DES MOINES -- Mike Huckabee, whose insurgent, under-funded and at times ignored campaign pulled out a big win in Iowa's first caucuses, told a crowded ballroom at the downtown Embassy Suites tonight that while the journey begins here in Iowa, there is still a long way to go. "Tonight, it starts here in Iowa, but it doesn't end here. It goes all the way through the other states and ends at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," he said. "I'm amazed, and I'm encouraged."

"I wasn't sure that I would ever be able to love a state as much as my home state of Arkansas. But tonight, I love Iowa," Huckabee said. "The people of Iowa made a choice, and their choice was clear. Their choice was for a change."

The campaign, vastly outspent by Mitt Romney and outside interest groups, overcame the constant barrage with the aide of undecided voters who broke to Huckabee, manager Chip Saltsman said. Huckabee alluded to being so vastly outspent to those in the ballroon. "Tonight, I hope we will forever change the way Americans look at the way their political system worked," he said. ""People really are more important than the purse. And what a great lesson for America to learn."

Claiming a twenty to one spending deficit versus Romney and outside groups that worked against them, Huckabee did not take any direct shots at his rival, but his campaign team couldn't resist. Romney "had the best consultants, the best media people, all the polling in the world, all the money in the world. And he just lost, and lost pretty badly," said Ed Rollins, Huckabee's national campaign chairman. "A campaign is very important, but a candidate is even more important."

Backstage, Huckabee backers David Beasley, the former governor of South Carolina, and actor Chuck Norris were giddy, and Saltsman admitted that, while he had recently downplayed the importance of a victory, "after winning it does feel a little different."

Huckabee fielded congratulatory calls from rivals John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, Saltsman told the media, though to his knowledge Romney had not called.

The campaign now moves to New Hampshire, where Huckabee is running 22 points behind McCain in the latest RCP New Hampshire Average. Rollins predicted a bounce coming out of tonight's strong performance. If Huckabee can translate his success into an improved standing in the contest's first primary, the campaign could find itself on an historic roll.