Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann won a test vote of Iowans on Saturday, a show of popularity and organizational strength for the tea party favorite five months before the state's caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating season.

The result is the first indication of what Iowans think of the field of Republicans competing for the chance to challenge President Barack Obama next fall. But it's hardly predictive of who will win the winter Iowa contest, much less the party nod or the White House.

Rather, Saturday's outcome suggests that Bachmann has a certain level of support and, perhaps even more important, the strongest get-out-the-vote operation and widest volunteer base in a state whose caucuses require those elements.

This explanation probably won’t pass muster with many of her critics, but Sarah Palin insists she didn’t commit a gaffe last week when she said Paul Revere warned the British on his historical ride that signaled the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

On this weekend’s “Fox News Sunday,” the former Alaska governor took on her critics, including one of her Fox News colleagues, Shephard Smith, who had said Palin was on a publicity tour. The shot came after host Chris Wallace asked Palin what she was up to on her bus tour.

“Oh man, it seems like I have answered this question a million times in the last week,” Palin said. “And folks still, I guess aren’t understanding it.

RonPaul2008.com v. MikeHuckabee.com: Will the real statesman please stand up?

The Republican establishment doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the presidential campaign of Congressman Ron Paul. But, on Guy Fawkes Day, and with Paul raising more than $3.5 million dollars in an online fundraiser in less than 24 hours, perhaps

Glenn Spencer has examined the evidence submitted by S.J. Miller about Ron Paul and decided that it does not make the case against him. "Ron Paul passes all the illegal immigration litmus tests, and, beyond that, he is head and shoulders above the rest, a

the Congressman's 65 earmarks sought thus far this year to the tune of $400,000,000.00. HIs chief spokesman pulled a Tom DeLay and said "Reducing earmarks does not reduce government spending, and it does not prohibit spending upon those things that are ea

(1) Paul consistently voted every year since 1999 against putting the military on the border: 2006: H. Amdt. 206 to H.R. 1815 2004: Goode Amendment to H.R. 4200 2003: Goode Amendment to H.R. 1588 2002: H. Amdt. 479 to H.R. 4546 2001: Traficant amendment t