From NBC's Joel Seidman
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, briefing the media today in Riyadh, said President Obama's Cairo speech tomorrow will be translated into 13 languages, and will be posted on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube.

Video: On the eve of his trip to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, President Barack Obama discusses what he hopes to convey in his address at Cairo University. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

Gibbs said Facebook is the largest social networking site in the Muslim world, with some 20 million subscribers. He also said the State Department will collect and post feedback from those partaking in an online chatroom, and will create a page where subscribers will receive text messages

Gibbs said a number of countries around the world plan to broadcast the speech live with real time translation.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
A senior U.S. official says they have listened to the bin Laden tape and are presuming it to be the al Qaeda leader -- authentic and current.

That said, it is not surprising that bin Laden would be issuing a tape in time to coincide with -- and try to undermine -- the president's trip.

Official also points out that for all the constant speculation about his being alive or dead, "there's never been a fake bin Laden tape."

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
The National Republican Congressional Committee yesterday issued a provocative fundraising email that hit President Obama on the issue of Iran and nuclear weapons. "Iran as a nuclear power. Does that sound appealing to you?" the email asked. "Because it does to President Obama, who, according to The Washington Post, believes that a country flush with oil, '…has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations.'"

The NRCC, however, omitted Obama's following statement that he wants to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Here is Obama's full quote, per his interview with the BBC: "Without going into specifics, what I do believe is that Iran has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations. On the other hand, the international community has a very real interest in preventing a nuclear arms race in the region."

The NRCC email also criticizes the president for not pushing his party to develop more nuclear power for THIS country. From the email: "So to recap, Obama and the Democrats believe an unstable country, which has pledged to wipe  Israel off the map and is awash with oil, has legitimate needs for nuclear power. Yet, America which continues to see rising energy prices, does not need nuclear power." 

*** UPDATE *** These bank-shot issue hits are usually tough to have break through with the public. But with a lot of care and feeding, we could see this hit -- particularly on Obama supporting nuclear energy for other countries, but dragging his feet on it here at home --  breaking through over time. It's an interesting hit, but can the issue get big enough to become effective?

From NBC's Pete Williams

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich now says he should not have used the word "racist" to describe Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Writing in the conservative "Human Events," he said, "The word 'racist' should not have been applied to Judge Sotomayor as a person, even if her words themselves are unacceptable (a fact which both President Obama and his Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, have since admitted)."

"My initial reaction was strong and direct -- perhaps too strong and too direct. The sentiment struck me as racist and I said so. Since then, some who want to have an open and honest consideration of Judge Sotomayor's fitness to serve on the nation's highest court have been critical of my word choice. With these critics who want to have an honest conversation, I agree," Gingrich added.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Obama in the Middle East: President Obama has already touched down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he attended a welcoming ceremony with Saudi King Abdullah, and the two hold a bilateral session at 9:20 am ET. (Take note of the king's handshake with a few women in the U.S. delegation.) Per NBC's Scott Foster, Riyadh was a last-minute addition to the trip, which White House officials say will give the president the chance to meet face to face with a strategic partner in the region. Likely on the agenda: energy, Middle East Peace, Iran, and the recent fighting between the Taliban and security forces in Pakistan. On the face of it, the president's first trek to the Middle East can't be anything but successful, right? Maybe. While this trip is billed as a conversation-starter of sorts, there's the question of whether the administration should ask more our Arab allies than talking. Talk is nothing new when it comes to key issues in the Middle East, and the Obama White House knows this -- which is why they need to see things jump started. While the president won't say this on the record, there are indications that the administration would like to see real progress made in the next two years on both the Israeli-Palestinian front, as well as with Iran. The longer it takes, the more likely any deals will get derailed. As confident as the president is with his ability to get warring factions to start talking, he did get a quick lesson in Middle East diplomacy when the Saudis reminded the White House that Obama can't address the Muslim world by just visiting Cairo; he needed to pay the respect the Saudis believe they deserve as the protector of Islam's holiest sites.

*** Today's question: Will the Saudi side acknowledge they are more concerned about Iran's ambitions than Israel's? According to the president in an interview with the New York Times' Tom Friedman, that is the case with some key Arab allies and while he didn't name Saudi Arabia, it was certainly implied.

*** The Speech: Of course, the big Middle East event will take place tomorrow, when Obama delivers his speech in Cairo, Egypt about the U.S. and its relations with the Muslim world. During the early days of the presidential campaign, in August 2007, Obama promised he would, if elected, give such speech in his first 100 days as president. He technically fulfilled his promise when he spoke in Turkey back in April, but the White House considers the one tomorrow to be THE speech. Here's what Obama said when he made his promise in 2007: "I will make clear that we are not at war with Islam, that we will stand with those who are willing to stand up for their future, and that we need their effort to defeat the prophets of hate and violence. I will speak directly to that child who looks up at that helicopter, and my message will be clear: 'You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now.'" Breaking news: Obama's speech comes as Osama bin Laden has said in a new recording that Obama and his administration "have planted seeds for hatred and revenge against America," Reuters reports.

Video: Hoping to improve U.S. relations with the Arab and Islamic world, Obama arrived in the Middle East amid fresh threats from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. NBC's Chuck Todd reports from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

*** Downplaying expectations: By the way, have the expectations for Obama's Cairo speech already gotten out of hand? Can he both please the Muslim world AND the Israelis AND the American public? Good luck with that! In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, however, Obama tried his best to downplay expectations. "After all, one speech is not gonna transform very real policy differences and some very difficult issues surrounding the Middle East and-relationship between Islam and the West." He added, "But I am confident that we're in a moment where, in Islamic countries, I think there's a recognition that the path of extremism is not actually gonna deliver a better life for people. I think there's a recognition that simply being anti-American is not gonna solve their problems."

*** Sotomayor on 'Latina' and abortion: Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor returns to Capitol Hill for a second day of meetings with Democratic and Republican senators. The list, per NBC's Dax Tejera: Sheldon Whitehouse (at 9:30 am ET), Barbara Mikulski (10:15 am), Lindsey Graham (11:45 am), Ben Cardin (12:30 pm), Judd Gregg (2:30 pm), Herb Kohl (3:45 pm), Ron Wyden (4:30 pm), Olympia Snowe (5:15 pm), and Chuck Schumer (6:00 pm). Late yesterday, we discovered that Sotomayor -- following Obama's script from Friday -- admitted that her "wise Latina woman" remark was a "poor choice of words," NBC's Ken Strickland and Winston Wilde report. It was Sen. Dianne Feinstein who got this admission from Sotomayor yesterday. As Feinstein told reporters, "She said, 'You know, obviously it's a poor choice of words. If you went on and read the rest of my speech, you wouldn't be concerned about it.' But, it was just a poor choice of words." NBC's Strickland and Wilde also note that Feinstein was more than comfortable with Sotomayor's take on the law surrounding Roe v. Wade. "I think she's a woman who's well steeped in the law, and well steeped in precedent. And, I believe that she has a real respect for precedent, and she was not just saying that." In the context of abortion, "precedent" has long been code for accepting the ruling of Roe v. Wade.

Video: According to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, Sotomayor clarified her controversial remarks from 2001, saying that no matter what their background may be, all judges have to "follow the law." NBC's Brian Williams reports.

*** Sessions' gaffe: Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, appeared to have committed a gaffe yesterday, when he remarked that there's no need to rush the confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor, NBC's Pete Williams notes. "We have a good advantage in that Justice Souter's resignation doesn't take effect until October 5, when the term ends," he said. "And I do think that gives us the ability to take our time and do it right." Uh, there's one little problem with that statement, as Williams points out. When Souter announced his retirement, he said it would occur at the end of the court's term -- which is in June or July.

*** Another Republican joining Team Obama: Is there anything worse for the NRCC than having an ex-DCCC chairman as the White House chief of staff? We're sure the president and Rahm Emanuel believed Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) was very qualified for the job of Army secretary, but talk about rubbing salt in the GOP's Northeastern wounds. The good news for the NRCC: Expectations are with the Dems at this point. The bad news: Lots of wasted money on another special election, and the NRCC (which is off to a good fundraising start) can't afford the financial distraction. Obama isn't just trying to win over Republican moderates in the electorate; he's also trying to pick off any moderates the party has and tuck them in his administration: LaHood, McHugh, Huntsman, Specter… This really is starting to look like what Reagan did with conservative Democrats in the early '80s…

*** No rest for the weary: So apparently Obama told House and Senate Democrats yesterday that he wants a health-care reform bill through both houses of Congress before the August recess. Seriously? That schedule means you'll have the conference debate in September and the bill on the president's desk in October. It's quite ambitious given that the president also wants the Senate to confirm Sotomayor by the August recess as well. And has he brought up energy? Of course, the House may get an energy bill soon, but will the Senate follow suit? Bottom line: It appears the White House has signaled its summer priorities: health care and Sotomayor. This could work in the White House's favor this way: Republicans may not have the energy to battle the White House on both fronts. Something will have to give, right? As for the health-care plan itself, the president said he supported a public option, which probably means fewer Republicans will climb aboard. Then again, this could be a negotiating ploy. Just as interesting, according to Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, the president indicated possible support for the idea of taxing health-care benefits as a way to pay for the reform. Of course, Candidate Obama beat up Candidate McCain hard over that exact idea. Will the president duck the flip-flop label if he ends up signing a bill that contains that idea?

*** It's Christie vs. Corzine: As expected, former U.S. attorney Chris Christie easily defeated former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan in yesterday's GOP primary in New Jersey. With 97% of precincts reporting, Christie got 55% of the vote to Lonegan's 42%. Christie's primary victory sets up a general election contest against vulnerable incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine, who starts out as the clear underdog. In fact, this is the GOP's best opportunity to win statewide in New Jersey since Christie Todd Whitman won re-election in 1997 (If he wins, will Republicans start looking for anyone named "Christie" to run in New Jersey?) If Corzine triumphs in November, he can thank two things: 1) his Goldman Sachs fortune, although we wonder how much he'll be able to spend in this tough economy; and 2) the Republican Party's brand. Indeed, with Vice President Joe Biden in tow, Corzine delivered a line you'll probably hear plenty between now and the election. "I don't know about you," Corzine said, per the New York Times. "But I'm not about to put my trust in the same people who gave us George Bush, Dick Cheney or John Ashcroft, skyrocketing unemployment, a housing crisis, bank bailouts, and a war in Iraq!" The pressure is on Christie to pull this off, as Corzine has no where to go but up. If he wins, Christie becomes an instant national star thanks to the New York media market and the fact he'll have done something so rare in the Northeast for a Republican: win. 

*** 2012 watch: Announcing yesterday that he wouldn't seek a third term, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) didn't say that he's running for president in 2012. But he sure came close. "I still have a lot of ideas and energy left," he said. "But being governor should not be permanent." He also said this: "I don't know what the future holds for me. I'm not ruling anything in or out." During his news conference, Pawlenty "also made clear that he would follow the directive of the State Supreme Court and ratify whomever it declared the victor in the Senate race between Norm Coleman ... and Al Franken," the New York Times writes. "I'm going to do whatever the court says. If the court directs me to sign that certificate, I will." Over to you, Minnesota Supreme Court.

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In his New York Times column, Tom Freidman quotes Obama saying this: "When it comes to dealing with the Middle East, the president noted, 'there is a Kabuki dance going on constantly. That is what I would like to see broken down. I am going to be holding up a mirror and saying:  "Here is the situation, and the U.S. is prepared to work with all of you to deal with these problems. But we can't impose a solution. You are all going to have to make some tough decisions." Leaders have to lead, and, hopefully, they will get supported by their people.'"

Friedman concludes, "When young Arabs and Muslims see an American president who looks like them, has a name like theirs, has Muslims in his family and comes into their world and speaks the truth, it will be empowering and disturbing at the same time. People will be asking: 'Why is this guy who looks like everyone on the street here the head of the free world and we can't even touch freedom?' You never know where that goes."

The Washington Post: "More than any other president in a generation, Obama enjoys a reservoir of goodwill in the region. His father was Muslim. His outreach in an interview with an Arabic satellite channel, a speech to Turkey's parliament and an address to Iranians on the Persian New Year have inclined many to listen. Just as important, he is not George W. Bush."

Video: President Obama was welcomed to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by an arrival ceremony moments after stepping off of Air Force One.

More: "But Obama will still encounter a landscape in which two realities often seem to be at work, shaped by those symbols. There is America's version of its policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, Iraq and Afghanistan, and Islamist movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah, defined in recent years by the legacy of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001."

The Boston Globe's lead on Obama's Mideast trip: "President Obama arrives in Saudi Arabia today for his first trip to the Middle East as president, determined to change the image of America in a region that largely reviled his predecessor, George W. Bush."

The Hill: "[S]ome Muslims are outraged that security precautions in Cairo, Egypt, have blocked off a historic mosque. Obama is scheduled to visit the 14th-century Sultan Hassan mosque with Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, head of al-Azhar University, an Islamic school that is co-hosting Obama's visit. But super-tight security surrounding the president's trip -- which has included thousands of U.S. and Egyptian security forces cordoning off Obama's route and even rounding up and questioning select students at the Islamic university -- has put a security perimeter around the Sultan Hassan mosque."

In other foreign policy news… It looks like accusations that the U.S. military accidentally killed civilians in an Afghan air strike are true. 

Uh, oh: "The federal government mistakenly made public a 266-page report, its pages marked 'highly confidential,' that gives detailed information about hundreds of the nation's civilian nuclear sites and programs, including maps showing the precise locations of stockpiles of fuel for nuclear weapons," the New York Times writes. More: "Several nuclear experts argued that any dangers from the disclosure were minimal, given that the general outlines of the most sensitive information were already known publicly."

The soon-to-be commander of U.S. strategy in the Af-Pak region, Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, had this to say at his confirmation hearing:

"Still, when asked to describe 'success' in Afghanistan, McChrystal said the first component would be 'a complete elimination of al-Qaeda' from Pakistan and Afghanistan. That, in turn, would prevent al-Qaeda from operating in either country with the Taliban, which he said would not be 'destroyed' but rather made'irrelevant.'" 

So success is simple: Destroy al Qaeda and hope that renders the Taliban irrelevant.

"President Obama's top military adviser on Tuesday issued a thinly veiled warning to North Korea, while some lawmakers said the communist country must be put back on the U.S. terrorism list," The Hill reports. "The salvos from the Pentagon and Congress come as North Korea appears to be preparing to test some of its ballistic missiles amid global concerns of its nuclear weapon capabilities."

And want to make conservative talk-radio personalities heads explode? Then check out this article from the Washington Times claiming al Qaeda may be looking at the southern U.S. border as a way to smuggle in terrorists or weapons. This report is based on a videotape that has since been authenticated by U.S. counter-terrorism officials. The Washington Times has the al Qaeda video on their web site.

"President Obama on Tuesday affirmed his support for the creation of a government-sponsored health insurance plan," the New York Times says, "but he acknowledged that such a plan would sharply reduce the chances for Republican support of legislation to overhaul the health care system, Democratic senators said."

The Washington Post adds, "President Obama, in a pivot from some of his harshest campaign rhetoric, told Democratic senators yesterday that he is willing to consider taxing employer-sponsored health benefits to help pay for a broad expansion of coverage… White House officials moved quickly to clarify that taxing the health insurance provided by businesses is not Obama's first choice, but aides refused to rule out the possibility. 'The president made it clear during the campaign that he has serious concerns about taxing health-care benefits, and he has introduced his own revenue proposal, which he reiterated in today's meeting,' spokesman Reid Cherlin said."

With Sonia Sotomayor on Capitol Hill yesterday, "Republican leaders signaled they would resist President Obama's push to confirm her by Aug. 7, the start of the Senate's summer recess. Sessions and Leahy are expected to meet Wednesday to begin formal discussions about the schedule, and Reid said the terms remain flexible," the Washington Post reports. "But senior Senate aides in both parties are skeptical that a deal to expedite Sotomayor's confirmation can be reached. With Democrats holding 59 Senate seats, one short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster, and moderates in both parties already sending favorable signals about Sotomayor, Republican opponents are unlikely to find enough votes to block her confirmation."

"What GOP senators can do is slow down the process, a tactic that would allow more time for negative information to emerge. Democrats scoffed at Republican stalling tactics, circulating a quote from Sessions after Justice Samuel Alito was nominated to replace Sandra Day O'Conner in 2005. The Bush administration was pressing then-Judiciary Chairman  Arlen Specter (Pa.), who has since changed his party affiliation to Democrat, to confirm Alito before Congress left for its winter break. [Jeff] Sessions was quoted telling reporters during that period, 'My personal view is, let's finish it this year; let's not have it hanging out there. You don't have to read everything he's written.'"

A "Republican member of the Judiciary Committee, who requested anonymity, said the final tally will depend on her performance in the months ahead," The Hill reports. "'It could be with 75 votes or it could be with 57 votes, and it depends on whether she assures people,' the senator said."  

Video: With Sotomayor visiting Capitol Hill, a Republican group is calling for a filibuster of the Supreme Court nominee. Newsweek's Howard Fineman discusses.

Here's an interesting poll result, according to Quinnipiac. "American voters say 55 – 36 percent that affirmative action should be abolished, and disagree  71 – 19 percent with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's ruling in the New Haven firefighters' case."

The New York Daily News pits Sotomayor against Scalia.

"Will Nino finally meet his match in Sonia? That's the buzz about a Supreme Court faceoff between the most notoriously caustic sitting justice, Antonin Scalia, and President Obama's first nominee for the bench, Sonia Sotomayor. Neither of the brassy New Yorkers - he's from Queens, she's from the Bronx -- suffers fools, or unprepared lawyers."

"Rep. Pete Visclosky's (D-Ind.) chief of staff has resigned after the congressman's offices were served with subpoenas related to a federal investigation into the now-defunct lobbying group PMA," The Hill reports.

Roll Call adds, "The news came as Visclosky announced Tuesday that he is handing off control of the energy and water spending bill while the federal inquiry proceeds."

And more Murtha: "In early 2005, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) apparently added language to a tsunami relief bill shifting $8.2 million from a former client of his brother's lobbying firm to a new client of the same firm," Roll Call reports.

"That earmark is now tangled up in a federal indictment alleging that some of the money was skimmed by contractors and a Defense Department employee for their personal use."

"Clearing the way for what could be an attempt at higher office, Gov. Tim Pawlenty abruptly announced Tuesday that he would not seek a third term -- a move widely seen in political circles as the first step in a possible presidential run," the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. "Later he acknowledged plans to travel to Washington, D.C., on Friday to address a gathering of College Republicans and has been in contact with national Republicans 'a lot.'" 

The New York Times: "Mr. Pawlenty's decision reflected his conclusion that it would be difficult to try to run for the White House while serving as governor. His re-election would hardly be assured in a state where President Obama ran strongly, and he most likely would have faced tough and distracting battles with the Democrats who control the Legislature." 

So Dick Cheney was in some of those intelligence briefings with members of Congress? Interesting that the ex-VP himself hasn't mentioned this. Per the Washington Post, "Former vice president Richard B. Cheney personally oversaw at least four briefings with senior members of Congress about the controversial interrogation program, part of a secretive and forceful defense he mounted throughout 2005 in an effort to maintain support for the harsh techniques used on detainees. The Cheney-led briefings came at some of the most critical moments for the program, as congressional oversight committees were threatening to investigate or even terminate the techniques, according to lawmakers, congressional officials, and current and former intelligence officials."

Politico's Mahtesian calls Obama's appointment of Republican Rep. John McHugh "a Sherman's March in reverse -- an audacious attempt by Obama to burn down any lines of escape for Republicans from their one refuge of popularity, the deep South."

NEW JERSEY: Per the Newark Star Ledger, "Chris Christie, the former U.S. Attorney whose aggressive pursuit of political corruption in New Jersey led to the downfall of some of the state's most powerful elected officials, won the Republican nomination for governor last night, beating back conservative Steve Lonegan in an unexpectedly bloody, hard-fought primary campaign. Christie's victory sets the stage for what could be the most competitive gubernatorial race in more than a decade…." With 97% reporting, Christie led Corzine 55%-42%.

Christie's "romp past Steven M. Lonegan, a feisty former mayor, sets the stage for what could be a fierce and expensive confrontation with the wealthy Mr. Corzine, who came to office vowing to rescue the state from financial crisis but has watched his popularity sink to record lows as the recession made matters worse," the New York Times adds.

More: "The White House left no doubt about its intention to support Mr. Corzine's bid for a second term. In a rousing speech on Tuesday night at Mr. Corzine's kickoff rally in West Orange, after his victory in a lopsided four-candidate Democratic primary, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said the governor was 'on the right side of the issues' and declared: 'Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to Jon Corzine's reelection. Period. End of sentence. It's simple.'"

From NBC's Pete Williams

Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Judiciary Committee Republican, appears to have misstated when David Souter intends to retire from the Supreme Court.

Sessions said today that there's no need to rush the confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor.

"We have a good advantage in that Justice Souter's resignation doesn't take effect until October 5th, when the term ends," Sessions said, adding, "and I do think that gives us the ability to take our time and do it right," he said.

But when Justice Souter sent his letter to President Obama on May 1st, he wrote, "When the Supreme Court rises for the summer recess this year, I intend to retire from regular active service as a Justice."

That would mean end end of June or very early in July, not the beginning of October. 

It's true that in the past, some justices have said their retirements would become effective at the moment a successor was nominated and confirmed.  But that is not what Justice Souter said.

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor

has not been asked directly if her 2001 comment about how a "wise Latina" would make a better decision than a white male was poorly worded as the White House claimed, according to advisors familiar with the Capitol Hill meetings that Sotomayor has completed thus far today.

When asked about the "wise Latina" speech excerpt, the president has responded, "I'm sure she would have restated it." 

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, "I think she'd say that her word choice in 2001 was poor, that she was simply making the point that personal experience are relevant for the process of the judging."

According to the advisors, the judge has not been asked to re-state or retract what she said in 2001, but has been asked to discuss more broadly what she meant and whether personal background should influence legal opinion.

On the matter of the "wise Latina" comment, aides involved in the confirmation process with Sotomayor lay out an argument say that the judge's critics have focused "on a line from a speech" rather than taking issue with her judicial record. 

Aides said the controversial comment "is not a big deal to us" during this process and suggest, "There is no disagreement that diversity is good on the bench."

To mitigate critical reactions to the 2001 quote, advisors expect to highlight instances when Justices Alito, Ginsburg, Thomas and former Justice O'Connor have also described how their life experiences inform their work.

The aides overall, though, said they are "pleased" with the day's meetings. The judge will have another round of courtesy meetings tomorrow.

NOTES: Some light color from the day… aides said Sotomayor "ran into" Sens. Collins, Boxer and Hagan in a ladies room near the Senate floor. There was a light-hearted conversation, they said, that women could also conduct official business in the restroom as men have for years.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger reports that "Voter turnout in today's primary elections has been relatively light, and problem free, so far, according to elections officials across New Jersey."

"There's nothing to update. In 25 years that I've been doing this, I think this is the one of the slowest elections I've seen," one election official told the paper.

Polling has shown Republican former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, seen as the more moderate candidate, as the favorite over Bogota (Bergen County) Mayor Steve Lonegan, an orthodox conservative with an outside chance of upending Christie.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is facing just token opposition.

He will appear at an election night rally with Vice President Joe Biden tonight. Biden was in New York City yesterday raising money for the party and was spotted at the beach in posh Bay Head, N.J.

Republicans like their chances in the fall against Corzine, and see this seat as a top target.

Polls close tonight at 8.

From NBC's Luke Russert

Seeking to keep House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's back-and-forth with the CIA in the news -- despite so much else going on (Sotomayor's SCOTUS nomination, GM's bankruptcy, Obama's upcoming overseas trip) -- House Minority Leader John Boehner once again called for a bipartisan investigation into Pelosi's allegations that the CIA deliberately misled her.

In a news conference on Capitol Hill, speaking for less than two minutes prior to taking questions, Boehner discussed nothing but Pelosi. "Ten days ago, Speaker Pelosi not only refused to back up her accusations against her intelligence professionals, but she actually stood by her comments that they repeatedly lied to her," he said. " Now, the speaker gets regular briefings from our intelligence professionals today. Does she still believe they are lying to her?"

Continuing his criticism, Boehner remarked that Pelosi should "offer proof that intelligence officials lied to her or retract the statement and offer an apology."

Boehner then reiterated his previous call for a bi-partisan investigation into the issue saying, "This is a matter that is serious and requires a bi-partisan organization to get the facts." Later, Boehner went on to say: "I am disappointed House Democrats continue to stonewall this investigation and my hope is that the Speaker will step up and bring this issue to rest once and for all."

In response to a question regarding how he would continue to press the issue, Boehner said: "All options are on the table."

Something of interest will be how the Democratic Leadership responds to Boehner's call for a bipartisan investigation. Less than two weeks ago Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) took offense to the GOP's resolution on the floor to investigate Pelosi ,and said it was a "Republican tactic to distract the public from focusing on what was done what the justification for doing it was."

From NBC's Ken Strickland

In a news conference with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) today, he told reporters that he asked Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor about her statement about a Latina woman reaching better conclusions than a white male.

Leahy told reporters he's usually reluctant to discuss his private conversations with the press, but got clearance from Sotomayor to talk about her answer to the question, which has sparked controversy.

"I asked her if she had any problem with me referring to her answer. And she said, 'None whatsoever," Leahy told reporters.

Leahy said her answer to the Latina statement was this: "What she said was, of course, one's life experience shapes who you are. But ultimately and completely -- she used those words -- ultimately and completely as a judge you follow the law. There's not one law for one race or another. There's not one law for one color or another."

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Domenico Montanaro
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) said he hopes Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) will "keep an open mind" about the timetable for the confirmation hearings. 

Sessions said if President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed after September hearings, there would be still be enough time for her to join the Supreme Court by its next session on the first Monday in October.

The Alabama senator said he has "not exhausted" the topic of judicial activism with Sotomayor and indicated that he did not have a full discussion about her past comments or cases. He also said he would like to talk with her again.

On outside conservative groups' pressure
Critics of Sotomayor should "not use pejorative terms" when referring to the judge on matters of race, Sessions warned.

Video: Sessions discusses Judge Sonia Sotomayor's 2001 comments about her judicial perspective with NBC's David Gregory on May 31's "Meet the Press."

He distanced himself from those conversative voices by saying the "people out there are not party officials." He said the Senate owes her a "good and fair hearing."

On Meet the Press on Sunday, however, Sessions said he would choose different language than the comments made by Rush Limbaugh and former House speaker Newt Gingrich (calling Sotomayor a "racist"), but he didn't rebuke them.

Sessions added that he "enjoyed" the meeting with the judge and was "very impressed by her knowledge, experience and energy level."

 

From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro

A source close to Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty confirms to First Read that Pawlenty will announce today that he will not be running for a third term in 2010.

This announcement, of course, will raise speculation about whether Pawlenty plans to spend the next three years preparing for a presidential bid in 2012.

The announcement will come at a 3:00 pm ET news conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn.

Pawlenty gave a firebrand speech at the Republican Governor's Association meeting in Miami, a week after the party's sound November election losses. He gave some tough medicine to the party, saying, "It needs to get younger, more diverse and build a broader coalition," we wrote at the time.

"If we're going to successfully travel the road, as a Republican," he said at the time, "we need to see clearly, and be honest about where we've been and where we're headed. … If we're going to be the majority, we're going to have to see we need to grow the party. We cannot compete in the Northeast, the West; we're losing seats in the Great Lakes region. We have a large deficit with women, Hispanics, African Americans -- people with modest financial circumstances. That is not a formula for a majority."

In the halls at the meeting, Pawlenty was lukewarm toward another potential 2012 GOP candidate, Sarah Palin. In fact, during his speech "he delivered a line that might sound like an opening 2012 shot at Palin," we wrote then.

"'Drill baby, drill' by itself is not an energy policy," he said. "It's not enough. We're going to need wind and solar and bio mass."

Pawlenty is young. He will only be 49 in November. That's plenty of time to run both in 2012 and 2016.

Republicans, more than Democrats, like their runners up. Four of the last five Republicans, who eventually won their party's nomination -- Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole and John McCain -- also ran for president and lost in primary races in earlier years.

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell

GOP Senate aides responded to the inside vs. outside debate among conservatives and elected Republicans over the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor.

Aides made a point to downplay the letter sent to Senate Republicans from 145 conservatives as "pretty innocuous." 

Under pressure to answer for criticism of Judge Sotomayor from various conservatives, Hill Republicans claim that many of those who added their names to that letter do not agree with the public statements made by a former Frist staffer, Miguel Miranda, who is demanding Minority Leader Mitch McConnell consider resignation if unwilling to challenge Sotomayor more vigorously.

Hill aides dismiss Miranda as "hilariously out of touch" and not representative of Republican opinion.

From NBC's Harry Enten

Last week, breaking down New Jersey's GOP gubernatorial primary, the Cook Political Report's Jennifer Duffy told First Read that former Bogota Steve Lonegan was "praying for rain" on Election Day. According to Duffy, "the lower the turnout, the better [Lonegan] does."

While skies are currently clear throughout New Jersey, the National Weather Service forecasts that all parts of the state have at least a 30% chance of seeing a thunderstorm later this afternoon.

Could rain and lower turnout today help Lonegan overcome his deficit in the polls to former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie?

From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Mark Murray
President Obama today will nominate Republican Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) to the post of secretary of the Army.

Video: President Obama introduces Republican Rep. John McHugh as his choice to become the next secretary of the Army.

McHugh is the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

Strikingly, McHugh wrote a recent op-ed in The Hill, in which he outlined his view of the ways in which Republicans can serve as the "loyal opposition" to Obama. He argued that the GOP must be more than "the party of no," and put forward a set of national security principles that he said the party should pursue.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza writes that McHugh's departure from Congress could "set off an extremely competitive special election for" New York's 23rd congressional district. "According to Swing State Project calculations, Obama carried the 23rd district 52 percent to 47 percent over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 and four years earlier George W. Bush won it by a similar 51 percent to 47 percent margin."

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell

NBC News has learned that Nancy Reagan will be at the White House this afternoon, when President Obama signs into law the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act.

Interestingly, Mrs. Reagan told Vanity Fair in an interview published this week that she was surprised Obama did not invite her to the White House when he announced his decision to resume stem-cell research, a cause she has long advocated. She even told Vanity Fair that she thought Obama had missed an opportunity to gain some political mileage by having her attend.
 
She's in D.C. for tomorrow's unveiling of the Ronald Reagan Statue in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol.

Video: Bob Colacello talks with NBC's Andrea Mitchell about his Vanity Fair feature on Nancy Reagan, and her candid views on the Bushes, Obamas and living without "Ronnie."

Mrs. Reagan has been recovering from a bad fall last September that caused her to fracture her pelvis, but has been gaining strength and is believed to be in good health.

She turns 88 on July 6.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Bon voyage: This evening, President Obama embarks on a trip to Europe and the Middle East, which will take him to Egypt (where he will give his big speech on the U.S. relations with the Muslim world), Germany, and France. But his first stop will be in Saudi Arabia, the religious capital of Islam. In fact, this stop was hastily put together. While the White House denies that the Saudis exerted any pressure on the administration after it announced Cairo as the spot for the big speech, other sources tell NBC News that the White House was reminded about Saudi Arabia's importance in the Muslim world, and that keeping a positive diplomatic relationship with the Saudis was important -- whether dealing with Iran, Israeli-Palestinian issues, or oil independence. Still, to pull this off, it's a reminder that it's proof once again that the U.S.-Saudi relationship has to trump just about every other relationship in the region.

Video: President Obama heads to the Mideast today, where he hopes to reach out to the Muslim community. TODAY's Ann Curry talks to NBC's Savannah Guthrie about the trip.

*** Focusing on health care first: Before he departs for Saudi Arabia, however, Obama will meet at the White House at 2:30 pm with Democrats who sit on the two Senate committees that are drafting health-care legislation: the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. At today's briefing, the AP says, attendees will discuss a new report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, which finds that health-care costs -- now at 18% of the nation's GDP -- will rise to 34% in 30 years, if left unchecked. Translation: Fixing the health-care system will help fix the economy.

*** Sotomayor's day on the Hill: Also today, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will be on Capitol Hill, where she will meet with top Democratic and GOP senators. Per NBC's Ken Strickland, she visits first with Majority Leader Harry Reid (at 10:15 am ET), then with Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (11:30 am), then Judiciary Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (12:15 pm), Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (1:30 pm), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (2:45 pm), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (3:30 pm), Sen. Orrin Hatch (5:00 pm), and Minority Whip Jon Kyl (sometime this afternoon). As Roll Call reminds us, these meetings are much more than courtesy calls; they will play a role in Sotomayor's nomination battle -- if history is any guide. "Take the case of Harriet Miers, the much-maligned friend of President George W. Bush who saw her nomination to the Supreme Court yanked before her hearings could even get started in 2005. Republicans and Democrats alike credited her collapse to a poor performance in her meetings with Senators -- the lawmakers didn't feel she had the intellectual weight or experience to merit a lifetime appointment to the high court."

*** Score one for Mitch McConnell and Dick Cheney? On the issue of closing Gitmo, have congressional Republicans and Dick Cheney come out ahead of Obama? For now, it appears that way, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll. "By more than 2-1, those surveyed say Guantanamo shouldn't be closed. By more than 3-1, they oppose moving some of the accused terrorists housed there to prisons in their own states… It is one of the few subjects on which most Americans side with the views of the Bush administration over its successor. 'Coming up on eight years after Sept. 11, fear remains, and fear is politically potent,' says political scientist Paul Freedman of the University of Virginia, who studies public opinion. 'When it comes to the issue of terrorism … people are inclined to err on the side of that fear.'"

*** America's GM exit plan: In a briefing with a few reporters yesterday, leaders of the White House's auto task force attempted to clarify exactly how and when the U.S. could sell its shares of the new General Motors. In short, if everything goes swimmingly with the government's taxpayer investment, the government could be out of the auto business for good within five years, but that's probably an optimistic timeline. Let's explain further: The new GM will buy the necessary assets of the old GM sometime in the next 60-90 days, when a bankruptcy judge allows the sale to take place. After that, the actual sale of old assets to the new GM could take several more weeks. So at this point on the calendar, we're looking at October or November before this new private company, once again called General Motors, will come into existence. So at this point, New GM will be a privately-held company, not traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange (or any stock exchange for that matter). However, it is the intention of the Obama administration to get New GM to become a publicly traded company as soon as reasonably possible.

Video: Ray Young, CFO of GM, joins Morning Joe to talk about his company's future now with the federal government's involvement.

*** Christie vs. Lonegan: In New Jersey today, Republican voters head to the polls to choose the person they want to challenge vulnerable Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in the fall. As we've written before, this GOP primary contest -- between the more moderate Chris Christie and the more conservative Steve Lonegan -- is yet another chapter in the ongoing debate over the Republican Party's future. Does it aim for the political middle, or does it remain planted firmly on the right? Is being a moderate a virtue, or a curse? And what is more desirable, winning races or ideological purity? Polls show Christie, who's viewed as the bigger general-election threat to Corzine, with a comfortable lead. But it's a closed primary, and a low turnout could end up benefiting Lonegan, who advocates a flat tax. In the Democratic primary, Corzine faces only token opposition, and he will appear at a rally with Vice President Biden after the returns come in. Polling places open at 6:00 am ET and close at 8:00 pm.

*** Elsewhere today: Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the man tasked with taking up the command in Afghanistan, testifies before Senate Armed Services at 9:30 am ET; Tom Daschle -- the man who almost became HHS secretary -- speaks at the National Press Club on the politics of health care reform at 2:00 pm ET; and the liberal "America's Future Now!" conference in DC continues for a second day, with Sen. Jeff Merkley on jobs and energy, the Rev. Jesse Jackson on making college affordable, Rep. Barney Frank on military spending, and Sens. Dick Durbin and Bernie Sanders, who host an awards gala honoring AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

Video: Speaking at his Senate confirmation hearing, Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the challenge in Afghanistan is considerable, a military-centric strategy won't succeed, and he expects casualties will likely increase.

Countdown to VA Dem primary: 7 days
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The Washington Post previews Sotomayor's visit to Capitol Hill, where she will meet with several Democratic and Republican senators. "As Sotomayor prepared for her Senate rounds, Republican leaders signaled that they will resist President Obama's push to confirm her by Aug. 7, the start of the Senate's summer recess. Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.), the panel's ranking Republican, have begun informal talks about the committee's summer schedule, with the aim of striking an agreement to minimize any procedural delays before and after the nomination reaches the chamber floor. But senior Senate aides in both parties are skeptical that a deal to expedite Sotomayor's confirmation can be reached."

Video: Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., discusses Judge Sonia Sotomayor's 2001 comments about her judicial perspective with NBC's David Gregory on "Meet the Press."

The AP writes that "Sotomayor is getting her first chance to make an impression on senators who will vote on her nomination to the Supreme Court, with a marathon set of Capitol Hill meet-and-greets that kicks off what could be a long debate."

"But while these visits may seem like little more than courtesy calls, they will in fact play a central role in the fate of Sotomayor's nomination, if history is any guide," Roll Call reminds us. "Take the case of Harriet Miers, the much-maligned friend of President George W. Bush who saw her nomination to the Supreme Court yanked before her hearings could even get started in 2005. Republicans and Democrats alike credited her collapse to a poor performance in her meetings with Senators -- the lawmakers didn't feel she had the intellectual weight or experience to merit a lifetime appointment to the high court."

Per Politico, "Conservatives are demanding that Senate Republicans take a harder line on Sonia Sotomayor, with new signs of tension between the Hill GOP and elements of the Republican base over the direction the opposition should move in the Supreme Court fight. In a letter to be delivered to Senate Republicans Tuesday, more than 145 conservatives – including Grover Norquist, Richard Viguerie and Gary Bauer — call for a filibuster of Sotomayor's nomination if that's what it takes to force a 'great debate' over judicial philosophy."

"But in an interview with POLITICO, Manuel Miranda – who orchestrated the letter – went much farther, saying that Mitch McConnell should 'consider resigning' as Senate minority leader if he can't take a harder line on President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee. Miranda accused McConnell of being 'limp-wristed' and 'a little bit tone deaf' when it comes to judicial nominees."

"The report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers says that health care costs -- now about 18 percent of the gross domestic product -- will rise to 34 percent in 30 years if left unchecked, wreaking havoc on the federal deficit, businesses and working Americans," the AP says. "Obama administration officials, urgently seeking to build momentum for health care legislation, planned to discuss the report's findings at the White House on Tuesday with leaders of the key Senate committees drafting bills."

"The White House is privately reinforcing to Capitol Hill that health care reform is its immediate and top priority, prompting new questions about the timing and future of climate change legislation," Roll Call reports.

Video: Former Gov. Howard Dean talks about why the U.S. needs a more diversified health care system.

The Boston Globe: "Leaders of the country's largest and most influential liberal groups said yesterday they are poised to spend $82 million to help push through sweeping healthcare legislation this year."

Turning to Middle East peace… "President Obama, just days before traveling to the Middle East to deliver a key speech on U.S.-Muslim relations, on Monday reasserted U.S. support for Israel. But in an interview with NPR, the president also said he will continue to push for a Palestinian state and for a freeze on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. 'I don't think we have to change strong support for Israel,' Obama said during an interview with NPR hosts."

More: "'We do have to retain a constant belief in the possibilities of negotiations that will lead to peace,' Obama said. 'And that's going to require, from my view, a two-state solution.' It will also require, he said, a freeze on Israeli settlements, including expansion to accommodate successive generations of settlers, and for Palestinians to make progress on security and end 'the incitement that understandably makes Israelis so concerned.'"

Politico says "the administration's escalating pressure on Israel to freeze all growth of its settlements on Palestinian land has begun to stir concern among Israel's numerous allies in both parties on Capitol Hill."

Politico also looks at the Democratic National Committee's fundraising: "Ultimately, the DNC sold out the event and raised between $3 million and $4 million, but not before being reminded, once again, of the disappointing state of party fundraising. Indeed, at a time that was supposed to be a golden era of Democratic fundraising, with a popular president in charge and Congress firmly ensconced in Democratic hands, the early fundraising hauls have been, well, downright ordinary."

Speaking of raising money, "Vice President Biden hit New York Monday night in a double-pronged 'stimulus' tour -- to raise cash for Democrats and talk up President Obama's $787 billion spending package," the New York Daily News writes. The fundraiser netted about $200,000, the paper writes.