Otterbox Defender: Fuzzy Screen?

Hello all. I've been searching through the various discussions here and don't see anything that specifically addresses my concern. If this has been asked before and I've somehow overlooked the answer, apologies in advance. Here goes:

Just got my iPhone 4S and my new 4S Otterbox Defender case. When the phone is inside the case, the screen looks perpetually "fuzzy" and rainbowy. Unlike the watermark and oil slicks I've been reading about, there are no singular spots of distortion or "slick." It's simply that the entire screen looks distorted. After a call to Otterbox, I was advised to try a few different things. Here's what I've done so far:

1) The baby powder trick. The powder had absolutely zero effect.

2) Viewing the screen from the reverse side of the protector (apparently, these are sometimes installed backwards). Screen looked the same.

3) Cleaned both sides of the screen protector with a microfiber cloth. No effect.

When looking at the screen protector directly (without being attached to the iPhone), I can see tons of "speckles" (ultra tiny specks that almost look like static) covering the surface of the protector. I'm not sure if this is how these protectors are supposed to look, but I wonder if it could be related to the fuzzy look and rainbow distortion I am experiencing?

As I am new to iPhones and Otterbox cases, I'm hoping someone out there will be able to assist. Normally I'd just send the case back and get a new one but I'm going on a trip tomorrow and need to protect the phone while I'm traveling. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. It is most appreciated.