Hmmm, Sarah Palin Is Going to Iowa

Sarah Palin has confirmed that she's going to Iowa later this month to headline a major GOP fundraiser. Her aides say it's a mistake to read anything more into it, though the move has set off the expected chatter. Highlights:

• Matt Drudge: As of this afternoon, he was leading his site with a link and the excited headline, "Look Who's Going to Iowa!"
• Tom Beaumont, Des Moines Register: "Palin's recent overtures to Iowa reveal a change in posture that puts her in a position— like other 2012 presidential prospects already laying campaign groundwork in Iowa—to build goodwill and relationships with influential activists, state Republican officials said."

• Chris Cillizza, Washington Post: More "smoke than fire" here. "Palin has done little of that behind-the-scenes work to date and needs to quickly play catchup if she wants to seriously compete in the Hawkeye State come January 2012."
• Beth Shaw, RightPundits: "For those who write Palin off as damaged goods, you might do well to remember that she has won every time she’s run for office on her own. The only times she has lost has been when she has been someone else’s running mate. I think it's a mistake to underestimate Sarah Palin."

(More Sarah Palin stories.)