my kids and all iowa children. i have fought successfully to increase preschl to 21,000 kids across the state of iowa. when i took office, only 5% of iowa 4-year-olds were going to preschool. today, that number is 90%. terry branstad wants to take $90 million in funding for our preschool schools across the state. he would take that away from our kids. and instead, he'dive it in the form of a tax cut to out-of-state corporations. this could be the defining issue in this race. again, as a teacher and coach, i believe in investing in our kids. terry branstad wants to take that away from our children and maybe tonight, he can explain why he wants to shut down those preschools for 21,000 kids in 325 school districts. in my second term, i pledge to expand preschool to every school district, all 359 of them so that every 4-year-old in this state has the opportunity to go to preschool. >> thank you, governor culver. governor branstad, one minute. >> there he goes again making another promise that he knows he can't fulfill

my kids and all iowa children. i have fought successfully to increase preschl to 21,000 kids across the state of iowa. when i took office, only 5% of iowa 4-year-olds were going to preschool. today, that number is 90%. terry branstad wants to take $90 million in funding for our preschool schools across the state. he would take that away from our kids. and instead, he give it in the form of a tax cut to out-of-state corporations. this could be the defining issue in this race. again, as a teacher and coach, i believe in investing in our kids. terry branstad wants to take that away from our children and maybe tonight, he can explain why he wants to shut down those preschools for 21,000 kids in 325 school districts. in my second term, i pledge to expand preschool to every school district, all 359 of them so that every 4-year-old in this state has the opportunity to go to preschool. >> thank you, governor culver. governor branstad, one minute. >> there he goes again making another promise that he knows he can't fulfill

they were from the wright county, iowa, farm. wright county egg farm in iowa. the salmonella found in my cultures was the exact dna match to the salmonella found in the egg farm. the cdc has recently published reports that at least 1500 others in the country have also suffered from the identical strain of salmonella found in the contaminant egg -- contaminated eggs from the wright county eggs and the hillandale farm. the fda has now inspected the farms and found several violations. the published inspection report shows the following -- chicken manure piles four to eight feet high in the hen houses. live wild birds not chickens, flying around the hen houses. rodent bureaus along the base board of the hen houses, liquid manure seeping through the concrete foundation, standing water in the chicken manure pit, loose chickens walking through the manure piles and laying their eggs inside. 31 live mice observed in the hen house. live and dead flies too numerous to count inside the hen houses, 65 unsealed rodent holes in the walls of the hen house. these findings are s

gwen: you talked about the difference in iowa, do iowa conservatives who are very familiar with, very religiously based conservatives, are they equivalent to tea party conservatives as they have come to be defined? >> not quite, gwen. when i've asked people over the last day about the tea party in iowa, the uniform answer is that it is not like it is in other states. here the religious conservatives have dominated the republican party, but there is not the kind of active or energetic kind of tea party movement. there are some tea party people here in the state but i don't think it's the same as we've seen in a number of the other states around the country. gwen: dan balz, i get the feeling you'll be back and forth in iowa more than once. she's not the first, she won't be the last candidate and we'll be checking in with you from time to time. >> thanks, gwen. gwen: ok, here's what puzzles me about all of this. we read the polls, we all do. it is clear that sarah palin, when her name is put out there, is just not that popular in the public at large. what is it about her or is it somethi

the 2010 iowa g.o.p. candidate. from hy-vee hall in des moines, this is 40 minutes. >> great to be in the hawkeye state. >> iowa, do you love your freedom? aren't you proud to be an american? if you love your freedom, then we think of that, and i would ask anyone who has served the united states and military in the past or presently serving, if you could stand up, we're going to salute and you honor you. thank you, veterans. we do thank you and we honor you. well, i wanted to get out today in your most beautiful state and enjoy this gorgeous weather. so i put on the running shoes. and look for my hawkeyes t-shirt and my cyclones cap. showing love to the home team. lacing up the shoes, and todd says, you may want to just run downstairs in the treadmill, on that, and i'm saying, oh, the treadmill is kind of like knack box. i said, todd, it's gorgeous there, i want to see the view in the heartlands and it's warm, and i just last week went caribou hunting, and it was about 16 degrees, i want to go thaw out. i

they were from the wright county, iowa, farm. wright county egg farm in iowa. the salmonella found in my cultures was the exact dna match to the salmonella found in the egg farm. the cdc has recently published reports that at least 1500 others in the country have also suffered from the identical strain of salmonella found in theontaminant egg -- contaminated eggs from the wright county eggs and the hillandale farm. the fda has now inspected the farms and found several violations. the published inspection report shows the following -- chicken manure piles four to eight feet high in the hen house live wild birds not chickens, flying around the hen houses. rodent bureaus along the base board of the hen houses, liquid manure seeping through the concrete foundation, standing water in the chicken manure pit, loose chickens walking through the manure piles and laying their eggs inside. 31 live mice observed in the hen house. live and dead flies too numerous to count inside the hen houses, 65 unsealed rodent holes in the walls of the hen house. these findings are shock

can she see the white house from iowa? >> you betcha! >> couric: meanwhile, there are calls for a criminal investigation of another rising g.o.p. star. i'm katie couric. also tonight, ambush in afghanistan. american soldiers under fire. one is shot in the helmet and survives. a tree falls in brooklyn and more in queens, but was it a tornado that swept through new york city? and we'll end the week by spinning a few records and watching them go down. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. we don't know if sarah palin intends to enter the presidential race. the only failed vice presidential candidate in modern times who ever went on to win the white house was franklin roosevelt. but the former governor of alaska is at the traditional starting line tonight-- iowa. and our latest cbs news/"new york times" poll, only 20% of americans overall have a favorable opinion of palin. but 50% of republicans do. and those are the votes

are there contribution limits in iowa? >> no limits. >> so you are blessed here in iowa. you have total freedom. washington restrict your freedom when it comes to helping federal candidates, but you have no such restriction here in the free state of iowa to give the fruits of your labor. as a final comment, our founders established this freedom and understood that the greatest threat to freedom was one word, time. over time we just get used to things and take things for granted, and that freedom wears away, gradually, slowly, inexorably. it takes people to recognize when that freedom is slipping away to stand up and say no, not on my watch. so you have an opportunity to reclaim freedom for america and do something great. i hope you take the opportunity to do it. [applause] >> i want to thank mary again. thank you very much. [applause] we have time. do you have any questions? >> tell us a little bit more about the teddy bear. what was the purchase of the teddy bear? >> steve is asking about the tape there. i use that as a symbol, and in a race like mine, you try to get peo

all signs point to that, last night was one of them when she was in iowa.higs in iowa, but she positioned herself as the leader of the tea party movement. she criticized the democrats and the gop movement. she said they are in charge now. they are the ones racking up the wins. and she is the one racking up the wins. you saw a stunning win by christine o'donnell. he was her endorsement that helped her cross the finish line. >> look at her track record now. palin said she can make a big difference without any kind of a title. let say she decides not to unare. here we are speculating about this until it is decided one way or another, but will her profile be diminished if she doesn't go for it? >> that's interesting. i think so many people think now she's going to run that it would be a huge surprise if she doesn't. but yeah, you're right, there are reasons for her not to run. the biggest being that she is making a lot of money right now. i mean, when she does paid speeches, she gets a huge payout from her book sales, and she also has a contributorship with fox

c-span starts coming to iowa. what is going on in iowa? what are people thinking, politicians coming to the state, and as a result of your last election, you have an influence on what they're talking about and how they'd feel about the country and the direction of the country. so what you do when you're a legend, not just the topic. they're great folks. when they when they will be a great victory in now will have an influence on things. in a high-profile election, everyone knows them and the governor. just like the new jersey race, because people did not like jon corzine and the democrat said, that was just a bad candidate. the governor was not very strong. it had nothing to do with the republican and democrat. the cannot say that when this candidate wins. then what you have is a way. what you have is a match is being sent, not just of the folks here in iowa but people all across this country. i think you need to be reminded how important this state is, particularly right now, leading into the 2012 legend. you ever responsibility. why is i

but the former governor of alaska is at the traditional starting line tonight-- iowa. and our latest cbs news/"new york times" poll only 20% of americans overall have a favorable opinion of palin. but 50% of republicans do. and those are the votes she would need for the nomination. dean reynolds is in des moines tonight. dean, the caucuses are 17 months away but iowa is already getting plenty of attention. >> reporter: very true, katie. there are some 50 news organizations and a thousand dinner guests here tonight in des moines, all of them drawn to this room by one person-- sarah palin. >> we can take it back! we can take back our country and we're gonna turn things around! >> reporter: for weeks, the former alaska governor has been promoting her political favorites and keeping herself at center stage. wednesday in oklahoma. >> america's heading towards a precipice and we'd better turn things around right now. >> reporter: last night in kentucky with tea party favorite rand paul. >> the hierarchy and, you know, that i ear not liking this. >> reporter: the midterm elec

martha: you know, peter, some say that iowa is a very tricky state. you need to appeal to iowans directly in a retail politics way that this issue has not done so far. in that sound bite t. sounds to me like she's reaching out to folks like them. >> i have a slightly different take, i think this is about pettating the palin brand, palin, inc., as people called t as far as aspirations for '12, i think this certainly keeps it alive and i don't think she would rule it out and make an announcement. why would she. but i don't believe at the end of the day that she is really serious about running. i think that she likes being the power broker, she likes being the one out there sort of agitating and trying to shake the direction of the republican party, and may or may not be interested in rubbing -- running at the to. i don't think this is about her run, really. martha: let's look at how she's done. really what she's put a lot of her energy into is endorsements around the country during this midterm election. she's had 43 endorsements, 25 have been wins, and

sarah palin firing up a crowd in iowa. it i the traditional starting line in the race for present, so is palin ready to run? >>> crossing the line after his daughter was allegedly bullied. an outraged father takes matters into his own hands, going after students on a school bus. police say he went too far. now the question, what would you do? >>> and failing the test. just a feweeks after being released from rehab, lindsay lohan says she's failed her latest drug test. could shbe heading back to jail? a new setback for the troubled star, "today," saturday, a new setback for the troubled star, "today," saturday, september 18th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. we're all certainly glad to have you back in the seat this morning. >> i'm glad to be here. i went east a little bit. so i'm wide awake. >> that's good. >> it's good to be back. we've got a lot to tell you about this morning. for sarah palin

the former alaska governor will be joined by iowa senator chuck grassley and the former iowa governor. >> for me or anyone else who is considering continuing in public service, i think the real question is do you have a positive vision for the direction the country should head, a specific idea that can implement that vision, and a demonstrated set of experiences that show you can get it done. >> the outgoing minnesota governor on a potential presidential run and his years as governor. sunday on c-span. >> every weekend on c-span 3, experience american history tv, 48 hours of people, events, and american stories. here historic speeches and eyewitness accounts of events that shaped our nation. visit historical sites and college campuses.

chief political correspondent carl cameron is in des moines, iowa with palin's answer to the million dollar question, will she run? >> even before arriving sarah palin's first trip without a book tour to iowa made news in the home of 2012 caucuses. >> freedom is a god given right. >> after quitting as governor alaska she's the tea party's most recognizable face. since the presidential bid she's refused to rule out a

she will be joined by iowa senator chuck grassley and a former iowa governor. "book tv" saturday night, bill clinton joins former british prime minister tony blair for a discussion of the years and office. tony blair has a new memoir, on c-span2. >> warren brown writes the weekly car column for the washington post. >> it is arguable, justifiable i think to say that we would not have a black middle class had we not had general motors and ford and chrysler. >> in 2008, he supported the government bailout of the automobile industry. sunday, he will talk about his life and what is ahead for carmakers, on c-span. >> the c-span network, providing coverage of politics, public affairs, nonfiction books, and american history. it is all available on television, radio, online, and social media networking sites.

she will be joined by at iowa senator chuck grassley and former iowa governor. >> it is arguable, justifiable to say that we would not have a black middle class had we not had general motors, ford and chrysler. >> in 2008, he supported the government bailout of the auto industry. he will talk about his life and what is ahead for car makers on sunday night. >> this weekend, the conflict between the first amendment and national security. but take on necessary secrets. the interview is by former u.s. attorney general michael mukasey. again, president obama will have an announcement this afternoon in the white house rose garden. we will have coverage at 1:30 p.m. eastern.

there are others i mentioned terry brantad in iowa, not a tea party guy. and the tea party has come out, tea party sort of supporters, there is no official tea party mantle but those who are part of the group have come out on her facebook page and been up set at some of her endorsements. but it adds to her maverick tendency, she's not following a script and i think she likes the fact that she can mix things up and surprise us. when she makes a pick that not a tea party it surprises the media just as muchs and we pay equal attention. >> woodruff: why are we paying attention, we are all trying to get at this mysterious factor. what is the appeal here. what is it about sarah palin? >> it a great question. and really, everything she does get as tension now. she's the only political figure who i can think of. she sends out a tweet, a facebook message and it gets broadcast or reported. there is no one else who has that type of ability. so i think the underlying thing is here we're all waiting to see what her next act is going to be. there are very few people who

she was a featured speaker at a ig republican party fundraiser in iowa. palin's time in that caucus state is stirring up more speculation that the former alaska governo might make a bid for the top seat in the white house. >> sarah palin's presence in iowa, fresh from other influence in the primaries, is rekind ling speculations about her aspirations for the white house. >> it's time for no more business as usual, it is timeto take our country back. >> palin was senator john mccain's vice presidential running mate in 2008, ask now, in her firstisit to iowa this year, she joked about whether she wants top billing in 2012. >> todd says, i can guarantee you if anybody spots you in the tennis shoes, the headline is going to be vanity fair. they're going to say palin in iowa decides to run. >> the primary seasohas pointed to the growing division between the established gop and tea party activists. palin, a star of the tea party movement, has supported both sides and called ou some of her traditional republican counterparts to do the same. >> carl here, you can

sarah palin in iowa, a visit that's raising big questions about her future and the party's. >>> drawing a crowd. of the faithful and the furious. >> we don't want him here! >> we don't want him here! >> strong words tonight from the pope in london. >>> taking aim. hurricane igor bears down on bermuda as the cleanup begins in the wake of another killer storm. >>> and miracle mom. a young mother of three defies death and now she's using her life to make a difference. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. coming off of a drama of some of this week's state primary contests, believe it or not, not all the political focus these days is on the november midterm elections. the run-up to the 2012 presidential campaign is also slowly starting to build. tonight, those handicapping the potential republican challengers are trying to figure out what to make of sarah palin's high profile appearance this weekend in a place where presidential runs usually get off the ground. nbc's mike viqueira is in washington tonight to tell us more. mike. >> reporter: good evening, lester. sa

all eyes are on iowa it's very early to be talking about iowa.ut sarah pas st white house in her sih she fired up tecro republican fund-raiser in the state last night. and in washington, another gop rising star was drawing comparisons to palin conservative summit. that's whee joendrcf1 >> reporter: i' hthe oers summit. in a little while, constive wiu they're here to hear speakers like mike huckabee and mitt romney. but palin opted for iowa, instead. and that has a lot of people wondering, just what she's up to? is she testing the waters for 2012? >> todd says, i guarantee you, if anybody spots you in the tennis shoes, the headline's going to be, "vanity fair," they're going to say, palin in iowa decides to run. >> reporter: with sarah palin headlining a gop fund-raiser in a key presidential state, the white house thinks so. >> it's normally around this time of year, you go to dip your toe in the water. my guess is that she's going to dip that toe. >> it may take folks shaking us up, shaking it up, to get there. >> reporter: in iowa and at the con

the thing come to iowa -- you can come to iowa.ve will think these are the normal hard-working americans that are saying enough is enough. >> we want to give back to those sites interested i -- this time tested truths. everyone can help the. this is it. we cannot blow it. we cannot wait for the political favor. it did the voters to will stop these leftist policies. it is not good for america. it is the patriots to will restore america. our candidates are offering bold and smart alternatives. and let people think the gop is as a party of no. i find it interesting critique. it is yet another government stimulus. we see auditors have intimated that they are in l.a. their jobs created with your stimulus -- there were jobs trade with your stimulus money. and i am the idiot. it is the only plane in our platform is "no." president obama was in milwaukee. . . he wants a tax write-off for business investments like trusts and equipment. good idea i particularly like those ideas when they were part of the mccain-palin platform back in 2008. [

all eyes are on iowa. it's early to be talking about iowa. but sarah palin is stirring speculation that she has the white house in her sights. she fired up the crowd at a fund raiser. and in washington, another gop rising star was drawing comparisons to palin. that's where john hendren is this morning. >> reporter: hi, bianna. good morning. i'm here at the values voters summit. in a little while, conservatives will be out in force. they're here to hear mike huckabee and others. is she testing the waters for 2012? >> todd says, i guarantee you, if anybody spots you in the tennis shoes, the headline's going to be, "vanity fair," they're going to say, palin in iowa decides to run. >> reporter: with sarah palin headlining a gop fund-raiser in a republican state, the white house thinks so. >> normally this time of year, you go to dip your toe in the water. my guess is that she's going to dip that toe. >> it may take folks shaking us up, shaking it up, to get there. >> reporter: in iowa and at the conservative values voter summit in washington, pal

. >>> and apology, the owner of the iowa egg factory tells congress, he's sorry -- now. this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, september 23rd, 2010. good morning, everyone on a thursday. good to see you, i'm terrell brown for betty nguyen this morning. president obama takes the podium later on at the u.n. for his second address to the general assembly. randall pinkston is at the united nations with details. randall, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. how are you? yes, indeed, president obama will be here at the united nations in just a few hours. with problems at home and flagging poll numbers, the president's address at the u.n. sure to give him awn opportunity to focus on his foreign policy accomplishments and his vision for the future. president obama's expected to use today's u.n. speech to remind the world and americans how far his administration has come. in front of nearly 200 global leaders, he will highlight america's progress in iraq and afghanistan and promote u.s. efforts to kick-start the world economy. the president will defend h

there's manure management plans on every one in iowa. because we do the sale of our manure with the local co-op who use it is for fertilizer, they have the manure management plan. >> who do you file the plan with? >> the dnr. >> dnr. okay. because i know we just talked about looking at water quality and things like that, does the dnr then do any inspection around the buildings then on th that? >> not on a regular basis, but the dnr i guess after reading some of the articles in the newspaper came up and did an inspection around our layer barns and said everything looked okay. i haven't heard anything more. >> let me ask you then, when you say not that often, how often would they come around from dnr on that end? >> normally under those type circumstances if they're called out to do it. >> so they wouldn't do it on like a six-month or a 12-month basis? >> no. >> now, who hauls -- how often do you have to clean your barns? are your barns deep pit or do you have conveyor or -- >> the majority of our barns are deep pit like the pictures show

gritty work and that's what we're doing in iowa. >> this is madonna and i'm calling with the iowa democratic. >> we work every day, all night. this office is always full and there's 19 other offices like it across the state. >> reporter: and they opened in june. much of the urgency for iowa democrat is over the top of the ticket races, incumbent democrat colbert has trailed in public head to head polls since january behind four term governor branstead and conlin faces a double digit deficit in the poll in her bid to unseat charles grassley. >> republicans are winning the independent voters that voted for obama in 2008 and even disaffected democrats. >> reporter: wii taking advantage of tailgating and football fans. they've cut in half the democratic registration in iowa. >> right now republicans are coming out in big numbers, i don't think we should expect that debate. >> grab one of these and cook a steak. >> reporter: at the steak fry, two were grilling beef and serving up big portions of doubt over predictions of a big wave of republican victories in november. >> we're not going to get ha

cameras in des moines iowa.t to the caucus state without a book deal and it is taking as a sign of her interest and her ability to jig up the tea party conservative rankings . that was last night's pockus. whenever sarah palin who is a fox news contributor comes to the state there is media talk of presidential . her opening remarks she joked about about going for a job and then recognizing all of the speculation about 2012, here is how she quipped. >> headline going to be vanity fair. palin in iowa, decides to run. [applause] that is a good start for her. earlier this week she told us that if the american people decide she is the one she would give it a shot. test the waters and lun for president. last night she took shots at the media. that is nothing knew for sarah palin . made it clear that the support she gave to tea party candidates is not going to stop in the general elections and frankly in her view sharply expressed on occasion establishment and the republican party have to lay off tea party republicans.

in iowa, it brings a huge crowd of iowa inflew tension people and first of thetation caucus and that'sosts the first presidential timber sarah palin's appearance made a big deal. she joked how she got into the hotel room and thought a jog and decided not to because she was atrade what she referred to as the lame street media might distort its meaning, listen to this. >> the headline is going to be "vanity fair," they're going to say, palin in iowa decides to run. [laughte [laughter] >> earlier this week, palin said if the folks decided that she was the one, then she would quote, give it a shot, meaning jump into the race, but there's a lot of questions, ever since she resigned as governor of alaska, a lot of folks wondered whether she's got the stickiness to take on the campaign and the fire in the belly. there's no doubt last night that republicans in iowa believe she's a fantastic cheerleader for the tea party movement and conservatives. there are questions, here is a sampling of it. >> i want to know she's in it to stay in it. i was disappointed when she stepped down from being gove

this morning, palin takes iowa. the former v.p. nominee gives a fiery speech at a key republican dinner, in what is likely to be the first state to vote in the 2012 primary. is this the first step toward a presidential run? >>> hurricane alley. karl blasted mexico while hurricane igor heads straight for bermuda. packing some serious power. we're live with the latest. >>> why did she do it? the mother and father of a woman who lied about having acid thrown in her face, address the question everybody's been asking. why did their daughter do this to herself? >>> and dancing hands. forget the flying feet of "riverdance." how about the flying fingers of irish hand dancing? ♪ and no, that was not the two of us doing hand dancing. >> i've been worried all morning that you're going to propose some sort of -- >> i want to. the hour's not over yet, dan. they actually used to perform for "riverdance." this is a new dance craze they're starting. they're going to be joining us live. >> they've gone rogue, post "riverdance." >> emotionless faces

you can come to iowa. they will see the light and realize these are hard-working americans who say enough is enough. we want to get back to the time- tested truth that is right for america. [applause] we will not wait as we desire the severe -- the sincere efforts, knowing that everyone can help. this is our time. we cannot blow it, but we will not wait for the political playbook to be handed to us from on high to tell us what to do. it is the patriots who will turn this around. it is the voters who will stop the leftist policies. it is the voters who will stop the fundamental transformation of america that is not good for america. it is the patriots who will restore america. [applause] our candidates are offering bolden smart alternative to the obama/polo scene -- obama- pelosi politics. this has not stopped the left from telling voters the gop is the party of no, that it has no new ideas. i find it interesting that a critique coming from the guys whose answer to the summary is yet another government stim

what are unclear are her plans for the 2012 presidential race so what was she doing in iowa? pope benedict expresses sorrow and shame of the sex abuse scandal during his controversial visit to england. >> they're massive. they're huge. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with jeff glor. >> glor: good evening. a journey that began with a mountain hike more than a year ago is concluding tonight with a long flight toward home. released american hieger sarah shourd left oman today for dubai, while her two fellow hikers remained prisoners in iran. what's next for them? michelle miller has more. >> reporter: after more than 13 months in captivity, sarah shourd is on her way home tonight. before leaving oman she expressed appreciation and hope to the nation that help broker her release. >> i will always associate your country with the first breath of my freedom. >> reporter: shourd arrived in oman tuesday, the arab nation an ally of both the u.s. and iran, mediating the half million dollar bail that was part of her release. it may have saved her life. her morc

mike huckabee who won the iowa caucuses in 2008 came out here during the iowa primaries for their congressionalenatorial candidates. tim pawlenty has begun hiring people and getting commitments from volunteers, coordinators and staffers. already the invisible primary steps crucial to a serious run for president here in iowa and in other states like new hampshire and south carolina are underway. there are as many as ten republicans seriously looking at this, and sarah palin's ability to light up the tea party movement as well as strongly influence with her popularity the social and evangelical christian right in a state like iowa where they're a predominant force in the iowa presidential caucuses, hugely important. this has become a big day. she'll speak tonight at the reagan dinner here in des moines. hours before she got here it's front page news, her face is right across the front page of the state's biggest newspaper. even before she arrives, sarah palin's evident interest in the 2012 race is now in full bloom. jenna: big day and a big story. carl cameron for us in iowa today. obviously, a b

politicians heading for a run to the white house head to iowa.s no surprise sarah palin's visit is generating major buzz about her possible bid for the oval office in 2012. good morning mike. >> reporter: good morning, alex. >> i want to get the reaction from you. what is it like? >> reporter: any trip to iowa, especially when it's sarah palin, it's her first trip since the gop vice president nomination. will she or won't she? she has rock star status among the conservative base. will she or can she translate the popularity into a successful presidential run? sarah palin in iowa. >> showing love to the home teams. >> reporter: getting a welcome from party faithfuls at the battleground. palin laughed off speculation about her plans for an oval office run. todd says i don't know. i think you should go downstairs and run on that treadmill. i said why would i want to stay indoors. todd says, i guarantee you, if anybody sees you in tennis shoes, they are going to say palin in iowa decides to run. >> reporter: fresh out of a string of candidates she ba

iowa holds the first presidential caucuses. now, meantime, with control of congress at stake, no one is wasting any time or sparing any expense. primary season may be over, but the gop is still feeling the tea party's heat. >> we can take it back. we can take back our country. and we're going to turn things around. >> reporter: in kentucky thursday the former alaska governor sarah palin urged republicans to set aside their differences and take advantage of recent wins by tea party-backed candidates. >> for the hierarchy, i think buck up or stay in the truck. >> reporter: palin's political clout will be on display again today in iowa, while one of the candidates she helped lead to victory heads to washington. >> i believe the establishment in both parties have lost their way. >> reporter: one day after appearing in her first debate, the delaware senate hopeful christine o'donnell will try to shore up republican support at a family values conference in d.c. democrats are also hitting the campaign trail hard. last night, president

we'll see who wins in iowa. i visit all 99 counties. top with a joke and then a younger voter at the end tweeting and facebook. it's clever. >> i would say john mccain did lose so if you're going with track record of older versus younger, maybe it's not helpful to reemphasize that you are actually a much older person. >> you'll get a tweet from chuck grassley. >> i love the "saving private ryan" motorola phone. nice touch. >> the thing about chuck grassley is he used to have a 300 acre form in northeast iowa. that's his persona. he's going to win. >> i hope when he gets twitter thumb, it doesn't keep him from working. sean duffy is a republican candida candidate. he used to be in real world boston. look at this ad. >> i come from a long line of lumberjacks. my family has a proud heritage of swinging the ax. i've always been quick to take on a big piece of timber and i'm just as ready to tackle big spending in washington. our washington debt has gone sky high thanks to liberals in d.c. i'll work in congress to cut the spending and balanc

if she does win iowa.i think a strong case could be made, donna, that she could win the iowa caucuses. i don't think she can win the new hampshire primary. she could then win the south carolina primary where she's popular among the conservative republican base. if she wins two of the first three contests, does she get the republican nomination? >> we're a long way from the february 62012 caucus. >> what do you think? historically, whoever the republican is who wins two or three of the first contests gets the nomination. >> look, she's a woman -- she's a woman. and we know that woman candidates face unique hurdles. there's no question that she's filling a lot of air time. she's the social media queen of the moment. if she tweets, everybody, you know, overanalyzes her remarks. but i still think ed is right -- the folks out in -- in iowa want to hear from you. they want you to work it. they want you to come to those -- those festivals, those county fairs. if sarah palin is willing to put in the work, then she

. >>> sara palin will be in iowa tonight headlining the ronald reagan dinner. is this the beginning of her presidential campaign? plus, a new rally being planned. >>> i am calling for the nation to join me on the washington mall for the march to keep fear alive. >>> good friday morning, i'm chris jansing live from msnbc world headquarters in new york. we have some incredible video of that violent and deadly storm that ripped through the new york city area leaving widespread damage. hurricane-force winds uprooted trees as the storm barrelled through the region during rush hour yesterday. this morning, more than 26,000 homes in new york, more than 11,000 more in northern new jersey are still without power. look at these pictures taken from the shore looking at the statue of liberty. here is some of that damage we were telling you about. police say a driver was killed and her passenger injured when a tree fell on a car in queens. neighborhood have been littered with downed trees and tree limbs and residents say the intense storm caught them completely by surprise.