Michele Bachmann reminded voters of her tenacity, declaring: “If I’m not loved because of it, so be it, but I’m not going to Washington to be somebody. I think I’m somebody now.” Tim Pawlenty implored Republicans to look beyond her fiery words, saying, “That’s not going to be good enough for our nominee for president of the United States.”

The Republican candidates, who are already contending with Gov. Rick Perry of Texas entering the race on Saturday, suddenly found themselves competing for attention with another figure who swept into town: Sarah Palin. She dropped by the Iowa State Fair, where she spent hours talking to admirers and holding forth with reporters, but disclosing little about her own intentions.

“I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes,” Ms. Palin said, adding that she would leave the state before the straw poll on Saturday. Asked if Republicans needed her as a candidate, she said, “You know, I think the more the merrier, the more the better in these debates and out there in the arena.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/13/us/politics/13repubs.html?hp