The Los Angeles Times reports, "After days of tense negotiations, the U.S. Navy rescued an American sea captain in seconds Sunday, with snipers shooting three Somali pirates who officials feared were about to kill him. The commanding officer of the U.S. guided missile destroyer Bainbridge had received approval from President Obama to attempt a rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips by force if his life appeared to be in imminent danger after five days of captivity off the coast of Somalia." http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-captain-freed13-2009apr13,0,31188.story

Video: TODAY's Meredith Vieira talks to Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, about the Navy rescue operation that freed Capt. Richard Phillips.

Per NBC's Mike Viqueira, Obama gave the go-ahead both Friday and Saturday -- two different occasions. The Defense Department had asked for authority to use appropriate force, and the president granted both Friday and Saturday. Why twice? They were two different operational groups.

The Washington Post: "For President Obama, last week's confrontation with Somali pirates posed similar political risks to a young commander in chief who had yet to prove himself to his generals or his public. But the result -- a dramatic and successful rescue operation by U.S. Special Operations forces -- left Obama with an early victory that could help build confidence in his ability to direct military actions abroad." 

Phillips directed credit to the Navy. 'I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home,' Phillips said in a phone call to John Reinhart, president and CEO of Maersk Line Ltd., according to the Maersk executive."

"Two of the captors had poked their heads out of a rear hatch of the lifeboat, exposing themselves to clear shots, and the third could be seen through a window in the bow, pointing an automatic rifle at the captain, who was tied up inside the 18-foot lifeboat," the New York Times adds. It took only three remarkable shots -- one each by snipers firing from a distance at dusk, using night-vision scopes, the officials said. Within minutes, rescuers slid down ropes from the Bainbridge, climbed aboard the lifeboat and found the three pirates dead. They then untied Captain Phillips, ending the contretemps at sea that had riveted much of the world's attention. A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier." 

Obama released this statement yesterday afternoon: "I am very pleased that Captain Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer. His safety has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew. I am also very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and many other departments and agencies who worked tirelessly to secure Captain Phillips's safe recovery."
 
"We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes. I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans." 

The New York Daily News headline: "Saved!" The New York Post: "Free!"

Meanwhile, "Somali pirates today vowed to retaliate for the deaths of three colleagues who were shot dead by US Navy snipers hours before in a daring nighttime assault that freed a 53-year-old American captain," the AP says. 

Now the question is what to do with the fourth pirate the U.S. captured. "The Justice Department was considering whether to prosecute a Somali pirate in Washington or New York, U.S. officials said following the rescue of a U.S. hostage and the apprehension of his only surviving captor." It would be "the first U.S. piracy case in recent memory… [P]rosecutors were also considering taking the pirate to Kenya, where the military has an agreement under which captured pirates will be tried. But that agreement has never been used following an attack on a U.S. ship."

Never beloved by her own state party, Sarah Palin is under attack from some in the state GOP again. "Among the Republicans' biggest complaints: Palin is disengaged from the legislative process," the Juneau Empire reports. "There have been multiple complaints that Palin administration officials won't take positions on bills, including any indication about whether the governor is likely to sign bills that make it through the process." 
 
"Palin herself will be leaving Alaska this week to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind. on Thursday, as well as an event for special-needs children. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras questioned her leaving town right at the end of the session, when critical decisions are being made," the Anchorage Daily News writes.

Previewing Obama's trip this week to the Summit of the Americas, USA Today writes, "A dispute over how to treat Cuba and the Castro brothers who have run it for 50 years has spilled into the open as President Obama prepares to meet with Latin American leaders at the Summit of the Americas. Cuba will not be at the summit in Trinidad and Tobago that starts Friday. It likely will be a topic of discussion, though, given the White House says it is considering softening U.S. policy toward the communist dictatorship." 

The Wall Street Journal: "President Barack Obama plans to tell Latin American leaders later this week that the U.S. is willing to discuss how to improve relations with Havana, but wants Cuba to take steps toward democracy before it is reintegrated into the Western hemisphere's economic and political institutions… The U.S. willingness to engage on Cuba is another indication of a slow, tentative warming of relations between Washington and Havana. The administration is planning soon to lift longstanding restrictions on Cuba, a move that would allow Cuban-Americans to visit families on the island as often as they like and send them unlimited funds. The White House is also considering whether to remove restrictions that limit travel to Cuba by Americans for non-degree cultural and educational purposes."  

The Washington Post's profile of Rahm doesn't break a lot of new ground, but this nugget at the end -- regarding the special attention being paid to Olympia Snowe -- is interesting. "Even GOP lawmakers praised the White House attention. 'He always takes my calls,' said Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), a moderate who is wooed by Democrats on every major bill. She even considered voting for the budget. When Snowe heard that Obama would visit Turkey at the end of his first overseas trip as president, the Greek American senator called Emanuel to ask that Obama meet with the Greek Orthodox patriarch in Istanbul. Already on the itinerary, the chief of staff assured her. Hours after Emanuel returned to the White House last week, he was working on another sale, telling himself, 'I better call Olympia to tell her how it went.'"   

Former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt tells John Harwood of CNBC and the New York Times that the Obama administration should – at least in the short term – abandon its goal to provide universal health care. "Gephardt says universal or near-universal coverage cannot pass this year -- and he is urging the White House to defer that goal until it enacts cost-saving reforms in health care delivery. Otherwise, he argues, the new president risks the same losing argument about paying for expanded coverage that stymied President Bill Clinton 15 years ago." 

Thirty thousand people from 45 states will crowd the South Lawn of the White House for today's Easter Egg Roll, the AP reports, calling it "one of Washington's most anticipated annual events" and a "rite of spring, which dates back to 1878." Today's event "includes cooking classes, musical performances and storytelling. The talent lineup includes singers Fergie and Ziggy Marley."

Ad onslaught: "Television viewers are being deluged by so-called issue ads paid for by corporations, unions, advocacy groups and individuals who have spent a whopping $270 million just since Obama took the oath of office." 
 
And here comes another... in First Read on Thursday, we wrote of how little Dems are doing on gun control even though there have been several high-profile gun-related deaths this year. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a staunch gun-control advocate, will be in Arlington holding a press at 11:30 am ET today with the brother of a Virginia Tech victim's brother, to preview an ad that will run statewide in Virginia that urges the closing of the Virginia "gun show loophole." Thursday marks the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre and April 20th is the 10-year anniversary of the Columbine shootings.

MINNESOTA: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune ponders the possibility of Norm Coleman taking his challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court. "While some election law experts say it's unlikely that Coleman, a Republican, could win in federal court, his party might have much to gain. A federal challenge could leave a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat vacant for another six months or more, depriving Democrats of a vote needed to pass some of President Obama's agenda in the event of GOP filibusters."

"The success of such a 'scorched-earth' strategy, as one political scientist dubs a federal appeal, depends heavily on the definition of state courts. The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a Senate race winner can't be certified by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie 'until the state courts have finally decided the election contest,' as the trial was called. If a request were made for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court, the question would be whether that 'is part of that 'state contest' process so as to delay the issuance of the certificate,' wrote Richard Hasen, an election law expert and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, in a recent blog for the American Constitution Society." 

Stu Rothenberg, writing in Roll Call, looks at the role retirements have played. "The last time more Democrats than Republicans retired was in 1998, when 17 Democrats and 16 Republicans did not seek re-election… Over the past five elections, 106 Republican House Members have not sought re- election, while only 49 Democrats have walked away from their seats -- a significant difference."

CONNECTICUT: "Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), facing increasingly difficult odds in 2010, is spending the two-week recess barnstorming his home state to try to improve his political standing… Dodd spent much of the past week focusing on the economy, heading up a listening tour of the Nutmeg State."

NEW YORK: As of Friday afternoon, Democrat Scott Murphy held a 35-vote lead over Republican Jim Tedisco (77,804 vs. 77,769). The only counties that have yet to count their absentee ballots are Washington County, which Murphy won, and Saratoga County, which Tedisco won and which represents a huge chunk of the congressional district. 

NORTH CAROLINA: Plenty of analysts believe -- correctly in our opinion -- that GOP incumbent Richard Burr is vulnerable. But don't underestimate Burr -- Erskine Bowles made that mistake in 2004, even if this senate seat hasn't produced a repeat winner in 40 years. Writes the Raleigh News & Observer: "The senator seems a bit exasperated when he is reminded about his low profile. He notes that he is constantly moving around the state and paying attention to North Carolina issues. But he acknowledges his style is not suited to the limelight."

"'I tend to be more of a policy guy than I am a guy who shows up on the 24-hour talk shows or a guy who goes to the floor and speaks," Burr said in an interview last week. 'Listen, I know I am going to have to raise my profile in the next 18 months. That's the reality of the campaign.'"

OHIO: "Former Rep. Rob Portman's Senate campaign announced the Ohio Republican raised $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2009." It's "the biggest number so far by a non-incumbent Senate candidate." Portman "also transferred $1.4 million left in his House campaign account, giving him more than $3 million cash on hand and a solid start in what is expected to be one of the top races in the country. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) announced last week that he raised $1 million in the first quarter. Fisher faces a primary with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D), who hasn't released her fundraising figures."

Video: More President Obama travels, Cuba policy, O.T. political races, 2012 Republicans, Shad Planking and the White House Easter Egg roll.

From NBC's Mark Murray
We can tell you one thing about the current Karl Rove-vs.-Joe Biden spat: Democrats are loving every second of it.

Why? Because -- as with Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh before him -- the public has a very sour opinion of Rove. "We're not too worried that Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, and Dick Cheney are battling it out to remain the face of the Republican Party," a Dem strategist emails First Read. "Every time Rove pops up, it just serves to remind people what they wanted to change."

Indeed, Republicans seem to be having a difficult time finding a leader/messenger who doesn't have a net-negative fav/unfav rating go mano a mano with the Obama administration.

An August 2007 Gallup poll showed Rove's standing at 26% favorable, 44% unfavorable. Another Gallup poll early this year had Limbaugh's at 28%-45%. Per the December 2008 NBC/WSJ poll, Cheney's was 21%-58%. George W. Bush's in the NBC/WSJ survey was 31%-58% upon leaving office. Even looking at potential 2012 presidential candidates, Sarah Palin, who speaks at a National Right to Life dinner in Indiana next week, has a 35%-45% fav/unfav, according to the December NBC/WSJ poll.

The only major Republican who has a net-positive rating -- John McCain, who stood at 42%-27% in the March NBC/WSJ survey.

Of course, Democrats struggled to find a leader when they were out of power during the Bush years. Then again, they were always able to turn to the Clintons, whose ratings were much better than those GOP numbers above.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Earlier this morning, we noted that Scott Murphy (D) had an eight-vote lead over Jim Tedisco (R) in the ongoing count in the NY-20 special election.

Now, according to the latest update, Murphy's lead is 46 votes. The counties that still haven't counted their absentee ballots: Warren and Washington, which Murphy won, and Saratoga, which Tedisco won. (Hat tip: Politico.)

*** UPDATE *** Latest: Murphy up 35 (Murphy (D): 77,804, Tedisco (R): 77,769)

From NBC's Danielle Weisberg
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Atlantic, President Obama was supposed to fly in a pizza chef to prepare lunch for his guests at the White House today. An ode to the trademark deep-dish pizza of his hometown Chicago?

Not quite.

The chef being flown in is Ryan Mangialardo, partner in St. Louis's Pi restaurant. Obama declared Mangialardo's pizza "the best pizza I've ever eaten" on the campaign trail last October.

While the president has displayed his Chicago loyalty -- proudly sporting his White Sox baseball hat, rooting for Da Bears, cheering for the Bulls -- some in the Windy City might be surprised about his pizza preference.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** The Salesman-in-chief: So who else is stressed out? At 11:00 am ET, President Obama meets with Treasury Secretary Geithner, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, and FDIC Chair Sheila Bair to receive a status report on how the nation's biggest banks are faring in their "stress tests." This meeting comes after the Obama administration engaged yesterday in some optimistic talk about the economy -- and as the Dow jumped up some 240 points. Obama was bullish on housing and low interest rates (so bullish that the New York Times and Washington Post compared him to a mortgage broker or a salesman for LendingTree.com). Also, top White House economic adviser Larry Summers said the economic "free fall" was coming to an end. No doubt that confidence and optimism are musts for this young administration. But is Obama setting himself up for problems down the road? If this summer and fall ends up being bad again, then what happens to the credibility of the Obama economic team? As the New York Times front-pages today, "skeptics are warning that the economy may face another leg down. Companies continue to shed jobs and consumers are hunkering down in anticipation of a halting recovery. Most of the nation's retailers on Thursday signaled that they expected to see a continued steep decline in sales as they waited for consumers to come out of hiding."

Video: Serene Murphy, wife of Capt. Shane Murphy, second in command aboard the Maersk Alabama, discusses a brief phone call from her husband after the crew had "taken down" a pirate.

*** Pirate update: Here's the latest regarding the standoff with those Somali pirates: NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reported on TODAY that Captain Richard Phillips managed to jump off the lifeboat and try to swim away from his captors. The pirates recaptured him, however, and he is back in their custody. The lifeboat has run out of fuel and has nowhere to go… Reuters also reports that the Somali pirates say they will fight if they are attacked… And AFP reports that the Somali pirates have demanded a ransom.

*** Ideology vs. reality: So how have the three conservative GOP governors who are potential 2012 candidates -- Jindal, Palin, and Sanford -- fared in their campaign against Obama's economic stimulus? Not too well so far, it seems. Sanford has had to go up with a TV ad to defend his opposition to the stimulus, which is just a huge concession. And Politico's Ben Smith adds, "All three of those governors have been forced to scale back their expectations, to varying degree, as the push of conservative philosophy gave way to the pull of political reality. All three found that praise from the conservative movement in Washington meant nothing to furious state legislators of both parties. And in the end, along with other conservative Republican governors, the three submitted letters in recent days asking to be eligible for federal funds, a spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget confirmed."

*** Republicans Gone Wild, part II: Back in late February, a month into the Obama presidency, we noted how a couple of GOP senators said some outlandish things -- first when Richard Shelby seemed to question Obama's citizenship, and then when Jim Bunning predicted Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg would be dead in nine months. Well, now some of their House colleagues are giving those statements a run for their money. Presumably doing his best McCarthy impression, GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus said there were 17 members of the U.S. House who are socialists but didn't name names, the Birmingham News reported. And that came after the always-controversial Rep. Michele Bachmann called for an "orderly revolution" against Obama's policies. ("We can't let the Democrats achieve their ends any longer," she said.) Just five months after Obama's decisive 53%-46% victory, we've got to ask: What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck? Seriously, could the bizarre rantings of this new darling of the right have something to do with this? GOP lawmakers, when speaking to supporters at home, are getting more odd questions. Could this Beck phenomenon be the reason? He truly has a "middle of the night" am radio quality to some of his rants.

*** Helping Hillary -- and Mark Penn: Here's another question: What's going on with Hillary Clinton's campaign debt? That's right, 10 months after Hillary ended her presidential bid, Clinton friend James Carville yesterday sent out an email solicitation asking supporters to donate $5 for the chance to spend a day with Bill Clinton in New York, attend the "American Idol" season finale in LA, or have lunch with Carville and Paul Begala in DC. "Your contribution today not only gives you the chance at winning one of these fantastic prizes -- it'll also help our dear friend, Hillary Clinton, pay off the very last of her campaign debt," Carville wrote. And guess what? Your contribution also will help Mark Penn. Indeed, more than $5.3 million of out of Hillary's remaining $5.9 million debt is owed to Mark Penn's firm.

*** Terry in trouble? It's still relatively early -- two months until June's Democratic gubernatorial primary -- but Terry McAuliffe couldn't have liked the numbers from a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll. In it, McAuliffe trails Brian Moran by five points, 24%-19%, with Creigh Deeds coming in third at 16%. Also, the Macker has a net-negative fav/unfav (35%-36%), while both Moran and Deeds narrowly have net-positives. Also, in hypothetical match-ups against presumptive GOP nominee Bob McDonnell, McAuliffe trails by seven points (40%-33%), Deeds trails by an equal amount (38%-31%), and Moran trails by one (37%-36%). With two months to go, is Brian Moran your Democratic front-runner? Then again, a whopping 41% say they're undecided in the Democratic primary. By the way, after he reported $1.2 million in cash on hand (compared with $2.5 million for the Macker and $825,000 for Moran), don't forget about Mr. Deeds…

*** Other Odds And Ends: According to Politico, Obama will attend a local church for Easter services, and Arizona State won't award the president an honorary degree when he speaks there at a commencement on May 13. The reason: They say Obama hasn't accomplished enough. "It's normally awarded to someone who has been in their field for some time," an ASU spokeswoman said. "Considering that the president is at the beginning of his presidency, his body of work is just beginning." 

Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 19 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 53 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 60 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 207 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 571 days

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The New York Times' Zeleny writes: "He is not a mortgage broker. But for a time on Thursday, President Obama seemed to be playing one on television, urging Americans not to miss out on rock-bottom refinancing rates. From his perch in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, the president donned his salesman's hat and pitched the benefits — for you, and of course, for the American economy — of home mortgage rates at their lowest levels in 35 years."

"Seldom has the president sounded so much like the host of a late-night infomercial, stopping just shy of imploring people to call the toll-free number at the bottom of their television screens."

Adds the Washington Post's Milbank, "When last we heard from the salesman in chief 10 days ago, he was pitching General Motors and Chrysler cars so aggressively that he did everything but offer to rotate every American's tires. Now, it seems, he's moonlighting for LendingTree.com." 

The Wall Street Journal curtain-raises today's White House meeting on the economy. "President Barack Obama's meeting on Friday with top government economic officials likely sets the stage for more aggressive White House action soon on the economy, despite emerging signs of hope. 'He will make it clear that it took a long time to get into this crisis [and] will take time to get out,' a senior administration official said. 'He'll be briefed on progress of our aggressive efforts, and what more needs to be done.'"

"The president plans to meet at 11 a.m. Friday with some of the government's top economic officials, including Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair. Top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers and economist Christina Romer also will attend. At the meeting in the West Wing's Roosevelt Room, the president will be 'updated on a broad range of economic and financial topics including ongoing efforts to stabilize our financial system and get lending moving again so that it supports economic recovery,' the White House said in a statement late Thursday evening. 'These efforts include steps to stabilize the housing market, jumpstart securitization markets for auto, student and small business loans, clean up bank balance sheets by creating markets for legacy assets, and provide banks with a capital cushion to withstand a more severe economic downturn.'"

One critic of the stress tests being performed by the Obama administration is gaining a lot of traction. "The bank stress tests currently underway are 'a complete sham,' says William Black, a former senior bank regulator and S&L prosecutor, and currently an Associate Professor of Economics and Law at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. 'It's a Potemkin model. Built to fool people.' Like many others, Black believes the 'worst case scenario' used in the stress test don't go far enough."

"He detailed these and related concerns in a recent interview with Naked Capitalism. But Black, who was counsel to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board during the S&L Crisis, says the program's failings go way beyond such technical issues. 'There is no real purpose [of the stress test] other than to fool us. To make us chumps,' Black says. Noting policymakers have long stated the problem is a lack of confidence, Black says Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is now essentially saying: "'If we lie and they believe us, all will be well.' It's Orwellian."

The Boston Globe: "The worst days of the most severe recession since the 1930s may be over, as an increasing number of signs suggest the economy is beginning to stabilize. Yesterday, for example, some of the nation's biggest retailers, including TJX Cos. of Framingham, reported better-than-expected sales in March, and Wells Fargo & Co., one of the nation's largest banks, projected record earnings in the first quarter, which ended March 31. Government examinations of the finances of the nation's largest banks -- the so-called stress tests -- are finding the weakened banking system in better shape than expected, according to regulators."

Top Obama economic adviser Larry Summers echoed that while speaking to the Economic Club of Washington yesterday. "I think we can be reasonably confident that that's going to end within the next few months, and you will no longer have that sense of free-fall," he said.

But the New York Times has an interesting piece about how the economy could be experiencing a false recovery right now.

The Washington Post has a similar piece, except it paints a glass-is-half-full picture. "The recession remains severe, and economists stress that the worst for U.S. workers is still to come. Americans are still claiming jobless benefits at record levels, with the number of people receiving unemployment insurance now approaching 6 million. The unemployment rate in March was 8.5 percent, and earlier this week, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas chief Richard W. Fisher said he thought it could surpass 10 percent by year's end."

Picking up on where we left off yesterday in First Thoughts, Roll Call writes, "Despite renewed interest in tackling comprehensive immigration reform this year, Democratic and Republican aides in the House and Senate said prospects for serious action on the thorny issue remain uncertain at best. Aides also warned that the complexities and politically toxic nature of immigration reform would almost certainly force one or more of President Barack Obama's top-line agenda items off the table for the year."  and

The LA Times profiles the other Emanuel brother, the health-care expert, Zeke.

"A ragtag band of pirates has put President Barack Obama in a bind: He commands overwhelming firepower in the form of a growing flotilla of U.S. warships, but he doesn't want to use it."

The AP calls the president's response so far on the pirates "careful -- and quiet." 
 
So far, officials say they "see no direct ties between pirates looking for a fast buck and the Islamic extremists looking to attack America or her allies. But informal links are there, mired in Somalia's complex and combative clans."

"President Barack Obama wants Congress to act quickly on his $83.4 billion request for U.S. military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, an appeal that's disappointing the most liberal, anti-war wing of his party."

CIA Chief Leon Panetta yesterday announced a new policy that should make the left very happy. "Panetta said Thursday that he had banned the agency's use of contract employees to interrogate prisoners or provide security at detention facilities, ending a practice that had drawn frequent criticism from human rights groups and key members of Congress. Panetta also spelled out new obligations for officers to safeguard the well-being of detainees when working with U.S. partners in Pakistan and other countries that frequently capture terrorism suspects with CIA help. The rules require agency employees to report abuses even if they take place 'in the custody of an American partner.'"

The other headline from Panetta: No more secret prisons. "The CIA has never revealed the locations where it secretly held and interrogated as many as 100 high-level al-Qaeda and other terrorism suspects captured overseas after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. News reports have said the sites were in Thailand, Romania and Poland, among other places. Panetta's statement was the first public acknowledgement that some of the sites still exist."

Remember that debt Hillary Clinton racked up continuing her uphill bid for the Democratic nomination? Well, it's still not paid off. And yesterday a fundraising e-mail was sent out in the name of James Carville with the following game-show language: "Contribute now for a chance to win one of these exclusive prizes: Spend a day with President Clinton, New York, NY; American Idol Finale, Los Angeles, CA; Tour the nation's capitol with Carville & Begala, Washington, D.C."
 
"Make a $5 contribution today, and you could be on your way to one of these once in a lifetime opportunities!"
 
Here are debts still owed (from greatest amount to smallest):
$5,362,277.82 -- Penn, Schoen & Berland Assoc. LLC for "Consulting Polling/ Mail Expenses"
$397,114.28 -- MSHC Partners, Inc. (NW DC) for "printing"
$147,987.66 -- D. H. Lloyd & Associates, Inc. (K Street) for "committee insurance"
$31,452.00 -- Financial Innovations, Inc. of Cranston, R.I. for "printing"
$4,552.82 -- Mayfield Strategy Group LLC of Palo Alto, CA for Web site consulting
 
The Washington Post's Al Kamen says, "You might have thought that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would have retired her nearly $6 million presidential campaign debt a long time ago. Apparently not." And he picks up on the Mark Penn angle: "Almost every dollar raised from the Carville-Begala pitch will go toward someone who those advisers had quite a stormy relationship with -- Mark Penn, the pollster-strategist who was ousted midway through the 2008 primary season. According to year-end filings with the Federal Election Commission, Clinton's campaign had outstanding debts of $5,943,385. Of that total, Penn's firm was still owed $5,362,278 as of Dec. 31."
 
In "A Clinton Carnival of Prizes," The New York Times' Zeleny writes, "Would you like to spend a day with Bill Clinton, followed by a free weekend in New York City? Would you like to attend the season finale of American Idol? Would you like to talk politics over lunch with James Carville and Paul Begala? This is not a game show, but rather three potential prizes in exchange for helping to retire the presidential campaign debt for Hillary Rodham Clinton. An unusual fundraising appeal arrived in the e-mail boxes of prospective donors on Thursday afternoon."

"The list of governors threatening to decline federal stimulus money last month read like a list of Republicans considering running for president in 2012: Governors Mark Sanford, Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin led the anti-stimulus charge," Politico's Ben Smith writes. "But what began with a bang is ending with something closer to a whimper. All three of those governors have been forced to scale back their expectations, to varying degree, as the push of conservative philosophy gave way to the pull of political reality."

"A nonprofit group with close ties to Gov. Mark Sanford will spend $230,000 on television ads defending Sanford's opposition to some federal stimulus money," The Columbia State writes. "Sanford will appear in the ads, sponsored by Carolinians for Reform. The group was founded by a handful of Sanford campaign donors and aims to educate the public about the governor's positions. Sanford frequently has appeared in ads by similar groups that support his agenda." The paper notes, as we did yesterday: "The group that is paying for the ads has been the subject of controversy." Also, Sanford says "school officials and lawmakers" are "intentionally use misleading budget numbers to create panic. ... Sanford thinks a silent majority of South Carolinians support him, but some polls have indicated otherwise."

"While the organizers of the Washington, D.C. anti-spending 'Tea Party' have given a speaking slot to Alan Keyes, that other failed African-American Republican Senate candidate from Maryland, Michael Steele, has been dissed by the crew behind the Chicago Tea Party." "Unfortunately, it appears that he has only just decided to reach out after realizing how big the movement has gotten and how much media is now involved," the group's organizer wrote, adding, "This will also present a fantastic time for Chairman Steele to LISTEN to what we have to say and perhaps gather some thoughts on what the RNC needs to be doing moving forward."

Michele Bachmann Watch: "Rep. Michele Bachmann has said she wants Minnesotans 'armed and dangerous' against the climate-protection strategy known as 'cap and trade," the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. "But what she and a fellow presenter encountered at a forum Thursday was a small army that engaged in a standing ovation, then some enemy fire. About 500 people, perhaps fewer than half of them students, turned out at St. Cloud State University to hear Bachmann and author and global-warming skeptic Chris Horner elaborate on what has become a hot topic for her in recent months -- a plan to establish a market for the right to emit carbon dioxide."

"But after Bachmann was greeted warmly by many in the ballroom of the Atwood Memorial Center who cheered and rose to their feet, Horner was repeatedly pestered during a PowerPoint presentation by students insisting that he 'answer the question' and holding up signs reading 'Lies' and 'Fact Check!'"

MINNESOTA: The Star Tribune: "The U.S. Senate recount trial moved out of the courtroom and squarely into the court of public opinion Thursday, as state DFL and Republican leaders aired plans to build public pressure to force concessions by the other party's candidate. At a Capitol news conference, state DFL Chair Brian Melendez announced a new website, GiveitupNorm.com, that features a video urging Republican Norm Coleman to drop further legal challenges in the race and provide Minnesota 'equal representation in Washington.'"

"Not to be outdone, state GOP Chairman Ron Carey held his own news conference to call on DFLer Franken to join Coleman in asking the trial judges to reconsider counting 4,400 absentee ballots that they passed on before allowing 351 to be tallied on Tuesday."

The AP: "Republican Norm Coleman is defending the planned appeal of his Senate election lawsuit to the Minnesota Supreme Court, even if it means the state is short a U.S. senator for several more weeks. 'We need it to get over, but I tell folks this is not fast-food justice,' Coleman said while on talk radio with Fargo, N.D.-based host Scott Hennen. 'We need to make sure that all votes that should be counted are counted… I'm confident because the votes that are out there are votes that will turn a tide here. There's no question about that. They come from mostly Republican areas because the votes from the Democrat areas have already been counted."

KENTUCKY: "Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (D) announced his 2010 Senate bid via a newly launched campaign Web site and a YouTube video Thursday," Roll Call reports.

NEW YORK: The latest count in NY-20, per Politico: At Thursday's close, Democrat Scott Murphy had an 8-vote lead… According to unofficial combined canvass results released by the state board of elections, Murphy has 77,590 votes to 77,582 votes for Republican Jim Tedisco. Four counties don't appear to have submitted any paper ballot counts to the state yet—Essex, Saratoga, Warren and Washington. Among the four, Saratoga County is the most important to watch since it's the district population hub and since Tedisco won 54 percent there in the March 31 contest."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who has been at the center of that Senate recount between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman, told First Read in an interview that his office reads the Minnesota state law this way: That "after final appeal in state court, the person who is judged to have won the election will get the seal."

Last night on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, however, Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty wasn't as clear. He hedged on whether or not he'd sign a state election certificate -- even if the state Supreme Court rules that one or the other is the winner. He said it was "premature to say."

And one of his reasons could be seen as a bold assertion of potential executive power.

"We also want to have a chance to see what the case would look like at that point, in terms of how harshly or strongly the issues have been decided or dealt with by the Minnesota Supreme Court," Pawlenty said, adding, "I think the state court will do a good job and a fine job, but there are some equal protection issues that are federal equal protection issues. And again, I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, because I'm not sure one or the other parties is going to get to federal court... . I will evaluate it genuinely and seriously at that point, but it's almost, it's really quite unfair to say what would you do in advance of all of that."

Ritchie, a Democrat, pointed out that the state Supreme Court in its last order on the question of the election certification said two things: (1) It's the job of U.S. Senate to decide how they pick and choose and seat their senator (as we saw with the near-Constitutional crisis leading up to the eventual seating of Roland Burris in Illinois); and (2) In three different places, Ritchie said, the state Supreme court pointed out that the "process ends in the state court. As they read the law in their statement is the same as we read: After final appeal in state court, the person who is judged to have won the election will get the seal."

As far as whether or not Pawlenty should sign a certification, Ritchie said, "It's up to him. The public is one audience that is important to him. The national audience is also very important. It's really up to him."

Asked if he would sign a certification, Ritchie flatly said, "Yes."

But he offered this caveat: "I don't issue it. It is issued by the governor, then it is sent over to me. So I would sign it when it comes to me. Whenever it comes to me after the conclusion of the state process, I will sign it. That will be dependent on what the state Supreme Court decides."

"I'll be very interested to see the process concluded, because I believe in the process," Ritchie added. "When the process is done, it's my responsibility as a ministerial matter. And I will complete my responsibilities."

Though the recount has gone on now 157 days, Ritchie praised the process.

"This has been a really careful and meticulous process," Ritchie said. "That's how Minnesotans like it. We're near the end and that feels great, and we're completing the process with care."

From NBC's Athena Jones

After his whirlwind trip through Europe and Turkey, the Obama administration today kept the focus on domestic issues, touching on veterans health care, housing, child care, and vaccinations.

Flanked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, President Obama spoke about his trip to visit American troops in Baghdad and repeated a pledge he made often on the campaign trail: to modernize the VA and give veterans the care they have been promised and the benefits they have earned. He said the government's sacred trust with those who wear the uniform began at enlistment and must never end.

"But we know that for too long, we've fallen short of meeting that commitment," the president said. "Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need. Too many veterans don't receive the support that they've earned. Too many who once wore our nation's uniform now sleep in our nation's streets. It's time to change all that."

Obama said establishing a comprehensive system that would allow medical records to be transferred from the Defense Department to the VA would make it easier for former service members to be treated without interruptions. The president also highlighted what he said was the largest single-year increase in VA funding in three decades in the FY'10 budget, saying that funding would increase $25 billion over the next five years and would expand coverage to 500,000 more veterans.

Earlier in the day, the president hosted a roundtable with families who have taken advantage of his administration's program to help struggling homeowners keep their homes.

During the roundtable, Obama touted statistics from the Mortgage Bankers Association showing refinancing applications have risen some 88% since the plan was announced in February; said the rate for conforming mortgages (4.78% for the week ended April 2) was the lowest weekly rate since 1971; and added that Fannie Mae had refinanced $77 billion in mortgages in March -- the highest monthly volume since 2003.

"The main message that we want to send today is, there are seven to nine million people across the country who right now could be taking advantage of lower mortgage rates," Obama said. "That is money in their pocket. And we estimate that the average family can get anywhere from $1,600 to $2,000 a year in savings by taking advantage of these various mortgage programs that have been put in place."

He encouraged more people to take advantage of the refinancing options available and said more plans would be rolled out soon to help homeowners that have missed some of their mortgage payments.

Vice President Joe Biden spent part of his day talking about the implementation of the $787 billion stimulus bill signed in February.

He announced that $2 billion in stimulus funds would go to help states provide vouchers to families for child care and invest in quality improvements at child care facilities. Another $300 million will go to making sure more underserved Americans get the vaccines they need.

"Across the country, parents are worried about finding a job, or just keeping the job they have and when doing that, they shouldn't have to worry about finding affordable, quality day care," Biden said, before going on to say working parents should have peace of mind when it comes to providing care for their children. "There should never have to be a choice between heading off to work and leaving your child in anything other than competent and good hands."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Yesterday, we noted President Obama's call congratulating University of North Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams. And for those wondering, the president also called University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma today to congratulate his team on its perfect 39-0 season.

The White House statement on the call:

"The President congratulated Coach Auriemma on his team's undefeated year and was impressed to learn that UConn had only one senior who started in the title game.  Coach Auriemma put center Tina Charles on the phone, and the President congratulated her on a great game and for going 11 for 13 from the floor, but jokingly asked what happened with the other two shots. The President told Coach Auriemma that he's looking forward to seeing him and the rest of the Huskies at the White House."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
An ad is up and running for Gov. Mark Sanford in South Carolina, trying to sell why he opposes the stimulus money.

The ad features Sanford talking directly into the camera, making his case.

But the ad is paid for by Carolinians for Reform, a group that, a Dem source points out, received more than $100,000 "left over from the National Governors Association conference held in Charleston in August 2006," according to the Charleston Post and Courier.

The Post and Courier wrote Nov. 17 2007:

"Sanford's past business ties to a nonprofit organization that received $100,000 from a governor's conference bank account has lawmakers considering changes to disclosure laws and the state's competitive grants program. While no one has accused Sanford of anything illegal, some state lawmakers question his decision to donate the conference money to Carolinians for Reform Inc. given his ties to the organization. Among the group's directors is a former officer in a business owned by the governor's brother, and two men who ran a political action committee that supported Sanford."

In another story two days earlier, the paper wrote:

"The governor's office lobbied for a state grant to bring the National Governors Association conference to Charleston while publicly criticizing such legislative earmarks, the man in charge of the grant board says. While the governor's office denies the charge, some powerful senators are considering an investigation after $100,000 left over from that 2006 conference was deposited in the account of a nonprofit organization 'to educate the voters' run by friends of Gov. Mark Sanford."

There were harsh words then for Sanford, even from Republicans. State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell "says there are concerns, and gossip is spreading fast at the Statehouse," the paper wrote. "'It's disconcerting to see this type of political activity going on,' said McConnell, R-Charleston. 'The governor's office has tried to elevate itself above the element of politics and this story puts them right on the plane.'"

Sanford's office, though, dismissed the revelation today as "a non-issue."

Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer acknowledged that the money was left over from an NGA event, but pointed out that the money was was privately raised and that it was eventually transferred back to the state.

"The transfer was legal, but out of an abundance of crossing t's and dotting i's" it was given back, Sawyer told First Read, adding that this is "the pattern from Democrats. They launched an attack on the governor a couple of weeks ago rather than trying to engage in the substance of the stimulus."

The Democratic National Committee fired off this statement on the ad, hitting hard on some substance:

"It's not surprising that Governor Sanford feels he needs to spend a quarter of a million dollars defending himself in a television ad after rejecting millions in funding for his state," spokesman Hari Sevugan said. "Then again, if I had rejected $700 million for schools and public safety, I'd feel the need to go on TV and defend myself too, but that doesn't excuse Governor Sanford for putting his political ambitions ahead of the needs of South Carolinians."

*** UPDATE *** Sawyer calls it "hypocritical" that Democrats would criticize Sanford for going on TV, when two weeks ago, the Left was on air attacking him for not taking the stimulus money.

From NBC's Kristin Wilson and Domenico Montanaro
Here's a bit of a game of U.S.-Iranian diplomatic chess.

Video: Iranian President Ahmadinejad visits his country's new uranium enrichment plant, and states Iran's willingness to engage in direct talks over nuclear issues with the U.S.. NBC's Ali Arouzi reports.

No sooner than Iran was invited to the table to negotiate, did its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed his country had made great progress on nuclear enrichment.

Then the State Department today called charges against American journalist Roxana Saberi "baseless and without foundation."
 
The department is "deeply concerned about the announcement," spokesman Robert Wood said, dismissing Iranian assertions that Saberi has admitted her crimes. He gave them "not much credence at all."

"We'd like to see her released as a humanitarian gesture," Wood added.

Regarding Iran's nuclear enrichment program, Wood said Iran "can send a positive message by agreeing to follow protocols" and suspend their enrichment program. "If it's for civilian purposes, like they say, why don't they comply with the additional protocols?" he asked.

Wood also said the administration is still pursuing a diplomatic resolution through talks with Ahmadinejad.

"We want to talk," Wood said. "We want for them to reciprocate."

'Working to get a response' on North Korea
State Department spokesman Robert Wood said "we have to get it right" when it comes to dealing with North Korea.

Administration officials and members of the U.N. Security Council are still engaged in discussions for a response to the North Korea missile test, but Wood said, "There is resolve in the council to bring North Korea back to the table."

He also addressed the issue of China's support for North Korea, saying, "China understands the significance of this. We're working to get a response."

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell

CIA Director Leon Panetta has released a memo he sent Congress today on the Obama administration's policy regarding renditions and interrogations.

Bottom line: Panetta says that no "enhanced interrogation" techniques, as authorized by the Department of Justice from 2002 to 2009, will be used.

No outside contractors will conduct interrogations.

The CIA will observe the Army Field Manual on interrogations, no longer operate "black sites" or secret prisons. The agency retains the right to briefly hold or interrogate terror suspects.
 
His memo follows:

Message from the Director: Interrogation Policy and Contracts
As you know, there is continuing media and congressional interest in reviewing past rendition, detention, and interrogation activities that took place dating back to 2002. I have also been asked about contract interrogators and detention facilities. Today, I sent a letter to our Congressional oversight committees outlining the Agency's current policy regarding interrogation of captured terrorists, including the policy on the use of contractors in the process.

CIA's aggressive global pursuit of al-Qaida and its affiliates continues undiminished. Agency officers are working tirelessly-and successfully-to disrupt operations in strict accord with the President's Executive Order of January 22, 2009, concerning detention and interrogation.

CIA officers, whose knowledge of terrorist organizations is second to none, will continue to conduct debriefings using a dialog style of questioning that is fully consistent with the interrogation approaches authorized and listed in the Army Field Manual. CIA officers do not tolerate, and will continue to promptly report, any inappropriate behavior or allegations of abuse. That holds true whether a suspect is in the custody of an American partner or a foreign liaison service.

Under the Executive Order, the CIA does not employ any of the enhanced interrogation techniques that were authorized by the Department of Justice from 2002 to 2009.

No CIA contractors will conduct interrogations.

CIA no longer operates detention facilities or black sites and has proposed a plan to decommission the remaining sites. I have directed our Agency personnel to take charge of the decommissioning process and have further directed that the contracts for site security be promptly terminated. It is estimated that our taking over site security will result in savings of up to $4 million.

CIA retains the authority to detain individuals on a short-term transitory basis. None have occurred since I have become Director. We anticipate that we would quickly turn over any person in our custody to U.S. military authorities or to their country of jurisdiction, depending on the situation.

CIA's focus will remain where the American people expect it to be-on the mission of protecting the country today and into the future. We will do that even as we cooperate with Congressional reviews of past interrogation practices. Officers who act on guidance from the Department of Justice-or acted on such guidance previously-should not be investigated, let alone punished. This is what fairness and wisdom require.

CIA will continue to honor the law as we defend the United States as we have done since the beginning of this program. That is what the men and women of this Agency demand. Together, we can, and will, do no less. Thank you for your service and dedication to protecting this nation.
Finally, let me take this opportunity to wish you and your families a
Happy Easter and Passover.

Leon E. Panetta

From NBC's Athena Jones

A beekeeper from the White House came to the rescue Thursday, when thousands of honeybees took up residence in a bush just inside the White House's northwest gate near the television live-shot positions.

The soft-spoken Charles Brandts -- who wore a hat with a net that covered his face and said he had worked in the carpenter's shop here for 25 years -- explained that the bees had been "cast off" by another hive that had grown too large and that the swarm was the beginning of a new hive.

He cut the grouping of bees out of the bush and placed it in a large cardboard box, sealing it with bright blue tape as several bees flitted around him. Brandts said the remaining bees would likely scatter shortly.

All is well.

From NBC's Mark Murray
As of 10:00 am ET this morning, Republican Jim Tedisco held an unofficial 68-vote lead over Democrat Scott Murphy (77,060 vs. 76,992) in the ongoing counting in the NY-20 congressional special election to succeed Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand.

Per the New York Board of Elections, Murphy gained a net of 44 votes in some of the early returns on the absentee ballots in Columbia, Dutchess, and Greene counties. In addition to those ballots, the Democrats note these returns:

In Delaware County, Murphy won the absentee ballot count by 20 votes. This is significant because Tedisco won Delaware County on Election Day and there is a 15,000 Republican registration advantage.

In Rensselaer County, Murphy received more absentee votes by a margin of 217 to 209. This is significant because Tedisco won Rensselaer on Election Day and only 140 Democrats cast ballots in the county.  That means Murphy's absentee ballot victory comes from some of the 196 Republican ballots and 91 independent or other party voters.

Counting is taking place in Essex, Warren, and Washington counties, which Murphy won.

According to our friends at House Race Hotline note, "If these numbers hold, it would be a bad early sign for Tedisco -- and for his camp's confidence that the party's 700+ advantage in absentees will carry them to victory." More: "For Murphy to overcome Tedisco's 68-vote lead, he'll need to win just a hair over 20% of the 3,111 GOP absentee ballots (considering he takes 90% of Dems, 60% of Independence Party votes and 50% of indies). Anything less, and he'll fall short." 

*** UPDATE *** Per Newsday, the latest unofficial count now has Tedisco up by 24 votes. Warning: this count is going to continually change, but wanted to give you a taste of where things are right now.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
A senior U.S. official says the federal government has put together a working group to advise the Navy on how to talk to the pirates. The FBI is part of that group but, the official says, is by no means in charge of the negotiations.

Video: A U.S. destroyer arrives in the waters where pirates are holding an American captain hostage after his cargo ship was hijacked — and then retaken — off the coast of Somalia. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.

FBI hostage negotiators are offering their advice, as are others in the federal government with experience and knowlege about talking with captors. 

But, the official says, the FBI has not taken over the negotiations.