Essential Estrogen

The presidential campaign for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared less than enthusiastic in its return to Iowa in March to battle once again for the state's delegates at county conventions. It was a costly mistake and one, it now seems, the campaign has no desire to repeat.

Yesterday, Iowa delegates who remain pledged to the suspended presidential run of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as well as those pledged to Clinton received a full-page, full-color reminder of the upcoming Democratic district conventions.

At county conventions held across the Hawkeye State in March, the campaign for Barack Obama improved on the 38 percent of Iowa's national convention delegates he won two months prior on caucus night. In part, the increase was credited to the Illinois Senator picking up many previous Edwards supporters. Obama ended the county conventions with an additional nine of Iowa's 45 pledged national delegates. Clinton's total was reduced by one pledged national delegate.

In previous years Iowa's paltry national delegates -- 45 pledged and 11 superdelegates -- have not been considered high-stakes commodities. Since the 1970s, the Iowa prize has always been considered the national push that could be provided by a good showing in the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses. In this Democratic primary, however, which has both Clinton and Obama battling toward the 2,035 needed to secure the nomination, even Iowa's few have become coveted.

In an obvious and direct nod to those convention delegates still pledged to Edwards, one side of the Clinton mailer reads:

"John Edwards ran his campaign with compassion and conviction and lifted this campaign with his deep concerns for the daily lives of the American people. He and I both put forth universal health care plans, not because it was easy, but because health care for every man, woman and child is vital to giving every American family the opportunity for the American dream.

Together, let's make universal health care a reality. I would be honored to have your support at your Congressional District Convention."

Heading into the five district conventions scheduled for this Saturday, barely 15 percent of Iowa delegates across the state remain pledged to Edwards or uncommitted. Only two conventions -- those being held in Iowa's 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts, the two largest Democratic contingencies in the state -- are anticipated to have potentially viable preference groups other than Clinton or Obama. Any group with less than a 15 percent showing at the state convention in June will not be eligible for national delegates; however, at the district conventions this Saturday, a total of 29 national convention delegates will be selected from the preference groups there that meet the 15 percent threshold. It is likely that if the Edwards groups remain intact, the now defunct campaign could be awarded national delegates this Saturday.

While the Clinton campaign has primarily opted for mass mailing as a way of shoring up their supporters for the district conventions, the Obama campaign has left staffers on the ground in Iowa since the county conventions. The staff has continued to rally Obama supporters and organize alternates for possible seating as delegates on convention day. Few, if any, Clinton staffers have remained on the ground in Iowa. It appears the Clinton campaign is relying more heavily on volunteer county and district coordinators.

Iowa's five district conventions will begin delegate registration at 8 a.m. Saturday morning at the following locations: