Looks like they forgot to edit part of the article: “There have been no reliable polls”
If he's going to IA to fight for 7 EV, Obama obviously needs every state he can get. It's at least a dead heat nationally.
The RCP average for IA is +11 Obama. MI, MN and WI are in the same range. Maybe even in IA = even in these states as well.
Bottom line, public polls are garbage.