By Benjy Sarlin
No more speculation and hypotheticals -- the 2016 presidential campaign has arrived. This weekend alone features an explosion of high-level campaign moves as Republican candidates gathered staff, kowtowed before donors, and prepared to make direct pitches to voters for support.In Des Moines, a long list of possible candidates, including Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ben Carson are gathering for the Iowa Freedom Summit on Saturday. Citizens United and Congressman Steve King, who is best known for his strident opposition to immigration reform, organized the event. Sarah Palin, who expressed vague interest in a 2016 run at a Friday event in Las Vegas, is also set to speak. Expect to get a good sense of candidates’ emerging stump speeches as they work to distinguish themselves in front of conservative activists ahead of Iowa first-in-the-nation caucuses next year. In another roundup of top prospects, Senators Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul will participate in a live panel discussion on Sunday at a donor conference led by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch in Palm Springs, California.
