Iowa countdown: Cruz battles Iowa's governor as Trump attack ads arrive
It’s one week until the Iowa caucuses, the kickoff off to the 2016 presidential race. If you’ve managed to avoid the cacophony so far — congrats. Now’s the time to start paying attention. The remaining Democratic candidates hit up a CNN forum in Des Moines tonight, and the week only gets busier from there.
Here’s what happened in Iowa today, and a look at who’s here tomorrow.
Will new attack ads knock Trump out in Iowa? His rivals hope so.
A bunch of new anti-Trump ads will hit Iowa this week aimed at halting the Donald’s enigmatic momentum before primary season kicks off. The ads include radio spots and mailers paid for by newly formed outside groups and Trump’s GOP rivals, too, portraying the Republican front-runner as selfish, out of touch and more liberal than voters might believe. One mailer cites a 1999 quote from Trump calling for “universal health care.” Other ads hit Trump for “importing cheap foreign workers” and proposing “the largest tax hike in history.”
Texas forever: Rick Perry endorses Ted Cruz, calls on Iowans to caucus for him
Rick Perry threw his remaining influence behind fellow Texan Ted Cruz on Monday, urging Iowa Republicans to caucus for the senator who could “take on the Washington cartel” in a video released online Monday. A Cruz endorsement from Perry — a critic of Trump during his own 2016 campaign — makes sense, especially with the GOP contest in Iowa looking like a duel between Cruz and Trump. Putting words into action, Perry will stump for Cruz in Iowa this week.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
Cruz vs. Branstad: An Iowa throwdown
Establishment Republicans’ unease with Ted Cruz’s surge has shown in recent days, manifesting itself in the form of big-name Republicans attacking him publicly and standing with Donald Trump. One such worried Republican is Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who knocked Cruz last week for his lack of support for the Renewable Fuel Standard. A pro-Cruz super PAC fired back, running an ad this week in Iowa that says the state’s governor is “terrified” of Cruz, while buddying up to Trump and the “ethanol lobby.” Branstad on Monday called the ad a work of “desperate politicians.”
Watch the ad:
O’Malley to Hillary: I have ‘zero interest’ in working in your Cabinet
Martin O’Malley remains intent on winning in Iowa, even as polls suggest he’s trailing well behind Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. When The Des Moines Register endorsed Clinton over the weekend, it suggested O’Malley would be “better suited” for a Cabinet job than the Oval Office.
O’Malley’s reaction? “No interest … I intend to win.”
Well, good luck to you, Gov. O'Malley.
Who’s in Iowa Tuesday?
Almost everyone. Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump and Ben Carson will all crisscross the the state on the Republican side. For the Democrats, Bernie Sanders will speak to a union while Hillary Clinton holds three “get out the caucus” events.
See it all on The Des Moines Register’s candidate tracker.
Follow Josh Hafner on Twitter: @joshhafner