Democratic candidates pour into Iowa for last-minute push

DES MOINES, Iowa — Freed momentarily from the Senate’s impeachment trial, several presidential candidates high-tailed it to Iowa on Saturday for a last-minute blitz of campaigning before the state’s caucuses kick off the battle for the Democratic nomination.

Greeting Sen. Elizabeth Warren was one of the state’s most coveted endorsements. The Des Moines Register called the Massachusetts Democrat “the best leader for these times.” Adding that Warren “is not the radical some perceive her to be,” the Register said Warren “has proven she is tough and fearless.”

Warren as well as Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota planned to hold town halls, rallies and concerts across Iowa on Saturday to keep their supporters motivated heading into the final stretch of the caucus campaign.

They’ll join former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who don’t have Senate obligations and have already spent much of the past week in Iowa.

The burst of campaigning comes as the contest for the Democratic nomination enters a critical — and volatile — phase. A New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday showed Sanders with a slight edge over the other leading candidates, but the race remains competitive. Several polls show Biden, Buttigieg and Warren are still among the front-runners.

“There’s still plenty of time for movement,” said Kurt Meyer, chairman of the Tri-County Democrats in northern Iowa. “Every part of the ground game counts.” Sanders hit the ground Saturday with confidence.

“I believe that our campaign, our energy, our grassroots movement, our agenda is the approach that will speak to working people who, in many cases, have given up on politics,” he said in Marshalltown. He added that he’s taking on Democratic Party powers “and the establishment is getting a little bit nervous.”