vacum leak!

[97marquismuscle]

why shouldnt i have touched the idle screw?

[1987cp]

Probably because it's only crutching another problem, but you already know that, else you wouldn't have been worried in the first place! I think the idle speed adjustment is sometimes considered a critical emissions-related adjustment, but you live in Michigan, so that shouldn't matter much as long as you can easily reset the idle later.