From NBC's Courtney Kube
The U.S. military in Iraq is now confirming that Iraqi Security Forces, supported by U.S. Forces, killed the two most senior al Qaeda leaders in Iraq early Sunday morning.

Abu Ayyub al Masri (also known as Abu Hamzah al-Muhajir) and Abu Umar al-Baghdadi, were killed during the series of joint security operations about 10 kilometers southwest of Tikrit.

One U.S. service member was killed and three were injured in support of this operation when their helicopter crashed late Saturday evening.

Abu Ayyub al Masri was the military leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). Al Masri replaced Abu Musab al Zarqawi when he was killed in June of 2006.

Abu Umar al-Baghdadi, also known as Hamid Dawud Muhammad Khalil al Zawi, was the AQI leader of the proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and was known by his title "Prince of the Faithful."

The Iraqi and U.S. forces found the leaders by piecing together intelligence from a series of joint operations over the past week. They finally found the AQI leaders' safehouse and conducted the nighttime raid early Sunday morning. The U.S. military says that both al Masri and al-Baghdadi engaged the Iraqi and U.S. forces before they were killed.

Also killed in the raid were one of al Masri's assistants and al-Baghdadi's son, both of whom were also allegedly involved in terrorist activities.

Sixteen additional suspected criminal associates were also arrested during the raids.

"The death of these terrorists is potentially the most significant blow to al Qaeda in Iraq since the beginning of the insurgency," said the United States Forces-Iraq Commander, General Raymond T. Odierno, in a written statement. "The Government of Iraq intelligence services and security forces supported by U.S. intelligence and special operations forces have over the last several months continued to degrade AQI. There is still work to do but this is a significant step forward in ridding Iraq of terrorists."

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Courtney Kube, and Mark Murray
President Obama isn't the only one who has had to scrap overseas plans due to the volcanic ash emanating from Iceland.

Because of the continuing aviation problem in Europe, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has canceled a trip tomorrow to Helsinki, where she was to give a speech. 

The State Department says she may still leave for a NATO meeting in Estonia -- but would not depart DC before Wednesday.

"Because of the continued aviation complications in Europe, the Secretary's stop in Helsinki has been cancelled; she will not be leaving tomorrow for Finland," a State Department official says. "We will let you know about the Tallinn portion of the trip when a decision has been made. IF we were to go to Tallinn, we would not leave Washington before Wednesday."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Earlier this morning, we excerpted former President Bill Clinton's thoughts on the upcoming midterms -- as well as the Lincoln-vs.-Halter primary -- in his interview over the weekend with NBC's Luke Russert.

Here are some of Clinton's other thoughts. First, on health care and Clinton's earlier assertion that President Obama's approval rating would spike 10 points after health care's passage:

If you go back and look at the numbers, it actually did go up 10 points in the three days after he signed it. And it's back down and it's surprised me... But I think it's gone back down because it's just being implemented... And most people have not felt any impact one way or the other yet. 

On Obama's upcoming SCOTUS pick:

He's got to ask himself, first and foremost: Will I be proud of this person? Will if I had, for some reason, to leave the Presidency today, after I make this appointment, and this person serves on the Supreme Court for 30 years, would I always be proud? That's the first thing. Secondly, I hope he'll appoint someone who's reasonably young. Someone with a chance to serve at least 25 years on the court.

On if that pick should be Hillary Clinton?

I think she's doing a good job where she is... I think she'd be a great Supreme Court judge. But I think she probably thinks that it'd be better if he appointed somebody younger. Although if you look, I mean, my mother-in-law's 91. I mean, Hillary's going to live to be 110. I joke with her all the time. She might have three husbands after me.  You know, she's going to live forever.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The Rubio campaign is emailing reporters that Charlie Crist has pulled his TV ads. Writes Adam Smith of the St. Pete Times:

The Marco Rubio campaign says Charlie Crist has halted all its TV advertising in the Orlando and Tampa Bay markets where the anti-Rubio spots were airing. That's presumably a sign that Crist has decided to marshal his resources for later or perhaps drop out altogether.

Smith also covers Sen. George LeMieux's (R) interview today on "Daily Rundown" with Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie:

"I have every reason to believe that Charlie Crist is running as a Republican and this independent thing will not happen," LeMieux said.

Democrats searching for at least one GOP vote to bring the financial bill to the Senate floor… Why Bob Corker might be the easiest vote to get… Obama heads to LA to hit three fundraisers for Barbara Boxer… Obama vs. John Roberts… Profiling potential SCOTUS pick Elena Kagan… Men with guns protest outside of DC… "Daily Rundown" to interview Sen. George LeMieux (R)… Bill Clinton talks midterms and Lincoln vs. Halter… And Romney stumps for Rubio in Tampa, FL. 

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Seeking one more vote: As NBC's Ken Strickland reported on Friday, Senate Democrats are hoping to bring the financial regulatory reform legislation to the floor later this week. But to do so, they need at least one Republican vote to stop a GOP filibuster. Also on Friday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a letter to the White House saying that all 41 Republican senators are opposed to the legislation (but as we noted, saying they're opposed to the bill and saying they'd support a GOP filibuster are two different things). So Democrats and the White House are searching for a Republican or two -- Corker? Collins? Snowe? Gregg? Brown? Voinovich? Even Bunning? -- to get 60 votes to bring the legislation to the floor. Today, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner meets with Collins to discuss the bill, and last week he met with Brown. The question that everyone is wondering is whether the fraud charges against Goldman Sachs make it harder for the GOP to sustain a filibuster -- for simply beginning debate on the bill...

*** What about Bob? The easiest GOP vote for Democrats and the White House to get might be Corker. Why? It turns out he helped negotiate the $50 billion fund that McConnell and the GOP is arguing establishes a perpetual bailout for Wall Street. Check this out: "The issue of how to shut down large financial firms without a taxpayer bailout and without damaging the nation's economy was precisely the issue Corker had spent the most time negotiating with Dodd," the Nashville Tennessean's Theobald reports in his column. "In the wake of McConnell's withering attacks on the bill, a distressed Corker took to the Senate floor Wednesday to defend his efforts while trying not to offend GOP leaders. He said criticisms of the bill's bailout-avoidance provisions were technically accurate but overblown. And he said problems with those provisions could be dealt with in 'about five minutes.'" And more from Corker, per Gannett: "That's all industry money. To classify that as a bailout fund, in fairness, is not intellectually pure."

*** California Dreamin': Not since the 2003 recall of Gray Davis, and the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger, has the state of California really mattered in electoral politics. But that could very well change this year. First, there's the toss-up gubernatorial contest between Democrat Jerry Brown and likely GOP nominee Meg Whitman. (A group affiliated with the RGA, in fact, already has a TV ad hitting Brown.) And second, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) potentially has a race on her hands against either Carly Fiorina (R) or Tom Campbell (R). That's precisely why President Obama is heading to California tonight to raise money for Boxer. (Note that, for the DSCC, it's more cost effective for Obama to raise money for Boxer than for the Dem committee to spend money on expensive TV ads in the state.) Obama is speaking at THREE fundraisers for Boxer in Los Angeles -- one at 9:00 pm ET, one at 9:40 pm ET, and one at 11:45 pm ET.

*** Obama vs. Roberts: On Sunday, the New York Times' Peter Baker wrote a fascinating piece arguing that Obama and Chief Justice John Roberts have emerged "as the intellectual gladiators in a great struggle over the role of government in American society. In this moment of churning uncertainty and ideological ferment, it is a struggle that is already defining the selection of the next Supreme Court justice and could easily help shape the course of the nation for years to come." More from the article: "Much more so than last year, when he made his first nomination to the court, Mr. Obama has Chief Justice Roberts on his mind as he mulls his second, according to Democrats close to the White House. For an activist president, the chief justice has emerged clearly in recent months as a potentially formidable obstacle, and Mr. Obama has signaled that he plans to use the political arena and his appointment power to counter the direction of the Roberts court." As Baker suggests, this issue is so big with the president that it could influence whom the president picks. Obama, according to sources, would like to find someone that could go toe-to-toe with Roberts, perhaps a politician (Napolitano or Granholm?) or perhaps someone who is cut from same cloth as Roberts (Garland?)

*** Meet Elena Kagan: With President Obama's SCOTUS pick coming soon -- presumably after the president's White House meeting on the subject with congressional leaders this Wednesday -- First Read will begin a daily look at the SCOTUS possibilities. Today, we begin with U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan, who's considered by many to be the front-runner and who's also drawing the most opposition from the left. Pros of a Kagan pick: She's viewed as having an easy road to confirmation (seven Republican senators voted for her confirmation as solicitor general: Coburn, Collins, Gregg, Hatch, Kyl, Lugar, Snowe)… She won praise from both liberals and conservatives during her tenure as dean of Harvard Law… She knows the president pretty well (while at the University of Chicago, she tried to recruit Obama, then a part-time lecturer in constitutional law, to a full-time job in academia)… A woman, she would be the court's third female, which would be a record… And at 49, she's one of the younger Supreme Court possibilities for Obama.

*** The pros and cons: Cons of a Kagan pick: Some liberals think that if she's nominated, Kagan would move the Supreme Court to the right (compared with Stevens)… They argue that she -- a la Harriet Miers -- has a tiny paper trail, and so they believe it's inconclusive if she's as liberal as other possible Obama picks… Liberal critics also cite Kagan's past statements that suggest she believes in strong executive-branch powers… Meanwhile, conservatives point to this: While at Harvard, she filed a friend of the court brief opposing the Solomon Amendment, which required universities that receive federal funding to be cooperative with military recruiters. Kagan contended that the military's ban on gays broke the law school's anti-discrimination policy against gays. Once the 3rd Circuit ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional, Kagan instructed Harvard Law's Office of Career Services to stop helping military recruiters. But she reversed course when the Supreme Court overturned the 3rd Circuit's decision. Still, she urged students to protest the recruiters.

*** Men With Guns: For the second time in less than a week, protestors will descend on the DC area -- this time bearing arms and supporting the 2nd Amendment. But the Washington Post notes that the "Restore the Constitution" rally at a national park outside of DC is more about Obama's health, tax, and social policies than about guns. (After all, Obama expanded gun rights more than any other Democratic president when he signed legislation into law that, among other things, allows people to carry weapons in national parks like the one where the rally will take place.) There's another pro-gun rally on the National Mall, the Second Amendment March, but folks there won't be carrying guns (because of DC law). Critics have seized on the fact that these protests are coming on the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, but organizers say they are commemorating the Lexington and Concord anniversary of April 19, 1775. Speaking of Oklahoma City, former President Bill Clinton has a New York Times op-ed on the bombing, as well as the anti-government rhetoric then and now.

*** Charlie's Angel: Despite all of those stories above, the best political story in America is probably still this one: What is Charlie Crist going to do? Does he stay in his GOP primary against Marco Rubio? Does he make an independent bid? Or does he drop out of the race altogether? Today, MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" interviews Sen. George LeMieux (R), who was appointed to his position by Crist and who was Crist's top adviser/confidante before the appointment. Interestingly, if Crist quits the Senate race and focuses on challenging Sen. Bill Nelson (D) in 2012, that could potentially set up a GOP primary between Crist and LeMieux.

*** Bill Clinton on 2010: In his interview NBC's Luke Russert, Bill Clinton talked about the Democrats' prospects in the upcoming midterms, as well as the Lincoln-vs.-Halter primary in his home state of Arkansas. On the midterms: "This is a different America than we had in 1994. The only way that we can lose the House is if young voters like you don't show up… This election will be determined not so much by the polls, who's up and who's down, but by who actually cares enough to go vote." On the primary in Arkansas: "A lot of the labor unions have picked out Arkansas, and are spending a fortune near to run ads against Sen. Lincoln because she [opposed] the card-check proposal… I endorsed her months ago. I like Bill Halter. I've known since he was a very young man. He worked in two different capacities in my administration, and I support him for lieutenant governor strongly. But I think that a lot of this criticism against Sen. Lincoln is overheated… They're having a fight… But I told her months ago I'd support her before I knew she'd have a primary opponent, and I still believe that's the right decision."

*** Super Senate Tuesday: Sticking with the Lincoln-vs.-Halter primary in Arkansas, the Washington Post's Cillizza writes that the challenge has re-energized Lincoln. "Before Halter's candidacy, which had been discussed for months in Democratic political circles in the state, Lincoln's reelection campaign seemed moribund... Three days after Halter made it official, however, Lincoln launched television ads touting her Senate seniority (she is the first Arkansan to chair the Agriculture Committee) and casting herself as an independent... Suddenly, Lincoln was relevant again. And, polling suggests that despite Halter's eye-popping fundraising and a slew of national labor groups spending money to bash her, Lincoln is holding steady in advance of the May 18 primary."

*** More midterm news: In Florida, Mitt Romney stumps for Marco Rubio in Tampa; Romney officially endorsed Rubio on Saturday… Also in Florida, Bill McCollum (R) has a slight lead over Alex Sink (D) in the gubernatorial race, according to a new Quinnipiac poll… In Massachusetts, Republicans settled on Charles Baker as their gubernatorial nominee… And in Pennsylvania, Democrat Mark Critz -- who is running to succeed his late boss Rep. Jack Murtha in the May 18 special election -- is running a TV ad saying that he opposes the health-care law (which is striking because Murtha voted for it). Politico suggests this is a sign "that the legislation is a tough sell even in working-class blue-collar Democratic confines."

Countdown to IN, NC, and OH primaries: 15 days
Countdown to NE and WV primaries: 22 days
Countdown to AR, KY, OR and PA primaries: 29 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 197 days

Click here to sign up for First Read emails.
Text FIRST to 622639, to sign up for First Read alerts to your mobile phone.
Check us out on Facebook and also on Twitter.

The New York Times: "With the Senate scheduled to begin debate on a financial overhaul bill this week, the fraud suit against the Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs has emboldened Democrats to ratchet up pressure on Republicans who oppose the Obama administration's proposal."

The paper also examines the Obama-vs.-McConnell debate over the legislation. "In a televised appearance on Sunday, Mr. McConnell asserted that Mr. Obama was 'trying to politicize this issue,' and stoutly defended his argument in recent days that the Democratic bill would institutionalize taxpayer bailouts of big banks. On Saturday, Mr. Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address to denounce Mr. McConnell's claim as 'cynical and deceptive' because 'he knows that it would do just the opposite.'" 

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is meeting with Sen. Susan Collins (R) on financial reform today.

The Washington Post: "The White House hasn't announced it yet, but look for the president to make a fresh push for what the West Wing now terms 'Wall Street Reform' during the week ahead. Two insiders suggest that the president will travel domestically to make his latest pitch, though just where he will go has not yet been announced."

The Hill previews Obama's trip to Los Angeles today to raise money for Sen. Barbara Boxer and the Democratic National Committee: "It will be Obama's first visit to Los Angeles since last May, when he spoke at a fundraiser at the Beverly Hilton that reportedly brought in some $3 million for the DNC."

"Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the United States does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran's steady progress toward nuclear capability, according to government officials familiar with the document," the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Gates released this statement yesterday: "The New York Times sources who revealed my January memo to the National Security Advisor mischaracterized its purpose and content. With the Administration's pivot to a pressure track on Iran earlier this year, the memo identified next steps in our defense planning process where further interagency discussion and policy decisions would be needed in the months and weeks ahead. The memo was not intended as a 'wake up call' or received as such by the President's national security team. Rather, it presented a number of questions and proposals intended to contribute to an orderly and timely decision making process.  There should be no confusion by our allies and adversaries that the United States is properly and energetically focused on this question and prepared to act across a board range of contingencies in support of our interests."

"Public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a half century, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say they don't trust the federal government and have little faith it can solve America's ills, the survey found." 
 
And independents in that survey say they are voting Republican this fall by a 41%-34% margin.

"Several dozen self-proclaimed patriots, all of them armed, are ready to muster outside Washington, D.C., today," the AP writes. "They intend to make history as the first people to take their guns to a demonstration in a national park, and the Virginia rally will be held in sight of the Capitol, just a few miles from the White House. Daniel Almond, an Iraq War veteran and Georgia real estate agent, organized the rally because he is upset about health care, climate control, bank bailouts, drug laws, and what he sees as President Obama's insistence on and the Democratic Congress' capitulation to a totalitarian socialism that tramples individual rights."
 
Who is Almond? He's "a member of several little-known groups -- including Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Freedom, and Oath Keepers."

The Washington Post profiles possible SCOTUS pick Diane Wood, who has come under criticism from anti-abortion groups. "If President Obama nominates U.S. Circuit Judge Diane P. Wood to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, social conservatives say they intend to make her rulings on abortion rights the primary point of contention," the paper says.

More: "Liberal supporters praise Wood for her willingness to challenge 7th Circuit Judges Frank H. Easterbrook and Richard A. Posner, formidable thinkers admired by conservatives. Despite their ideological differences, the three are friends who often eat lunch together… Critics 'are misconstruing some carefully reasoned opinions for their own political ends,' said Nan Aron, head of the liberal Alliance for Justice, who noted that Wood's support for abortion rights is not unusual. 'No one expects a Democratic president to appoint a justice or a judge who is anti-choice.'"

If Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) were to lose his re-election bid this fall, Durbin and Schumer are all but certain to duke it out to succeed him. And that likely contest would open up the No. 2 spot regardless of who prevailed since, knowledgeable Democrats say, neither Durbin nor Schumer would want to serve as the other's Whip," Roll Call writes. "Conference Secretary Patty Murray (D-Wash.) would be a natural to move up in the ranks, but sources said she is unlikely to escape a challenge for Whip. Top among the possible contenders: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (N.J.), the ambitious junior Senator who jumped into leadership after just three years in the chamber."

Jacob Weisberg in Slate looks at what he sees as the evaporating "Responsible Republicans." He sees the GOP's strategy of a zero-sum game on domestic and economic politics as short-sighted, arguing that "no" leads to cynicism about the system and a Washington paralysis that Democrats don't have an equal share in. He traces this back to Bill Kristol memos of the 1990s, which helped kill hopes of a Clinton health-care deal and, in turn, lent credence to the notion of "no," making "Responsible Republicans" like Alan Simpson, Bob Dole version 1 and John Chafee things of the past.

Sen. Scott Brown gave his first Sunday interview to CBS's Face the Nation. The Boston Globe notes that Brown said he would filibuster Democrats' version of financial reform, but "Brown did not mention that leading attack," that this bill furthers bailouts, which was launched last week by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and has been pilloried by Democrats as 'cynical' and 'misleading.'"

"Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Sunday all but criticized her colleague, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), for using the phrase 'gangster government' at a Tea Party rally earlier this month," The Hill notes. "While Blackburn would not condemn those remarks during a roundtable on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' she did say 'it would not have been a choice in words I made.' 'Those are words that she chose, those are statements she made,' Blackburn said, later transition into a defense of the Tea Party movement."

ARKANSAS: The Washington Post contends that Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's announcement that he was challenging Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic primary energized, rather than derailed, her re-election bid. "Suddenly, Lincoln was relevant again. And, polling suggests that despite Halter's eye-popping fundraising and a slew of national labor groups spending money to bash her, Lincoln is holding steady in advance of the May 18 primary," the Post writes. 
 
FLORIDA: Calling Gov. Charlie Crist's travails "yet another reminder of the intraparty dangers awaiting candidates viewed as not conservative enough," the Washington Post takes a look back at how Crist went from being, in 2008, "a popular governor whose Republican admirers are talking [him] up for the veep spot on [his] party's national ticket" to now "deciding whether to leave the GOP and run as an independent." 
 
IDAHO: Republican Vaughn Ward, who is running for a chance to face Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick, borrowed a Dodge pickup truck from a supporter for his first campaign ad, the Spokesman-Review reports. "Ward's campaign said the GOP candidate owns and drives a Ford truck, but it was white and the color didn't work on camera, so the commercial used the supporter's grey Dodge."

KENTUCKY: Roll Call says the Republican Senate primary can be summed up by the candidates' shoes. For Trey Grayson, polished black wingtips; For Rand Paul, "well-used brown lace-ups that more closely resembled bowling shoes." And: "The few times they stood next to each other, Paul's size 8s were dwarfed by Grayson's size 13s. The shoe sizes only amplified the two men's other physical differences -- the secretary of state has a towering frame and sharp haircut while the much shorter eye surgeon from Bowling Green sports a mop of wavy hair that never seems to be completely in place. But while Grayson certainly looks the part of a Senate candidate more than the third child of Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) does, he's suddenly found himself in the fight of his young political career. With one month to go before the May 18 primary, public polling on the contest seems to indicate Grayson is having trouble closing a 15-point gap against Paul."

MASSACHUSETTS: "Republicans gave an overwhelming endorsement to gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker at their state convention yesterday, giving him a massive margin [89% to 11%] that forces GOP rival Christy Mihos out of the race and frees him from what could have been a bitterly divisive primary battle," the Boston Globe reports. 
 
NEW MEXICO: Stu Rothenberg looks at the GOP's potential revival in New Mexico. 
 
NEW YORK: The New York Post's Dicker says Andrew Cuomo might jump in the race for governor next Wednesday, the night of a Manhattan fundraiser. "An announcement that day would also come just two days before the start of the nominating convention of the Democratic Rural Conference, a group with which Cuomo has strong personal and political ties," he writes. 
 
NORTH CAROLINA: "Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham has launched a TV ad that accuses Republican Sen. Richard Burr of voting for unfavorable trade deals that have cost North Carolina jobs," the Raleigh News-Observer reports. "'Richard Burr has voted 18 times to send jobs to China, Vietnam, Honduras and Singapore,' says the TV ad, which the Cunningham campaign says is running in several TV markets." 
 
PENNSYLVANIA: "Democrat Mark Critz, running to succeed the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), is branding himself as an opponent of health care legislation in his latest ad -- a sign that the legislation is a tough sell even in working-class blue-collar Democratic confines," Politico writes. 
 
WASHINGTON: NRSC Chairman Jon Cornyn said of Dino Rossi: "I've been urging him to make a decision sooner rather than later because there's a practical problem with not having enough time to do what you need to do before the election."

From NBC's Lea Sutton
GOP Sen. Scott Brown, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were the key speakers at today's National Lawyers Association's conference in Washington, DC.

Gingrich may have delivered the quote of the day when he said, "I think this country is on the edge of a rebellion." In a follow-up with an audience member, he clarified saying: "When I said a rebellion, I meant a political rebellion -- exactly what Jefferson called for."

As he did at last week's Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Gingrich described the current administration as a "secular, socialist regime" -- citing the health-care law (which he wants to repeal) as an example. He also said he believes the GOP will win in 2010 and 2012, but that it needs to become the "party of yes."

And Gingrich was asked about his desire for a 2012 White House run. Gingrich responded that he hadn't made up his mind and that it would be a family decision.

Brown, meanwhile, focused his speech on fiscal responsibility in Congress, bipartisanship, and how we treat "people who want to kill us" (i.e., terrorism). On fiscal responsibility, he said that lawmakers in Washington often aren't people who pay bills, and he wants to "bring common sense back to Washington." Brown, for instance, said doesn't support the legislation extending unemployment benefits because "it's not paid for."

On bipartisanship, Brown said it is very difficult to get parties talking again after events like the contentious debate over the health care law. But he wants to bridge relationships. "I told leaders when I voted cross-party that there needs to be some reciprocity." He added, "Am I hopeful? Yes. But the way they're trying to score political points is shameful, and I'm hoping we can do better."

Ashcroft said it is damaging when the U.S. signals a lack of clarity to the world in how it deals with terrorists who are detained on the battlefield. He talked about how he felt the Obama administration undermined the integrity of military commissions, referring to how military commissions have been effectively used in the past. And he expressed concerns about the legal issues of closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying the courts will be "tempted to say 'no matter where you take them, our jurisdiction follows.'"

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Both liberal and conservative bloggers use today's news that Goldman Sachs knowingly sold derivitives that were designed to fail as a vehicle for explaining why financial regulatory reform should or shouldn't pass.
 
AMERICABlog's Joe Sudbay applauded the Securities and Exchange Commission for filing criminal charges against Goldman Sachs, writing, "Finally. Finally. There may be some accountability on Wall Street." Sudbay acknowledged that "This is only a civil suit. Many of these big bankers should probably be in jail, so I'm holding out for criminal charges. But, the SEC showed it has some teeth."
 
Also in the vein of regulatory reform, Daily Kos's mcjoan notes that a letter from Sen. Mitch McConnell suggesting all Republican Senators would filibuster the Democrats' regulatory bill actually leaves some loopholes for Republicans who may end up signing on to the bill.
 
"It seems that not every Republican is ready to jump on the political suicide bandwagon of protecting the banksters," mcjoan writes, explaining that "Susan Collins signed on to McConnell's opposition letter, though the letter stops short of threatening a filibuster of the bill, and calls for more 'bipartisan' negotiations." 
 
Hot Air's Ed Morrissey focused on Goldman's recent support of the Obama administration's financial reform plans, which the Washington Examiner's Timothy Carney today wrote "indicated that major financial 'reform' proposals will help Goldman's bottom line." Morrissey also cites the Wall Street Journal, which wrote of a stipulation in the bill in which the FDIC can guarantee corporate debts. The WSJ called the provision "an even more explicit taxpayer backstop than anything Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac enjoyed during the housing bubble, and one that's available to a virtually unlimited number of firms."
 
Morrissey made the opposite point of those claiming that the Goldman revelation emphasizes the need for the financial regulation reform legislation: "Hopefully, the Goldman Sachs charges will put a brighter light on this mainstreaming of federal bailouts," Morrissey wrote. "We don't need to codify bailout strategies; we need to end them. Financial reform should make an absolute end to the necessity of bailouts its primary goal. Instead, we're getting more "too big to fail" thinking, along with Congress' natural inclination to grant itself powers the Constitution never intended it to have," he continued.
 
National Review Online's Daniel Foster lampoons a rather brash email sent from one of the traders accused of selling desinted-to-fail derivatives to European banks. In a 2007 letter, Fabrice Tourre wrote: "Only potential survivor, the fabulous Fab[rice Tourre]…standing in the middle of all these complex, highly leveraged, exotic trades he created without necessarily understanding all of the implications of those monstruosities!!!" Similarly, an email on February 11, 2007 to Tourre from the head of the GS&Co structured product correlation trading desk stated in part, "the cdo biz is dead we don't have a lot of time left."
 
"Anyone whose e-mails are subject to review by the SEC probably shouldn't say things like this," Foster quips.

A look at the Week Ahead.

Financial reform may hit the Senate floor in the middle of the week, Lehman hearing, Pawlenty to Iowa, MTP has Geithner, Obama goes to Poland -- volcano-permitting -- then raises money for Sen. Boxer and talks Stevens replacement, IN SEN GOP and AR SEN D debates, and tea at the manor.

Click here for the full video.

A brief clip is below:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From NBC's Mark Murray
First Read confirms the news that Mitt Romney is endorsing Florida GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio. A source close to Romney tells First Read that the possible Republican presidential candidate is expected to appear at a campaign event for Rubio on Monday in Tampa, FL.

The endorsement shouldn't come as much of a surprise. For one thing, Rubio is leading primary opponent Charlie Crist by 23 percentage points, according to a recent Quinnpiac poll. In addition, there has been a tremendous amount of speculation -- which Crist isn't totally knocking down right now -- that the Florida governor might run as an independent or even quit the Senate race altogether. 

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he "hopes" to take up the financial regulation reform bill next week, but it's looking more like LATE next week before there's any real action.

In the first part of the week, Reid will try to break filibusters on five presidential nominees. Those votes could carry into Wednesday. The nominees are:
-- Lael Brainard to be Under Secretary, Department of the Treasury
-- Marisa J. Demeo to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Superior Court
-- Christopher H. Schroeder to be Assistant Attorney General
-- Thomas I. Vanaskie to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit
-- Denny Chin to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit

Once Reid has disposed of these nominations, he'll try to bring the regulation reform bill to the floor. Since Republicans have signaled they'll try to block the bill from coming to the floor, a vote to end the filibuster wouldn't occur until Friday -- or that next Monday, April 26.

If this scenario plays out -- and it could slip by a day -- Democrats will need 60 votes just to start debate on the bill. Again, that vote would happen late next week at the earliest.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Politico's Martin reports that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) convened a meeting with his closest advisers to discuss, in part, a possible presidential bid. And Martin weighs the possible pros and cons of a White House run by Barbour.

Among the pros: an "unmatched Rolodex" that could make him a fundraising juggernaut; credibility among establishment Republicans (especially due to his stewardship of the RNC and RGA); and a pragmatic streak (while he's conservative, he isn't a purist like, say, Jim DeMint is).

Among the cons: He's a former lobbyist. And as a white man from the Deep South, he might not be the ideal Republican to challenge the nation's first black president.

Besides the race angle, geography also might be a hurdle for Barbour. As we saw in '08, Obama did incredibly well in the states neighboring Illinois (IA, IN, even MO). Barbour doesn't expand the GOP's map -- in fact, he'd only solidify the impression that the GOP is the party of the South.

From NBC's Mark Murray
In a letter to Senate Majority Harry Reid, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell says that all 41 Republican senators are united in opposition to the financial reform legislation Reid plans to bring to the floor next week.

As First Readers know very well by now, Reid and the Democrats need 60 votes to bring any legislation to the floor -- so they will need to peel off at least one Republican.

McConnell writes, "As currently constructed, this bill allows for endless taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street and establishes new and unlimited regulatory powers that will stifle small businesses and community banks."

But as liberal (and Pulitzer Prize-winning) New York Times columnist Paul Krugman argues today, "Mr. McConnell is pretending to stand up for taxpayers against Wall Street while in fact doing just the opposite. In recent weeks, he and other Republican leaders have held meetings with Wall Street executives and lobbyists, in which the G.O.P. and the financial industry have sought to coordinate their political strategy. And let me assure you, Wall Street isn't lobbying to prevent future bank bailouts. If anything, it's trying to ensure that there will be more bailouts."

McConnell's letter is below...

*** UDPATE *** Do note, however, that while McConnell says all 41 Republican senators "are united in our opposition" to the legislation, that isn't the same thing as saying that all 41 senators would block the legislation from coming to the floor. 

Dear Leader Reid:

We encourage you to take a bipartisan and inclusive approach, rather than the partisan path you chose on health care.  

A bipartisan bill should address the damaging financial practices of big Wall Street firms and government-sponsored entities that led to unprecedented taxpayer bailouts and caused our government to take on enormous amounts of debt.  We simply cannot ask the American taxpayer to continue to subsidize this "too big to fail" policy.  We must ensure that Wall Street no longer believes or relies on Main Street to bail them out.  Inaction is not an option.  However, it is imperative that what we do does not worsen the current economic climate or codify the circumstances that led to the last financial crisis.

We are united in our opposition to the partisan legislation reported by the Senate Banking Committee.  As currently constructed, this bill allows for endless taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street and establishes new and unlimited regulatory powers that will stifle small businesses and community banks.  

This is a complex issue that could have unintended consequences on job growth, the ability of Americans and business owners to access credit, and the United States' role as a worldwide leader in innovation and capital formation.  The consequences of this bill will reverberate across our economy for years to come.

We urge you to support the bipartisan negotiations by the Banking and Agriculture Committees.  We are confident that the Senate can overcome political tensions and provide a bipartisan approach to financial reform this year.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The conventional wisdom is that this news will make it more difficult for Senate Republicans to oppose financial/Wall Street reform. In fact, NBC's Chuck Todd just said that some Democrats are comparing it to the news -- before health care's passage -- that Anthem Blue Cross raised its health premiums by 39%.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday charged Goldman Sachs Group Inc. with defrauding investors, alleging that Goldman let a big hedge fund fill a financial product with risky subprime mortgages and then failed to disclose that to the product's buyers.

The SEC's civil lawsuit is one of the biggest moves by authorities in response to the financial crisis of 2007-08, and it sent Goldman shares sharply lower. The firm's shares were down about 12% around midday, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off more than 1%.

In a statement, Goldman said, "The SEC's charges are completely unfounded in law and fact and we will vigorously contest them and defend the firm and its reputation."

From NBC's Sarah Blackwill and Mark Murray
In a speech he gave in DC on the upcoming 15th anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, former President Bill Clinton said that one of its lessons is that words matter.

I had a great time fighting with Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay and Dick Armey... I remember when [Armey] called Hillary a socialist. I remember when Newt Gingrich, shortly after becoming speaker, said that Hillary and I were the enemies of normal Americans. It didn't bother me a bit.

But what we learned from Oklahoma City is not that we should gag each other or reduce our passion from the positions we hold -- but that the words we use really do matter, because there's this vast echo chamber and they go across space and they fall on the serious and the delirious alike. They fall on the connected and the unhinged alike. And I am not trying to muzzle anybody. But one of the things that the conservatives have always brought to the table in America is a reminder that no law can replace personal responsibility. And the more power you have and the more influence you have, the more responsibility you have.

Clinton continued:

Look, I'm glad they're fighting over health care and everything else. Let them have at it. But I think all you have to do is read the paper everyday to see how many people there are who are deeply, deeply troubled. 
 
Yes, the Boston tea party involved the seizure of tea in the ship because it was taxation without representation. This fight is about taxation by duly elected representatives that you don't happen to agree with and can vote out at the next election -- and two years after that, and two years after that, and two years after that.
 
By all means, keep fighting. By all means, keep arguing. But remember words have consequences as much as actions do. And what we advocate commensurate with our position and responsibility, we have to take responsibility for. We owe that to Oklahoma City.

*** Note *** Clinton's remarks came an event hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Did Charlie Crist's veto yesterday effectively end his GOP primary campaign?... Crist is talking to Mitch Bainwol, and they are discussing two options: 1) an indie bid or 2) dropping out altogether… Politico on the Two Obamas…. First Read's Top 10 Senate takeovers… And a judge rules that Scott Ashjian can stay on the Senate ballot in Nevada.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Stuck in the middle with you: Did Charlie Crist's veto yesterday of an education reform measure in Florida -- supported by Jeb Bush and other GOP leaders -- effectively end his GOP primary campaign? Sure looks like it. "Some say Crist's rejection of the measure (SB 6) signals that he is about to drop out of the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, where he badly trails in the polls, and run as an independent," the AP wrote. But a Crist campaign source emails First Read that the veto doesn't hurt his chances the GOP primary. "Not every Republican in the legislature was for this bill and there has been an outpouring from the most conservative of Republicans against the bill as well." Nevertheless, the veto cost him the support of former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, who resigned as Crist's campaign chairman because of the veto.

*** What does Crist do? First Read has learned that Crist is getting much of his political advice nowadays from GOP strategist Mitch Bainwol, and they are considering two options right now: 1) making an independent bid, which would turn the general election into a toss-up; and 2) dropping out of the race altogether and turning his sights to a 2012 Senate challenge against Bill Nelson (D). But right now, no one is seriously talking about Crist staying in a GOP primary he's trailing by double digits. The filing deadline is at the end of this month. 

*** The two Obamas: Politico has this provocative story: "While Washington talks about Obama's new mojo [after health care's passage], polls show voters outside the Beltway are sulking -- soured on the president, his party and his program. The Gallup Poll has Obama's approval rating at an ominous 49 percent, after hitting a record low of 47 percent last weekend. A new poll in Pennsylvania, a bellwether industrial state, shows his numbers sinking, as did recent polls in Ohio and Florida. So there are two Obamas: Rising in D.C., struggling in the U.S." But is Obama really struggling with an approval rating near 50%, especially considering unemployment is at 10% and his predecessor's approval rating was in the 20s and 30s his final couple of years in office? The president's approval rating has been static for about nine months now. That said, the fact that there wasn't movement UPWARD is clearly a concern for the folks at the White House; they did think there would be some bounce post-health care.   

*** Obama's day: At 10:15 am ET, President Obama delivers remarks at the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors, which is taking place at the Interior Department. After that, at 11:00 am, he holds a meeting (closed to the press) with his National Security Council to discuss Afghanistan and Iraq. And there's a former president in DC today… Former President Bill Clinton, in DC, headlines a symposium commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.

*** Unemployment benefits signed into law: By a 59-38 vote yesterday, the Senate approved the legislation extending unemployment benefits through June 2. The House immediately followed suit, passing the bill by a 289-112 vote. And then President Obama signed into law last night. Today on Capitol Hill, the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on Goodwin Liu's controversial nomination to serve on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.  

*** First Read's Top 10 Senate Takeovers: If it's Friday, it's time for another First Read Top 10 list. Today, we take our monthly look at what we consider to be the Top 10 Senate takeovers. The number in parentheses is our ranking from March.
1. North Dakota (1) -- With Byron Dorgan's (D) retirement and John Hoeven (R) in the race, this remains at the top
2. Delaware (2) -- Mike Castle (R) is still the driver's seat
3. Nevada (3) -- Harry Reid got health care through, but his poll numbers still look bleak
4. Arkansas (5) -- The Lincoln-Halter primary is for real. Are Dems counting on a flawed GOP nominee to hold on to this seat?
5. Indiana (4) -- If he wins his GOP primary next month, does Dan Coats (R) continue to call Obama a "socialist"?
6. Illinois (7) -- So far, Giannoulias has "survived" the Broadway Bank cloud over his head. But does that change when the bank actually gets shut down? 
7. Pennsylvania (9) -- Specter vs. Sestak is starting to heat up. Does a better economy help the Dem winner in what's looking like a toss-up general election?
8. Colorado (6) -- Jane Norton (R) might have her own real primary, with DeMint and other conservatives backing Ken Buck
9. Missouri (8) -- Robin Carnahan (D) has begun her attack on Roy Blunt (R) for being a Washington insider. Does that begin to change the polls?
10. Kentucky (unranked) -- We could put other races here (CA, NH, OH even FL), but this month we're going with the Bluegrass State. Democrats do have a path for victory here, especially if Rand Paul wins in the GOP primary in May. What will be fascinating is Mitch McConnell's reaction to a Paul victory; he can be a tad vengeful. 

*** More midterm news: In Nevada, a judge ruled "that Scott Ashjian can remain on the ballot as a Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate," the Las Vegas Sun reports. "District Judge Todd Russell rejected the legal challenge of the Independent American Party, which argued Ashjian lied on his declaration of candidacy."… Also in Nevada, the Tea Party decided to endorse Republican Sharron Angle and not Ashjian… And in Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson -- as expected -- decided not to challenge Sen. Russ Feingold (D).

Countdown to IN, NC, and OH primaries: 18 days
Countdown to NE and WV primaries: 25 days
Countdown to AR, KY, OR and PA primaries: 32 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 200 days

Click here to sign up for First Read emails.
Text FIRST to 622639, to sign up for First Read alerts to your mobile phone.
Check us out on Facebook and also on Twitter.

"President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients' choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans," the Washington Post writes. "The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami." 

The New York Times: "The rules will take time to draft and put in place, and so Mr. Obama's order will have no immediate effect. Even so, gay rights groups called it a major advance for the families of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender individuals." 

Per NBC's Norah O'Donnell, Obama really raked it in last year with $5.5 million in reported income -- mostly due to his book sales. Going back to Carter, no other president in recent history has made as much money in office. Also, Vice President Biden made $333,000 dollars last year, paid $71,000 to Uncle Sam, and gave just $4,820 to charity. The Bidens gave just about 1.5% of the income to charity, but Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander told O'Donnell that the Bidens' tax returns are "not the sum of their annual contributions to charity. They donate to their churches, and they contribute to many causes with their time, as well as their checkbooks."

Per the New York Times, "Congress on Thursday approved legislation that would keep unemployment checks flowing to jobless Americans, and President Obama immediately signed it. After the Senate resolved a stubborn impasse, deciding the $18 billion cost of the measure could be added to the deficit, the House quickly followed with approval of the measure on a bipartisan vote of 289 to 112."

The AP: "The measure is a welcome relief to hundreds of thousands of people who lost out on the additional weeks of compensation after exhausting their state-paid benefits. They now will be able to reapply for long-term unemployment benefits and receive those checks retroactively under the legislation. The bill also restores full Medicaid payments to doctors who were threatened by a 21 percent cut and refloats the flood insurance program."

Turning to financial reform… NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports that GOP senators have been working on a letter signed by their caucus to urge Majority Leader Reid not push the bill to the floor next week as he has indicated.  Republicans say they want Chris Dodd (D) and Richard Shelby (R) "back in a room to work out a bipartisan deal." Sources say that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was rebuffed at the White House when he asked the president to insist that Democrats stop pulling their members from the room during negotiations.  Aides say the president did not push back but moved on to other topics.

A Democratic Party source says that Democrats begin tying the GOP criticism of the Senate financial reform legislation to the talking points that GOP pollster Frank Luntz drafted for Republicans to stop the bill. "The White House is preparing to take an aggressive stance against McConnell and the Luntz crafted lies he's spreading on Wall Street reform. We're not about to let them get away with planting the seeds of these bogus claims with the public the way they did for a time on health reform. McConnell's arguments that the Democrat's plan for Wall Street reform will perpetuate bailouts is pure fantasy cooked by Frank Luntz in a right wing focus group - and bears no reality to the legislation or Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party's longtime efforts to shill for Wall Street and its lobbyists."

A Wall Street Journal editorial writes, "At long last, the financial reform debate is getting serious, which is to say it is getting to the major questions—specifically, how can we protect the American taxpayer from being held up one more time by the failure of the banking system? Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, deserves special credit for insisting this week that the fine print in the Democratic reform bills should match the rhetoric of Democratic leaders. The main author of the Senate bill, Chris Dodd of Connecticut, says the latest draft of his bill to reform financial regulation "will end bailouts." We wish that were true. This evolving legislation still allows regulators to deploy unlimited sums to rescue financial giants, and with too much discretion." 

"Senator Scott Brown said that his mind was not immediately changed after meeting this morning with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, but there appears to be room to negotiate on a proposal to overhaul the financial system," the Boston Globe reports, adding: "The Massachusetts Republican, though, has also signed a letter that has been circulating among Republicans saying he opposed the current bill and wanted a more bipartisan effort."

"California law professor Goodwin Liu will be a test case of President Barack Obama's ability to win confirmation for a liberal appeals court nominee," the AP says. "Round One is Friday, when Liu -- nominated for a San Francisco-based appeals court -- appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee to face Republicans staunchly opposed to his liberal views. The nomination also will test Republican muscle to block Obama's court picks, now that Democrats no longer have a filibuster-proof majority of 60 votes."

"Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) spent another $58,000 on legal fees from his re-election coffers in the first months of 2010, according to his most recent campaign finance report," Roll Call reports.
 
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday that he remains committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform this year, either before the November elections or afterward during an all-but-certain lame-duck session," Roll Call writes. "'If we can't get it done before the election, we'll get it done' during the lame-duck session, Reid said. Reid refused, however, to say when exactly he would move the controversial legislation, telling reporters that 'I don't go for these arbitrary deadlines' and that once a bill is ready, he will bring it to the floor."

"Tea party protesters marked tax day Thursday with exhortations against 'gangster government' and appeals from Republicans seeking their grass-roots clout in November elections, a prospect both tempting and troubling to those in the loose movement," the AP writes of the Tea Party's rally in Washington yesterday. "Several thousand rallied in Washington's Freedom Plaza in the shadow of the Ronald Reagan office building, capping a national protest tour launched in the dust of Nevada and finishing in the capital that inspires tea party discontent like no other place. Allied activists demonstrated from Maine to Hawaii in hundreds of lively protests, all joined in disdain for government spending and -- on the April 15 federal tax filing deadline -- what they see as the Washington tax grab." 

"Thousands of conservative tea party protesters rallied at the Washington Monument on Thursday evening as a bevy of firebrand conservative orators railed against Obama administration policies and what they perceive to be excessive taxation and federal regulation," Roll Call reports. "The Tax Day Tea Party, sponsored by the conservative grass-roots group FreedomWorks, capped a full day of protests in the nation's capital and across the country. Several Republican Members of Congress took to the stage by the monument to whip up support for the GOP ahead of the November midterm elections. 'This is our moment,' Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said, throwing her hands in the air. 'Because one thing that we've learned in the last 15 months is that it's not going to get any better with these people.'" 

Lou Dobbs told a group of New York Tea Partiers: "You are scaring the hell out of them. You, my friends, are dangerous -- and I love that about you." 

Meanwhile, "House Democrats used Tax Day to push back against Republican charges that their policies will increase taxes on the middle class, joining a fight sure to last through November's elections," The Hill writes.

And President Barack Obama "struck a hyperpartisan note Thursday, telling Democrats that he was 'amused' by the Tax Day Tea Party rallies," The Hill writes. "Obama, addressing a Democratic National Committee (DNC) fundraiser in Miami, did little to endear himself to the Tea Party groups protesting around the country, saying 'they should be saying thank you' because of the tax cuts he has signed into law."

In Louisville, KY today, Sarah Palin speaks at the Women of Joy conference, a gathering of Christian women.

In National Journal, Charlie Cook wonders if Democrats losing the House would actually help Obama's 2012 chances. "There are two arguments supporting the notion that the president might benefit from divided government. First, a GOP-controlled House would provide Obama with a foil. Republicans would have some governing responsibility; Democrats wouldn't 'own' Washington and automatically get the blame for everything that does or doesn't happen. A strong case can be made that President Clinton would not have been re-elected in 1996 had Democrats not lost control of Congress in 1994."

"The second contention is that losing control of the House would allow (or force) Obama to take a more centrist approach, to replicate the 'triangulation' that worked well for Clinton in 1995 and 1996. Positioning himself and his administration as less liberal than congressional Democrats and less conservative than congressional Republicans, Clinton became the moderate honest broker in policy, riding that course to victory over Republican Bob Dole." (Many of Obama's critics from the left would argue that he's already taking a centrist approach to governing…) 

Stu Rothenberg's latest column: "I've always said that the party campaign committees usually get too much credit for success and too much blame for failure, so I'm certainly not pointing fingers in this column. But if Republicans fall a handful of seats short of taking over the House in the fall midterms, it could be because of the party's inability to recruit strong candidates in a short list of districts with highly vulnerable Democratic incumbents." He points to NC-8, GA-8, IL-8, and WI-8.

CONNECTICUT: The Norwich Bulletin: "[T]he latest accusation suggesting that [GOP Senate hopeful Linda] McMahon tipped off a suspected steroid-dealing  doctor associated with the organization of a federal investigation is a serious concern. ... [I]t raises a question of character. The McMahon campaign's dismissive response that it's a nonissue because a jury acquitted McMahon's husband and the organization of conspiracy charges falls far short of addressing that more important issue. ... She owes Connecticut residents a better explanation."

FLORIDA: "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) decision to veto an education bill has cost him the support of his political mentor -- and that may just be the beginning," The Hill writes. "Former Sen. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) quit as chairman of Crist's Senate campaign Thursday, citing the governor's veto in a brief resignation letter. 'As you know, I strongly disagree with your veto,' Mack wrote his fellow Republican, according to the Associated Press. 'Your veto I believe undermines our education system in Florida and the principles for which I have always stood.'"

INDIANA: "All but one candidate for the GOP Senate nomination have blown by a deadline for disclosing their income and financial holdings," the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette reports. "Dan Coats' campaign press secretary, Pete Seat, said an adviser gave Coats wrong information about the deadline and that Coats will request an extension 'soon.'"

MASSACHUSETTS: The Massachusetts GOP convention kicks off today, and there is some nasty politics taking place, including push polls. Republicans, confident about their chances to pick up the governor's seat this fall, are expected to endorse Charles Baker and running mate Richard Tisei. But if Christy Mihos, who is running to Baker's right, gets 15% of the delegates' votes, then he'll qualify for the September primary ballot.

NEVADA: "A judge has ruled that Scott Ashjian can remain on the ballot as a Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate," the Las Vegas Sun reports. "District Judge Todd Russell rejected the legal challenge of the Independent American Party, which argued Ashjian lied on his declaration of candidacy."

"The Tea Party has decided to ignore its own candidate for the U.S. Senate to defeat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid" and endorse Republican candidate Sharron Angle, the Las Vegas Sun reported. "The party bypassed Scott Ashjian, who filed as a Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, but he said Wednesday he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't get the endorsement because the party has been criticizing him." 

PENNSYLVANIA: "Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, a Democrat facing one of the toughest U.S. re-election bids this year, lagged behind the likely Republican candidate [Rep. Pat Toomey] in fundraising during the first quarter," Bloomberg reports. Specter raised $1.2 million in the first quarter, finishing March with $9.1 million while Toomey raised $2.3 to clock in at $4 million.  
 
The DCCC has a new ad against Republican Tim Burns, who is running for late Rep. John Murtha's seat in PA-12, accusing him of supporting "a 23% national sales tax on nearly everything."  
 
And while Democratic nominee Mark Critz "won the fundraising battle in the first quarter," Critz and Burns finished the fundraising period with almost the same amount of money, The Hill reports.  
 
WISCONSIN: Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) will not run for Senate against Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported yesterday.

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
President Obama defended his newly-announced recommendations for NASA, addressing the grievances of some in the space industry that the plan -- which cancels some projects announced during the Bush administration -- would compromise the United States' leadership in space exploration.

After announcing earlier in the week that it would be cancelling George W. Bush's Constellation space program, which was geared towards manned missions to the Moon and eventually Mars, the Obama administration was met with unusual resistence from notable astronauts including Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

One of the most contentious parts of the new program is the scaled-down version of the Ares I and V launch vehicles and the Orion crew capsule -- technology proposed under the Constellation program that would be used to tranport astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the Moon. Without NASA-owned capsules, American astronauts will be forced to use commercial space transportation, a concept abhored by some in the space industry.

Obama pinpointed those concerns in his speech in front of 200 NASA employees, astronauts, and members of Congress. "I recognize that some have said it is unfeasible or unwise to work with the private sector in this way. I disagree." He added that the investment in private companies would spur economic growth. "By buying the services of space transportation -- rather than the vehicles themselves -- we can continue to ensure rigorous safety standards are met. But we will also accelerate the pace of innovations as companies -- from young startups to established leaders -- compete to design and build and launch new means of carrying people and materials out of our atmosphere."

Obama defended the reasons for cancelling the Ares and Orion programs, referring to the recommendations of a "panel of respected non-partisan experts charged with looking at these issues closely" who concluded that "the old strategy ... was not fulfilling its promise in many ways."

The panel he referred to is the 10-person Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, also known as the Augustine Committee because it was chaired by former Lockheed Martin president Norman Augustine. In a study published last year, the commission concluded that "the U.S. human spaceflight program appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory" and that "it is perpetuating the perilous practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources."

Citing the pace of development for the Ares I and V programs and the Orion capsule, and their ability to transport astronauts and equipment to the International Space Station (ISS), the commission wrote, "The original 2005 schedule showed Ares I and Orion available to support the ISS in 2012, two years after scheduled Shuttle retirement. The current schedule now shows that date as 2015."

To compensate for that lag, Obama's plan proposes building a new heavy-lift rocket that would be completed sooner than Ares and Orion would have been. In addition, the plan increases NASA's budget by $6 billion over 5 years. And, as Obama said today, it will add more than 2,500 jobs in Florida's Kennedy Space Center area.

"This is the next chapter that we can write together here at NASA," Obama said. "We will partner with industry. We will invest in cutting-edge research and technology. We will set far-reaching milestones and provide the resources to reach those milestones. And step by step, we will push the boundaries not only of where we can go but what we can do."