Gov. Rick Perry kicks off his 42-city tour through Iowa today in the bus pictured above as his campaign hopes it will be the boost to carry him to victory in the Iowa caucuses three weeks away in January.  The first nine-day stretch of the tour will take him from Council Bluffs up north and across the state before heading south to end the excursion in Newton.

Perry starts his jam-packed day with a town hall meeting in Council Bluffs this afternoon, followed by a walk through Harlan town square and a meet and greet at Cronk's Café Restaurant and Lounge in Denison.  He will break from the bus tour and fly to Des Moines this evening to participate in the Mike Huckabee screening of the anti-abortion film "The Gift of Life."

Moving at a faster pace than his previous schedules, the Texas governor, who shines while engaging in traditional retail politicking, will endure days often filled with four or five events.