From NBC's Shawna Thomas
Manchester, N.H. -- It was all going so well for former Gov. Mitt Romney.

He was the only one at the Americans for Prosperity Presidential Summit that started off his speech sending his condolences to the people in Southern states who are dealing with the aftermath of deadly tornadoes, and he made a joke about the president’s birth certificate.

“The president finally produced a long-form birth certificate, and there was no one more disappointed than that amiable know-it-all windbag, Joe Biden.” 

The audience gave him a hearty laugh.

But in the midst of making a Reagan reference, he brought up some uncomfortable imagery when it comes to the current president.

“You remember during the Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter debates that Ronald Reagan came up with this great thing about the misery index, and he hung that around Jimmy Carter’s neck and that had a lot to do with Jimmy Carter losing. Well we’re going to hang the Obama misery index around his neck.”  

He continued, “ The fact that you’ve got people in this country really squeezed…We’re going to hang him with that, so to speak, metaphorically, with uh, you have to be careful these days.”

The audience laughed. The journalists around the room cringed.

He wasn’t the only one who slipped up, Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty basically announced his actual candidacy on stage (again). 

“I see a brighter future in our nation and that's why I'm running for president, considering running for president…to be formally and finally announced later.” He laughed at his own mistake as did the audience. 

Other participants in what will be one of many possible presidential contender cattlecalls were former Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep. Michele Bachmann and businessman Herman Cain. All were warmly welcomed and still got a couple of tough questions from the conservative group’s president and moderator.

Romney thanked the moderator for asking about the Massachusetts health care law which some say was a blueprint for the national health care law.  He said that his state of Massachusetts was “spending hundreds of millions of dollars giving up free care to people who could’ve afforded to take care of themselves and so I went to work to try to solve a problem. And it may not be perfect. By the way it is not perfect.  Some parts of that experiment worked.  Some parts didn’t.”

Romney pivoted by saying he would never adopt a “one size fits all plan like Obamacare on the nation” calling it “unconstitutional.”  And he did a little crystal ball gazing when he said, “If and when I have the occasion to debate President Obama I’m going to ask him this question, “Mr. President why didn’t you call me and asked how it worked?”

Santorum was asked about his penchant for earmarks while he was in the Senate and admitted that he “aggressively earmarked money” because he came into office during President Bill Clinton’s term and wanted money spent on things the President wouldn’t have liked.  He went on to say that he thinks banning earmarks is a legitimate argument and that “we owe the American public cold turkey on this.”

Bachmann chose to read a long list of things she would change, most of these items focused on issues Congress could work on most of which dealt with downsizing government.  After the event, one audience member said she didn’t really connect with the Congresswoman until the question and answer period when Bachmann looked up from her notes.

Bachmann’s speech really was different from the other four in that her laundry list of items didn’t include very much about her own background.  Multiple audience members said afterwards that Bachmann and Cain were two they hadn’t heard from before in person, so this was, in some ways, an introduction for her to many GOPrs in New Hampshire.

What everyone could agree on at the summit was repealing the president’s health care law, and not raising taxes on the upper class but that the American people are ready for a truthful conversation about entitlement spending. 

Pawlenty summed it up for the group: “I believe we need to look the American people in the eye and tell them the truth…don’t scare them and freak them out, but show them the solutions and the way forward."

MIAMI, Fla. -- Capping off a busy day that took him from surveying tornado damage in Alabama to a scrubbed shuttle launch in Cape Canaveral -- where he met with the recovering Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- President Obama encouraged graduating college students here to persevere and keep in mind that America's best days are ahead of it.

Despite discrimination and injustices in the country's past, "We carried the dream forward," Obama told about 4,000 students of Miami Dade College's North and West campuses here at the packed James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami.

Obama was warmly received. When he was introduced, he was greeted with chants of his 2008 presidential campaign slogan, "Yes, we can." The venue provided the president an audience with a key constituency group -- young, mostly African American and Hispanic students -- in a swing state. Miami Dade College is the largest institution of higher education in the country with more than 174,000 students enrolled, according to the school. It also boasts that it graduates more black and Hispanic students than any other in the nation.

And he didn't miss the opportunity to lay out his vision of society for the students, many of whom will vote for the first time in 2012.

He said the country faces choices between fighting for the middle class or not, continuing to invest in education and clean energy (instead of being vulnerable to swings in oil price), breaking promises to seniors and the disabled and "tell them to fend for themselves" or "keep strengthening" the social safety net, and pushing for immigration reform or not.

Many of those topics are ongoing battles in Washington, in particular, recently, the debate over Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget proposal that would phase out a government-run Medicare program for those who are currently younger than 55 years old.

Obama again voiced support for the DREAM Act, which would give students in American schools but who weren't born in the United States citizenship. Obama noted that some Miami Dade College students had admitted to being undocumented in hopes of getting the DREAM Act passed.

"I firmly believe we should fix our immigration system," Obama said, adding, "I will keep fighting along side many of you in order to make the DREAM Act the law of the land. … It will be difficult, and it will take time. I know some of you wish that I could bypass Congress and change the law myself, but that’s not how democracy works. Democracy is hard, but it’s right."

Obama also drew on his peronal story, talking of his father and his efforts to get into a college, as well as his personal hopefulness for the direction of the country, rooted, in part, in his seeing astronauts come ashore in Hawaii while sitting atop his grandfather's shoulders when he was a boy. He likened that to today, when his daughters toured a space shuttle and got to meet with astronauts at Cape Canaveral.

That's "my proof America endures," Obama said. "Our brave endeavor on this earth continues."

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels announced Friday afternoon that he will sign a bill that will drastically cut Planned Parenthood funding in the state by preventing Medicaid funds from being used for abortions.  In a statement, Daniels said:

I supported this bill from the outset, and the recent addition of language guarding against the spending of tax dollars to support abortions creates no reason to alter my position. The principle involved commands the support of an overwhelming majority of Hoosiers, as reflected in greater than 2:1 bipartisan votes in both legislative chambers.

I commissioned a careful review of access to services across the state and can confirm that all non-abortion services, whether family planning or basic women’s health, will remain readily available in every one of our 92 counties. In addition, I have ordered the Family and Social Services Administration to see that Medicaid recipients receive prompt notice of nearby care options. We will take any actions necessary to ensure that vital medical care is, if anything, more widely available than before.

Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions.

The decision is certain to fuel speculation about a potential presidential run by Daniels who has drawn the ire of conservatives by calling for a "truce" on social issues. 

MIAMI, Fla. -- In Miami, everything's a party.

That includes what otherwise could have been a drab, drawn-out wait -- required by security -- to hear the president of the United States speak.

About 4,000 students were ushered in about two hours before President Obama was set to deliver the commencement speech here at the James L. Knight Center for Miami Dade College.

The students, at first, sat quietly, some waving politely to parents, in rows as a continuous graduation march played.

But the music changed, and so did the atmosphere. In true Miami style, the students turned the wait into a party.

They danced in the aisles to salsa music, bopped to hip hop, Outkast and Nelly, and even acted out the motions to perennial wedding favorite, the Village People's 1978 hit "YMCA."

The president is set to speak at about 7:30 pm ET. The auditorium for the speech is packed with about 5,000 people, including parents and guests. There are two overflow rooms. School officials say about 7,500 tickets were given out.

According to the school: Miami Dade College is the largest institution of higher education in the nation with more than 174,000 enrolled students across eight Miami-area campuses. This graduation ceremony is for the North and West campuses, but a total of 14,000 Miami Dade students are graduating this spring, more than most large universities.

The venue provides the president an audience with a key constituency group -- young, mostly African American and Hispanic students -- in a swing state.

The school, which opened in 1960 and used to be a community college/junior college, also boasts that it graduates more black and Hispanic students than any other in the nation.

In the past 10 minutes, with Obama en route, the graduation march has begun again.

From NBC's Catherine Chomiak
Potential Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump did not hold back in a speech to GOP women's groups in Las Vegas last night. In fact, he used strong expletives five times in his speech to the group.

On his lack of a political background he said, "You know, I've seen the best politicians.  I've known them all. Someone said, 'But Donald, you're running for president, but you don't have any experience in politics.' I mean, I've been dealing with these f***ing politicians all my life."

Switching from domestic to foreign affairs, The Donald came out swinging on relations with China, OPEC and the U.S's role in Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq.

He told the audience if he were president he would impose a tax on imported goods from China. "I'd drop a 25% tax on China and you know, I said to someone it's really the messenger. The messenger is important. I could have one man say, 'We're gonna tax you 25%,'" he said in a meek voice and then continued, "And I could say (to) another, 'Listen you motherf******, we're gonna tax you 25%," he roared across the room.

Addressing the recent rise in gas prices, Trump blamed the current leadership for not standing up to OPEC. "A couple of days ago, Saudi Arabia said, 'Aww, let's raise the price, let's cut back production.' Can you believe it? You're gonna be paying $5 and $6 for gasoline pretty soon. And they want to go in and raise the price of oil, because we have nobody in Washington that sits back and says 'You're not gonna raise that f***ing price, you understand me?'"

Speaking about U.S involvement in Libya, Trump said "I'm interested in Libya if we keep the oil, and everyone said, ‘Oh,’ and some of the press said, ‘Oh my god that's a sovereign nation.’ Give me a f***ing break."

On the wars in the Middle East: "We go to Afghanistan, we go to Iraq, we build a school, we build a road, they blow up the road, they blow them up, we build them again, in the meantime, we can't get a f***ing school built in Brooklyn."

Trump reiterated, what he has said before, that he will announce his intentions before June, but not until this season of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" is over. The finale is set to air May 22. He told one supporter in the audience who was urging him to run that he would make her "very happy" when the time came.

Trump's visit to Nevada, an early caucus state, comes right after a swing by New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state.

NBC's Jordan Frasier contributed to this story.

From NBC's Athena Jones
During a trip to storm-ravaged Tuscaloosa, AL, President Obama today promised to help this community and others across the South rebuild after this week's devastating tornadoes.

The president and first lady toured the damage during a roughly two-hour stop in the city -- traveling through commercial and residential areas and to a school -- and met with state and local officials like Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. Bentley, who thanked the president for his visit and for providing federal assistance, said the death toll in Alabama had reached 210 and that some 1,700 people were injured and a number of others were still missing.

After seeing collapsed homes and speaking with residents who had lost all their worldly possessions, the president told reporters he had "never seen devastation like this" and said that the priority was to help the community recover.

"I want to just make a commitment to the communities here that we are going to do everything we can to help these communities rebuild," Obama said.

On Wednesday, the president declared a federal emergency declaration for Alabama -- a move that makes the necessary federal resources to help with rescue and recovery efforts. He has also spoken to the governors of Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia. And FEMA director Craig Fugate and regional director Phil May have been dispatched to the area to assess the damage and help determine what sort of federal help is needed.

In speaking about the mayor, who expressed concern that the death and destruction in his community would soon be forgotten by the media and the American people, Obama said: "I want to assure him that the American people all across the country are with him and his community and we're gonna make sure that you're not forgotten and that we do everything that we can to make sure that we rebuild."

After departing Alabama, the president -- who was also traveling with his daughters and mother in law -- flew to Cape Canaveral, FL to visit the Kennedy Space Center. He was originally scheduled to watch the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavor, but that has been postponed, likely for several days.

Today's trip was reminiscent of one he took to the Gulf Coast this time last year to visit communities devastated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While the spill was not caused by a natural disaster, the president made a similar commitment to help the region over the long term, saying on a May 2 visit to Venice, LA: "We're going to do everything in our power to protect our natural resources, compensate those who have been harmed, rebuild what has been damaged, and help this region persevere like it has done so many times before."

Tonight in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney is attending his first GOP presidential cattle call since CPAC back in February. It's sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, the conservative group that billionaire David Koch started. And Democrats are trying to make hay of the appearance, noting some of Romney's ties to David Koch like:

-- David and wife Julia each donated the maximum ($2,300) to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in '08

-- Politico's 2010 report that Romney had lined up fundraising commitments from David and Julia Koch

A Dem operative emails First Read, "You know it's got to be a special occasion that only the Koch brothers can afford throw to get Romney to emerge from his op-ed fortress."

Of course, there's probably a bigger reason why Romney is showing up to tonight's cattle call: It takes place in New Hampshire, which is a must-win primary state for the former Massachusetts governor.

From NBC's Pete Williams
In a victory for the Obama administration, a federal appeals court panel has lifted an injunction on the use of federal money to pay for research using embryonic stem cells.

Since 1996, Congress has banned the use of federal funds for research in which embryos were destroyed. President Obama acted to expand the use of stem cells by permitting the federal government to support research only on the stem cells themselves -- not the actual gathering of the cells from embryos, a policy which the administration said was entirely consistent with the law. But last year, a federal judge in Washington ruled that because embryos must be destroyed to get those cells, the congressional limitation bans using federal money on anything done with the cells later.

Today, by a 2-1 vote, the appeals court threw that injunction out, finding that the congressional research limitation is ambiguous. The federal government, it said, "seems reasonably to have concluded" that although the congressional ban blocks funding for the destructive act of deriving a stem cell from an embryo, it does not prohibit funding a research project in which such a cell will be used.

The government allows research using only stem cells derived from embryos that were created by in vitro fertilization for reproductive purposes and would otherwise be destroyed.

Last year's injunction threatened about 200 research projects that relied on federal money already granted. Because these grants were renewed every year, many of the researchers said they'd have to stop when the money ran out.

The National Institutes of Health is expected to comment on today's ruling later in the day.

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski
A U.S. Army medical and mental evaluation team has determined that WikiLeaks suspect PFC Bradley Manning is both physically and mentally competent to face court martial. The 706 Board, as it's called, took several months to make that determination.

The board's ruling clears the way now for Manning to appear before an Article 32 hearing -- the military equivalent of a grand jury -- to determine if he should face court martial.

The Army has leveled nearly 30 charges against Manning in connection with the alleged theft of "hundreds of thousands" of classified military and State Department documents, many of which eventually were publicly released by Wikileaks.

The most serious of the charges -- "aiding the enemy," because some of the information could be used by U.S. adversaries in Iraq or Afghanistan -- carries a possible death sentence. While prosecutors have not reommended the death sentence, it will ultimately be up to the "convening authority," who is the presiding judge to make that determination.

Despite Democrats criticizing Republicans for creating outside groups that can raise unlimited funds without disclosing their donors -- like Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS can do -- Democrats are now copying their efforts.

As we reported earlier, former Obama White House aides Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney -- along with Democratic operatives Paul Begala and Geoff Garin -- have unveiled two different groups: Priorities USA (which doesn't have to disclose donors) and Priorities USA Action (which does).

A Democrat passes along a memo that Burton and Sweeney have released explaining why they created the groups:

Our groups were formed to answer the hundreds of millions of dollars Karl Rove and the Koch brothers have dedicated to spending in the 2012 election. In 2010, Republicans spent millions distorting the debate on important issues and running vicious, dishonest attack ads. This is an effort to level the playing field and not allow right-wing activists to hijack the political system. We are simply trying to give an equal voice to the American middle-class and supporting policies that reflect America's core value of fairness.

[snip]

In the Citizens United ruling, the right-leaning Supreme Court created a new set of rules that allows individuals to give as much as they want and remain anonymous should they choose. Karl Rove and the Koch brothers then chose to exploit this decision to press their right-wing agenda without accountability. While we agree that fundamental campaign finance reforms are needed, Karl Rove and the Koch brothers cannot live by one set of rules as our values and our candidates are overrun with their hundreds of millions of dollars. We will comply with all applicable rules and laws but we won’t be boxed in by a double standard.

Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads, charged hypocrisy. "Last year, Obama’s White House and hard left allies launched a coordinated PR and legal assault on non-disclosing conservative groups – and now, just six months later, Obama’s own political operatives are launching the very type of groups they demagogued as 'shadowy threats to democracy.' Obama’s brazen hypocrisy, in encouraging his own operatives to start groups exactly like the ones he demagogued last year, shows how cynical this President can be when it comes to perpetuating his own power."

*** UPDATE *** A Republican passes along this quote from Burton last year, when he served as President Obama's deputy press secretary: "Unless a bright light is shined on the shadowy activity of these outside groups, people aren’t going to know the facts, which is that with their complete lack of transparency, lord knows who’s participated in these races. And the president thinks that if you’re going to participate in politics, you ought to be transparent about it."

Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro discuss who they think may be competitive GOP candidates to run against President Obama in 2012.

Thanks to Bob-1887910 for the question.

Edited by Alexandra Moe. Filmed by Ali Weinberg and Alexandra Moe.

Plenty of political activity on this side of the pond: Obama inspects tornado damage in Alabama at 11:10 am ET… He then watches the final launch of Space Shuttle Endeavor (and Gabby Giffords will be there, too)… And he delivers a commencement address at Miami-Dade College (to numerous potential voters in the swing state)… Pawlenty, Santorum, Romney, Cain, and Bachmann speak at NH cattle call… Filling the GOP establishment void… NH Dem Party files FEC complaint at Team Romney… Burton-Sweeney groups are unveiled… And League of Women Voters airs TV ads aimed at Scott Brown and Claire McCaskill.

From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** On this side of the pond: While most of today’s focus is on the Royal Wedding in London -- as well as the devastation in the South, especially Alabama -- the day is also full of events with political meaning. In New Hampshire, GOP presidential candidates are gathering at yet another cattle call. In Florida, President Obama is attending the final launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor (Rep. Gabby Giffords will be there, too). And later in the Sunshine State, the president will deliver a commencement address at a school chock-full of potential young voters.

*** Hard Times: But before heading to Florida, Obama visits Tuscaloosa, AL to inspect the tornado damage there. At 11:10 am ET, he views the damage and meets with Gov. Robert Bentley (R). As of late last night, the death toll from the tornadoes stands at 298, including 210 in Alabama. The New York Times: “Thousands have been injured, and untold more have been left homeless, hauling their belongings in garbage bags or rooting through disgorged piles of wood and siding to find anything salvageable.” As we mentioned yesterday, these kinds of visits -- right after a disaster -- are tricky for presidents. On the one hand, there's the desire to visibly respond to tragedy and destruction. On the other hand, there's the desire of a president -- and his entourage -- not to get in the way of the clean-up. To put this disaster into a bit of perspective: More lives have been lost this week due to this tornado outbreak than any hurricanes that have hit the U.S. since Katrina.

*** Cape Canaveral Calling: Then, at 2:10 pm ET, the president and the first family arrive in Cape Canaveral, FL to watch the final launch of Endeavor. Per Politico, part of the reason for Obama’s appearance at the launch: “to ease the political damage of job losses in the space industry and reaffirm his commitment to space exploration, which looms large in a high-unemployment battleground state that looks to the skies for its future, self-image and economic well-being.” Do NOT underestimate the political impact of the perception of the loss of jobs in this crucial SWING portion of this crucial SWING state. Of course, the biggest short-term political story in Cape Canaveral will be getting a glimpse of Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D), who also will be in attendance at the launch. How she looks will fairly or unfairly impact the chatter about the Arizona Senate race.

*** The President’s Speech: And finally for Obama, it’s on to Miami for a commencement address at 6:55 pm ET. After delivering past commencement addresses at the University of Michigan, Notre Dame, and the service academies, some may have raised their eyebrows at today’s venue: Miami-Dade College. Yet consider these numbers from the school: 174,000 students are enrolled in the school, making it the largest institution of higher education in the country; 14,000 will graduate there this spring (that's compared to the 7,500 that will graduate this semester at the gigantic University of Texas at Austin); and it graduates more Hispanics and African Americans than any other high-ed institution in the country. So if you’re trying to reach young voters in the Sunshine State, Miami-Dade College makes a lot of sense.

*** Manchester United: Beginning at 8:00 pm ET, the conservative Americans for Prosperity is hosting a presidential cattle call in Manchester, NH, which will be attended by five potential candidates. Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, and Michele Bachmann (in that order) will deliver eight-minute opening statements, and then will receive a handful of questions from the audience (which will be vetted by AFP President Tim Phillips). MOST significantly: This will be Romney’s first cattle call since CPAC with other presidentials.

*** Heir to the GOP establishment throne? We already know that there's a Tea Party void in the nascent GOP presidential field. The question is who fills it. (Bachmann? Palin? Trump? Someone else?) Similarly, there's an establishment void, at least for GOP donors. That's why Mitch Daniels' name has become very popular ever since Haley Barbour declined to get in the race -- he's a proxy for establishment types who aren't for Romney (and won't be until or unless he's the nominee), but who also aren't sold on Pawlenty. But if Daniels doesn't run, who can fill that void? Paul Ryan? Chris Christie? Pawlenty by default? By the way, Real Clear Politics writes about the campaign-in-waiting for Daniels if he does run.

*** Upstairs, Downstairs: The New Hampshire Democratic Party has filed a complaint with Federal Election Commission, raising the question that Romney’s state political action committees amount to “soft money” for a federal candidate running for office. As the Boston Globe reported earlier this month, "The former Massachusetts governor has become a master of a controversial but legal fund-raising technique that relies on a network of loosely regulated state political action committees to collect those funds. Consider the gifts to Romney from Donna G. Marriott — the wife of Marriott chairman J.W. Marriott Jr. — and J.W.’s brother, Richard E. They wrote checks totaling $215,000 to Romney’s state political committees, according to public records reviewed by the Globe." Romney spokesman Andrea Saul tells First Read, "This is totally political. For those wondering what the Obama jobs plan entails, it apparently involves hiring more lawyers at the FEC to handle frivolous complaints filed by his minions."

*** Minding the (Super PAC) gap: A few weeks ago, we wrote about the emergence of the Democratic Super PACs, in response to the GOP ones that popped up last cycle, like the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS. One of these Dem Super PACs is being led by former Obama White House aides Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney. And today, First Read can confirm that Burton and Sweeney have established two different groups: Priorities USA (which, like GPS, can accept unlimited donations but doesn’t have to disclose donors) and Priorities USA Action (which does have to disclose donors). Politico reports that two other well-known Democrats are involved with the groups: Paul Begala and  Geoff Garin, who will be its lead pollster. Priorities USA Action also has this launch video. “It’s time to stand up and fight back,” the video says.

*** Bleak environment: The League of Women Voters is launching a seven-figure TV ad buy hitting GOP Sen. Scott Brown and Dem Sen. Claire McCaskill on the environment. The ad aimed at Brown will air in Boston, while the one aimed at McCaskill airs in St. Louis and Jefferson City.

Countdown to NY-26 special election: 25 days
Countdown to Iowa GOP straw poll: 105 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 193 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 283 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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There’s this AP story before Obama heads to Miami, FL, a state rich with Hispanic voters: “With his immigration overhaul stalled, President Obama is enlisting an array of voices, including Latino entertainment and media stars, to help jump-start legislation and reassure crucial but restless Hispanic voters that he has not abandoned his campaign pledge to change the law.”

Obama also heads to Cape Canaveral, FL, where he’ll watch the launch of the space shuttle Endeavor with astronaut Mark Kelly on board, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who’s also expected to be there. “One person who will be watching Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' shuttle launch appearance on Friday is the doctor who declared her alive when the world, even her loved ones, thought she was dead,” the New York Daily News writes.

A Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama struggling in Pennsylvania. He’s in a statistical tie with generic Republican and 52% say he doesn’t deserve to be reelected.

The Hill writes, “Pessimism over the nation’s economy is hampering President Obama’s efforts to build momentum for his reelection campaign.”

Some news outlets tracked down the widow of the doctor who delivered Barack Obama in Hawaii

Paul Ryan showed some support for ending oil subsidies.

Yet House Speaker Boehner rejected the president’s call to eliminate the subsidies, despite having sounded open to the idea earlier in the week.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may be bringing Ryan’s budget proposal to the Senate floor, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says then he’ll force a vote on Obama’s budget.

BACHMANN: “Rep. Michele Bachmann, the Tea Party darling and potential 2012 presidential candidate, spent more than $20,000 on beer and baseball jerseys to woo supporters at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, according to federal records filed earlier this month,” Roll Call reports.

The Des Moines Register notes that Bachmann will make her fourth visit to Iowa to speak at a dinner organized by Polk County Republicans on May 26.

CHRISTIE: “A year after an antitax revolt took its toll on school budgets, New Jersey voters have returned to their more generous ways in the state’s one-of-a-kind school tax elections,” the AP reports. “According to an unofficial but complete tally by the New Jersey School Boards Association, 429 of the 538 budgets up for a vote — or 80 percent — were adopted in elections statewide Wednesday as a rigid new cap was put in place to control tax hikes.”

PAUL: Rep. Ron Paul continues his trip to Nevada today with a speech and a fundraising breakfast for the Washoe County GOP, The Hill says.

Speaking in Reno yesterday, Paul said that “his criticism of U.S. fiscal policy and opposition to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are much more popular views today than they were during his unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2008,” the AP reports.

PAWLENTY: Rep. Paul Ryan dismissed a recent suggestion from Tim Pawlenty that “payment reforms” to incentivize doctors and hospitals to produce better outcomes would reduce Medicare costs, The Hill reports. Ryan told the Weekly Standard that the idea too closely resembles the Independent Payment Advisory Board in President Obama’s health care law.

ROMNEY: “The New Hampshire Democratic Party is filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that likely Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney may be illegally funneling unlimited corporate donations into his campaign apparatus,” Roll Call reports. “Questions about the fundraising practices of Romney, a 2008 presidential candidate and a former Massachusetts governor, have been circulating for several months. But the Granite State Democratic Party becomes the first to file a formal complaint suggesting that he violated federal law.”

SANTORUM: “Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., a likely presidential candidate, has three things to say about President Obama’s proposal earlier this month to employ deeper cuts to the U.S. military: ‘Wrong signal, wrong effort, and wrong time,’” the National Journal writes.

TRUMP: The New York Daily News: “Selective service records Donald Trump didn't want anyone to see show he dodged the Vietnam War due to a medical deferment, not a high draft number as he has claimed. The records indicate Trump was granted a series of student deferments before graduating from college, and then was deemed physically unacceptable for military service after he graduated.

The cover of Bloomberg Businessweek features a picture of Trump and has this one word: Seriously?

From NBC's Jason Seher
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, sandwiched between trips to early presidential primary states New Hampshire and Iowa, delivered a foreign policy address that did little to distinguish his position from other declared GOP candidates.

The former Pennsylvania senator rehashed many conservative critiques of President Obama's handling of American foreign policy -- acting too slowly in Libya, allowing the Muslim brotherhood the opportunity to take hold in Egypt, cutting the defense budget -- and charged the president "does not understand the greatness of the American experiment and cannot confidently advance her interests." Santorum also outlined a 10-point foreign-policy plan that he contends would reverse course and reclaim America's "legacy of liberty" across the world.

“Sometimes the soft power example and charity is simply not enough -- not against hardened dictators who threaten to blow out all the moral lights around us,” Santorum said.

But demanding the United States “stand up” in solidarity with those fighting for peace, Santorum kept his policy address framed in purely ideological terms. Outside of enhancing the intelligence apparatus in the Middle East and continuing to provide anti-viral drugs to AIDS-plagued African nations, Santorum did not say how he would advance the goals of freedom on the international stage or even hint what that future would look like.

“We should be pushing for freedom,” he said, “but freedom does not mean right away. It may not mean democracy for a long, long time.”

Santorum argued the United States should not use military force unless there is a “clear path to victory” and it advances American national interests. Using this criteria, Santorum said President Obama erred by launching coordinated air strikes in Libya, even though he went on to argue the president has an obligation to stand up for principles of democracy “whether its Russia or China or Iran or Libya. When asked if he would have intervened in Libya, Santorum responded he “would have to have a lot more intel” before he answered that question.

On Syria, Santorum again deployed strong rhetoric but hesitated when asked if he would intervene there. While he said, “Syria does not deserve an ambassador; its protestors deserve support,” Santorum did not say what tact he would take in dealing with the nation -- although he did indicate removing that country’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, would be in the interest of national security.

Four years after he told Tim Russert Iran was at the center of an "Islamic Fascist" threat propelling the war in Iraq, Santorum reiterated many of his concerns about Iran. He painted the Ahmadinejad government as the chief advocate of an antithetical "worldview that opposes freedom of conscience" and fosters terrorism around the globe. Discussing the summer 2009 protests in Iran, Santorum accused the Obama administration of not being "ready when the spark struck." By not acting, according to Santorum, the president both missed an opportunity to end Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khomeini's rule and squandered the strong private support for the United States among Iran’s citizens.

Santorum's railing against Iran fed into his fundamental call for change in American rhetoric abroad. He argued the Obama administration's failure to identify Iran as "murderous thugs and theocrats" evidences its larger struggle to label nations that present problems for American foreign policy as enemies.

"We need to begin by seeing the world the way it truly is,” Santorum said. “We need to see evil for what it is and confront it; and we need to see decency for what it is and nurture it."

On proposed cuts to defense spending, Santorum said the president was sending the "wrong signal" at the "wrong time" to our troops spread across three fronts. Santorum argued cutting spending on defense programs was symptomatic of the Obama administration “leading from behind.”

“This is the one exclusive mission which no state, no group of individuals can do,” Santorum said. “This is the only area the president can do. [Cutting defense] shows that is a man who has his priorities upside down.”

From NBC's Athena Jones
In announcing changes to his national security team on Thursday, President Obama said he could not think of a group of individuals better suited to lead his team at this time of war and increasing budget challenges as he urged the Senate to confirm them "as swiftly as possible."

Obama has asked CIA Director Leon Panetta replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, will nominate Gen. David Petraeus  to replace Petraeus as CIA director, nominate Gen. John Allen -- currently the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command -- to replace Petraeus in Afghanistan and call on Ryan Crocker to serve as ambassador to Afghanistan.

A senior administration official who briefed reporters on the changes said the men were a "deeply experienced group of people" who would make up the "strongest possible team" to carry out the administration's policies and the president echoed that sentiment during the East Room announcement.

"I've worked closely with most of the individuals on this stage and all of them have my complete confidence," Obama said. "Given the pivotal period that we're entering, I felt it was absolutely critical that we had this team in place so that we can stay focused on our mission, maintain our momentum and keep our nation secure."

Joining the four men on stage for the announcement were National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Biden and Gates.

The president said Panetta -- a former congressman, White House chief of staff, budget director and CIA director -- "knows how to lead." Among the challenges facing Panetta in his new role will be completing the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and managing the drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan -- set to begin this summer -- and the eventual transition to Afghan lead on security matters in 2014, while continuing to look for savings to meet the president's goal of cutting an additional $400 billion from the Pentagon budget over the next 12 years.

Obama thanked Gates and said he was confident he would be remembered as one of the finest defense secretaries in history. He said that as a lifelong consumer of intelligence Petraeus knows that it must be timely, accurate and acted on quickly. He called Allen a "battle tested combat leader" who was deeply involved in executing US strategy in Afghanistan. Of Crocker, who in 2002 re-opened the US embassy in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, the president said that few Americans know the region and its challenges better than him.

"These are the leaders that I've chosen to help guide us through the difficult days ahead," Obama said. "I will look to them an my entire national security team for their counsel, continuity and unity of effort that this moment in history demands."

The administration aims to manage a "seamless transition" into these positions. Gates' plan is to leave his position on June 30 and Panetta -- who accepted the president's offer on Monday despite earlier resistance to the idea -- would assume position of secretary of defense on July 1, 2011. Mike Morell, the current deputy director of CIA would serve as acting director between July 1 and the beginning of September, when Petraeus would be expected to take over.

Petraeus will retire from the military in order to serve in the new post. Allen would take up his position at the beginning of September and administration officials could not say when Crocker would head to Kabul, but said they would seek speedy confirmation by the Senate. Petraeus was set to head back to Afghanistan tomorrow morning.

From NBC's Jason Seher
After Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s move to strip public employees’ collective-bargaining rights, the state finds itself in the middle of a historic and unprecedented wave of recall efforts.

Today, the Committee to Recall Robert Cowles submitted over 25,000 signatures -- more than the required 15,960 -- to the state’s Government Accountability Board, becoming the ninth recall drive of state senators the board is reviewing that could eventually trigger a recall election. Of the nine, six target Republican state senators like Cowles, and three target Democratic state senators.

They are:
-- Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay)
-- Alberta Darling (R-River Hills)
-- Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls)
-- Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac)
-- Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse)
-- Luther Olsen (R-Ripon)
-- Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay)
-- Jim Holperin (D-Conover)
-- Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie)

So far, of the 16 state senators eligible for recall – they must be serving in office for at least one year – three recall campaigns failed to collect the required number of signatures. The failed three were aimed at Democratic state senators. 

Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney said the board could rule on the two earliest petitions efforts – against GOP state senators Kapanke and Hopper -- as early as May 17. If there are enough valid signatures, that would trigger a recall election.

But Magney cautions that the board would most likely delay ordering an election until it rules on all the other petition efforts, which means the recall elections probably won’t take place until the fall.

“This is a historic effort and shows that Wisconsin is not taking Scott Walker sitting down,” Graeme Zilinski, communications for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, said.

“It’s caused people to get really engaged and we think that’s fine,” said  Ryan Smith, chief of staff to GOP state Sen. Cowles. “And while Sen. Cowles looks forward to defending his record, no way did I think he’d have to this soon.”

Both Democrats and Republicans admit the recall efforts amount to a statewide referenda of Gov. Walker’s policies. But Republican insiders like Smith remain confident in the wake of this powerful democratic uprising. While liberals flocked to the polls in the state’s recent Supreme Court election -- which the conservative candidate appears to have won, though the margin was closer than would have been expected three months ago -- Smith said they would struggle to turn out that many voters again, especially in Republican strongholds.

Smith called the Democratic opposition “passionate” but predicted they would struggle to rally around candidates, because they are energized by the cause – not the name on the ballot.

An example of this kind of passionate voter is Suzanne Haines.

She got involved, collecting signatures to recall Cowles, after she drove down to Madison and saw the thousands of people rallying for union rights. Haines is not a union member, and claims to NBC News she’s “never even had so much as a sign” in her yard before now. But Haines feels that Walker wrongfully attacked collective bargaining, and that Cowles’ support for those measures means he needs to go.

Still, Haines said she has no idea what Democrat she would vote for in a special election. "I don't know names," Haines said. "I don't know who would run. But there is so much motivation right now in this community to get the government back and do what's right for people in this state; I think someone will step up and run."

The White House has just announced that President Obama will travel to Alabama tomorrow to inspect the damage caused by the tornadoes that hit the state yesterday.

As we suggested in First Thoughts earlier this morning, these kind of visits -- right after a disaster -- are tricky for presidents. On the one hand, there's the desire to visibly respond to tragedy and destruction. On the other hand, there's the desire of a president -- and his entourage -- not to get in the way of the clean-up.

The White House obviously decided to err on the side of getting in the way.

On feeding the internet beast vs. starving it… Obama’s decision to release his long-form birth certificate was a personal one… President unveils his new national security team at 3:10 pm ET… On the Fed, the Ryan budget, and those Medicare town halls… Death and destruction in the South… Will Mitch Daniels sign anti-Planned Parenthood legislation into law, or will he veto it?... And Santorum, in DC, talks foreign policy.

From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Feeding the beast vs. starving it: Back in 2008, the Obama campaign created a “Fight the Smears” page on its Web site to combat the internet suspicions about Barack Obama’s race, his name, and his upbringing. The rationale: It needed to feed the Google beast to knock down the rumors and conspiracy theories. But in their two-plus years in the White House, Team Obama -- perhaps due to everything else on their plate -- tended to ignore the beast, hoping it would starve. That is, until yesterday. President Obama’s extraordinary release of his long-form birth certificate won’t satisfy the conspiracy theorists. As Joel Achenbach writes in the Washington Post, “the nature of a conspiracy theory that all information must pass through a very discerning, yet simple, filter. Information that is confirmational is accepted; that which is contradictory is rejected.” But release of the birth certificate and the president’s remarks about it weren’t intended for those people. Rather, they were aimed at everyone else and the news media.

*** A personal decision: It’s important to note that the decision to release the long-form birth certificate didn’t come from his staff or advisers. Per our reporting, Obama himself made the decision; it was personal to him. (After all, the politics of this week or the moment etc., would not have dictated a need to do this now.) By the way, he did his best to joke about the entire episode at a fundraiser last night in New York City. "My name is Barack Obama. I was born in Hawaii," he said to applause. "The 50th state of the United States of America. No one checked my ID on the way in." And in a taping on "Oprah Winfrey," which will air next week, Obama said, “Can I just say: I was there. So I knew I was born. I remembered it.” 

*** The new national security team: Birth Certificate Day, of course, overshadowed a bigger story that will actually impact U.S. lives: the news of Obama’s new national security team, which includes a lot of familiar faces; it's more of a "staff shuffle" than "shakeup." At 3:10 pm ET, the president will make a personnel announcement, at which he’s expected to name CIA Director Leon Panetta as the new Defense secretary replacing Robert Gates (who is retiring); Gen. David Petraeus as the new CIA director replacing Panetta; Gen. John Allen as the commander in Afghanistan replacing Petraeus; and Ryan Crocker as the new ambassador to Afghanistan. Per NBC’s Courtney Kube, Gates is leaving his Defense secretary post on June 30, and assuming he’s confirmed, Panetta will take over on July 1. Petraeus, meanwhile, will retire from the U.S. Army after nearly 37 years as an officer, giving Allen several months to prepare. And it means Petraeus will lead the CIA as a civilian.

*** Opting for continuity: On a conference call yesterday previewing the national security announcement, a senior administration official said, “The president has put in place here those nominees that provide the strongest possible team to execute our strategies and policies. I stress the word ‘team.’” As the Washington Post puts it, Obama "opted for continuity in a major reshuffle of his national security team, choosing familiar names to help him complete the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, define the endgame in Afghanistan and give the Pentagon its fair share of budget cuts." 

*** On the Fed, the Ryan budget, and those town halls: So what other stories did Birth Certificate Day overshadow yesterday? Well, there was Bernanke’s first press conference and the announcement that the Fed’s $600 billion bond purchase will end in June and that interest rates will remain low for a while longer. There was the news that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to hold a Senate vote on the House budget plan (which means that Dean Heller will have to vote for it again). And there was the story about some rowdy GOP town halls, especially in senior-rich Florida. In fact, Obama releasing his birth certificate squashed that town hall story, about which a lot of Democrats were giddy -- because they felt as if they were finally hitting critical mass on the issue.  

*** Death and destruction in the South: Of course, the biggest story today is the tornadoes that ripped through much of the South yesterday. Per the latest numbers, the storms killed 172 people, including 128 in Alabama. Folks, these are death tolls that FAR surpass most hurricanes. Some might wonder if President Obama heads to Alabama to inspect the damage. Immediately after something like that -- due to the wreckage and clean up -- the last thing residents and emergency officials want is for the president and his entourage to show up. But if the logistics are doable and it wouldn't get in the way of the cleanup, would it be a surprise if Obama makes a stop there on his way to or from Florida tomorrow?

*** What will Mitch do? As National Journal says this morning, we’re about to find out how Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels defines his “truce” and how serious is he about running for president. The Indianapolis Star: “A bill cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood of Indiana is headed to the governor's desk after the House approved it 66-32 on Wednesday. House Bill 1210 would take away about $2 million of the $3 million Planned Parenthood receives annually in government funds and make Indiana the first state to prohibit the use of Medicaid at Planned Parenthood centers. Supporters of the bill say they do not want their tax dollars going to an organization that provides abortions.” More: “Daniels has not said whether he will sign the bill into law. But on a radio show earlier this year, he described his administration as ‘the most pro-life’ in Indiana history.” But the fiscal hawk in Daniels may dictate him to veto it, since the bill would cost the state MORE money to implement.

*** On the 2012 trail: Santorum delivers a speech on foreign policy at the National Press Club in DC at 1:30 pm ET… Donald Trump’s in Las Vegas… And Ron Paul is in Reno, NV.

Countdown to NY-26 special election: 26 days
Countdown to Iowa GOP straw poll: 106 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 194 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 284 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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The Washington Post says, "After refusing for more than two years to indulge the most corrosive of conspiracy theories questioning his legitimacy, President Obama finally decided that he’d had enough... The 'birther' question had become a distraction, one that was getting in Obama’s way as he tried to sell the country on his approach to long-term deficit reduction."

The New York Times: “Mr. Obama’s comments risked elevating the discredited questions about where he was born, but also allowed him to cast his political opponents as focused on the trivial at a time when the nation is facing more important issues.”

Over a photo of Obama’s birth certificate and the president looking stern, the cover of the New York Daily News’ headline: “Now shut up.”

Obama to Oprah on the birth certificate, per the New York Daily News: "Why did you wait so long?" Oprah asked. "Two weeks ago a huge debate was initiated about where our budget needs to go," he told Winfrey. "During the course of this major debate where I gave a big speech and the Republicans voted on their proposal, the biggest news was this birth certificate thing. I said to my team, look, even though this is not usually what the state of Hawaii does...Even though the Republican governor of Hawaii, the Democratic governors of Hawaii, all the various officials had confirmed that I was born here, let's ask them for a special dispensation where they will go ahead and provide us with the original to see if we can put this to rest," he said.

"We are living in a very serious time. And America has huge potential and opportunity to seize the 21st century. We're only gonna get there, though, if we have a serious conversation about the things that matter to people," Obama said. "We can't be distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers going around, trying to get attention."

“The question of whether President Barack Obama was born on U.S. soil will have zero impact on the 2012 campaign but could significantly damage Republicans’ prospects for retaking the White House if it lingers. That was the consensus analysis of more than a dozen experienced GOP political strategists, consultants and operatives who were interviewed Wednesday within an hour of Obama going on national television to publicly release the long-form version of his birth certificate,” Roll Call writes.

The Hill says Leon Panetta’s appointment to Defense could signal deeper cuts to the department.

The New York Times on what Petraeus to the CIA means for President Obama: "The choice of General Petraeus, with his broad bipartisan support, will provide Mr. Obama the opportunity to avoid what could have been a protracted congressional battle over who will lead the C.I.A. for the balance of his term. It also keeps the general working for the administration, effectively delaying any potential political ambition the he might have until well after Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign."

Harry Reid says there will be a Senate vote on the Paul Ryan budget.

“According to a new USA Today/Gallup poll, Americans are now split on Boehner. Thirty-four percent hold a favorable view of the Speaker, while another 34 percent view him unfavorably. That's down from Boehner's high of 42 percent favorable, measured in mid-January,” The Hill writes.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John “Kerry, a leading proponent of the Obama administration’s controversial attempt to improve relations with Syria, has publicly warned Assad not to kill his own people. But Kerry has not called for him to step down, as he did with embattled leaders in Egypt and Libya,” the Boston Globe reports, adding, “Now, as the Obama administration condemns Assad for the brutal attacks on his citizens and prepares sanctions against his regime, its diplomatic overtures and Kerry’s role are coming under increasing scrutiny. ‘While he went there to have dinner with Assad, people were being tortured,’ said Elliott Abrams, who was a senior adviser to President George W. Bush.”

“With Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s departure from the presidential field comes a chance for another Republican contender to take up his unusual cause — the war in Afghanistan,” the Washington Post writes, noting that Barbour had questioned the war publicly several times. “I'd say one of the big ‘surprises’ coming up in the GOP primary will be the lack of Republican voter support for the war in Afghanistan,’ said Republican strategist Mike Murphy. ‘I think we have hit a tipping point politically and this will emerge as a very big story in the Republican primaries later this year.’”

DANIELS: In an interview with WTHR Indianapolis, President Obama called Gov. Mitch Daniels “a serious person” with whom he has “some significant philosophical differences,” The State Column writes.

Daniels faces a big decision in whether or not to veto a bill that would make Indiana the first state to cut off all government funding for Planned Parenthood, the AP writes. “If he signs it, Indiana risks losing $4 million in federal grants for family planning services. If he vetoes it, Daniels could antagonize ardent social conservatives already wary of his public statements about the importance of focusing on economic issues. But signing it also could provide Daniels with the political cover he needs from those who question his commitment to social conservative causes.”

GINGRICH: Having been at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast all morning, Newt Gingrich acted like he hadn’t yet heard the new about President Obama’s birth certificate when Talking Points Memo asked him about it. But he did comment, “All I would say is, why did it take so long? The whole thing is strange.”

HUCKABEE: “Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's camp is refuting a South Carolina blogger who suggested Wednesday that Huckabee told consultants in the state he wouldn't run for president next year,” The Hill writes.

PAWLETY: Speaking about the birther issue, Tim Pawlenty chided those who have kept the issue alive: “There was never any evidence to suggest he wasn't born here,” Pawlenty told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after speaking at a luncheon in the city. “Before someone makes an allegation, they should have evidence.''

TRUMP: The Boston Globe’s Viser on Trump’s visit to New Hampshire: “The business mogul and television star may be the antithesis of New Hampshire and its frugal Yankees who prize their role in selecting presidential candidates. He traveled in a black stretch limousine, sandwiched between two SUVs. Beefy guards with earpieces and sunglasses trailed him as he approached diners in Portsmouth, toured a defense contracting company in nearby Newington, and went to a lobster house in Dover. But in a campaign season that is starting late and lacks a clear Republican front-runner, Trump easily seized attention, at least for this day.”

The Globe’s Johnson reflects on Trump’s trip and says if what Trump was doing “wasn't innuendo or rumor-mongering, it had the trappings of McCarthyism or racism.” More:  “[T]he common thread between questioning the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate and his college transcripts seems to be a suggestion the nation's first black president doesn't legitimately hold the job, and that the education he received before attaining it also was achieved through deception — or affirmative action. Yet later, during an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Trump bristled at the suggestion he was playing the race card. ‘This has nothing to do with race. Absolutely nothing,’ he told reporter John DiStaso, who has chronicled the New Hampshire primary since before the Tsongas days. ‘There is nobody who's less of a racist than me.’”

Yet: “Trump suggested Obama himself played the race card during the 2008 campaign against Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, when the former president campaigned on behalf of the former first lady as she challenged Obama for the Democratic nomination.”

Here’s DiStaso’s story: “Crediting himself with forcing President Barack Obama to make public his Hawaiian birth certificate, billionaire businessman Donald Trump today accused the President, his supporters and the national media of playing the ‘race card’ against him.”

Trump said of Obama and race: "And he did it with (former President Bill) Clinton. Clinton was made into a racist by Obama, and he's never forgotten it. And there's nobody that's less of a racist than Bill Clinton… He did it with Bill Clinton, and with Hillary. He made them into racists. That's why I was amazed that Hillary went to work for him." He added that “the President is ‘probably’ trying to do the same to him, ‘and there's nobody who's less of a racist than me.’” More from Trump: "Here's two people, Hillary and Bill Clinton, who really devoted a lot to African-Americans. They did probably as much as anybody, and he made them into racists."

Trump also said that if he were to run, he’d get into the trenches and do retail politics around New Hampshire: “I'm giving up a great life if I decide to do this. But yeah, I'll do it,” he said.

The New York Daily News’ DeFrank: “Donald Trump's presidential fantasies evaporated Wednesday in the White House briefing room - or more precisely, in a delivery room at Kapiolani Hospital 49 years ago.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in honor of the wedding in England, will put out this release: “You’re Invited To The R-Oil Wedding.” It “cordially invites you to celebrate the R-Oil wedding between House Republicans and Big Oil at a new website, www.roilwedding.com.” “For this wedding, in lieu of gifts, the happy couple would surely prefer more Big Oil tax breaks,” DCCC spokesman Jesse Ferguson said. “After House Republicans had a decade long relationship of protecting Big Oil taxpayer giveaways, speculations and price gouging, this wedding seems like the next step. In their relationship for richer or really richer, we wish the happy couple all the best.”

ARIZONA: “Arizona Speaker Kirk Adams is stepping down from his leadership post tomorrow — likely the first step in his bid for Congress next year,” Roll Call writes, adding, “Should he run, Adams would face at least two opponents in a Republican primary — former Rep. Matt Salmon, who held the seat for three terms before resigning in 2000, and former state Senate Majority Leader Chuck Gray, who declined to run for re-election last year in preparation for a Congressional bid.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE: The first 2012 New Hampshire debate will be June 13 hosted by CNN/WMUR.

NEW YORK: “With western New York’s special election to replace former Rep. Chris Lee (R) less than a month away, a war of words has broken out as the candidates seek to fill their campaign coffers to fuel a sprint to the finish,” Roll Call writes.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Gov. Nikki Haley said she hopes participants in next week’s South Carolina presidential primary debate give their opinion on the National Labor Relations Board’s lawsuit against Boeing, which is building an aircraft assembly plant in the state, the Seattle Times reports. The lawsuit was filed because the board accuses Boeing of choosing the right-to-work state in retaliation against union workers in Washington state who went on strike in 2008, where most Boeing 787s are produced.

Tim Pawlenty and Ron Paul will both participate in a Tea party rally before the South Carolina presidential debate, The Hill reports.