My husband and I went to Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 1. Our plan was to see all the candidates and attend a caucus. We saw five contenders - senators Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Rep. Ron Paul and Gov. Mike Huckabee. We tried to catch the others but they were elsewhere in the state. 

The caucus itself, much like, Minnesotas, was a friendly, neighborhood meeting. Turnout was huge, but the meeting moved smoothly from party business to candidate choice and cookies.

Iowa is remarkable. Iowan votes, like those in New Hampshire, are democracy’s blessed. They get to read about, see and question; to hear candidates up close and to choose based on what they have experienced. The people we talked to, and they were a friendly group, made an effort to hear as many candidates as possible and many did not decide until the last minute.

We may not have access to all the reporting and live speeches, but we can inform ourselves by reading, listening to the news, watching for candidate appearances and checking out positions on candidate web sites and at their local offices.

I urge you to caucus - take this first step in choosing our presidential candidates. Turn out! If you need help getting to the polls, if you want information on the caucus or a candidate, or just talk about what to expect at the caucus, call the party of your choice.
Linda Feist, St. Paul