From NBC's Mark Murray and Harry Enten
In a conference call with reporters, Al Franken attorney Marc Elias said that after today's absentee ballot count in Minnesota -- in which Franken built on his 225-vote lead -- there is no doubt that the Minnesota Democrat won last November's Senate contest.

Elias also said that Republican Norm Coleman would have to consider whether appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court would "be the right thing to do."

At the beginning of the call, Elias noted that after seven weeks of a legal contest that Coleman initiated, Franken ended up increasing his lead -- from 225 votes to 312 votes. He added that while the three-judge panel handling the legal contest still had to decide a couple of more matters, neither would alter the outcome. "The final result is no longer in doubt," he said.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, released this statement: "When you contest the results of an election, and you lose ground, you ought to know time is up. The people have spoken, and now that the courts have spoken, Norm Coleman ought to let the process of seating a senator go forward."

Yet in a dueling conference call, Coleman lawyer Ben Ginsberg maintained that the GOP senator would take the never-ending Minnesota recount fight to the state Supreme Court.

He said Coleman has three legal legs to stand on:
-- 1) The three-judge panel overseeing the ongoing recount put in place recounting methods that were not in place in any county or district on Election Day.
-- 2) The panel ignored that different counties recounted identical ballots in different methods (an equal-protection violation).
-- 3) By the panel's own definition of what a legal vote is, there are "literally thousands of votes" that are in the count right now that if counted in the final count would be grounds for appeal.

But Elias argued the question isn't whether Coleman has the right to appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court. "It's whether filing an appeal would be the right thing to do for the state of Minnesota."

Asked to elaborate on that comment, Elias said that Minnesota currently has just one sitting U.S. senator. He also noted that the state had already conducted a hand recount; that a state canvassing board ruled on questionable ballots; and that there had been a seven-week trial on the recount.

"What process is left that they could want?"

From NBC's Mary Murray, Mike Viqueira and Domenico Montanaro
For the first time since he fell ill in 2006, Cuban leader Fidel Castro met with a delegation of American members of Congress today in Cuba, according to a press secretary for the American Mission in Havana. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.

The office for Rep. Barbara Lee, one of the members of the delegation, however would not confirm that they met with Fidel Castro. Spokeswoman Nicole Williams would only confirm that there will be a news conference about the trip on Capitol Hill today, which according to a press release, will take place at 5:30 pm ET. The release notes that the group met with Raul Castro, the current president, who is Fidel's brother.

Others on the trip, include Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Melvin Watt (D-NC), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Laura Richardson (D-CA).

*** UPDATE *** The presser was moved up from tomorrow to today. Danny Rotert, a spokesman for Emanuel Cleaver, tells NBC News that he can't confirm one way or the other if the delegation did meet with Castro because it's possible that Castro could have met the delegation at the airport. In that case, the only ones who would really know are the members who are currently in the air.

"We won't know until they land," he said, but he added that since the presser was moved up to soon after when they land, that something news worthy had to have happened.

*** UPDATE 2 *** A spokesman for Richardson says she was one of the three on the congressional delegation to Cuba that met with Fidel Castro.

The other was Barbara Lee, and isn't sure of the other.

From NBC's Mark Murray
This has to be a bit ironic: In the three-judge trial that Norm Coleman (R) asked for, it turns out that Al Franken's lead has grown, after the addition of some 350 absentee ballots to the count.

Coleman's camp, of course, wanted a larger number of absentee ballots to be considered than just those 350.

Here's the AP's write-up: "Democrat Al Franken's lead in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race has grown to 312 votes after hundreds of absentee ballots were added to the race. Franken led by 225 votes going into Tuesday's count of the absentees. He gained more from the 351 absentees that the judges allowed than Coleman did. Other issues are still pending in Coleman's lawsuit, and he has said he will appeal to the state Supreme Court if he loses."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The charges against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens were dismissed today in federal court. The federal judge in the case also opened a criminal investigation into prosecutors who mishandled the case," AP reports. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan "appointed attorney Henry Schulke as special prosecutor to investigate the Justice Department team for possible criminal contempt charges."

Sullivan "said he has seen a troubling trend of prosecutors withholding evidence in cases against people ranging from Guantanamo Bay detainees to public officials such as Stevens. He called on judges nationwide to issue formal orders in all criminal cases requiring that prosecutors turn over evidence to defendants. It was a stinging rebuke of the Justice Department and Sullivan called on Holder to order training for all prosecutors."

And get this: "The judge had ordered Justice to provide the agency's internal communications about a whistle-blower complaint brought by an FBI agent involved in the investigation. The agent objected to Justice Department tactics during the trial, including failure to turn over evidence and an "inappropriate relationship" between the lead agent on the case and the prosecution's star witness, Bill Allen."

From NBC's Chuck Todd (from ISTANBUL, Turkey) and Domenico Montanaro
President Obama will be meeting in person in a few minutes with both Iraq's president and prime minister, who both decided to drive to Camp Victory. Originally, the president was to helicopter into the center of Baghdad, but there's a nasty sand storm preventing low-level air travel.

The president gave a pep talk of sorts to a raucous group of 500 to 700 troops at Camp Victory, according TV pool reporter Chip Reid. Obama told the troops that as long as he's in the White House, he'll be looking out for them. In the audience, by the way, was Vice President Biden's son, Beau Biden, who is currently on a one-year tour of duty.

In his speech, the president called the next 18 months "a critical period." "It is time for us to transfer to the Iraqis," Obama said, according to the print pool report by USA Today's Richard Wolf. "They need to take responsibility for their country." The U.S. role is to train Iraqis to take control, Obama added, so "we can start bringing our folks home."

He also spoke of the strain on military families -- something First Lady Michelle Obama has said will be a focus for her.

All indications are that when the president wraps up these meetings with Iraq's two leaders, he'll head to Washington, D.C.

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Andrea Mitchell adds: Based on the video being shown on MSNBC, President Obama is visiting with the troops at Army headquarters at Camp Victory inside a gray marble building that used to be Saddam Hussein's Al Faw Palace. It is a palace he built to celebrate Iraq's victory over Iran.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The Vermont legislature legalized gay marriage by overriding Republican Gov. Jim Douglas's veto.

Douglas issued the veto yesterday. The state legislature needed a two-thirds majority to override it, and got it.

Vermont is the fourth state to legalize gay marriage. Iowa did so last week. The others: Massachusetts and Connecticut.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Earlier this morning, we wrote that when President Obama departed Istanbul at 7:20 am ET, it was ending his eight-day overseas trip.

Well, not quite.

We have just learned that the president made a surprise stop in Baghdad. Writes the AP, "On a trip shrouded in secrecy, President Barack Obama flew into Iraq on Tuesday for a brief look at a war he opposed as a candidate and now vows to end as commander in chief."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** A successful trip? At 7:20 am ET, Air Force One departed from Istanbul and is now headed back to the United States, bringing President Obama's eight-day overseas trip to an end. Per NBC's Abby Livingston, Obama held 18 bilateral meetings with current or former world leaders, gave two major speeches (in Prague and Ankara), held two town halls (including one today in Istanbul), conducted six news conferences, took at least 35 questions from the press, and will have traveled some 10,000 miles. Was the trip a success? While the president didn't get Europeans to commit to a stimulus and didn't get more combat troops for Afghanistan, it's hard to say that it wasn't a P.R. triumph. The reception Obama got from world leaders was extraordinary, and the latest CBS News/New York Times poll suggests he got a bump in his poll numbers. But his presidency won't be judged what happened on this trip; rather, it will be judged on what happens afterward. The question for Team Obama is whether they laid the foundation for future diplomatic success. In a way, the trip was like a presidential candidate's first events in Iowa. A good start doesn't guarantee you'll win the caucuses, but it sure makes it easier to do so. 

*** Wrapping up Obama's last day: In his final events on his trip, Obama met with religious leaders, toured the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, and held a town hall with Turkish students. "I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement,' Mr. Obama told the students, per the New York Times. "We can't afford to talk past one another and focus only on our differences, or to let the walls of mistrust go up around us." Obama also said, per the Washington Post: "You will find a friend and a partner in the United States of America… I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement."  
 
*** The never-ending recount: Today -- 155 days since Election Day -- we reach yet another milestone in the Coleman-Franken race when, beginning at 10:30 am ET, Minnesota officials start counting 387 absentee ballots that the three-judge panel ruled could be opened. The count is expected to last about an hour or so, and Coleman will need to win an overwhelmingly majority of these opened ballots to erase Franken's 225-vote lead. These ballots aren't the final matter to be resolved, however. There's still the issue of duplicate ballots, as well as those missing Minneapolis ballots. But once they're all resolved -- which will happen either today or sometime later this week -- we'll have a final vote tally. At that point, expect one side (probably Franken's) to declare victory and the other (probably Coleman's) to appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Yesterday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) told MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell that he wouldn't sign a certificate of election until the appellate process had run its course. "It's frustrating that this is taking so long," Pawlenty said. "But we need a proper and just and accurate and legal result and it looks look it's going to take a few more months to get that." A few more months? 

*** 155 Days vs. 316 days: Given today's activity in the Minnesota recount, now is as good of a time as any to take a ride in the Way Back Machine to look at the race that started recounts -- the open 1974 New Hampshire Senate race between Republican Louis Wyman, a Harvard Law grad and former congressman, and Democrat John Durkin, an upstart state insurance commissioner. Wyman, struggling in an election year following the Nixon Watergate scandal, led by 355 votes after the votes were first tallied on Nov. 5, 1974. But Durkin took what was then the unusual step of challenging the election after Senate Democratic leaders "Scoop" Jackson and Walter Mondale gave him the idea. It's still the longest Senate recount in history and was a precedent-setter. Eventually, the state gave up on the recount and went with a special election -- 316 days later in September 1975. That election saw a greater turnout, and Durkin won it by 27,000.

*** How much trouble is Jim Gibbons in? Another sign that Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) isn't going to have an easy time running for re-election next year? "The state's first lady, Dawn Gibbons, is accusing Gov. Jim Gibbons of having extramarital affairs with two women in divorce papers unsealed in Reno," the AP writes. "Ms. Gibbons says in the filings unsealed by a court order that the governor, a Republican, has been untruthful about his 'infidelity' with the two women. The governor maintains that both women are just friends." 

*** Replacing Rahm: Finally, today is the special congressional election in IL-5, Rahm Emanuel's old seat. Democrat Mike Quigley, a county commissioner, is expected to walk to a victory after winning a primary last month that saw 23 candidates on the ballot. This Chicago district is heavily Democratic. Emanuel won his last election with 76% of the vote. "Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley isn't taking anything for granted even though he's the favorite in Tuesday's special congressional race," the AP says, adding: "Quigley, who campaigned as a reformer and fiscal watchdog, wants to temper the perception that he's a shoe-in for the general election because he doesn't want apathy to keep voters away from the polls."

Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 22 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 56 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 63 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 210 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 574 days

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The most recent New York Times/CBS poll -- conducted during the president's overseas trip -- shows Obama with a 66% overall approval rating (his highest as president), 59% approving his handling of foreign policy, and 56% approving his handling of the economy. "By contrast," the New York Times writes, "just 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest in the 25 years the question has been asked in New York Times/CBS News polls."

"Also, the number of people who said they thought the country was headed in the right direction jumped from 15 percent in mid-January, just before Mr. Obama took office, to 39 percent today, while the number who said it was headed in the wrong direction dropped to 53 percent from 79 percent. That is the highest percentage of Americans who said the country was headed in the right direction since 42 percent said so in February 2005, the second month of President George W. Bush's second term."

The Washington Post: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates outlined sweeping changes to the defense budget Monday that would shift billions of dollars in Pentagon spending away from elaborate weapons toward programs more likely to benefit troops in today's wars. The proposal by Gates amounts to a radical change in the way the Pentagon buys weapons. For decades, the United States has spent trillions of dollars on weapons programs that strove for revolutionary leaps but often were delivered years late and billions of dollars over budget."

The New York Times: "The decisions are expected to set off a vigorous round of lobbying over the priorities embroidered into the Defense Department's half-trillion dollars of annual spending. They represent the first broad rethinking of American military strategy under the Obama administration, which plans to shift more money to counterterrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan while spending less on preparations for conventional warfare against large nations like China and Russia."

Expect a slower pace for Obama's legislative agenda when Congress reconvenes at the end of this month? So says Politico's Allen: "President Barack Obama, after a lightning-quick start for his agenda on Capitol Hill, is bracing for a much slower pace and big changes in his proposals as early urgency and excitement give way to the more languid rhythms that are the norm for Congress."

The president's approval ratings are soaring. Attacking Rahm Emanuel hasn't worked. So who's the GOP's next target? GOP strategist Alex Conant, in a Politico op-ed, argues that Republicans should target David Axelrod. "Axelrod's appearance on the Sunday shows this past weekend, The New York Times profile last month and his routine quotes in day-to-day stories signal he has no intention of being a quiet, behind-the-scenes operator," Conant writes. "But given his unequaled influence over Obama and the public's intuitive unease with such Machiavellian relationships, it should be only a matter of time before he is a public-relations liability for the White House."

According to the Washington Post, "President Obama closed out his eight-day tour of Europe Tuesday by reaching across cultural barriers -- meeting with Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders, slipping off his shoes to tour a 400-year old mosque and urging an audience of university students to 'build new bridges instead of new walls.'" More: "Obama told the students he believes in setting ambitious goals, including establishing a constructive relationship with Iran, ridding the world of nuclear weapons and forging peace between Israelis and Palestinians. He also said he would like to change the way the United States is viewed in parts of the world."

The AP adds, "The students formed a tight circle around the U.S. president, who slowly paced a sky-blue rug while answering their questions. He promised to end the town hall-style session before the Muslim call to prayer. Obama rejected 'stereotypes' about the United States, including that it has become selfish and crass. 'I'm here to tell you that's not the country I know and not the country I love,' the president said. 'America, like every other nation, has made mistakes and has its flaws, but for more than two centuries it has strived" to seek a more perfect union." 

The LA Times editorial page believes Obama's overseas trip got mixed results. "As President Obama toured Europe and Turkey in recent days, he dazzled leaders and audiences with his rhetorical gifts and began the long process of restoring the United States' badly damaged prestige. To Europeans still smarting from Bush administration ultimatums, Obama was conciliatory, even humble… And yet he returns home with a mixed bag of results: applause and admiration but few commitments from allies wary of U.S. power and bluster."

The Washington Post on Obama's speech to Turkey's Parliament yesterday: "President Obama made his most direct outreach to Muslims around the world Monday, telling Turkey's Grand National Assembly that the United States 'is not and never will be at war with Islam.'"

The New York Times adds, "Showing more self-confidence each day on his maiden overseas trip as president, Mr. Obama, in addressing a majority Muslim country for the first time, appeared to have prepared carefully for one particular line in his wide-ranging speech. 'The United States has been enriched by Muslim-Americans,' he said. 'Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country."

"'I know,' he said, 'because I am one of them.' And then he paused. Throughout his speech, he had moved swiftly from passage to passage, but this time, he waited for the interpreter to catch up. After about five seconds, the applause came." 

Indeed, Politico's Martin notes how Obama called "attention to the non-traditional aspects of his upbringing like never before – hoping to turn his biggest political liability at home into a powerful asset abroad." 

"Federal authorities have asked U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D.-Ill) why former Gov. Rod Blagojevich believed he would get campaign cash in exchange for appointing Jackson to President Obama's vacant Senate seat, sources told the Sun-Times. More than a week ago, Jackson and his criminal defense lawyer sat down for an interview with investigators in connection with the ongoing corruption probe of the now-indicted Blagojevich. Among the areas of interest, sources say, was what Jackson told his representatives to convey to the Blagojevich camp on his behalf last year -- a time Jackson sought the Senate seat appointment." 
 
Is the Lieberman-Obama honeymoon over? "Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has tried to mend his relationship with President Obama in recent months, but their reconciliation hit a snag Monday over ballistic missile defense," The Hill reports. "Lieberman, the self-described independent Democrat who during the 2008 campaign questioned Obama's credentials to serve as commander in chief, has panned the Obama administration's proposal to cut the nation's missile defense shield." 
 
Another nail in the card check coffin (for now)? Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) said, "I cannot support that bill… Cannot support that bill in its current form. Cannot support and will not support moving it forward in its current form." 
 
A federal judge is expected to toss out Ted Stevens' conviction today.

"The longest, costliest U.S. Senate race in Minnesota history has come down to a decisive pile of under 400 absentee ballots that will be opened and counted today in yet another attempt to determine a winner in the case of Norm Coleman vs. Al Franken," the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes.

More: "The last of the 400 ballots ordered by the judicial panel arrived in the secretary of state's office on Monday afternoon, with five driven up and hand-delivered by the Freeborn County auditor. Judges spent the day poring over the unopened ballots, reviewing the outside envelopes for possible irregularities and making final determinations on how many of them will be opened today. Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann said Monday that 13 of the 400 ballots on the judges' list had already been counted, on Election Day or during the recount, putting the number of ballots that might be added at 387." 

The Pioneer Press adds, "The ballots, likely the last to be counted in the contest between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken, are not expected to give Coleman the result he went to court three months ago to get -- a victory in the U.S. Senate race. Most observers believe the choices on the ballots will add to Franken's 225-vote lead. Coleman has become so convinced he will not win at this stage of the game that he and his team already have pledged they will appeal the results to the state Supreme Court."  

"Political fund raising has suffered a rare decline since Election Day as corporate political-action committees have trimmed campaign donations amid an economic slump," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Contributions from company PACs fell 6% to $8.2 million in the first two months of the year, compared with the same period in 2007." 

ILLINOIS: Some are still raking in the bucks, however. "Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has already raised $1.1 million in the 28 days since he announced he was 'exploring' a run for U.S. Senate."

KENTUCKY: "Less than a week after Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning (R) acknowledged that his first-quarter fundraising was going 'lousy,' his Democratic challenger [Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo] announced that he raised $420,000 in six weeks of campaigning."

NEW YORK: Per NBC's Abby Livingston, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) raised $2.3 million in just two months. "Fundraising is an important metric for Gillibrand, who might have to run three competitive races in the next four years -- the 2010 Dem primary, 2010 general election, and 2012 general election (when the full term of her Senate seat expires)." 

The AP reports, "County Boards of Election in New York's 20th Congressional District can start counting paper ballots Wednesday in the too-close-to-call special election, according to a Supreme Court ruling issued Monday… John Ciampoli, an attorney for Republicans, said he wasn't 'thrilled' with the judge's ruling. Republicans wanted counties to wait to count paper ballots -- including domestic absentee ballots -- until after April 13, the deadline for overseas absentee ballots." 

"Democrats wanted the counting to start immediately, saying it will speed up a decision. Henry Berger, a lawyer for the Democrats, said they're pleased with the order, arguing it wouldn't extend the time it takes to determine the race."

Meanwhile, "Republican James Tedisco is ahead of Democrat Scott Murphy by 97 votes in the 20th Congressional District race, according to unofficial election results. Tedisco has 76,914 votes and Murphy has 76,817, according to the New York State Board of Elections."

From NBC's Abby Livingston
This morning, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand had news she wanted the political world -- especially potential Dem and GOP rivals -- to know: She raised $2.3 million in just two months.

"I wanted to personally thank you for your support and let you be the first to know that thanks to an overwhelming show of support from voters all over New York, our campaign shattered our goals," Gillibrand said in an email to supporters (and also political reporters). "The numbers will not be officially released until later this month, but you've helped me raise more than $2.3 million in the two months since I was sworn in to the Senate."

Fundraising is an important metric for Gillibrand, who might have to run three competitive races in the next four years -- the 2010 Dem primary, 2010 general election, and 2012 general election (when the full term of her Senate seat expires).

Also in her email, Gillibrand did her best to wrap herself around Obama and fellow New York Sen. Chuck Schumer. "I pledge to continue working hand-in-hand with President Obama and Senator Schumer to turn our economy around, create good paying jobs in New York and finally reform our broken health care system so every New Yorker has access to quality, affordable health care."

From NBC's Mark Murray
By now, you've probably realized that your First Read authors are HUGE sports fans. We've discussed our solution to fix the BCS system in college football, and we've also shared with you our NCAA basketball picks (which haven't fared too well, although we do have Carolina winning it all). 

Now as Major League Baseball begins -- and as Vice President Biden and George W. Bush throw out Opening Day first pitches -- we have some interesting numbers, courtesy of a new Marist poll. For starters, 73% of Americans and 70% of self-identified baseball fans say that baseball players who use performance-enhancing drugs shouldn't be eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Also, 47% of Americans say that steroid users' records should be removed from the record books, 31% believe the records should stand but with an asterisk attached, and 15% believe the records should stand like any other record.

And 45% believe that steroids are common practice in baseball, and that number is higher among those under 45 years of age.

What are your thoughts on these questions?

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, has extended his huge 32-point lead in February over current Gov. David Paterson in a hypothetical match-up to a whopping 43 points, 61%-18%, according to a Quinnipiac poll out today.

Paterson's approval rating of 28% is the lowest ever for a New York state governor. Cuomo, in contrast, has an incredible 75%-14% approval rating. Cuomo beats Republican Rudy Giuliani in a potential match-up; Paterson loses.

Cuomo has not announced a 2010 bid, but he has certainly kept his name in the news, taking up the mantle of Wall St. pitbull. Just today, in fact, as CNBC reported, he charged J. Ezra Merkin with steering $2.4 billion in investor assets to Bernard Madoff's ponzi scheme.

Also in the poll, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed to replace Hillary Clinton, still trails in a Democratic primary match-up with Carolyn McCarthy, 33%-29%. McCarthy, who has said she would challenge Gillibrand, led in February by 10 points, 34%-24%.

Opinion, however, hasn't settled in this race, and it is very fluid. Voters said they didn't really know either candidate -- 64% said they didn't know enough about Gillibrand to have an opinion; 68% said so about McCarthy. 

In a general election 2010 Senate match-up, Gillibrand leads Pete King 40%-28%.

Some gov numbers:
-- Gov race - D primary: Cuomo 61%, Paterson 18% (Even Democrats, by a 49%-45% margin say Paterson should drop out of the 2010 race.)
-- Gov race - general: Giuliani 53%, Paterson 32%
-- Gov race - general: Cuomo 53%, Giuliani 36%
-- Paterson approval: 28% approve/60% disapprove
-- Cuomo approval: 75% approve/14% disapprove
-- Paterson favorability: Overhwhelming net negative at 27%/55%
-- Cuomo favorability: 63% fav/17% unfav (including a 43-33 positive rating among Republicans.)
-- Giuliani favorability: 55%/35%

From NBC's Mark Murray
Earlier today, at publication time of our First Thoughts section, we noted that President Obama told the Turkish Parliament that he was committed to renewing the U.S.-Turkey alliance; that his visit to Turkey was sending an important message; that he envisioned Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace; and that two Turks (Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur) have got game in NBA hoops.

But the biggest news from Obama's speech came at the end -- after we had published -- when the president declared that the U.S. will never be at war with Islam. "I know there have been difficulties these last few years. I know that the trust that binds the United States and Turkey has been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced," he said. "So let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam."

Obama continued, "I also want to be clear that America's relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot, and will not, just be based upon opposition to terrorism. We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

He concluded, "Above all we will demonstrate through actions our commitment to a better future...And when people look back on this time, let it be said of America that we extended the hand of friendship to all people."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Obama in Turkey: On the next-to-last day of his long overseas trip, President Obama is in Ankara, Turkey, where he already has attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Ataturak's Tomb, held a brief bilateral press conference with Turkish President Gul, and addressed the Turkish Parliament. In that speech, Obama said he's "committed to renewing the alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people." He added, "Some people have asked me if I chose to continue my travels to Ankara and Istanbul to send a message to the world." His answer: yes. "Turkey is a critical ally. Turkey is an important part of Europe. And Turkey and the United States must stand together -- and work together -- to overcome the challenges of our time." Obama also discussed his race when talking about minority rights in Turkey. "I say this as the President of a country that not too long ago made it hard for someone who looks like me to vote. But it is precisely that capacity to change that enriches our countries." And he touched on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Let me be clear: the United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." Clearly, this speech was about how Turkey can be a major player in achieving Middle East peace.

Video: Obama visits Turkey to try and strengthen U.S. ties with the country and bring stability to the Middle East.

*** The push for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world: Later this morning, Obama holds a bilateral with Prime Minister Erdogan before departing to Istanbul. Of course, Obama's stop in Turkey is his first visit as president to a predominantly Muslim country. And it's his latest push for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world. Remember when he said this during his inauguration: "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." This morning, at the press conference with President Gul, Obama said he was hopeful to shape a set of policies and strategies to "bridge the divide between the Muslim world and the West." His visit to this majority-Muslim nation comes as a new Washington Post/ABC poll finds that 81% think it's "very important" or "somewhat important" for Obama to improve U.S. relations with Muslim nations. However, the poll also shows that 48% of Americans (including six in 10 Republicans and four in 10 Democrats) have an unfavorable opinion of Islam.

Video: Obama's trip alludes to U.S. efforts to smooth relations with the Muslim world.

*** Basketball makes the world go round: Also don't miss this line from Obama during his speech before Turkey's Parliament. "The ties among our people have deepened as well, and more and more Americans of Turkish origin live and work and succeed within our borders. As a basketball fan, I've even noticed that Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur have got some pretty good game."

*** Cheney vs. Obama: The verbal back-and-forth between former VP Dick Cheney and the Obama administration continued yesterday, when Obama adviser David Axelrod told CNN: "[President Bush] has behaved like a statesman. And as I've said before, here and elsewhere, I just don't think the memo got passed down to the vice president."

*** A solemn ceremony: For the first time since the ban was lifted on covering ceremonies of war dead arriving at Dover Air Force base, the press late last night saw the family of U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Phillip Myers welcome him home for the last time, NBC's Courtney Kube reports. On Saturday, April 4, Staff Sgt. Myers was killed by an IED near Helmand Province in Afghanistan. A new Pentagon policy now gives families of the fallen the choice to either allow or deny media coverage of the return of their loved ones remains. Kube adds that Staff Sgt. Myers' remains arrived on a commercial 747 late Sunday night. The U.S. military flew his widow in from Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath, United Kingdom, so she could be there to witness the brief 15-minute ceremony. Several of their relatives from nearby Hopewell, VA were also present. Myers was a demolition expert, assigned to the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron. He is now among the nearly 5,000 men and women who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and whose remains have transited through Dover.

*** Cracking down: Meanwhile, in DC today, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Attorney General Eric Holder, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, and Illinois AG Lisa Madigan will hold a press conference at the Treasury Department to announce a new multi-agency effort to crack down on foreclosure rescue scams and loan modification fraud.

*** The politics of baseball: And per NBC's Dax Tejera, two political VIPs today will throw out the Opening Day first pitch. Vice President Joe Biden will do the honors for the Baltimore Orioles (and he'll be joined by eight boys and girls from the Baltimore Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities League), while George W. Bush will hurl the opening pitch at the Texas Rangers' season opener.

Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 23 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 57 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 64 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 211 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 575 days

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The New York Times: "Hours after North Korea's missile test, President Obama on Sunday called for new United Nations sanctions and laid out a new approach to American nuclear disarmament policy — one intended to strengthen the United States and its allies in halting proliferation. In his speech, he said North Korea's missile test illustrated 'the need for action, not just this afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.'"

"'Rules must be binding,' he said. 'Violations must be punished. Words must mean something.' Those words were added to the end of a long-planned arms control speech hours before, after the president was awakened at 4:30 a.m. by his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, with news of North Korea's defiance."

The Washington Post: "Despite the urging of the United States and Japan, the 15-member [UN Security Council] could not agree on a statement criticizing North Korea's rocket launch. China and Russia said they were not yet convinced that Pyongyang had violated any U.N. rules, according to council officials."

That said, North Korea's launch seems to have been a failure, the New York Times front-pages. "North Korea failed in its highly vaunted effort to fire a satellite into orbit, military and private experts said Sunday after reviewing detailed tracking data that showed the missile and payload fell into the sea. Some said the failure undercut the North Korean campaign to come across as a fearsome adversary able to hurl deadly warheads halfway around the globe." 

Still, the Los Angeles Times writes that "U.S. military and intelligence officials and weapons experts said the test raises new concerns about advancements in Pyongyang's mastery of missile technology… Unlike North Korea's 2006 test in which a Taepodong 2 rocket failed 40 seconds after launch, the rocket this time successfully went through the first two stages."

The New York Daily News' DeFrank looks at North Korea as the test Biden was talking about.

Not surprisingly, John Bolton criticizes the Obama administration's handling of North Korea's launch in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. "Yesterday's launch is attributable to prior failures, but the global consequences now unfolding are Mr. Obama's responsibility. In fact, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is expected to announce today deep cuts in the U.S. missile defense program, an extraordinarily ill-advised step."

Politico's Martin writes, "Talking to reporters last week in Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs jokingly called this trip 'our European vacation.' Hardly."

"Nary a beer stein has been seen in President Barack Obama's hands since he crossed the Atlantic and arrived in London Tuesday night. Instead he's kept to a grueling schedule of summits, bilateral meetings and public appearances. They've all been carefully choreographed for media consumption but so tightly packed together as to limit any opportunities for him to duck away for a glimpse at Europe outside his cordon."

Obama said "he stood by his 2008 assertion that Ottoman Turks carried out widespread killings of Armenians early in the 20th century, finessing the sensitive issue by stopping short of repeating the word 'genocide,'" the AP notes. "The Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence," Obama said in a January 2008 statement on his campaign Web site. "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president."

More from the AP: "NATO's reluctance to match the U.S. troop buildup in Afghanistan may not undercut President Barack Obama's new war strategy so long as the allies carry through on pledges to contribute more nonmilitary assistance. But in the longer run, an uneven sharing of the combat load in Afghanistan could doom U.S. hopes for relying on NATO as a partner in future conflicts." NATO pledged 5,000 additional troops. "The NATO additions are not insubstantial. But they pale beside Obama's decision to send 21,000 U.S. soldiers and Marines this year to buttress 38,000 American troops fighting the Taliban."

The Washington Post notes that Obama's Organizing for America didn't have much of an impact in the debate over the budget. "The capstone of the campaign was the delivery of 214,000 signatures to Capitol Hill, which swayed few, if any, members of Congress, according to legislative aides from both parties. The episode underscores the difficulty that Obama and his supporters face in attempting to transfer the excitement of a historic presidential campaign to the mundane and complex process of pushing legislation through Congress. It also comes as something of a relief to beleaguered Republicans, who cast the relatively humble pledge campaign as a sign of broader disaffection with Obama's economic priorities."

"The new head of General Motors on Sunday [appearing on Meet the Press] said he agreed with the Obama administration's schedule for the company's future, saying that while the administration took 'a hard look' at the struggling U.S. domestic industry, it concluded that a healthy future remains possible."

The New York Times profiles the Obama administration's auto industry trouble-shooter, Steven Rattner. "Mr. Rattner, a well-known media banker, is playing a central role as car czar lite, traveling to Detroit to visit plants, meeting with the automakers' bankers, unions and bondholders, and advising the White House on which companies seem salvageable and how. If he succeeds, he may get a chance at a larger job in the administration. That is a big if."

The Washington Post's coverage of last night's open-press ceremony at Dover Air Force Base: "The wind can whip cold across the tarmac at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, freezing fingers that hold the flag-draped metal transfer case in which lie the remains of a fellow service member. You do not loosen your grip. You do not shuffle your feet. You do not grimace. If you have to yawn, you do it through your nose. You swallow your coughs and sneezes, let itches go unscratched. Keep your mouth closed, eyes straight and the blinking to an absolute minimum."

"Those are the rules when it's 4 a.m. and it's dark and there's no one around. Those were the rules last night when the ritual of welcoming home the fallen was open to the public for the first time since President George H.W. Bush instituted a ban on news coverage in 1991."

"As Congress gears up for the 2010 appropriations cycle, two Members frequently mentioned in connection to the now-defunct PMA Group are taking dramatically different approaches to earmarks for the lobbying firm's former clients," Roll Call writes. "Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released dozens of earmark requests late Thursday, including millions of dollars for projects sponsored by former PMA clients. Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), who in previous years had sought earmarks for PMA clients, released his earmark list without a single request for a former PMA client."

"Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin went on the attack Saturday, after Levi Johnston, the baby daddy of her first grandchild, revealed all sorts of family secrets on an episode of 'The Tyra Banks Show' to be aired Monday," the New York Daily News writes. Some of the statements: From a Palin family rep: "It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well-being of the child... We're disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame, attention and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration and even distortion of their relationship."

Video: Levi Johnson's appearance on the talk show may pose political hurdles for Palin.
 
On the show Levi says he's "pretty sure" Sarah Palin "probably knew" he and Bristol were intimate. He goes into detail complaining about Bristol, calling her "short" and not wanting him around. Levi's sister says they were snubbed the day the baby was born, not being allowed into the hospital, though the Palins' extended family was there. And his sister also said he was forced to go to the Republican National Convention, and that he wanted to go hunting. "It's time that we get our story out there," he said.

MINNESOTA: "The Minnesota Senate race has been undecided for so long that 'it's sort of like the Iraq war,' says Bruce Carlson of Brooklyn Park, Minn. 'People almost forget that it's still going on,'" USA Today writes. "A sharp reminder will come Tuesday when a three-judge state panel counts the last big batch of contested ballots in a case that has tested the state's reputation for efficient government and underscored the stoic Scandinavian stereotype familiar to listeners of A Prairie Home Companion."

"As recount and legal proceedings enter their sixth month, most Minnesotans have displayed a 'good-natured Lutheran farmer attitude,' says Lawrence Jacobs, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota. He adds that could be replaced by the state's equally trademark 'pitchfork populism' if people decide one side or the other is dragging things out beyond reason. And when would that be? It depends on whether you're a Coleman voter or a Franken voter."

Meanwhile… "At least one constituency was thrilled by recent reports suggesting that the seemingly endless Minnesota Senate race could drag out even longer, perhaps for years—Washington fundraisers," Politico says. "For the epic Senate recount battle between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken is turning out to be an incomparable gravy train, lining the pockets not just of the lawyers who are making a small fortune off the case but also of groups ranging from Republican Jewish Coalition to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."

By the way, this is the 154th day of the Minnesota recount, and for those wondering how this measures up in comparison the longest Senate recounts, we checked and that honor is held by the open 1974 New Hampshire Senate race between Republican Louis Wyman against Democrat John Durkin. The Republican Wyman, struggling in an election year following the Nixon Watergate scandal, led by 355 votes after the votes were first tallied. But Durkin took the unusual step of challenging the election and eventually won by 27,000 votes 316 days later when the state ultimately decided to hold a special election. The race is remembered with angst in New Hampshire in the context of this Minnesota recount. 

CONNECTICUT: Stu Rothenberg, writing in Roll Call, says: "Move over, Jim Bunning. You have company. Veteran Sen. Chris Dodd (D) should not be vulnerable in his home state of Connecticut… But the darkening cloud that is growing over the Senator's head has changed Dodd's prospects quickly, and the signs already are clear that he'll have the fight of his life next year when he seeks his sixth consecutive term in the Senate."

NEW YORK: The AP on the still ongoing Murphy-Tedisco race. "An already close race in New York's 20th Congressional District is now tied. The state Board of Elections says Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy both have 77,225 votes."

More: "The race will come down to absentee votes. The elections board reports that 3,000 ballots returned so far came from Republicans and about 2,200 from Democrats. Counties also have 940 ballots back from absentee voters not registered as Republicans or Democrats."

VIRGINIA: The Washington Post writes that Terry McAuliffe (D) seems to be borrowing some of the techniques that Obama's successful presidential campaign used. "He is reaching out to new voters, exploiting new technology and casting himself as a fresh-faced outsider. He is not taking any region for granted, is targeting African Americans and is swarming communities with paid organizers. It all bears a surprising likeness to the strategies Obama used so effectively in 2008."

"In his [primary] matchup against Brian Moran and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds for the Democratic nomination, McAuliffe is even replicating Obama's use of a one-word campaign theme. For Obama, it was 'change.' McAuliffe's mantra is 'jobs,' a word he says over and over. To some degree, what McAuliffe is doing is what any modern campaign does: adopting and expanding on the latest innovations."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Remember when we asked, what if Tedisco loses by one vote (since he wasn't allowed to vote for himself because he doesn't live in the district)? 

Well, one count has the race an exact tie. (Hat tip: Political Wire)

That's not going to last, but for now the State Board of Elections has the race at 77,225 for Democrat Scott Murphy, 77,225 for Republican Jim Tedisco.

Other items:
The Washington Post looks at the bit of a split between House Republican leader John Boehner and Eric Cantor.

Maureen Dowd nails Obama's psyche (she intimates that he's apparently playing everyone).

Earlier this week, The New York Times magazine profiled "Obama's Rabbi."

CONNECTICUT: "A Democratic challenge to Senator Christopher Dodd emerged [Friday] when Greenwich, Connecticut Democrat Roger Pearson told me he has formed a committee to explore a run for his party's 2010 nomination. The former First Selectman of the Republican bastion says that like many others he 'is very disaffected' with Dodd, who has 'really disappointed a lot of people.' 'I look at the vision this guy is going to try to tell us he has,' Pearson, 63, said late Thursday afternoon. 'Where was he when Phil Gramm was talking about credit default stops and subprime mortgages?'"

IOWA: Chet Culver's re-election in 2010 doesn't look as easy as Chuck Grassley's.

FLORIDA: State Attorney General Bill McCollum is in a statistical dead heat with State CFO Alex Sink, 36%-35%, for governor.

VIRGINIA: Remember that Virginia state party chairman, who compared candidate Obama to Osama bin laden?  He was voted out of his job.