TPM has learned that Obama is headed to Iowa later this month. A White House source tells us the President will visit the Des Moines area Sept. 29.

It’s looking more likely that Sen. Lisa Murkowski will announce tonight (9 p.m. ET or thereabouts) that she will wage a write-in campaign to hold on to her Senate seat after losing her party’s nomination.

While Charlie Crist’s independent campaign in Florida recalls Joe Lieberman’s run in 2006, the Murkowski gambit will be much more similar because, like Lieberman was, she’s a sitting senator, and Crist is not. So all the pain, awkwardness, and distraction Democrats suffered through in that cycle may soon be visited upon Republicans. You’ve already got conservatives like Erick Erickson demanding she be stripped of her ranking status on the Energy Committee. The saving grace for the GOP may be that Alaska is as far away from the major media markets as Connecticut was close to them.

Mitt Romney tried to yuk it up today at the Values Voters Summit, trading in the straight white dude schtick for, well, the straight white dude trying to be funny schtick, which is much more painful (believe me, I know). Watch.

Shots of the festivities at the Values Voters Summit today in DC, the big annual shindig for social conservatives:

Christine O’Donnell speaks directly to who she calls the “ruling class elites,” at today’s Values Voters Summit.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announces her write-in campaign to win re-election despite losing the Republican Party nomination to Joe Miller.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele reiterates the party’s support for Miller:

Alaskans selected Joe Miller as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate and he has the full support of the Republican National Committee. I am confident that he will win in November and will work to restore conservative, principled and fiscally responsible leadership in Washington.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announces that Murkowski is no longer welcome in the Senate Republican leadership, and he accepted her resignation as Republican Conference Secretary. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, recommits to supporting Miller and describes himself as “deeply disappointed” with Murkowski’s decision.

Last night on the season premiere of his HBO show, Bill Maher started going through the 22 appearances that Christine O’Donnell made on his old show, Politically Incorrect. First up, O’Donnell in 1999 describing dabbling in witchcraft and a date that included blood on a “satanic altar.”

Maher threatened to play a clip a show until Senate candidate O’Donnell agrees to re-appear on his show. She is, Maher said, “an unemployed, anti-masturbation activist and a close friend of mine.”

Evan McMorris-Santoro is at Day 2 of the Values Voter Summit. He’s tweeting it here. Among today’s highlights: Bill Bennett, Newt Gingrich, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

GOP Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell (DE) cancels her scheduled appearance tomorrow on CBS’s Face the Nation. She is apparently still planning on doing Fox News Sunday.

Late Update: O’Donnell is dodging Fox News Sunday, too.

Newt Gingrich, in full Islamophobe mode at the Values Voter Summit this morning, warns against the infiltration of shariah law into U.S. courtrooms.