andersen, 13, has been a volunteer for the campaign since O’Malley announced on May 30.

“I learned that there really is a sort of politics of higher purpose,” he said. “Even though the polls might not be doing the best, you’ve got to stick to what you believe in. … That’s what Gov. O’Malley has been doing.”

Standing outside his office, O’Malley was asked what he wished he’d done differently throughout the campaign. The Washington Post reported on Monday that the struggling campaign had taken out a $500,000 loan to stay afloat.

“I wish I had raised $5 million more dollars,” he replied with a laugh.

-- Grant Rodgers

Cruz completes 99-county tour

Ted Cruz completed his tour of Iowa’s 99 counties Monday, just hours before Iowans go to caucus.

The Texas senator rolled into Jefferson in Greene County about 1 p.m. where more than 100 people waited to hear him speak.

“I think it’s particularly fitting that we are ending this full Grassley, the last of the 99 counties, here in Jefferson, Iowa,” Cruz said. “… We think back to the words penned by Thomas Jefferson. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed – not by a king, not by a queen, not even by a president – but endowed by their creator.”

(The Des Moines Register’s candidate tracker does not show Cruz holding campaign stops in all 99 counties. In order to be included, The Register requires that the public have advance notice of the event, and the event must be open to the public. A couple Cruz events did not meet those standards.)

In Jefferson, Cruz spoke for about 45 minutes, taking questions from the crowd, which included a group of eighth grade social studies students from Greene County Middle School.

That group erupted into cheers when Cruz promised that if his wife, Heidi, becomes first lady, then “french fries are coming back to the cafeteria!”

Cruz, noting that the caucuses are just five hours away, asked attendees to show up and caucus for him.

”If we stand together united, we will win,” he said. “And I’ve got to tell you, this race right now,it’s neck and neck. It’s all about turnout. This race is a statistical tie between me and Donald Trump. It all comes down to turnout.”

But despite the frenetic pace of caucus campaigns, life continues on uninterrupted for some Iowans. One man worked out on a row machine at the community center where Cruz was speaking, headphones in his ears, throughout the event.

-- Brianne Pfannenstiel

Carson flight canceled, Skypes Decorah crowd

Nearly 100 bodies packed inside a backroom at Mabe’s Pizza in Decorah, expecting to meet Ben Carson just five hours before the caucuses Monday evening.

Instead they only got a video feed of the Republican presidential candidate on a smart phone – displayed for a smaller group that waited for staff to resolve technological difficulties. Carson missed the scheduled campaign stop due to a canceled flight from Spencer.

Campaign staff said freezing fog shut down flights and Carson needed to fly from a morning event in northwestern Iowa. It was unclear whether he would attend an event planned for 4:30 p.m.

Attendees in Decorah voiced disappointment, but some said they still plan to caucus for the retired neurosurgeon.

“I believe in my heart that I have to vote for him,” said Debbie Hofsaess, 66, of Decorah.

She said Sunday night she awoke in the middle of the night with the Bible story of Gideon, an Israelite judge, in her mind. The story in the book of Judges tells of how God winnowed down Gideon’s army to only 300 soldiers before he defeated a Midianite army of thousands.

Hofsaess said she believes God is doing the same thing to Carson’s campaign, which she believes will conquer all odds and polling projections as a presidential candidate.

“This is his 300,” she said. “Nothing is impossible with God.”

-- Timothy Meinch 

Huckabee staff shoots down rumors about endorsement

Campaign staff for Mike Huckabee continued to shoot down rumors Monday that the Republican presidential candidate would be in Little Rock, Ark., this week to endorse rival Donald Trump.

J. Hogan Gidley, Huckabee’s spokesman, said the “rumors are rampant.”

“He’s not even going to be in Little Rock this week. He’ll be in South Carolina,” Gidley said.

Huckabee’s schedule on mikehuckabee.com doesn’t list any events after Monday night. Gidley said a schedule was being finalized. Trump’s public schedule shows the candidate will be in Little Rock on Wednesday.

At an event on Sunday, Huckabee chastised a Fox News commentator for saying the former Arkansas governor would endorse Trump.

“I’m not getting out of the race,” Huckabee told the 150 people at the rally in West Des Moines. “I’m staying in and I’m going to do great tomorrow night and keep going and win the White House.”

On Monday, Huckabee did interviews with some of the national press in Iowa before having lunch at the Drake Diner in Des Moines. He plans to appear at a caucus in Fort Dodge before attending a rally in West Des Moines.

-- Kathy A. Bolten

Clinton contest winners take in Des Moines

If you’ve ever signed up to receive email from a political campaign, you’ve probably seen the offer: Click here to win a trip to meet the candidate in person.

And you’ve probably wondered if anyone actually wins those things.

Well, here’s Amanda Kreglow and Mary Murray-Shelton, a couple from Santa Rosa, Calif., who won a trip to Iowa this week to meet Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Kreglow answered yes – just clicked a button, actually – to a Clinton campaign email offering the chance to meet the couple in Iowa. She was shocked when she got a call from a campaign staffer saying she’d won.

“I was like, ‘Is this a scam?’” Kreglow recalled.

“We actually called the campaign to find out if it was a scam,” Murray-Shelton added.

It was legit.

The couple flew in early Sunday morning and attended Clinton’s rally at Lincoln High School that night. That’s where they met the candidate in a receiving line.

“It was very quick, but Hillary is really amazing,” Kreglow said. “She’s quite clear, strong, powerful, and has a bright face.”

The former president was there, too.

“And I was a little gobsmacked shaking hands with President Clinton,” Murray-Shelton said.

The couple cooled their heels in the East Village on Monday afternoon, grabbing lunch at Open Sesame before checking out the shops. They’re attending Clinton’s caucus parties this evening before flying out on Tuesday. The campaign footed the bill for airfare, hotel (in West Des Moines) and car service.

-- Jason Noble

Bush's final rally interrupted by 'seat fillers' demanding to be paid

A little flier showed up early Monday morning on social media.

A handful of Twitter users supporting various Republican presidential candidates tweeted a photo of slip of paper with a headline reading “$$$ Earn fast cash today! $$$” and an offer for $25 an hour to attend Jeb Bush’s final campaign event at the Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines.

The implication: Bush was so desperate he was paying for faux supporters seven hours before the caucuses.

His campaign quickly shot down the claim, calling it shenanigans on the part of a rival.

(The tweet featuring the ad that gained the most traction came from Jeff Sadosky, a spokesman for a super PAC backing Marco Rubio. In an interview, Sadosky said the group, Conservative Solutions PAC, had nothing to do with it.)

The notion that some kind of gamesmanship was afoot gained legitimacy at the event itself, when moments after Bush began speaking two young men stood up and very conspicuously demanded to be paid for their “seat filling.”

“We’ve been here for over two hours and we haven’t gotten paid for our time,” one man said, unleashing a torrent of boos and jeers from the audience

“That is such — get out of here, man,” Bush shot back.

Staffers from his campaign approached the men and escorted them out, and Bush continued his speech. As he opened the floor for questions, though, he made sure the plants had all been removed.

“Have the YRs left the room,” Bush asked, referring to Young Republicans, a group long known for its creative political disruptions. “When I was younger, that would always happen. The YR guys would go to other campaigns and play like that.”

-- Jason Noble

In Cedar Rapids, Trump fans ready to caucus

At the Cedar Rapids Convention Center, eager caucusgoers streamed in to hear Donald Trump speak one last time before they caucus this evening.

Grant Gardner, attending his second Trump rally in three days, said he's excited for the evening's vote. Gardner is a precinct captain for Trump in Walker, attracted by the candidate's emphasis on halting illegal immigration and addressing the deficit.

"I feel good in my gut," said Gardner, 76. "I think we're going to pull it off tonight. Maybe not in my precinct but across the state, I think we're going to pull it off."

Outside the venue, vendors sold hats emblazoned with "Make America Great Again," Trump's campaign slogan, as voters patiently awaited security screening. A dozen uniformed Secret Service agents checked every entrant, watched over by members of Trump's private security team.

Proudly sporting newly bought matching "Make America Great Again" hats, first-time political participants and friends Dallas Wilson and Mike Gillen of Cedar Rapids said Trump's message resonates with them. Neither have caucused before but plan to participate tonight.

"We need change," Gillen said. "I believe in Trump."

Wilson said he respects Trump's willingness to put his foot down and draw lines in the sand, regardless of whether it's a popular stance.

-- Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Bernie Sanders calls the race a 'tie ball game'

Sen. Bernie Sanders visited his Iowa campaign headquarters Monday morning, saying the race between he and Hillary Clinton is as tight as can be.

“You got a tie ball game. That’s where we are,” he said in front of dozens of journalists and campaign staffers and volunteers.

Sanders continued his push that turnout is key. If turnout is high, “we win,” he said. The Vermont senator said he had spoken in front of 70,000 Iowans leading up to tonight’s caucuses at 100 town halls and rallies across the state.

“Our platform, our agenda is precisely what the American people want,” he said.

In winding down his campaign effort here, Sanders thanked Iowans for seriously shopping the candidates vying to win tonight.

“They are really trying to get a sense of where the candidates stand,” he said. “And they take that responsibility with great seriousness.”

Sanders spoke for only a few minutes before loading back onto his giant campaign bus. He doesn’t have another public appearance scheduled until his campaign party at 9 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport, 6111 Fleur Drive.

-- Kevin Hardy

Zen-master Christie can't be riled

Chris Christie is feeling very Zen.

The New Jersey governor known for an occasionally short-fused temper was pestered by a questioner Friday morning during at town hall at Drake University Law School. The man interrupted Christie several times, grilling him about wars in the Middle East.

But Christie refused to take the bait.

“I am a guy who is very mellow today,” Christie told the crowd of about 100. “I am guy who is feeling extraordinarily Zen. I am feeling very in touch with my inner-self.”

Mellow probably good for Christie. He is hovering at about 3 percent in the polls in Iowa.

Christie had one fiery exchange with a heckler during an Ankeny town hall this summer, but otherwise has seemed to tone down his blunt East Coast style while campaigning among aw-shucks Iowans.

“Every once in a while my inner-self gets riled and we put on a great show for people and I’m happy to do that at times, but you know what, today I’m feeling calm,” Christie said. “Today I’m feeling very non-New Jersey.”

-- Joel Aschbrenner

Santorum jokes about caucus luck

Amid a bright blue February sky and  temperatures outside in the upper 30s, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum visited classes and chatted with students and staff at Des Moines Christian School in Urbandale on Monday.

He joked that the school is a lucky “rabbit's foot” for his presidential campaign. He noted that he spoke there on the day of the Iowa Republican Party caucuses four years ago when he surged to an upset victory.

Santorum wore his trademark blue sweater vest over a dress shirt, along with blue jeans and black leather cowboy boots. He was joined by his wife, Karen; their daughter, Elizabeth, and two sons, Peter and Patrick.

“Tell your parents to vote for me,” Santorum told teacher Becky Parks’ class of seventh-grade geography students. When one student asked how the caucuses work, he explained the GOP caucuses are similar to a typical election where people cast a vote. “The Democratic side is kind of goofy,” he added, without going into detail about how Democrats join caucus groups in support of preferred candidates.

Santorum, who has trailed far behind in Iowa polls, told reporters outside the school he is staying in the presidential race, regardless of his finish in the Iowa caucuses. In fact, he plans to catch a plane in Kansas City on Tuesday to fly home to Virginia, and then on to South Carolina, where he will participate in the Feb. 20 GOP presidential primary. He also may campaign in New Hampshire, which holds the nation’s first presidential primary on Feb. 9.

-- William Petroski