After address to nation, Obama heads to Wisconsin

[January 26, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's itinerary Wednesday includes a visit to Wisconsin, where he will repeat the revamped economic message he laid out in his State of the Union address.

Obama will tour three factories in the Manitowoc, Wis., area that the White House says would benefit from the investments in innovation and infrastructure the president called for in Tuesday's prime-time speech.

Obama will also highlight how the companies benefited from the policies enacted during his first two years in office, including grants to provide incentives for the production of renewable energy and the extension of tax cuts for the middle class.

Wisconsin is likely to be a crucial battleground state in the 2012 election, and Obama's trip underscores the White House's increased focus on the president's re-election campaign.

[Associated Press; By JULIE PACE]

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