Video: Obama's trip continues, congressional races up for grabs, Meet the Press, and old school gaming.

From NBC's Jade Taenzler
Here's a look around the Web…
 
Gay marriage in Iowa: In a unanimous decision, Iowa's Supreme Court ruled the state cannot prohibit same-sex couples from seeking marriage licenses. 
 
Ted Stevens should run against Palin? Now that the corruption case against former Sen. Ted Stevens has been dropped, Alaska Rep. Don Young wants Stevens to run for governor -- a move that would set up a Republican primary between the veteran lawmaker and Sarah Palin, if she decides to seek a second term in 2010. Remember, Palin hasn't exactly made friends with the state party. 
 
NBC Orlando tracked down Blago at Disney World. 
 
Obama-family book deals: Obama's half-sister Maya got a book deal, and apparently so did his half-brother, Mark Ndesandjo.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The DNC's latest focus House Minority Whip Eric Cantor for his "overreacting" comment. Here's their latest Web video:

Republicans countered yesterday that Cantor's comment was taken out of context, that he wasn't saying that Democrats were overreacting, but that Washington has a penchant for overreacting.

Democrats try to pivot off that, saying that Cantor is downplaying the seriousness of the economic crisis.

*** UPDATE *** Cantor spokesman Joe Pounder sends along this response: "We continue to hope Democrats will start working with Republicans to craft policies that will create jobs and help struggling families rather than producing misleading attack ads that define the very petty politics that President Obama often decries. This is the least we could ask on a day when we were given another stark reminder that our families are hurting in this economy."

Here's the script for "Overreacting":

ANNCR: What Does Eric Cantor Think of Our Response To The Economic Crisis?
CANTOR: Overreacting, if you will
TEXT: "Overreacting, if you will..."
TEXT: Really Eric Cantor?
TEXT: Unemployment at 8.5%
TEXT: 5.1 Million Jobs Lost Since 2007
TEXT: Real Incomes Have Fallen For Middle Class Families
TEXT: 1 In 10 Americans on Food Stamps
TEXT: Worst Economic Crisis in Decades
TEXT: Democrats Have Taken Action To Shore Up Our Economy.
TEXT: What Do You Think About That Eric Cantor?
CANTOR: Overreacting, if you will
TEXT: "Overreacting, if you will..."
TEXT: Did You Offer An Alternative Budget?
TEXT: No
TEXT: Did You Support Historic Investments in Health Care, Energy and Education?
TEXT: No
TEXT: So Eric, What Has Been Your Reaction To This Economic Crisis?
TEXT: Eric Cantor: Not Reacting. Just Saying No.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
We noted yesterday that one count in NY-20 shows Republican Jim Tedisco up 12. Yet another count puts Democrat Scott Murphy in the lead by 6.

Again, there are still some 6,000 absentee ballots that haven't been counted. They will be counted by April 13th.

*** UPDATE *** By the way, Tedisco today announced he's stepping down from his position as state Assembly Minority Leader. (There was some question as to whether he would have retained the position anyhow.)

"Aides said Tedisco may need to raise as much $500,000 to cover legal costs as part of the vote counting," the Poughkeepsie Journal writes, adding, "Members of the conference rejected that Tedisco is being forced out as minority leader, saying it was Tedisco's decision. Democrats hold a 109-41 seat majority in the Assembly."

From NBC's Courtney Kube
The U.S. has signed an agreement with the Uzbekistan government that establishes shipping routes for non-lethal supplies to transit in to Afghanistan.

Effective today, the U.S. can ship supplies through Uzbekistan via rail, road and air. The "non-lethal" supplies include food, medical supplies, building materials, etc., according to Pentagon spokesperson Bryan Whitman.

These supplies will be shipped commercially by private companies.

The U.S. continues negotiations with the Kyrgyzstan government to maintain the Manas air base in Bishkek, which is now the transit point for most U.S. supplies flowing in to Afghanistan.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Abby Livingston
*** Another whirlwind day: It's another busy day for President/World Traveler Obama. He will be in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, where he has already met with France's President Sarkozy, gave a speech on transatlantic relations (including acknowledging American "arrogance" in its treatment of Europe but also reminding Europeans of their anti-American tendencies) and took questions on that speech from students. Still ahead on the docket: he meets with German Chancellor Merkel at 9:45 am ET. Sarkozy was, perhaps, more gushing over the president than Gordon Brown was a couple of days ago. It was one effusive adjective after another, according to a translation of his remarks. While both Sarkozy and Merkel have been vocal critics of some of Obama's plans, Sarkozy didn't spend a second criticizing the American president. To that point. Even though all politics is local, and there was lots of chest beating for the audiences back home, don't expect any Love, Actually moments. Also, that these leaders disagree on some things isn't surprising. After all, these are Europe's conservative-leaning leaders. (Remember, Sarkozy was praised by the likes of Rudy Giuliani heartily during the 2008 presidential campaign.) And when it comes to stimulus', they already have lots more safety nets in place than the U.S. For an example of why these meetings won't live up to the hype, remember when Obama and Sarkozy met last July. They were, well, Sar-cozy. And today, call them Sar-cozier.

Video: Speaking before a French and German audience at a town-hall style gathering, President Obama pledged to repair damaged relations with Europe.

*** Cocky vs. confident: This line struck us from President Obama's G-20 news conference yesterday. "I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we've made, that you're starting to see some restoration of America's standing in the world," he said. "And although, as you know, I always mistrust polls, international polls seem to indicate that you're seeing people more hopeful about America's leadership." This was an odd thing for him to say of himself. It's confidence bordering on, well, you know… it's a fine line; obviously, he wanted to let folks know at home that America is getting treated differently on the world stage, but he needs to be careful not too sound cocky. Every president is cocky in their own way or they wouldn't have gotten elected, but you just can't let it show in a preening manner. It's that confidence, though, that apparently impressed fellow world leaders, when it came to the shuttle diplomacy he played with France and China.

Video: CNBC's Steve Liesman discusses the dismal U.S. unemployment rate.

*** Measuring success: Back home in the U.S., unemployment crept up to 8.5% in March, according to numbers out this morning -- up from 8.1% last month, shedding another 663,000 jobs. The White House is happy with what it got out of the G-20. There is the New York Times front-page headline: "World Leaders Pledge $1.1 Trillion to Tackle Crisis" with a confident-looking Obama pointing in front of world flags. But every world leader wanted to paint the summit a success, at least for them (see Sarkozy taking credit). But Obama's success is foggy. We really won't know for months whether specific things that happened here help folks back home. And that's ultimately how he'll be judged. The president tried to explain how the developments would help at the news conference, but as AP noted, "When asked, however, he could not point to an individual summit accomplishment that would help recession-battered Americans beyond general points such as fighting protectionism and making the global economy work together."

Video: President Obama lands in Strasbourg, France, for a meeting marking the 60th anniversary of NATO. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports from Strasbourg.

*** A truer test? Even on his trip abroad, overshadowed, incredibly, has been his war policy. Today's agenda is, perhaps, more challenging and the truer test of the president's world political skills: convincing NATO that Afghanistan is their war too. Last Sunday, the president said Afghanistan was "America's war"; however, a senior administration official acknowledged that one of the challenges they have is to convince other countries that success in Afghanistan is in their own national security interest, not just NATO allies, but also Pakistan, for example. No doubt, the White House believes it's got enough orchestrated in advance to be able to claim some success, but the real test will come in, well, another six or nine months when or if he decides to go back to NATO allies for more help. Obama got one symbolic gesture this morning: Sarkozy offering to take Guantanamo detainees if it would facilitate its closing, because, he said, the camp "was not in keeping with U.S. values." 

*** The budget battle: The House and Senate passed the trimmed versions of Obama's budget late last night along party lines. The stage now is set for a new fight, NBC's Ken Strickland notes. The Senate version will have to be will have to be married to the House version; and that new version will have to be passed anew by both chambers. Because Congress starts a two-week vacation next week, any drama involving merging the two bills would likely unfold at the staff level behind closed doors. The House voted 233-96 for the budget with 20 Democrats voting against it; The Senate voted 55-43 with two Dems voting no. While House Republicans are pointing to unity in its opposition of the budget, Democrats point out that more Republicans, 38, voted against the GOP alternative. The biggest fight in merging the two budgets will be whether to use the complicated procedure known as "reconciliation" or if the two sides can come to some compromise. By the way, Vice President Biden was on the floor, in his role as President of the Senate, just in case he had to break a vote. (The two Dem senators, by the way, who voted against: Indiana's Evan Bayh and Nebraska's Ben Nelson.) 

*** Sanford's dilemma: By the way, today is the deadline for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to decide "whether to accept $700 million of federal stimulus money that he considers wasteful, or risk the wrath of residents in a state with the nation's second-highest unemployment rate," the Wall Street Journal noted. With a large chunk of the money coming from education, Sanford has faced protesting teachers, chanting, "Take the funds." They argue teachers will be laid off and class sizes could double if the funds are not accepted. Even the Republican head of the state's budget committee criticizes him for it, as NPR reported yesterday. Politics certainly seems at play, at least in part. Sanford standing by his principles on a philosophical level has been praised by national fiscal conservatives, and he'll certainly need them in his corner if he decided to run in 2012.

*** Seeing through NY-20 spin: By one count, Jim Tedisco has pulled ahead of Scott Murphy by 12 votes. The spin, though, in the hours and days following the results of NY-20 has been almost nauseating. No one will know who wins this race for at least another two weeks when absentee ballots are counted. But bottom line: This is a swing district that leans slightly to the right, plain and simple. In specials, the person with the most name recognition who most fits the ideological profile of the district is supposed to win. That person was Tedisco. If this election proves anything, it's that he wasn't a great candidate. He couldn't figure out a stance on the stimulus -- even though it was the biggest subject during their campaign. He fought with the national committees publicly and the RNC poured in hundreds of thousands of dollars in this race. That was in just two months. The Democrats didn't have any of that drama. The DNC didn't invest as heavily as its Republican counterpart (though Murphy and outside groups did outspend Republicans overall). Few had ever heard of Murphy when his name was raised as a candidate, and national Democrats weren't exactly thrilled about his chances after New York Gov. David Paterson plucked out Gillibrand from what would have been a safe Dem seat. But still, Murphy wound up in a tie. The more people got to know him, the more people chose him over Tedisco, as polls closed in three weeks. Again, this was, if anything, more of a referendum on Tedisco, not Obama. And, in the end, people were split on whether they wanted him.

*** Dear diary: By the way, cockiness isn't reserved for world leaders. There have been a number of odd moments that deserve their own travelogue but we thought we'd share one. The Chinese journalist who was so aggressive in his nationalistic question of President Obama certainly has a sense of himself. He was overheard telling a security official just before the news conference, something along the lines of either: "I broadcast to one-fifth of the world's population" or  "I broadcast to one-fifth of the planet" or "I am seen by one-fifth of the world." Multiple accounts have a different version of this quote. The sentiment is, well, priceless.

Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 26 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 60 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 67 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 214 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 578 days

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Not surprisingly, President Obama declared the economic summit a success, NBC's Chuck Todd reported on the TODAY show. "We finished a very productive summit that will be, I believe, a turning point in our pursuit of global economic recovery," the president said. But identifying concrete accomplishments out of a sometimes unwieldy meeting of the world's 20 wealthiest nations isn't easy.

"Our problems are not going to be solved in one meeting," Obama said. "They're not going to be solved in two meetings."

The most substantial G-20 action: A commitment to invest $1 trillion into the international monetary fund -- money that will prop up the world's poorest economies. Other parts of the agreement are less tangible. And it will take time to see if they really work.

"After more than 11 hours of meetings, Mr. Obama emerged Thursday from his first summit meeting with a handful of modest concrete commitments. He did not get much of what American officials had been hoping for, notably failing to persuade other countries to commit to more fiscal stimulus spending," The New York Times writes. "But he, along with the other world leaders present, did get a more forceful and detailed blueprint for a global recovery than a similar gathering 86 years ago, when an earlier generation failed to take collective action to counter the Great Depression."

Politico's Martin, "Obama proclaimed at the end of the conference that his country would be more humble in the world, but there was nothing modest about the attention he received."

The New York Daily News' take on Obama and the economy: "Obama further hedged his bets, saying in plain English that he can't promise any steps taken at the summit will cure the world's economic heartburn, and he held up failed insurance giant AIG as an example."

For now, at least, Obama basks G-20 afterglow, even when he agrees to disagree with world leaders. "…heads of state found in President Obama a guy who could take "No" for an answer Thursday at the world economic summit, and that's what they liked best."  

Reuters reports, "The U.S. Senate early on Friday approved Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry to be President Barack Obama's ambassador to Afghanistan."

The Hill also tackled Obama's campaign promise tally card. "President Obama has let a handful of campaign promises slide in his first 10 weeks in office.  Obama's aides insist that the president has adhered to his promises of change even as Republicans and special-interest groups have howled at every deviation from the campaign, perceived or otherwise."

The New York Post writes about the "schoolgirl crush" on the First Lady.

By the way, Republicans are still hitting the president for not visiting Landstuhl during the campaign. RNC adviser Alex Conant on MSNBC: "Tomorrow's he's having a town hall in France. I would note that the town hall in France with Frenchmen is very near the air force base in Germany that he skipped last summer. Interesting to see if he's going make a visit to the troops and do what you would expect a president to do, visit with troops."

"Passage by both House and Senate of companion budget plans gave President Barack Obama and his allies on Capitol Hill a key victory, but the debates also exposed some of the president's vulnerabilities," the AP reports.

Politico's David Rogers writes, "Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hopeful that the House-Senate negotiators will now produce a final budget soon after Congress returns from its spring recess on April 20. And the administration is betting that the final resolution will give Obama a clear shot at winning health care legislation this year -- under budget procedures that free him from the threat of Senate filibusters."

Reuters: "The Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress on Thursday approved budget blueprints embracing President Barack Obama's agenda but leaving many hard choices until later and a government deeply in the red."

"Democrats Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Evan Bayh of Indiana crossed the aisle to oppose the budget."

"The [House] resolution passed by a 233-196 vote and without a single GOP vote in favor of the plan. But Democrats limited defections to 18 and won more votes than any budget since 1998, when 333 Democrats and Republicans voted to support that plan."

Politico on AIG rage-burnout: "Here's how these brushfires usually unfold: A scandal breaks in the media, the public is outraged, congressional recriminations follow, wealthy men in suits testify under oath about their sins, pledges to reform are made, bills are introduced. And then ... everyone moves on to the next outrage."

Although Sebelius initially "enjoyed an uneventful hearing," Roll Call reports that her confirmation is being pushed off until after the two-week recess to give Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee more time to review her nomination. 'We want to have answers, and we want to have time to consider them,' a Republican aide said. 'That's not uncommon.'"

By the way, don't miss this piece… Obama defeated McCain handily (67%-31%, according to the exit polls) with Hispanics during the 2008 presidential campaign. Now, according to National Journal's Kirk Victor, he's telling Hispanic leaders, to look to Obama -- not him -- for leadership. One person at the meeting described McCain as "angry" and "over the top." "McCain's message was obvious, the source continued: After bucking his party on immigration, he had no sympathy for Hispanics who are dissatisfied with President Obama's pace on the issue. "He threw out [the words] 'You people -- you people made your choice. You made your choice during the election,' the source said. 'It was almost as if [he was saying] 'You're cut off!' We felt very uncomfortable when we walked away from the meeting because of that." (*** UPDATE *** We have now added a link to this story.)

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been indicted on 16 felony counts, as were his brother Rob, "two former top aides and two businessmen indicted on federal corruption charges alleging pervasive fraud," according to the Department of Justice's release.

Video: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he's "innocent" after being indicted on conspiracy and wire fraud charges. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

NBC's Pete Williams points out that yesterday's grand jury indictment contains nothing substantially different, beyond what was in December's criminal complaint, about the allegations that Blagojevich tried to use his authority to appoint a new U.S. Senator in order to get benefits for himself, his wife, and his campaign fund. 

The US attorney's office in Chicago has formally acknowledged that Blagojevich's former chief of staff, John Harris, is cooperating with federal prosecutors.  Harris was charged along with the governor in December, and he's one of the six people named in today's indictment.

Illinois' senior Sen. Dick Durbin's response: "We can only hope the former governor will not view this indictment as a green light for another publicity tour. Rod Blagojevich deserves his day in court, but the people of Illinois deserve a break."

"A senior adviser to Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) slammed Democratic leaders Thursday evening, saying 'they have tried their best to discredit' the new senator in the wake of his appointment by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich."

The Chicago Tribune: "Feds widen net. U.S. says Blagojevich, crew ran state as racket."

The Chicago Sun-Times simply: "Indicted" with photos of Rod and Rob Blagojevich and takes it further with child photos. "…the sons of blue-collar parents…"

MINNESOTA: " 'Coleman would almost be better off if he lost,' said David Schultz, a professor at Hamline University in St. Paul. 'Should he win, he faces a host of legal and other issues in the Senate. He would enter the Senate with the Kazeminy case shadowing him, and that would almost certainly produce an ethics investigation.'"

"I don't remove the prospect that [Republicans] could retake control in 2010," the second-ranking Republican [Rep. Eric Cantor] said Thursday.

ALASKA: "Outrage among Republicans is building in Alaska over the Justice Department's apparent mishandling of its prosecution of former Senator Ted Stevens, a Republican, prompting calls for a new election to give him a chance to win back his seat without a legal cloud hanging over him," the New York Times writes.

CONNECTICUT: " Party leaders remain convinced that Dodd has hit his low-water mark with the American International Group bonus controversy so fresh in voters' minds, and they say his numbers are only bound to go back up once he begins campaigning in the state. Plus they hope that Simmons will face a bruising Senate primary against state Sen. Sam Caligiuri -- and possibly well-funded former Ambassador Tom Foley -- which will be a boon to Dodd, since he's unlikely to face a primary challenger himself. On Thursday, Democrats moved swiftly to tamp down dissent within their own party and make clear that Dodd was their candidate."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Republican Jim Tedisco now appears to lead Democrat Scott Murphy by 12 votes after picking up 37 more votes in re-canvassing, reports PolitickerNY, citing county election officials.

The score Tedisco: 77,236, Murphy: 77,224.

But, again, none of this likely really matters to the ultimate outcome of the race -- with those some 6,000 absentee ballots still yet to be counted.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
BREAKING: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been indicted on 16 felony counts. More to come.

*** UPDATE *** Here's the indictment.

*** UPDATE 2 *** More helpful links here and here.

*** UPDATE 3 *** And it's not just Blago, per the headline of the USDOJ's release: "FORMER ILLINOIS GOV. ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, HIS BROTHER, TWO FORMER TOP AIDES AND TWO BUSINESSMEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL CORRUPTION CHARGES ALLEGING PERVASIVE FRAUD"

From NBC's Mary Murray
A House delegation headed by Rep. Barbara Lee (CA) and Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI) will arrive in Havana, Cuba, tomorrow afternoon.

They've been invited by the Cuban government and their fact-finding mission is expected to last four or five days. The group is expected to deliver a report to the White House on their findings.

The list of invited members is below, but a public affairs officer says some members pulled out of trip and it may be down to eight or nine: Lee, Kilpatrick, Maxine Waters (CA), Mell Watt (NC), Bobby Rush (IL), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Shelia Jackson Lee (TX), Mike Honda (CA), Marcia Fudge (OH), Nydia Velazquez (NY), Laura Richardson (CA), Diane Watson (CA), Andre Carson (IN).

[EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled Kilpatrick's name.]

*** UPDATE *** A spokesman for Carson says, "Congressman Carson has never been to Cuba nor ever accepted an invitation to go to Cuba."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
If you thought talk of 2010 is too early, here's this... Arlen Specter, struggling in some polls for his re-election bid, is ALREADY on air running an ad against potential GOP primary challenger Pat Toomey.

Toomey, currently the president of the Club for Growth, nearly upended Specter in 2004.

Let the games begin!

From NBC News International
NBC Producer Andy Eckardt on the ground in Strasbourg, France, reports that approximately 500 to 1,000 so-called 'black block' protestors are reported to be scuffling with police when trying to get into the city. 

In the historic center, it is business as usual with an increasing police presence. Many people are out in the streets on this warm and sunny spring day.

Security zones throughout the city will be enforced by 9:00 pm local time (4:00 pm ET), which will make access to the inner city very difficult without special permission.

President Obama is scheduled to be in Strasbourg tomorrow.

*** UPDATE *** Apparently clashes with violent protestors are still continuing in the Strasbourg vicinity. When our French translator called police in the small town of Neuhof tonight, police answered the phone saying: "We don't have time to talk to the press, they are destroying our office."

Earlier in the day, protestors dressed in black, many masked, destroyed bus station shelters and a small number started smashing windows of official buildings.

Tonight, the inner city of Strasbourg would resemble what it seems to be -- a quaint little Alsacian city, if it was not for groups of French riot police at every second street corner and an iiner ring which is now only accessible with accreditations or special resodents' permits.

In regular intervals, helicopters have been hovering over the city center.

There are still lots of locals, tourists and journalists out in the streets of historic Strasbourg.

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski

With President Obama abroad for the G-20 summit, U.S. officials tell NBC News the North Koreans today have begun fueling a Taepodong-2 missile. The North Korean government says the missile is intended for satellite launch into space. 

The officials say now that the fueling process has begun, the missile could be launched as early as tomorrow. 

While precise timing is impossible, the last test launch of a Taepodong-2 came at 3:30am, Korean time, 2:30 pm ET.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick Fitzgerald's office, just put out this press advisory, saying it "will issue a press release and provide a court filing late this afternoon, Thursday, April 2, 2009, regarding a significant criminal matter. The announcement will be made via press release only, which together with the court filing, will be distributed initially by email and posted later today on the U.S. Attorney's Office web site." ...

Video: Former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich may be on the verge of being indicted on federal charges, but that didn't stop him from taking a trip to Disney World.

"There will be no press conference. Also, there will be no court appearances today -- and none are scheduled yet -- in connection with this matter. Court scheduling information will be provided when it becomes available."

"Significant criminal matter?" Hmm, Blagojevich indictment?

Meanwhile, where's Blago as the news of a potential indictment surfaces? The Chicago Sun-Times reported, "He took his wife, Patti, and two daughters to Disney World in Florida."

Governor, you've just been ousted, what are you going to do next?

From NBC's Ken Strickland
The Senate is in the final hours of debating its version of the budget. At about 11:30 a.m., there will be a series of back-to-back votes leading up to final passage. The "vote-o-rama," as it's called around the Hill, could be as many as 30 votes. 

Democratic leaders hope to wrap it up today, with final passage coming late in the evening.

Today, a handful of Republican senators are offering their own budget proposal. The group is led by John McCain and includes Hutchison, Graham and Coburn. While it's not the "official" GOP substitute -- there isn't one -- it will likely draw significant Republican support, but not likely enough to pass.

Video: Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss a number of the key parts of the GOP's alternative budget.

And finally at the end of the night, when the Democratic budget is passed, the stage is set for a new fight. The Senate version will have to be will have to be married to the House version; and that new version will have to be passed anew by both chambers. 

Because Congress starts a two-week vacation next week, any drama involving merging the two bills would likely unfold at the staff level behind closed doors. We'll see if the new bill that emerges includes the highly anticipated, complicated procedure known as "reconciliation."

From NBC's Mark Murray
As Michelle Obama gets plenty of attention overseas, a new Gallup poll shows that her favorability rating (72%) is higher than her husband's (69%). 

Looking at these numbers, Politico's Ben Smith makes this smart point: "Her transformation in the public eye is one of David Axelrod's great successes, and really a remarkable thing. She was, for a moment, a serious vulnerability for the campaign."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Diplomatic decathlon: In just a few hours yesterday, President Obama completed the equivalent of a diplomatic decathlon -- from pledging nuclear disarmament with the Russians, to facing down critics about the American economic way of life. It was a week's worth of international diplomacy packed into 12 hours, and he's back at it again today. Already, Obama has met with Korean leaders, participated in G-20 breakfast, took a G-20 class photo, attended a plenary session, and attended a G-20 leaders lunch. His challenge today: to convince an American public, a skeptical press corps, and a VERY skeptical European leadership that something meaningful is coming out of the G-20 other than flowery language that is so watered down, it appears to make no policy. After the G-20, the focus shifts from the economy to foreign policy, in particular Afghanistan -- where the president is already tamping down expectations for how many troop commitments he'll get at the NATO summit. And if the president fails to convince more allies to send more troops, will there be hesitance in Congress to fulfill the latest 10,000-troop request that Gen. David Petraeus revealed has been requested.

Video: G-20 gets down to business. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports.

*** Press conference alert!!! Later today, Obama meets with the Saudi king (at 10:45 am ET), meets with Indian leaders (at 11:30 am ET), and then holds a news conference (at 12:45 pm ET). So what will come up at the president's news conference today? Could it be Cuba, thanks to GOP Sen. Richard Lugar asking for a review of the policy? What about the firing of more CEOs? G-20 accomplishments (or lack thereof)? North Korea missile launch? Afghanistan?

*** Tough questions for Sebelius? Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's pick to head HHS, testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at 10:00 am ET for her confirmation hearing. Here's the AP's table-setter: "Senators are expected … to ask Kathleen Sebelius … more questions about her policies and politics than about the $7,000 worth of mistakes she made on her taxes. The Senate Finance Committee may well ask the Kansas governor if she thinks the federal government should influence what treatments health insurance companies pay for, or whether she will deal with Republican concerns as she sets out to overhaul the health care system. Her views on abortion rights also might be brought up during her confirmation hearing." Indeed, some prominent conservatives have released this statement: "Gov. Sebelius may not pay her own taxes, but has no qualms about using tax dollars to pay for others' abortions."

*** Mr. President, are you looking for a new Peace Corps director? A brand-new Quinnipiac poll is the latest evidence showing that Chris Dodd is REALLY in trouble for 2010. The survey shows him trailing Rob Simmons (R) in a hypothetical match-up by 16 points (50%-34%), as well as trailing two lesser-known Republicans. Moreover, his approval/disapproval among Connecticut voters is 33%-58%. Ouch. Says the Quinnipiac pollster, "A 33% job approval is unheard of for a 30-year incumbent, especially a Democrat in a blue state. Sen. Christopher Dodd's numbers among Democrats are especially devastating. Since the AIG controversy, his approval rating among Democrats is down to 51%, and only 58% of Democrats say they will vote for him against Simmons." Bottom line: This poll will start more serious chatter about pushing Dodd into retirement.

*** Irony watch: Did Karl Rove, in his Wall Street Journal op-ed today, really accuse Obama of, gasp, practicing politics? Really?

*** 2012 watch: With one other potential 2012 presidential contender sending mixed signals, it seems, about her desire to do fundraisers for the GOP's House and Senate campaign committees, another one -- Mitt Romney -- was the featured speaker last night at an NRSC fundraiser in DC, which raked in more than $2 million. Per NBC's Abby Livingston, Romney stressed several times that Obama and the Democratic Party were using the economic crisis as "cover" to advance their agenda. Two other noteworthy Romney comments had him assailing universal health care (although he didn't mention his own work on that issue as Massachusetts governor), and applauding Obama's recent tough moves with the auto industry, which Romney said needs to "fundamentally restructure." Livingston reports that Romney also said the GOP shouldn't be resentful and should recognize that -- at times -- Obama can be right.

*** 2012 watch, part 2: By the way, Vice President Biden completed the trifecta yesterday: Now President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the VP all have done separate events in North Carolina since inauguration day. And it isn't because Obama picked the Tar Heels to win the Final Four…

Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 27 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 61 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 68 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 215 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 579 days

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Here is what has already happened today: "President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart agreed Thursday on the need for a 'stern, united' international response if North Korea goes ahead with a planned rocket launch, as Obama juggled that intensifying crisis thousands of miles away and an global effort to fix the sagging economy."

The Washington Post on today's G-20 agenda: "Thursday's all-day opening session is aimed at finalizing the summit's main goal -- a statement of unity by of heads of state in managing the global financial crisis."

And wrapping up yesterday's news… The Washington Post: "President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced the start of negotiations Wednesday on a new strategic arms-control treaty that would cut each nation's long-range nuclear arsenal further than previous agreements, inaugurating what both men indicated would be a more pragmatic relationship than the one their predecessors pursued."

The Wall Street Journal: "President Barack Obama had more success with former Cold War combatants than with some European allies as the Group of 20 summit of world leaders began, starting new talks on arms and trade with Russia and China but facing a challenge from France and Germany over economic leadership."

"President Obama used his first full day in the arena of heavyweight international diplomacy to reveal an ambitious agenda and a new American humility," The Hill reports. "Even as the events in London were marred by violent riots and protocol hiccups, Obama enjoyed a day of meetings with traditional rivals and longtime enemies, the productivity of which surprised even some White House officials."

Obama meets the queen. "Her majesty is delightful," Obama shouted to reporters as he and first lady Michelle Obama left the palace Wednesday night. "It was a wonderful visit," he added.
 
The New York Daily News: "A big hello from Buckingham Palace." 
 
The New York Post: "Royalty! And Mrs. Windsor, too."

And Robert Gibbs tells CBN's Brody how the White House folks are trying to be able to watch the Final Four while in Europe.

"The Obama administration plans to seek as much as $3 billion over the next five years to train and equip Pakistan's military, and is considering sending 10,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, defense officials said Wednesday."

The Wall Street Journal adds, "Mr. Obama will decide this fall whether to order 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan next year."

"Vice President Joe Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to North Carolina to highlight what the Recovery Act is doing to help rural America. They visited the Goshen Medical Center, a rural health clinic in Faison, which is getting $635,876 in stimulus money, enough to add seven jobs and treat 4,800 more patients, including 1,500 with no health insurance, the White House said."

"House Republicans finally unveiled their 2010 budget proposal -- with actual numbers this time -- and proposed sweeping new plans to contain the cost of Medicare and Medicaid, ditch stimulus spending and enact a new round of tax cuts," Roll Call writes. 

Video: Key points of the GOP's alternative budget include simplifying the tax code, rescinding parts of the stimulus package and cutting corporate taxes. MSNBC's Mike Viqueira reports.

The New York Times says the GOP budget plan, "introduced after days of ridicule from Democrats about the absence of an alternative to President Obama's proposal, would also freeze most domestic spending for five years, increase Pentagon spending, permanently extend the Bush-era tax breaks and eliminate any taxes on successful investments in 2010 as a way to spur the economy."

More: "Representative John M. Spratt Jr., Democrat of South Carolina and chairman of the Budget Committee, said the Republican plan to cut trillions of dollars in federal spending could severely curtail Medicare, which Republicans would overhaul for Americans now younger than 55 by subsidizing private health insurance for them when they retire. Democrats also pointed to a $22 billion reduction in spending on education as another objectionable element."

"For former Sen. Ted Stevens, legal vindication is not translating into a political one. Stevens' former colleagues, while widely sympathetic to the convicted, defeated and about-to-be-cleared Alaskan, are not rushing to restore his honor in the Senate." 
 
Sen. Orrin Hatch said Stevens "got screwed" by the Justice Department. 
 
"[S]ome government ethics advocates worried that the decision, another blow to the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, will make it even harder for the government to press charges against Members of Congress," Roll Call reports. |
 
"The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation to curb 'excessive' employee pay at financial firms that receive government bailout funds, a measure that could supplant an earlier effort to heavily tax executive bonuses," the AP writes. "The bill, which passed on a 247-171 vote, would give the U.S. Treasury broad powers to prohibit 'unreasonable and excessive' compensation and bonuses that are not based on performance standards." 
 
"The Senate voted yesterday to boost aid to Pakistan and increase funds for security along the US-Mexico border, but rejected a Republican attempt to freeze spending on domestic programs." 
 
"House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who caused consternation in his party by voting in favor of taxing AIG executive bonuses, voted 'present' Wednesday on a second bill aimed at tackling bonuses."

"The Minnesota Senate race is headed for a decision, as is Norm Coleman," the Star Trib writes. "Tuesday's ruling by a three-judge panel that limits its election review to about 400 additional ballots is provoking a fresh debate among political analysts and leaders in both parties: How should the Minnesota Republican, now down 225 votes, weigh the likelihood of prevailing on appeal against the potential political costs of dragging out the contest against Democrat Al Franken?"

"'So far Minnesotans are being stoic,' said Kay Wolsborn, a political scientist at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. 'They're fans of good process, and they understand that the courts take a while.' But, Wolsborn added, 'at every stage there are a few more eyebrows up and eyes rolling.'"

Meanwhile, per Roll Call: "Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) shifted his guns Wednesday in the ongoing battle over Minnesota's vacant Senate seat, redirecting his fire from the GOP candidate challenging the recount to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas). 'It's not fair to the people of Minnesota to be represented by only one Senator,' [Reid spokesman Jim] Manley said. 'And, it's about time a Senator from Texas stop telling the people of Minnesota what's best for them. Enough is enough.'"