Ny Safidinao

At 7 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, Jan. 3, the first contest of the 2012 presidential nominating process finally kicks into gear in Iowa. As you've heard countless times, Iowans vote in caucuses, which are small political meetings held in 1,774 locations scattered around the state. Here's a quick primer. How It Works A primary election feels very much like any other election day. Polls are open all day, and voters show up when they want. But a caucus is actually a meeting, with a schedule: It starts at a certain time; party business is conducted; and, at some point, voting occurs. Matt Strawn, the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, starts with the basics. "Well, the first thing is you need to be obviously an Iowa resident who is eligible to vote in the state of Iowa," he says. You need to show up at the proper precinct, based on your address. You can participate if you'll be 18 years old on Election Day of November 2012. If you're a registered Republican,

Rick Perry has many ideas about how to change the American government's founding document. From ending lifetime tenure for federal judges to completely scrapping two whole amendments, the Constitution would see a major overhaul if the Texas governor and Republican presidential candidate had his druthers. Perry laid out these proposed innovations to the founding document in his book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington. He has occasionally mentioned them on the campaign trail. Several of his ideas fall within the realm of mainstream conservative thinking today, but, as you will see, there are also a few surprises. 1. Abolish lifetime tenure for federal judges by amending Article III, Section I of the Constitution. The nation's framers established a federal court system whereby judges with "good behavior" would be secure in their job for life. Perry believes that provision is ready for an overhaul. "The Judges," reads Article III, &

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Monday announced during the GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire that she had filed paperwork to seek the presidency--then set about showing the American people just why she'll be a formidable contender. "President Obama is a one-term president," she declared during Monday's debate, drawing wide applause just minutes after announcing she had filed to run. "I want to make a promise to everyone watching tonight: As president of the United States, I will not rest until I repeal Obamacare. It's a promise. Take it to the bank, cash the check. I'll make sure that that happens," Bachmann later stated. Bachmann made clear Monday she plans to capitalize on existing anger and dissatisfaction among American voters--hallmarks of the tea party movement that has helped make her a national political star. The tea party and Bachmann were a great fit from the start. Bachmann, a former IRS tax lawyer, is a fiscal and social cons