nbc's brian moore has the story. >> reporter: sarah shourd is back on american soil. no longer an iranian prisoner, but still living a nightmare. >> and i stand before you today only one-third free. >> reporter: iran is preparing to try her fiance shane bauer and their hiking companion josh fattal, 13 months after the three were arrested near the iran/iraq border. >> we committed no crime, and we are not spies. >> reporter: reading a prepared statement, shourd thanked the religious and political leaders in iran for her release. >> the only thing that enabled me to cross the gulf from prison to freedom alone was the knowledge that shane and josh wanted, with all their hearts, for my suffering to end. >> reporter: and for their mothers, the vigil continues. >> i love him so much, and i want you home for his father, for his brother, for his grandparents. >> reporter: they are hoping to meet with iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad, in new york for meetings with the general assembly. he hints a prisoner exchange may be possible. >> translator: so i believe that it would

nbc's brian moore reports. >> reporter: members of the tea party movement marched through the nation's capital, coming from far and wide to send a message. >> i want the spending stopped. i want the big government stopped. and the taxes. don't want the taxes. >> reporter: there were also rallies in st. louis and sacramento, notably smaller gatherings than last year's nationwide tea party, but no less vocal. >> i'm just a plain old person. but i have a big, big desire to see my country go back to its roots. >> reporter: republicans want to ride this wave back to power. but first, they'll face some tough votes. president obama is proposing new infrastructure projects that would create jobs, breaks for small businesses, and extending the bush tax cuts, but only for the middle class. the fight hasn't even started and already republican leader john boehner may have just blinked. >> if the only option i have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, i'll vote for them. >> reporter: but these voters seem to have already made up their minds. and hope to persuade others to join them in novem