The Iowa presidential caucuses are a year away, so it's no surprise that some White House hopefuls are laying the groundwork for possible campaigns.
Count former Alaska governor Sarah Palin among them, according to our Gannett colleague Tom Beaumont at the Des Moines Register.
Tom writes in his blog that Palin's aides are talking with key GOP activists in the state that kicks off the presidential campaign every four years.
"We're doing the things we need to do to help her if she decides to go," Andy Davis, political director for Sarah PAC, told the Register.
Palin is among the GOP presidential hopefuls who have been invited to speak by The Family Leader, a social conservative advocacy group, in advance of the Iowa Republican Party's straw poll in August.
Also on The Family Leader's list: Rep. Michele Bachmann. The Minnesota Republican makes her first trip to Iowa tomorrow and will headline an event for Iowans for Tax Relief.
Politico reports that Bachmann will meet with high-level Republicans, such as Gov. Terry Branstad, when she is in Des Moines. Bachmann also has accepted The Family Leader's invitation to speak this summer.
Don't forget to add Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to the mix of Republicans maneuvering for the White House.
Ledyard King and Chuck Raasch of the Gannett Washington Bureau report that Gregory Slayton, one of Thune's top fundraisers, is quietly making calls on the senator's behalf in New Hampshire, home of the nation's first presidential primary.
Thune said he's done "much analysis and gathered many data points" about a possible presidential bid and the "witching hour" for a decision might be coming soon.
By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY
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