Obama leaves Hawaii for Washington

US: President Barack Obama departed from Hawaii Monday after a Hawaiian vacation, headed back to the White House just before voters in Iowa cast ballots on his potential Republican foes in November's election.

Obama will make his most significant foray yet into the campaign by addressing Iowa Democrats by streaming video Tuesday night as caucusing Republicans cast votes for their presidential nominee.

The president is already in the crosshairs of fierce Republican attacks on his economic record, especially from Mitt Romney, the favorite to win the party nomination. AFP