Button Gwinnett is among the first to arrive at Michele Bachmann's straw-poll-eve rally on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames. He wears a tri-corner hat and carries a "Don't Tread on Me" flag, by now de rigueur accoutrements for Tea Party revelers. Gwinnett claims to have been the first signer of the Declaration of Independence (actually he was the second) and frequently muses about the tyranny of the state. "Bachmann's our girl," he states, when asked about his presidential preference. "She'll be the next queen."

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has dropped out of the 2012 presidential contest before a single was cast. Appearing on ABC's This Week, Pawlenty conceded that his campaign never resonated with voters.

Michele Bachmann narrowly triumphed in the Iowa Straw Poll, a crucial early test of strength in the 2012 GOP presidential nomination process. Bachmann defeated congressman Ron Paul by less than 200 votes out of nearly 17,000 cast. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty finished a distant third, and subsequently announced that he is dropping out of the 2012 presidential race.

Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty made one last effort to woo Iowa Straw Poll participants with speeches on Saturday afternoon at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Both Minnesotans were introduced by gauzy biographical videos and relied heavily on their well-honed stump speeches.

Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty began the most important day so far in the GOP presidential nominating process by addressing a group of conservative women at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center. The breakfast gathering took place just down the road from the site of today's Iowa Straw Poll.

Michele Bachmann held one last rally Friday night on the grounds of Iowa Straw Poll. The favorite to win this early test in the GOP nominating process bounded off her campaign bus shortly after 9 p.m. to the music of Elvis Presley. She danced ebulliently with her husband, Marcus, before addressing the crowd of more than 100 supporters.

Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty are drawing heaps of media coverage as they pursue the GOP presidential nomination. This week presents the most critical test so far with a nationally televised debate followed by the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames.

The New Yorker has a lengthy profile of Michele Bachmann in today's issue. The piece, written by Ryan Lizza, digs into the presidential contender's Evangelical influences, early activism in education policies and history of flamboyant and erroneous statements.

The survey of likely caucus voters shows Bachmann with 22 percent support. Pawlenty was fifth with 5 percent.

If you hear political activists calling for change in the 2012 state House and Senate elections, you won’t be faulted for thinking that the rhetoric must be coming from DFLers. After all, Democrats lost control of both chambers in a 2010 election that saw a conservative tide roll across Minnesota and the rest of the country.