Perry joins Cruz on the trail to rally Iowa conservatives

OSCEOLA, Iowa (AP) — Ted Cruz worked to consolidate support from Iowa conservatives Tuesday with the help of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, while rival Donald Trump claimed Cruz was "nervous" with less than a week until voting kicks off in Iowa.

A day after nabbing the endorsement from his former primary rival, Cruz planned seven stops with Perry in central Iowa, joined by other bold-name conservatives backing Cruz. Though lagging behind Trump nationally, Cruz is locked in a cutthroat race with Trump in Iowa as the broader Republican Party slowly comes around to the likelihood that one of the two could be their nominee.

"He's so nervous. He's such a mess," Trump told ABC's "Good Morning America," dismissing questions raised by Cruz about his record on abortion.

Cruz has sought to avoid a personal war of words with Trump, whose supporters he's working to peel off in Iowa and other early-voting states. Instead, as he opened a packed day of campaigning in a sawdust-floored barn, Cruz took veiled swipes at Trump by drawing contrasts with the real estate mogul's past comments on gay marriage and President Barack Obama's efforts to rescue the economy.

Perry, who ended his second presidential campaign in September, said he knew Cruz previously through "the caricature of the media," but had gotten to know him better since dropping out.

"He may be one of the great listeners I've ever been around in my life," Perry said.

Both Cruz and Trump are seeking to capitalize on a strain in the GOP hungry for an insurgent conservative that can shake up the status quo. Trump spent the morning playing up an endorsement from Jerry Falwell Jr., president the Liberty University and an influential voice in evangelical politics.

The angling among the two leading GOP candidates came as the leading Democratic contenders fought over whose record of fighting for economic fairness has been the most consistent, effective and tested.

Clinton, in a television ad released Tuesday airing in Iowa, argued she's spent her life fighting and won't stop now. The ad uses archival footage of to paint a chronological picture of her career over many decades, and in a twist on the required tagline, she says, "I'm Hillary Clinton and I've always approved this message."

Bernie Sanders, locked in a tight race with Clinton in Iowa, acknowledged in a town hall forum Monday night that his plan for free public college tuition and government-run health care would raise taxes — an unusual admission from a presidential candidate. But he defended the proposal and tried to turn the tables on Clinton by questioning her support for expanding Social Security benefits.

"If Secretary Clinton drops in, ask her for her view," Sanders told a steel workers union in Des Moines. "I don't think she agrees."

The Vermont independent waxed confident on Tuesday that he had an "excellent chance" to win Iowa if his voters turn out. Recent polls show Sanders within just a few points of Clinton, suggesting Monday's first-in-the-nation caucuses could be a toss-up.

Even as the candidates mounted their final push in Iowa, they were also a close watch on New Hampshire, where the more mainstream Republicans are hoping an impressive showing can elevate one of them as the alternative to Cruz or Trump.

John Kasich, focusing almost exclusively on New Hampshire, was touting recent endorsements from the Boston Globe and Concord Monitor, while Chris Christie sought to capitalize on his nod from the nearby Boston Herald.

By Josh Lederman and Scott Bauer, AP. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Gayly - 1/26/2016 @ 4:19 p.m. CST