Iowa Democrats gathered Saturday night for a fundraiser in downtown Des Moines while at the same time Iowa Republicans gathered in a Des Moines suburb for Republican Governor Terry Branstad’s campaign fundraiser. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie — the big name get for Branstad’s “Birthday Bash” — used most of his 15-minute speech to blast President Obama.  “We’ve now had six years where the world has been adrift because of the lack and failure of American leadership,” Christie said.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar was the keynote speaker at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner. “Chris Christie is actually here to film a movie sequel: ‘The Closed Bridges of Madison County,'” Klobuchar said. Last fall aides to Christie ordered lanes on a heavily traveled bridge to be blocked, causing traffic snarls in a town where the mayor had not endorsed Christie’s bid for reelection.

Christie has said he had no knowledge or involvement in the bridge closure. On Sunday at noon, Iowa Democrats launched a tour designed to hold an event in each of Iowa’s 99 counties within 24 hours. The blitz will conclude with a rally in Davenport at 10 a.m. today (Monday) featuring Vice President Joe Biden. Also on Sunday Republican House Speaker John Boehner campaigned with David Young, the G-O-P candidate in Iowa’s third congressional district.

Boehner plans to campaign with Republican Rod Blum in the first district and Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the second district today (Monday). Senator Chuck Grassley will make eight campaign stops with G-O-P Senate candidate Joni Ernst today (Monday), plus Arizona Senator John McCain and Florida Senator Marco Rubio are due to campaign with Ernst this week as well.

On Wednesday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will headline two campaign rallies in eastern Iowa for Bruce Braley, the Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, then her husband will campaign here for Braley on Saturday.

(Radio Iowa)