Cheers for Hillary

Actor Ted Danson and his wife, the actress Mary Steenburgen, flew into Des Moines late Tuesday from Denver. The pair are in Iowa to support Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Sporting a blue "Hillary" button, Steenburgen said the candidate is her oldest and dearest friend. Steenburgen is from Arkansas, where Clinton served as first lady.

Mitt predicts ultimate victory

Mitt Romney spent the day traveling the state accompanied by a planeload of reporters, rallying supporters in key locations

including a stop in the Quad City area where he declared he expects to win his party's nomination but stopped short of predicting a win in Thursday's Iowa caucuses.

Missing pundit

One seat on the press plane was empty. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd had been scheduled to travel with Romney Wednesday, but was a no-show.

Utahns on the stump

Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, is scheduled to join Romney on the campaign trail Thursday, while Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will be in New Hampshire this weekend to campaign for his presidential pick, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Huntsman's father, Jon Huntsman Sr, of course is a major fund-raiser for Romney.