Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney officially kicked off his 2012 campaign for president Thursday with a speech at a windy farm in New Hampshire, a day after a new poll showed that he is still the candidate to beat in Iowa.

But Iowa Republicans on Thursday cautioned Romney not to skip the first-in-the-nation caucus state.

"I think that this is a very wide-open race," said state Representative Steven Lukan (R-New Vienna). "I think Iowa Republicans look at their candidates extremely hard. This is not a state where rock stars exist. Iowans want to see you in the pancake house, and they want to see you at the VFW steak fry. You have to engage them one-on-one. ... I think anybody that chooses to skip Iowa does so at their own peril."

In a debate that spanned eight hours, the Iowa Senate voted 48-1 late Thursday afternoon for House File 45, a bill that once made $500 million in budget cuts over three years and would now make a $6-million cut in the current fiscal year.

The near-unanimous vote came only after a party-line 26-23 vote for the Democratic strike-after amendment that pared back the House bill. Senator Jeff Danielson (D-Cedar Falls) said the end result is a bill that increases efficiency; increases transparency by creating a searchable budget database with both tax-expenditure and -comparison information; and deappropriates $6 million this fiscal year.

But Senator Roby Smith (R-Davenport) compared a box of tissues to a tack of 10 office boxes on his desk to illustrate the $6 million of savings in this bill compared to the $500 million in savings over three years in the version approved by the Iowa House. "I just don't understand how we can justify such little savings," he said.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell told Iowa Democratic Party faithful Saturday night that he'd rather lose fighting for something he believes in than win standing for nothing - but he doesn't believe Governor Chet Culver will lose to former Governor Terry Branstad on November 2.

"For a moment, don't worry about the other guy," Rendell said. "An incumbent deserves to be re-elected if he's done a good job. Chet Culver has done a very good job."

Rendell also said Culver and other Democrats should stand up and talk about their accomplishments more clearly with voters, but also be honest about the tough times many Iowans and Americans are facing.

"We've got to continue reminding voters, 'Hey, you may be disappointed in the way things are going in the country; you may be disappointed in the president.' In Pennsylvania, they may be disappointed in some of the things I've done. But it's not a referendum; it's a choice," Rendell said.

Governor Chet Culver used an appearance at the Iowa State Fair to say mistakes have been made under his watch, and to tell the approximately 100 fairgoers that he takes full responsibility for those mistakes.

"There's been a lot of criticism, there's been a lot of questions about things we've done or we've not done ... and I want to say that some of that criticism is justified and that we have made our fair share of mistakes," Culver said. "And I take full responsibility for those things that have happened in various state agencies, that happened on my watch, and I take responsibility for those mistakes that have been made."

Culver later elaborated, saying scandals in the Iowa Film Office and the Alcoholic Beverages Division are his responsibility, and that he must do all he can to effectively manage government and limit those mistakes. "The thing I feel good about is that we've replaced those individuals that were responsible and as quickly as I learned about those things, I acted, but I still take responsibility," Culver said.