Jon Huntsman Thinks Michele Bachmann Needs A Reality Check

Jon Huntsman has been a pretty sweet guy since he jumped into the presidential race.

But, now the competition is getting serious.

Michele Bachmann made a comment last week about the soaring gas prices, saying that she would lower it to $2 per gallon if she became president.

Jon isn't so sure about that.

"I just don't know what -- what world that comment would come from, you know?," he said. "We live in the real world. It's grounded in reality. And gas prices just aren't going to rebound like that."

Zinger! It looks like Jon is not taking anything Michele says if she can't back it up.

And, about Michele winning the Ames Straw Poll? Jon's not worried.

"You know, in New Hampshire, they pick presidents. I know they pick something else in Iowa."

Whoa, Jon! You just went from Mr. Chaming to Mr. Straight-Shooter.

Political Roundup: Michele Bachmann's 'Acid Tongue' & Ron Paul's Straw Poll Pix

It's only Tuesday, which is sad news for everyone. But, we have something to brighten up your day.

We've compiled a list of our favorite political happenings!

Here's what's up:

• The folks over at The Telegraph seem to enjoy poking fun at our politics. According to them, Michele Bachmann has an 'acid tongue.'
• Ron Paul's Ames Straw Poll pictures are up! And, he's looking pretty adorable.
• Bill Clinton thinks Rick Perry is a "good-looking rascal."
• Missing Christine O'Donnell? Well, we've got good news for you! She's hosting a rally in Arlington this week.
• Herman Cain is inspired -- either by Donna Summer or by Pokemon.

Stephen Colbert's Super PAC: Challenge (Not) Accepted!

Stephen Colbert must've been busy this weekend, because he was invited to Iowa and did not show up.

Stephen's Super PAC claims to support Rick Perry, so he is using ads to mock the Super PACs who don't actually support Rick -- such as the group Jobs for Iowa.

And, they're pretty angry about it.

So, what did Jobs for Iowa do? They threw down the gauntlet by inviting Stephen to an "old-fashioned tractor pull" in Ames during the Straw Poll.

As it turns out, Stephen never showed up.

Sad, because we really would have enjoyed seeing that.

Sarah Palin To Pull 'Wedding Crashers' Moment, Straw Poll-Style

Sarah Palin may not be a GOP presidential candidate yet, but that doesn't mean she can't have a little fun in Iowa.

The former Alaska governor decided that she wants to hit up the Straw Poll, even if she's not campaigning. So, she'll be rolling in on her "One Nation" tour bus this Saturday.

And, that's just fine by us. Give us a holler, Sarah! We'd love to see you.

Mitt Romney Wants To Do 'Darn Well' In Iowa

Mitt Romney may have been keeping quiet this whole time about Iowa, but it wasn't because he doesn't care.

Mitt spoke in Pella, Iowa, and told voters to expect to see more of him in the following months.

"I'd like to do darn well in those caucuses," he said.

Though Mitt isn't participating in the Straw Poll, instead focusing on New Hampshire for now, he will be at the GOP debate tonight.

Straw Poll Roundup: Mike Huckabee, The Crickets, Peaches, BBQ & So Much More

We know we've been bombarding you with all of the straw poll craziness in individual doses.

So, to make things easier, we've compiled a list of all of the Straw Poll activities we're looking forward to.

Here they are: 

• Mike Huckabee will be rocking out with a few candidates. We thought he would just be hanging with Herman Cain, but he announced that he'll be jamming with bands in a few tents. According to Mike, he's not endorsing any candidates. He's in it for the music.
• Rick Santorum will be offering a "Summer Dance Party" with Buddy Holly's backup band, the Crickets. He's also giving away jars of his hand-picked, peeled and prepared peach preserves (holy alliteration, Bat Man!).
• Herman Cain is promoting himself, obviously. What else would he be at the Straw Poll for? So, of course, he has to give away slices of Godfather's Pizza, the chain that he owns.
• Tim Pawlenty will be giving away Dave's Famous BBQ and Dairy Queen Blizzards. For entertainment, he'll have Christian worship band SONICFLOOd and local band the Nadas.
• Michele Bachmann is getting down to some country tunes with Randy Travis, Richie McDonald, Tim Rushlow and Charles Billingsley. She's also giving away drinks and BBQ. Delish! 

Glittarazzi On The Road: Iowa State Fair Roundup -- Janet Jackson, Def Leppard & Politicos!

We're so excited to be in Iowa this week.

It's not just the presidential candidates and the Ames Straw Poll that will be fun, there's also the Iowa State Fair to look forward to!

Here are some of the highlights we'll be looking out for:

• The crazy foods, including deep-fried butter, and the "Gigantor" (trust us, you don't want to know what that is).
• The butter-sculpting contest.
• Janet Jackson
• Def Leppard
• Sara Bareilles
• Lynard Skynard with the Doobie Brothers
• Train and Maroon 5
• Reba McEntire
• Sarah Palin
• Michele Bachmann
• Tim Pawlenty
• Rick Santorum
• Newt Gingrich
• Mitt Romney

 Whew! That's a lot to watch out for!

Does Michele Bachmann Have The Midas Touch?

Michele Bachmann is so charismatic, all she has to do is talk to a doubter face-to-face to turn them into a believer.

That's how it seemed at a town hall this week in Atlantic, Iowa, anyway.

One voter who raised his hand at the end of the town hall had an angry comment for her: he said that, although he was on the no-call list, he had received five identical, automated calls from Michele's campaign, urging him to go to the Straw Poll.

"I don't know if I have the time, I don't know if I have the money to go there," he said. "Why all the five calls?"

So Michele stepped over to him, leaned down, and took his hand in hers. 

"I thank you, and I would ask you to come to Ames on Aug. 13, this Saturday, and I'll tell you why," she said. "I want you to come, and I want you to give me your vote because we have got to turn the country around... I'm 100 percent pro-life, I'm 100 percent pro-marriage, pro-family, I'm 100 percent on the Second Amendment. Let's get 'er done right now, let's make a decision right now. What do I need to do to convince you?"

Though the voter did not commit, he did say afterwards that it is "very likely" that he'll be in Ames on Saturday, and he'll be voting for Michele. The campaign told him they're giving him tickets to the Straw Poll and will arrange transportation, sealing the deal.

It looks like Michele Bachmann is the woman with the magic touch.

Mike Huckabee To Rock Out With Herman Cain

While Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum go a more traditional musical route for the Ames Straw Poll, Herman Cain will be "sharing his musical talents" alongside Mike Huckabee.

Mike is a well-known bass guitar enthusiast. He's even in a band -- Capitol Offense. But, we've never heard Herman's musical skills.

The Straw Poll just gets more and more exciting every day.

Rick Perry: Too Cool For The Straw Poll?

Rick Perry isn't playing by anyone's rules but his own.

He is one of the last -- if not the last -- GOP candidates to throw his hat into the ring. Though his name will be on the Straw Poll ballot, Rick won't be in Iowa. 

Instead, he's decided that he's going to Iowa on Sunday, the day after the Straw Poll.

Rick will be joining Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich at a Lincoln Day dinner in Waterloo, Iowa, Michele's hometown.

Do we smell a turf war brewing?

Thaddeus McCotter Wants In On Thursday's Straw Poll Debate

You may not know much about Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, other than the fact that he's running for president.

But, if he's given the chance to participate, we'll be able to learn a little bit more about the quirky Republican in the Thursday debate in Iowa.

Thaddeus just dropped all of his New Hampshire plans in the hopes that he will be allowed to swing by. We're hoping he gets to be there. After watching his video response to not being allowed to participate in the straw poll (below) -- which is chock-full of corny puns -- we really want to see more of him.

Photo: Tim Pawlenty Enjoys A Nice Game Of Catch In Iowa

Tim Pawlenty is living his "Field of Dreams" moment in Iowa.

The GOP presidential candidate tweeted last weekend that he was enjoying "heaven" as he threw around a baseball while on the road.

Tim is in Iowa, gearing up for the Straw Poll. Tim, we hope this isn't target practice for when you face off against the other GOP contenders! (Ouch!)

Rick Perry To Steal Straw Poll Spotlight

Rick Perry is finally leaving the presidential bid limbo.

He's expected to announce his bid this Saturday, Aug. 13, in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Does the date sound familiar? That's because it's the same day as the Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa. Oh yes, it seems as though Rick is a little bit of a thunder stealer.

Oh snap! We really don't like having to pick favorites, Rick. And, we're already in Omaha -- about to road trip it to Ames. Can't you just play nicely?

Rick 'Santorum's Summer Dance Party' Hits Iowa

Rick Santorum already promised jars of homemade peach preserves to Straw Pollers who visit his tent on Aug. 13.

If you're thinking that the only way this deal could get any sweeter is if he threw a dance party as well, you're in luck!

That's right, if you're looking to get your boogie on, Rick's tent is the place to be. His musical guests are Buddy Holly's backup band, the Crickets.

And, if you've never been to Iowa before, you should know that Iowans are pretty crazy about Buddy Holly (his plane crash was in Clear Lake, Iowa).

Watch out, Michele Bachmann. It looks like you've got some groovy competition.

Michele Bachmann: If Market Drops, I'll Cancel BBQs

Most of the GOP candidates were not too happy about President Obama's birthday BBQ last week.

And now, Michele Bachmann is saying a few angry words about it.

"The birthday present he got was huge drop of 512 points in the market and not only that, what was the President's response? He threw a barbecue at the White House to celebrate," she said in Iowa.

According to Michele: "President Bachmann will be canceling barbecues if we see the market go down and if we see the jobs report going down."

Aww, Michele. We know you're going to be serving BBQ at the Straw Poll, and we don't want you to cancel it! We were looking forward to trying some.

Tim Pawlenty Brings His Iowa Game

Tim Pawlenty will not be left out of Iowa Straw Poll games.

The former Minnesota Governor revealed what he will be bringing for the people who stop by his tent: Dairy Queen Blizzards.

He'll also have Famous Dave's BBQ, an American Christian worship band (SONICFLOOd, top photo) and a local band, The Nadas.

Hey, Tim. We hear that Rick Santorum really likes chocolate ice cream. Maybe you should save him a Blizzard?

Michele Bachmann Is #WINNING In Iowa

Michele Bachmann has been doing pretty well in the Iowa polls so far, but she knows she wants to be better than second place.

So, the presidential contender has upped the stakes for the Ames Straw Poll.

She will not only have country music stars and BBQ at her tent -- her main event will also feature her very own petting zoo.

We're getting more and more excited about the Iowa now. What else will the candidates come up with?

Herman Cain Promotes His 'Godfather's Pizza' Pizza At Ames Straw Poll

You've probably heard that Herman Cain is running for president.

What you might not know about him, however, is that he owns a pizza chain.

Luckily for you, if you're in Ames, Iowa, on August 13 (like we will be!), you'll get a chance to taste his pizza for free.

That's right, folks. Herman Cain will be serving up some slices for straw pollers. Looks like he realized that people who are into politics really like pizza.

Rick Perry: Chillin' With Ambassadors

Rick Perry may not be on the Iowa Straw Poll ballot, but that doesn't mean he's sitting around in the meantime.

This weekend, he's hosting "The Response," a day of prayer at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Tx. And, this week, he tweeted that he was hanging out with former Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad to discuss Middle East policy.

Looks like you've got a pretty busy schedule, Rick!

Rick Santorum: Iowa's Peach King

If we know anything about Rick Santorum, it's that he's a big advocate of family bonding and that he loves peaches.

So, it seems to make sense that the former Pennsylvania senator would combine both of those things to lure in Iowa Straw Pollers.

Rick has revealed that he will be offering what he calls "Pennsylvania Presidential Peach Preserves" to anyone who stops by his tent. The peaches were personally handpicked, peeled, and prepared by his family (please excuse the alliteration).

That sounds delicious, Rick! Save us some peaches. We'll stop by for dessert after we taste Michele Bachmann's BBQ.