Before you vote next week, Iowa Republicans....

...consider this.

Those negative TV (and web) commercials about former Gov. Terry Branstad's "comeback express" supposedly "colliding" with his record are not, as most of us have assumed, sponsored by the Vander Platts or Roberts campaigns.

They're the work of a Democrat who historically has been in the corner of incumbent Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, and are apparently aimed at preventing the strongest potential opponent for Culver- Branstad- from being nominated.

Think about it.