Campaign Journal: W. Des Moines, IA
Happy Caucus Day here in Iowa! With the main event not until 7 p.m. CST, there's still time for a few final events.
I'm at Valley High School in West Des Moines, a large suburban school hosting a "Rock the Vote" rally this morning.
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former U.S. Rick Santorum and several of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's sons are expected to address the students.
10 a.m. - U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, with two of her daughters, welcomes the students back from Christmas break. She runs through her background, before asking for a show of hands of who is 18 years old. (17-year-olds also can vote if they'll be 18 by the November general election.)
"The United States is the most expensive place to do business if you're a job creator ... I want to abolish the tax code so that you can wildly succeed," she said. "I want a future for you, I want you to succeed."
10:10 a.m. - The Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman also is here (yup, they're caucusing too), urging students to start a habit of voting by turning out this evening.
The first student I talked to, 17-year-old Shraddha Bhtra, said she'll be heading to a Democratic caucus tonight even though there's no balloting there. "He doesn't have an opponent, but it's still important to go support President Obama," Shraddha said.
10:30 p.m. - Tagg Romney, Mitt's oldest son, talks about jobs and debt to the high-school audience. "How much interest are you going to be paying off to afford the borrowing of the previous generation?" he asks.
Tagg continues, saying Obama is "in over his head." Contrasts Obama to his father's business background, work running Salt Lake City Olympics, governorship of Massachusetts.
Tells anecdote about father wanting to build a fence, being shocked by the cost, and enlisting his sons and wife to help instead over six Saturdays. "He wanted us to learn about hard work," Tagg says.
10:47 a.m. - Santorum has six of his seven children on stage with him, and was followed in by the largest set of cameras so far.
"Every generation of leaders has an obligation to pass along something to the next generation that his great," he says. "This is an important time for our country."
Tells about father leaving Italy during Mussolini's reign, came to Pennsylvania coal mines. "That's what America always stood for - that bottom-up, entrepreneurial spirit," Santorum says. "Unfortunately, some in America - and one in the White House - that don't believe that anymore."
Asks them to look for the candidate who believes in country's founding principles, urges them to hold their representatives accountable (and to read the news ... thanks Rick!). "Hold those candidates accountable to dealing with the systemic problems of a government that is doing more and more and giving you less and less freedom," he says.
11 a.m. - Final headliner is Ron Paul, giving an intense lecture on government debt, individual liberties, and monetary policy. Gets his main audience reactions when talking foreign policy: getting congressional permission for war and "minding our own business."
"We have failed because we've said the government can take care of us," Paul says "The government is us. And now we don't have the jobs, we don't have the prosperity.
He continued: "If you have a free society and sound money, the prosperity will come."
As he ends, one student shouts, "Go Ron Paul!" He turns and waives, before walking off stage.