From the LA Times: "Romney, Clinton shake up tactics"

Romney, Clinton shake up tactics:

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."

Good thing we have Mother Jones and sharp DUers.