Get your West Wing on!

by James Oliphant

DES MOINES, Iowa--Sure, the pundits and the bigfoots can spar and pontificate in some sort of endless cable news time loop over which Democrat is going to come out on top here. Which is fine if you are into, you know, winning. But there's another contest to watch.

The battle for the Strong Fourth.

The campaigns love to say that there are three tickets out of Iowa. Take it as gospel at this point that Clinton, Edwards and Obama finish in the top three in whatever order. (Nobody knows.) But is there room for a fourth pass out, even if its on Amtrak, if another candidate works his way into the teens?

Joe Biden and Bill Richardson hope so. Biden's campaign has made it their mission to leave Richardson in the dust in the hope that the Delaware Democrat can gain some momentum out of Iowa and move on to states such as Nevada and South Carolina where he might score a surprise.

But Richardson has counterpunched. The New Mexico governor has the president stumping for him here in Iowa. Even better, it's the one with the good ratings. Martin Sheen will join Richardson on the trail Sunday and Monday.

Not to be outdone, Biden went out and got some West Wing star power of his own: long-time cast member Richard Schiff.

Who? you ask.

You know, Richard Schiff. He played Toby, the cantakerous communications director whose sardonic wisdom and gruff exterior masked a heart as big as the Jefferson Memorial. Even better, Schiff gets here before Sheen.

This move leaves several other West Wing cast members up for grabs. (The Swamp has heard that Mrs. Landingham is ready to endorse Ron Paul.)