All Blog Posts from Horserace

Tomorrow afternoon, Republican will gather in Iowa for the Des Moines Register Republican debate. It is expected to be the last Republican forum before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, and thus the last opportunity for the candidates to hammer each other on the debate stage.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has surged to the lead in the crucial caucus state, and CBSNews.com asked his campaign manager, Chip Saltsman, if Huckabee would have a target on his back tomorrow.

"My sense of it is yes," said Saltsman. "Our hope is that we take the opportunity to talk to Iowa voters about what we're for. I think candidates would make a mistake if they put their whole campaign strategy on trying to tear down someone else."

One area Huckabee can expect to take some heat is over illegal immigration. The GOP hopeful recently announced his "secure America plan," and has released ads touting the importance of building a border fence. But rivals are spotlighting his past positions on the issue, which likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa listed as their most important issue in a November CBS News poll. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who finds himself in second place in the state despite having far outspent Huckabee, has already begun running an ad that points out Huckabee's past support for education benefits for illegal immigrants and their children.