Hillary fears coming in second in Iowa

From The Washington Post:

Clinton officials fear they are in danger of finishing in third place in Iowa, behind Obama and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who has placed an all-or-nothing bet on winning the state, where he has been a front-runner.

Although the caucus is six months away, both the Clinton and Obama campaigns recognize that the Iowa contest could provide powerful momentum heading into the subsequent New Hampshire primary in January -- and the states that follow.

Bill Clinton did not compete in Iowa in 1992, when Sen. Tom Harkin had a home-state advantage, and so his wife has no built-in advantage here. Clinton has also gotten a slower start organizing in the state than her main rivals, and she recently reorganized her top staff.

She is hoping her husband's appearance will draw positive attention to her candidacy but, perhaps more important, will energize the activists needed to win a caucus. Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, who has become an enthusiastic supporter of Clinton since ending his own presidential candidacy early in the year, said the New York senator has much work left to do in the state.