Pure Horserace: Iowa, Iowa, Iowa

Halfway through this pre-election year election year, one major piece of the primary puzzle appears to be falling into place and campaigns are using their travel habits to answer a major question — whether Iowa and New Hampshire will retain their traditional importance.

While delegate-rich states like Florida, California, New York (and about two dozen others) have done their best to wrest away some of the influence these two smaller states have held in recent years, Iowa and New Hampshire appear well-positioned to retain their status for 2008. If you need any evidence, just look at the candidates' schedules.

The biggest splash on the campaign trail next week will come from Hillary Clinton's campaign, when former President Bill Clinton joins his wife in joint appearances for the first time. The Clintons are not spending three days talking to prospective voters in California or Florida; they'll be rubbing elbows with potential caucus-goers in Iowa. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney aren't walking in Fourth of July parades in Feb. 5 states like New Jersey or New York; they'll be in Clear Lake and Oskaloosa, Iowa.

In fact, just about all the presidential candidates from both parties are scheduled to be in Iowa next week. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards are the only notable candidates we haven't seen scheduled in the state at some point in the next five days — but they haven't been avoiding the state either.

When Giuliani and McCain decided to skip the Republican straw poll this summer, it could have been a blow to Iowa's stature. But both campaigns remain active there, and Fred Thompson's apparent interest in the straw poll might well add some excitement back into the August event. So far, none of the candidates have even hinted at skipping the state altogether.

Many of the other 48 states have long chafed at the prominence given to Iowa and New Hampshire. Critics ask why two small states, with populations that are overwhelmingly white and middle class, should have the major say in determining the president of a huge, diverse nation. The answers this year are the same as they have always been: Candidates simply get more out of campaigning in Iowa than in states like California, which is almost a nation all its own. It's easier and less expensive to organize and reach actual primary participants. The media attention is greater because journalists, like candidates, can travel the states without taking multiple flights to get from one city to the other. And somebody will win Iowa and New Hampshire and grab at least some momentum.

If all the top-tier candidates, or even most of them, skipped one or both of these states, it might well have a large impact. But that's not going to happen. The Giuliani and Clinton campaigns both have exhibited some level of interest in skipping Iowa — but both have since publicly pledged to go all out to win the caucuses.

This cycle may yet prove to be the last hurrah for the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, especially if that huge block of states coming soon after reverses the decisions made by those early voters. But six months before the voting begins, the candidates themselves are putting their feet where their strategies are. — Vaughn Ververs

Pet Problem Dogs Romney: Republican Mitt Romney may be at the top of the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, but an anecdote mentioned in a Boston Globe profile has placed him in the doghouse with animal rights activists and quite a few dog-lovers.

The Globe's profile started with a story that was supposed to illustrate Romney's "emotion-free crisis management" in which, during a 1983 road trip with his wife and children, Romney put the family's Irish Setter, Seamus, into a carrier and then strapped it on top of a station wagon. The dog was shielded from the wind, but still didn't welcome his accommodations, and showed his displeasure by, well, emptying his bowels on the car.

The story, however, appears to have reassured very few people — including some Republicans — of Romney's crisis-management skills. Right-leaning blog Outside The Beltway offered a tongue-in-cheek defense of Romney's actions: "In Romney's defense, however, I'd note that the incident took place over twenty-five years ago. Goodness knows, his views on dog travel have certainly changed half a dozen times in the interim."

According to Time magazine, Romney may have violated Massachusetts' animal treatment laws (though the statute of limitations has long since passed). Officials with animal-rights groups called Romney's actions everything from "inappropriate" to "a lesson in cruelty."

Stories like these, unrelated to political issues, have a way of sticking around — John Edwards' haircuts are a good example. Romney might want to start working on a witty response for the next time it's brought up, as well as scheduling his next campaign event at the nearest dog shelter. — David Miller

Convention Cash Crunch: The presidential candidates aren't the only ones concerned about having enough money as the fundraising quarter wraps up this weekend. It turns out that both the Democratic and Republican parties are having a hard time raising money for their 2008 conventions.

The Denver committee that's in charge of the upcoming Democratic convention is $1.5 million short of where it should be at this time, according to the Denver Post. The Democratic Party had asked the committee to have $7.5 million raised by June 1, but so far has raised only $6 million. Fundraising has also been slow for the Republican convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (registration required).

Officials with both convention committees have said a slow start is expected and they'll eventually meet their goals. Maybe they should consider getting into a fight with Ann Coulter in order to raise a quick buck. — David Miller

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: It must be, if the city's mayor has nothing better to do than wait in line for the highly anticipated Apple iPhone. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Mayor John Street was third in line this morning outside a local retailer, waiting to get his hands on the technological wonder. Of course, a big-city mayor can't wait in line all day (in the rain, incidentally — it wasn't sunny at all). At 11:45 this morning, one of Street's aides took over his spot. — David Miller

Looking For Harry Truman: Former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, the subject of this week's Political Players interview, says voters in his home state of Missouri are looking for someone who reminds them of former president and Missouri native Harry Truman in the next election. The Democrat also tells CBS News' Brian Goldsmith his thoughts on being passed over as a vice presidential nominee in 2004 and how he thinks the Democratic majority in Congress is doing. To find out what the two-time presidential candidate is up to now, read the column.

Editor's Note: Pure Horserace is a daily update of political news as interpreted by the political observers at CBSNews.com. Click here to sign up for the e-mail version.

By Vaughn Ververs and David Miller