DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Two potential presidential Republican candidates opened the state's busiest political weekend Friday, rallying key activists and discounting gloomy projections about the party's chances in the fall elections.

New York Gov. George Pataki and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback appeared at a barbecue sponsored by the Iowa Republican Party one day before both parties hold their state conventions. They will be joined this weekend by Virginia Sen. George Allen and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in courting thousands of activists gathering for the convention.

Democrats have not invited presidential candidates to their convention, hoping to focus on Chet Culver, their Democratic gubernatorial nominee.

"For all the analysis of the pundits and the prognosticators, we're going to have great Republican victories in Iowa and everywhere in the country in November," Pataki said.

Brownback and Pataki warmed up activists with a sense of the heated political rhetoric likely to dominate the weekend.

Brownback brought his sharply conservative message on social issues and mingled it with a Midwestern appeal. "We've got a golden era of agriculture coming," he said.

Pataki has been among the most aggressive of potential presidential candidates by offering his help in midterm campaigns in Iowa, where precinct caucuses begin the presidential nominating season.

"I'm going to do everything I can to help here," Pataki said.

On Friday, he bragged that he turned New York from a Democratic bastion into a state where a Republican can compete.

"We had an experiment in liberal Democratic government and it failed in every way possible," Pataki said in a tough-talking speech aimed at easing his image as a northeastern moderate.

He also touted a recent plunge in New York's crime rate, calling New York the "safest large state in America."

Brownback was pushing for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration system, including allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship.

The issue has split Republicans in Congress, with some saying any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants amounts to amnesty.

"If you do nothing that's amnesty, too," said Brownback. "Can we broker the deal? That's going to be very, very difficult."

Brownback touts his ties in the Midwest and his links to social conservatives. After appearing at the barbecue, Brownback headed for a private reception for the Iowa Family Policy Center, a conservative pro-family group.

Brownback also argued that Republicans need to stand firm on the Iraq war.

"We've got a chance to hand over more operations to the Iraqis," said Brownback. "It's an incremental process, but we've got some momentum to build on."

Iowa Republican Chairman Ray Hoffman said the hectic political weekend is yet another sign of a presidential campaign that has begun at an unprecedented early point.

That is good news for Republicans across the ballot because local candidates can count on money and organizational support from big-name politicians.

"It always helps to raise money," Hoffman said. "It keeps people together. It keeps them talking."

On Saturday thousands of people in both political parties will gather to hear from gubernatorial nominees and draft party platforms.

Conventions are held every other year and traditionally mark the beginning of the general election campaign season.

Jim Nussle, the Republicans' gubernatorial nominee, will speak Saturday morning while Culver speaks in the afternoon. Both will formally accept their party's nominations that were won earlier this month.

--

Editors: Mike Glover has covered politics since 1982, when he began covering the Iowa Statehouse.