Romney surprises campaign staff at his Des Moines headquarters

DES MOINES, Iowa - On a day when pundits say the stakes of his debate performance couldn't be higher, Mitt Romney appeared this afternoon as casual and comfortable as ever.

Making a rare and unexpected public appearance on the day of a debate, Romney surprised volunteers at this Des Moines headquarters today, taking part in a rally and shaking hands with supporters for about an hour.

The event was originally billed as a rally with Romney's wife, Ann, middle son, Josh, and his campaign co-chair, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Mrs. Romney also pointed out the former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray was in the crowd. Acknowledging the 83-year-old's frail condition, Ann said that she knew he had "seen better days," and cited her own battle with multiple sclerosis.

"Oh, I love him," she said, and the crowd swooned in agreement. At one point, her husband chimed in, "I'm getting a little nervous!"

In brief remarks, Romney spoke about the importance of making sure America continued to be a "nation based upon merit" as opposed to an "entitlement-based society."

After the rally's conclusion, Romney hopped down into the crowd and gladhanded with the volunteers in the crowd. It was his first time in the office, an old Blockbuster Video store that just opened as his Iowa headquarters less than a month ago.

He told everyone he felt "great" going into the debate, and that he stayed in last night with Ann and Josh to watch the recent movie "The Help."

Meanwhile, Romney's chief rival, Newt Gingrich, issued a statement attempting to clarify his stance on Palestine that has brought harsh criticism from some circles. Gingrich called the Palestinians an "invented" people in an interview with The Jewish Channel television station.

"Newt Gingrich supports a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, which will necessarily include agreement between Israel and the Palestinians over the borders of a Palestinian state," the statement said. "However, to understand what is being proposed and negotiated you have to understand decades of complex history, which is exactly what Gingrich was referencing during the recent interview with The Jewish Channel."

Sarah Huisenga contributed