Perry’s Iowa Tour Coincides With Obama’s

Texas Gov. Rick Perry will travel to Iowa on Sunday, the day after the straw poll there, in a visit that will coincide with President Barack Obama’s Midwest tour’s stop in the Hawkeye State.

One possible reason for Perry’s Iowa visit might be to help salve Hawkeye wounds for announcing his GOP presidential candidacy in South Carolina, which he is expected to do Saturday, Byron York reports in his Beltway Confidential column in the Washington Examiner.

“Word that Perry would plan a big event conflicting with the straw poll upset many Iowa Republicans, who suspected that Perry was trying to upstage a key moment for GOP activists in the state,” York writes. “Iowa Republicans say the Perry camp was surprised by the intensity of the blowback they received from Iowa after the South Carolina speech was announced. Coming to Iowa the next day, Sunday, will help blunt some of the negative impact.”

On Perry’s itinerary will be a visit to the State Fair on Monday and a yet-to-be announced event Tuesday that his team is planning as a juxtaposition to Obama’s visit to Peosta, Iowa, during his three-day bus tour to talk about economic issues