Perry: Evolution a 'Theory With Gaps'

Candidates make last-minute preparations

(NEWSER) - A day ahead of Iowa voting, three candidates are within two points of each other in the latest poll: Ron Paul is leading the field at 20%, while Mitt Romney follows at 19% and Rick Santorum boasts 18%, having jumped eight points since earlier this week, notes Public Policy Polling . That gives him the clear momentum; he's also got the highest favorability rating at 60%. Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich trails at 14%, ahead of Rick Perry with 10%, Michele Bachmann with 8%, and Jon Huntsman with 4%. More»

Bachmann, Gingrich, Huntsman, Santorum also missing from ballot

(NEWSER) - Experts don't believe Rick Perry's lawsuit to get on the Virginia Republican primary ballot will succeed, but that didn't stop four other candidates from jumping on the bandwagon. Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, and Rick Santorum joined the suit, which claims Virginia's ballot laws are unconstitutional , yesterday. Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul successfully got themselves on the state's ballot, CNN notes. Virginia's Republican primary is part of Super Tuesday, held on March 6. More»

...And a lot of spin afterward

(NEWSER) - History suggests that it doesn’t matter who actually wins tonight in Iowa—it matters who exceeds expectations, or fails to meet them. The media is always flabbergasted by strange Iowa finishes, but they shouldn’t be, writes Nate Silver of the New York Times , because thanks to unreliable polls they happen all the time, and seem especially likely this year. “A wide range of outcomes remain possible in Iowa even at this late hour,” he warns, and as you can see, his final predictions contain wide margins of error: More»

Gingrich 'everyone's buddy'; Romney, Perry not so tight

(NEWSER) - We’ve seen them battle on camera—but how do the Republican candidates relate to each other behind the scenes? The candidates’ complex network of relationships is the stuff of TV drama, a New York Times piece suggests: They range from buddy-buddy to all-out “frenemies.” Having worked together as governors, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman seem to be the closest pair, palling around during debate commercial breaks, writes Ashley Parker. Newt Gingrich is “everyone’s buddy,” but is particularly close to Herman Cain. More»

Republicans debate national security

(NEWSER) - The Republican candidates were back at it tonight, this time in Washington and this time with a focus on national security. (Click to read about Mitt Romney's first-name moment .) Some highlights:

• Newt Gingrich: Strongly backed the Patriot Act. "All of us will be in danger for the rest of our lives," he said, and the government needs tools to protect Americans. He also argued that the US could "break Iran within a year" in part by sabotaging its refineries, reports AP . An outright attack should be a last resort, he added.
• Immigration: Big fight coming? Gingrich favored allowing some immigrants to stay, reports the Los Angeles Times . “I don’t believe that the party that says it's the party of the family is going to say it’s going to destroy families that have been here for more than a quarter of a century,” he said. “I'm prepared to take the heat in saying: Let's be humane in enforcing the law." His view caught immediate flak from Romney and Bachmann, notes Politico .
• Ron Paul: Called the Patriot Act "unpatriotic because it undermines our liberties" and would create a police state. "You might prevent a crime. But the crime then will be against the American people." On Israel, he broke with the pack, notes the New York Times blog : "I think they are quite capable of taking care of themselves." And the drug war is "another war we ought to cancel."