>>>
we're only halfway through
2011
, but the
2012
presidential race is already intensifying. and some key players have been focusing a lot of their attention on the key
battleground state
of
iowa
this week. nbc's
kelly
o'donnell's in pella with the latest.
kelly
, good morning to you.
>> reporter:
good morning, matt. we've been talking to voters here around the state who say this is really an ideal time for them to get to see and size up a number of candidates and would-be candidates. that's sure happening among republicans. but another candidate who knows how valuable
iowa
can be to a
white house
run was back, and that's the
president of the united states
.
>>
hello,
iowa
!
>> reporter:
iowans expect to hear plenty of this.
>>
you know, i know you've been seeing a lot of politicians around lately.
>> reporter:
warmly courted by the president tuesday who stopped at an aluminum manufacturer to talk jobs.
>>
iowa
, you and i, we go a long way back.
>> reporter:
a few hours away,
sarah palin
brought her brand of celebrity to a
movie premiere
attended by about 300 iowans.
>>
it is a wonderful story about
american values
.
>> reporter:
shot documentary style, the movie depicts palin favorably as a tough reformer in alaska.
>>
sarah had the courage to try. she had taken on the system already.
>> reporter:
made by conservative filmmaker steven bannan who says palin cooperated but had no control over the film's content.
>>
i think this film plays to the core value of the
tea party
and
tea party
movement and i hope it energizes people to get actively engaged. sfwh
>>
we're still thinking about that.
>> reporter:
palin was asked about bristol's comments that mom has already decided.
>>
she gedefinitely knows. we've talked about it before but some things just need to stay in the family.
>>
what's said on the
fishing boat
stays on the
fishing boat
.
>> reporter:
just-declared candidate
michele bachmann
--
>>
you are the first people in the
united states
to see the
bachmann
for president bus!
>> reporter:
who made stops in new hampshire and
south carolina
tuesday faces new candidate scrutiny including
financial records
for a
family business
.
>>
i'd like you to meet my husband, marcus
bachmann
!
>> reporter:
the couple owns
bachmann
& associates, a minnesota
mental health
clinic run by the congresswoman's husband who is a clinical therapist. while
bachmann
campaigns for less
government spending
and opposes an expansion of medicaid, nbc news obtained state records that show the
bachmann
's clinic received government funds. $137,000 in federal and state medicaid payments since
2005
. that money considered reimbursement for treatment provided to low-income patients. and that's the kind of thing that many health clinics do do, and there's no suggestion that there's anything improper about that. we reached out to the
bachmann
campaign for specific comment. we did not hear back. but
michele bachmann
will be coming back to
iowa
for her first bus tour as a candidate officially in just a couple of days. ann?
>>
kelly
o'donnell, thank you very
“ ”