Sneak Peek: Dems Focus Shifts to Iowa

August 13, 2007— -- The dust has settled in Ames Iowa after Saturday's straw poll, the candidates have done their victory laps on the Sunday morning talk show circuit and one candidate has ended his presidential bid.

As the Republican field shifts its collective attention away from the Hawkeye State, it's now the Democrats turn this week.

Barack Obama and John Edwards have bus tours planned, Hillary Clinton will be on the ground in the middle of the week and the week culminates with the ABC News This Week Democratic debate at Drake University with George Stephanopoulos moderating.

Clinton tries to own the beginning of the big Democratic '08er week in the Hawkeye State by going up with her first ad in Iowa Tuesday, reports ABC News' Eloise Harper. The theme: "You are not invisible."

Clinton begins by saying, "As I travel around America I hear from so many people who feel like they're just invisible to their government."

Unlike Democratic nomination rival Senator Barack Obama's ads, D-Ill., there is no need for a formal introduction; the former first lady assumes the viewer knows who she is and promptly launches into a general election contrast with the current Republican administration, Harper notes.

The leading Democratic candidates reacted to the news of Karl Rove's resignation -- no surprises here.

Edwards kept it short, but not sweet: "Goodbye, good riddance."

Obama: "Karl Rove was an architect of a political strategy that has left the country more divided, the special interests more powerful, and the American people more shut out from their government than any time in memory."

Clinton spokesman Phil Singer responded to Rove calling her a "fatally flawed candidate": "Given Rove's track record of predicting a landslide win in 2000 and GOP gains in 2006, we're not too worried about his analysis."

In contrast, there was silence on the Republican side.

Not one GOP presidential campaign has proactively put out a statement paying homage to Rove or thanking him for his service, reports ABC News' Jake Tapper. Certainly former Governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee can't be delighted with Rove stealing attention from their Iowa Straw Poll victories this weekend with the timed announcement of his departure.

As for the Republican candidates' schedules…

The very wealthy ($250 million) Mitt Romney continues his straw poll victory lap traveling to Oklahoma and Texas for an "Ask Mitt Anything" town hall event in Oklahoma City and then the Hannity Freedom Concert in Grand Prairie, Texas. The former governor holds a 1:00 pm ET media avail after the "Ask Mitt Anything" event at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Rudy Giuliani is in South Carolina for 9:30 am ET remarks at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center in Aiken before heading to Columbia for a 2:15 pm town hall meet and greet.

The Mayor will focus on ending illegal immigration in his remarks – interesting timing given the back and forth last week between the Giuliani campaign and the Romney campaign on New York as a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants.

John McCain is South Carolina too, for a 9:00 am ET meeting with the AARP in Port Royal, before the Arizona senator heads northwest for a midday stop at the Iowa State Fair. In the evening, he raises campaign coin in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Mike Huckabee spends his day in Little Rock, Arkansas making fundraising calls.

Making sure he doesn't put all his eggs in the Iowa basket, the straw poll's third place finisher Sam Brownback is in New Hampshire for 8:00 am ET remarks at Thomas Moore College in Merrimack and a 10:00 am ET tour of Turbocam in Barrington.

Monday Night TiVo Alert! Giuliani appears on CNBC's "Kudlow" at 5:00 pm ET. Huckabee appears on the same Kudlow broadcast, MSNBC's "Hardball" and Fox News Channel's "Hannity and Colmes" at 9:00 pm ET.

On the Democratic side. . .

Hillary Clinton tours the Hawkeye State with meet and greets in Dubuque and Council Bluffs at 4:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET respectively.

John and Elizabeth Edwards do some book promotion Tuesday morning for the paperback version (with an added chapter) of her book "Saving Graces." The couple then continues with "Day 2" of their "Fighting for One America" bus tour which makes stop in Sioux City, Ida Grove, Rockwell City, Pocahontas, Clarion and Clear Lake.

Bill Richardson, who in 2002 set the Guinness Book world record for most handshakes (Purrell anyone?) by a politician in an eight hour period (13,392 potential voters) does some glad handing in Iowa.

President Bush is at the Western White House in Crawford, TX.

First Lady Laura Bush delivers 10:30 am ET remarks in Austin, TX at the Westbank Community Library's announcement of the Laura Bush Community Library.

POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM:

ABC News' Jake Tapper "That Quiet Sound You Here" LINK

ABC News' Eloise Harper "'Invisible Clinton'" LINK

ABC News Z. Byron Wolf "Thompson's Iowa Exit Strategy" LINK

USA Today's Kathy Kiely "Democrats' 'Baby Step's Frustrate Pary Loyalists" LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper "Farewell to the 'Turd Blossom'" LINK

POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:

Rove Says Goodbye With President Bush at his side, adviser Karl Rove makes an emotional farewell. LINK

Karl Rove Will ResignPresident Bush's chief political strategist will step down at the end of August. LINK

Rove Resignation ReactionGeorge Stephanopoulos phones in to discuss the resignation of Karl Rove. LINK

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