A look at Iowa polls since the Pew data was collected starting Nov. 7:

31% (11/07) - AP/Pew
30% (11/14) - ABC/WaPo
29% (11/23) - SV
25% (11/25) - DMR
25% (11/26) - ARG
24% (11/27) - R

26% (11/07) - AP/Pew
26% (11/14) - ABC/WaPo
29% (11/23) - SV
28% (11/25) - DMR
27% (11/26) - ARG
25% (11/27) - R

19% (11/07) - AP/Pew
22% (11/14) - ABC/WaPo
23% (11/23) - SV
23% (11/25) - DMR
23% (11/26) - ARG
24% (11/27) - R

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA -- -- Facing fresh polls showing their leads in Iowa disappearing, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney rolled out new campaign tactics Sunday in an aggressive push to regain lost momentum.

Sen. Clinton of New York, who until recently would not even mention her rivals by name, used a news conference to question the ethics, character and "courage" of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, employing the most pointed language she has used in the campaign.... The steps reflect the rapidly shifting dynamics in Iowa, whose caucus is set for Jan. 3. For months, both Clinton and Romney held strong leads in Iowa. But a Des Moines Register poll published Sunday showed that their advantage had collapsed. ... Clinton was in second place behind Obama, 25% to 28%.

Both Romney and Clinton would be shaken by a loss in this crucial state. Clinton has cast herself as the inevitable nominee, and a defeat here would shatter perceptions that she can't be stopped.... That Romney and Clinton would shake up the playbook with the caucus just a month away underscores the worry in both camps.

"It's really without precedent," said Gordon Fischer, a former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. Fischer, who is backing Obama, said: "They're both very, very concerned. They were the front-runners who are no longer front-runners."

There's been a minor splash because of two new polls that seemingly contradict the Obama surge in Iowa.

The first is an AP-Pew poll that has the three-way race looking like this: Clinton 31%, Obama 26%, Edwards 19%

The second is an Iowa State University poll that is even more startling: Clinton 31%, Edwards 24%, Obama 20%

Here's the catch. The AP-Pew poll was conducted November 7-25. Some of the results there are two to three weeks old. The Iowa State University poll was conducted November 6-18. All of the results there are two to three weeks old. They all predate the juvenation the Obama campaign has gotten going in Iowa these past few weeks.

More current numbers all show the race tied or with Obama leading slightly. An American Research Group poll conducted 11/26-11/29 has Obama 27%, Clinton 25%, Edwards 23%. A Des Moines Register poll conducted 11/25-11/28 has Obama 28%, Clinton 25%, Edwards 23%. A Rasmussen poll conducted 11/26-11/27 has Clinton 27%, Obama 25%, Edwards 24%.

The average, according to Real Clear Politics, is dead even: Obama 27.5%, Clinton 27.2%, Edwards 22.3%.