CHRISTIE: On Wednesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received an unusual request at a town hall meeting.  AP writes, "Eleven-year-old Peter Schwarz asked the governor for a note excusing him from school. Christie pulled out a pen, flipped over a "reserved seating" sign, scribbled a note to the boy's 6th grade teacher and then signed his name. Christie said he asked that the Point Pleasant Beach student be excused "because you were with me." When Christie called on the boy during the question-and-answer portion of an event in Garfield, the boy asked what he should do about being bullied by someone in authority. The governor told Peter to enlist his parents' support and tell the bully's boss."

HALEY: The State via The Miami Herald reports Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) was cleared Wednesday of claims she lobbied and broke ethics laws while serving as a state representative.

MCDONNELL: In an editorial on Virginia Voter ID legislation, The Washington Post writes: "Faced with voter ID legislation that would disenfranchise thousands of Virginians, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell is in a quandary. He can veto the bill and incur the wrath of fellow Republicans, or sign it and reinforce the GOP’s image of hostility toward young, poor and black voters. Mr. McDonnell is all too aware that the bill, passed by Republican lawmakers despite his warning about legislative overreach, is gratuitous at best. That’s why he sent it back to the General Assembly with amendments that would eliminate its most obnoxious feature: a requirement that ballots cast by voters who lack identification be thrown out unless the voters make a separate trek to local electoral offices to prove their identity. But the General Assembly restored that provision and sent the bill back to Mr. McDonnell, who now faces a decision: Does he want to be known as a partisan street brawler, or as a grown-up who governs with restraint?"

PORTMAN: "U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is not answering questions as to whether he would consider becoming Mitt Romney's running mate in the November election," The Portsmouth Daily Times reports. "Instead, Christine Mangi, of Portman's office is saying to reference earlier interviews for his answers "He has said he is very happy doing what he is doing," Mangi said."

RUBIO:  National Journal's Jim Geraghty on Rubio's vet-aches: "Many suspect Rubio will make the cut; the benefits of a young, Cuban-American, telegenic, articulate conservative from a key swing state are obvious. But if Rubio accepts consideration from Romney — he repeatedly denies interest in being vice president — the Florida senator will be required to turn over enormous amounts of personal information to a campaign full of former employees of Rubio’s 2010 rival, former Florida governor Charlie Crist."

On Rubio's DREAM Act, the National Journal writes: "Right now, immigration groups and activists on the right are generally holding their fire on Senator Marco Rubio’s DREAM Act, waiting for the legislation to be released. But many of those who opposed the 2010 version of the DREAM Act are likely to oppose Rubio’s as well — and just as vehemently."