A year and a half after the nation elected its first African-American president -- and after he won the battleground state of Virginia -- that state's new Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, has issued a proclamation declaring April "Confederate History Month" in Virginia, the Washington Post writes. It was a move "that angered civil rights leaders Tuesday but that political observers said would strengthen his position with his conservative base."

"The two previous Democratic governors had refused to issue the mostly symbolic proclamation honoring the soldiers who fought for the South in the Civil War. McDonnell (R) revived a practice started by Republican governor George Allen in 1997. McDonnell left out anti-slavery language that Allen's successor, James S. Gilmore III (R), had included in his proclamation. McDonnell said Tuesday that the move was designed to promote tourism in the state, which next year will mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the war. McDonnell said he did not include a reference to slavery because 'there were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia.'"

The Washington Post reports that embattled RNC Chairman Michael Steele yesterday called rank-and-file party members to assure them that the committee is on solid footing. "As he spoke with RNC members Tuesday, Steele highlighted that the party has responded to the scandal, with a new chief of staff and revamped accountability measures. An RNC spokesman also reported that the committee raised $11.4 million in March."

But that doesn't mean that the bad news had ended for Steele. The AP says a New Hampshire man quit his committeeman post at the RNC. "Committeeman Sean Mahoney, a New Hampshire businessman who is mulling a run for Congress in November, joined the chorus of criticism from activists and donors over lavish spending by the RNC… 'Not only has the out-of-touch, free-spending culture of Washington come to completely dominate the United States Congress, but I have watched with growing unease as the same mentality has seeped into our own national party,' Mahoney wrote in a letter."

Meanwhile, Minnesota Public Radio previews Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann appearing together today: "Several thousand people are expected to turn out for a rally in Minneapolis Wednesday afternoon featuring former Alaska Gov. and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palin will headline a fundraiser in the evening for 6th District Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann."

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune: "The popular and polarizing 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate will attend a free, massive rally and a high-dollar fundraiser to benefit U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and the Minnesota Republican Party. The Republican Party rally at the Minneapolis Convention Center starts at 2 p.m., but doors open at noon. GOP officials say they have handed out 10,000 rally tickets and have no more. Palin and Bachmann will address the crowd, as will Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other Republican glitterati. Conservative media star Sean Hannity will be on hand to sign his new book and do his television show from the convention center.
 
"The rally tickets were free. Tickets to the afternoon fundraiser cost $500, with prices skyrocketing to $10,000 for a "private reception with photo opportunity." Couples who shelled out $10,000 also got to fill a table for 10 at the Minneapolis Hilton."

ARIZONA: Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard kicked off his campaign for governor yesterday, Movahe Daily News writes. 
 
On the heels of Sen. John McCain's campaign appearance on behalf of Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, the Los Angeles Times writes, "Although the multimillionaire former head of Hewlett-Packard has positioned herself as an outsider competing against career politicians, McCain's backing could be seen as proof to the conservative voters Fiorina is wooing that she is the primary candidate hand-picked by the party elite." 
 
MARYLAND: Democrats are hoping that former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, currently running for another term, won't be able to avoid his formerly close connections with embattled RNC chairman Michael Steele, the Baltimore Sun writes. "Ehrlich plays down his involvement in his friend's career, even though he assisted Steele's rise through party ranks in Maryland, and he alone put Steele in position to become the first African-American lieutenant governor in state history by making him his running mate in 2002." 
 
MASSACHUSETTS: Back in the game: "Massachusetts Democrats, who for months had all but given up hope of holding onto the governor's office, are now convinced that Deval Patrick's reelection campaign has come to life, in part because of his reengagement in the political process that he shunned during much of his term," the Boston Globe reports. "Add in some legislative successes and proactive moves on Beacon Hill, and Patrick, according to legislators, mayors, and political operatives, is emerging from a dark period that saw pundits and even some of his closest allies writing him off." Patrick kicks off his campaign with a series of events this weekend. 
 
"Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker, treading carefully on a thorny topic for many GOP candidates, praised the tea party movement yesterday, but avoided offering an opinion on one of its controversial stars, former vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, who is slated to come to Boston for a rally next week," the Boston Globe writes. Baker said, "The tea party seems to me to be another example [of] civic engagement, which is always a good thing,' Baker wrote during a wide-ranging, hourlong chat with readers on Boston.com. 'And most folks I know who are tea party members are terrified about deficit spending, taxing, and jobs. Me, too.'"  
 
NEVADA: The Las Vegas Sun's Ralston reports on a new PAC, the Committee to Protect Nevada Jobs, which will begin a TV campaign against Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Sandoval next week. "Its purpose is to protect the job of one Jim Gibbons -- at least past June 8… The head of the group is Dan Hart, a longtime consultant to Reid the Younger. Dot-connecting here is not difficult. 
 
Sandoval also released an ad yesterday, called "Together," calling for voters to elect him to "get Nevada's financial house in order," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
 
NEW YORK: "Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell 4th will kick off a campaign for Rep. Charles Rangel's Harlem seat on Monday," the New York Daily News reports. "Powell is trying to reclaim the House berth his father held for decades before an insurgent Rangel wrenched it from him in a 1970 primary." 
 
"Matthew Zeller, an Army veteran with family roots in New York's Southern Tier, has been tapped by local Democratic leaders to run for the seat vacated by former Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.)," Politico reports. 
 
"Republicans have rallied behind former Corning Mayor Tom Reed, who has been in the race since last July," Roll Call notes. 
 
PENNSYLVANIA: State senator and gubernatorial candidate Anthony Williams will debut his first TV ads tomorrow, Politics PA reports. 
 
TEXAS: Gov. Rick Perry "unveiled a new campaign ad Tuesday, emblazoned on [NASCAR star Bobby] Labonte's No. 71 Chevrolet Impala that's part of the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway April 18 in Fort Worth," the Dallas Morning News reports. "The Republican governor's name is on the hood and the car includes the phrase "Moving Texas Forward." The Perry campaign is paying about $225,000 to sponsor Labonte's stock car."

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
The Obama administration's release of its five-year nuclear weapons and policy review, which explicitly stated that they would not be used against non-nuclear states, provoked differing responses from the right and left as to whether the new language will have any substantial effects. 

Two bloggers at the conservative blog Hot Air commented on the politics and policy of the review.

Allahpundit seized on the New York Times' description that the review states America's explicit commitment "not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons, or launched a crippling cyberattack…" (emphasis is Allahpundit's).

While he said the review amounts to "a symbolic gesture of good faith to put pressure on Russia and China to reduce their own stockpiles," he asked whether America's enemies will be compelled to develop alternative, non-nuclear means of wreaking large-scale damage. "In limiting the nuclear deterrent to nuclear weapons (and, in certain cases, biological attacks) instead of WMD generally, doesn't this create an incentive to focus on developing bio and chemical weapons?"

Looking at the politics of the announcement, Hot Air's Ed Morrissey wrote that the review is "a fixing of what wasn't broken in the first place," adding that vague language regarding use of nuclear weapons was working well, and changing the policy is "an attempt to split the middle on nuclear policy, since the Left wanted an outright declaration of no use of nukes at all.  However, the rest of the country wasn't interested in a recalculation of nuclear policy. For one thing, what we have been doing for 60 years has worked pretty well; that ambiguity was enough to keep our enemies guessing."

Writing at National Review Online, Henry D. Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Center, downplayed the dramatic shift in policy that "headlines are screaming" about, and suggested that multiple delays in the review's release indicate that some within the administration wanted to take a harder tack. He wrote that the United State's announcement that the it will not threaten to use nuclear weapons against NPT-compliant countries "sounds dramatic but essentially means we would not consider threatening to use nuclear weapons against states we never had any intention of ever targeting, such as Brazil. On the other hand, we still could use them against Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia."

But Spencer Ackerman at the Washington Independent has a post that would refute conservatives' claim that the review's rhetoric represents no substantive posture shift, writing that explicitly committing not to fight non-nuclear states with nuclear weapons is "something arms-controllers have wanted to see for a long time, especially since it recognizes a truth that is key to maintaining a credible non-nuclear deterrent: it's inconceivable that the U.S. will actually use nuclear weapons unless it's been struck by them. What's more," Ackerman continues, "it appears the document's abandonment of nuclear retaliation for non-nuclear assault is a clarification, teasing out the implication of one of its central aspects: declaring that the principle nuclear threat to the U.S. is from proliferation — that is, not just from a nuclear-armed enemy, but from the existence of the weapons themselves."    

From NBC's Jenna Pfeffer 
In the first ad of his re-election campaign, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) seeks to highlight how valuable he has been to his constituents.

"The best way to know me is for you to meet the people who I've had the privilege to serve," he says in the ad. That is followed by a variety of North Carolinians speaking about how Burr has assisted them, including veterans and their families. North Carolina is home to Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army base.

One woman suggests that Burr has personally called her to say, "I care…tell me about your situation."

Another woman proclaims, "Richard Burr is there for the veterans and their families."

The ad (before the required sign off) closes with a man saying, "If I need help, I'll call Senator Burr."

Burr faces a challenging election ahead. No incumbent has been re-elected for the seat since 1968. Democrats have stressed his vulnerability, based on his approval ratings. But their candidates are facing a primary.

On Monday, Burr's campaign announced that he had raised more than $1.5 million in the first quarter for his re-election.

*** UPDATED 3:10 PM ET ***

From NBC's Pete Williams
Federal prosecutors have charged a Washington state man, Charles Alan Wilson, with repeatedly making threatening calls to Sen. Patty Murray's Seattle office, threatening to kill her because of her support for the health care bill.

FBI agents say they arrested Wilson after getting telephone records and calling him to confirm that his voice matched the one left on voicemail in Murray's office.

The investigation began in late March, after the health-care bill was passed, when a staff member notified the FBI that a man, who had been calling the Seattle office for months, leaving messages after hours, had begun making overt threats to kill her.

In one message, according to court documents, he said, "I hope you realize, there's a target on your back now. There are many people out there who want you dead. ... Kill the ----ing senator.  I'll donate the lead." In another, he describes himself as "a senior citizen on Social Security and Medicare" and says, "I want to thank you so much, very, very much, for signing my death warrant."

FBI agents checked the office phone records against the times the voicemails were received, leading to Wilson's number in Selah, Wash. As an additional check, an agent posing as a volunteer from a fictitious group opposed to the bill, called Patients United Now, called Wilson on April 1st and talked to him for 14 minutes. He said he "hated" the law and that he had repeatedly called Murray's office to complain, referring to her with a phrase, "Sneaker Shoes Murray," also often used on the voicemails.

The FBI also determined that Wilson has a handgun registered to him and a valid concealed-weapons permit.

He's charged with threatening a federal official, a felony carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Barack Obama often cites his friendship with Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

Many had to wonder why?

Their politics are practically polar opposites. Coburn was a staunch opponent of Democrats on health care -- and other issues. Remember, he introduced several amendments during the reconciliation process that were difficult to vote against, like banning erectile dysfunction drugs for child molestors.

But if you read this story, you see why Obama and Coburn are friends. It's about temperament, civility and reason.

Capitol News Connection reports on a Coburn town hall:

After a woman in the audience railed against the possibility of being put in prison for not obtaining health insurance under the Democrat's (sic) new law, Coburn dismissed her remark and questioned the accuracy of Fox News reports on health care reform.

"The intention is not to put any one in jail. That makes for good TV news on FOX but that isn't the intention,' Coburn responded. ...

While discussing his policy disagreements with Pelosi Coburn said "she's a nice lady," which brought hisses and hoots from the crowd. But Coburn flatly rejected the crowd's animosity towards the liberal Speaker.

"Come on now. She is nice – how many of you all have met her? She's a nice person," Coburn said as he went on to lecture the crowd about civility.

"Just because somebody disagrees with you dodn't (sic) mean they're not a good person," Coburn said. "I've been in the senate for five years and I've taken a lot of that, because I've been on the small side –- both in the Republican Party and the Democrat Party." ...

"What we have to have is make sure we have a debate in this country so that you can see what's going on and make a determination yourself," Coburn added and then again warned the crowd against the myths perpetrated on FOX News.

"So don't catch yourself being biased by FOX News that somebody is no good. The people in Washington are good. They just don't know what they don't know," Coburn said."

Civility and reason in politics are sorely lacking inside and out of this town. And nothing encapsulated that more than the past year's health-care debate. Americans could stand to follow the example of those on both sides of the aisle who try to comport themselves with some semblance of dignity.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Former U.N. envoy to Aghanistan Peter Galbraith on MSNBC's Daily Rundown this morning charged that Afghan President Hamid Karzai's "continued tirade raises questions about his mental stability."

He then added, "In fact, some of the palace insiders say that he has a certain fondness for some of Afghanistan's most profitable exports."

Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world's opium from poppy -- used for heroin production. 

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 Domenico Montanaro
The conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, joint with the Wall Street Journal, has degraded the United States to no longer being "free."

The Obama-led U.S. now only ranks as "mostly free" on the group's 2010 Index of Economic Freedom World Rankings.

The big culprit: government spending. "In the most recent year, government spending equaled 37.4 percent of GDP," it writes. "Spending increases totaled well over $1 trillion in 2009 alone, an increase of more than 20 percent over 2008. Stimulus spending set for the next three years is estimated to equal 5 percent of 2009 GDP."

And it has this take on the U.S.'s "freedom from corruption": "The absence of transparency and accountability in the operations of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and in other "bailout" programs managed by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve has increased concerns about the potential for government corruption."

And, it's not just the stimulus and TARP, it's health care, too: "The national government's role in the economy, already expanding under President George W. Bush, has grown sharply under the Administration of President Barack Obama, who took office in January 2009. Economic growth, which collapsed in 2008, had resumed by the second half of 2009, but legislative proposals for large and expensive new government programs on health care and energy use (climate change) have increased prospects for significant economic disruptions and raised concerns about the long-term health of the economy."

Ironically, each of the countries Heritage ranks ahead of the U.S. -- Hong Kong (No. 1), Singapore (No. 2), Australia (No. 3), New Zealand (No. 4), Ireland (No. 5), Switzerland (No. 6), and Canada (No. 7) -- have a larger government role in their citizens' health care.

In addition, the U.S. slips on this list into the "mostly free" category -- despite the U.S. having not yet even passed robust financial regulation reform after the 2008 economic collapse.

RNC chief of staff resigns in the wake of the sex-themed club story… Steele's top outside consultants bolt, too… But the RNC chairman doesn't appear to be going anywhere -- for now… Obama unveils new U.S. nuclear policy… He also makes a statement about the mining tragedy in West Virginia… The U.S.'s big Karzai problem… Harry Reid kicks off re-election campaign… And Karl Rove cuts TV ad promoting the Census.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Ch-ch-changes: The controversy over the RNC's $2,000 expenditure at a sex/bondage-themed-club has now entered its second week. Last night's development: The RNC's chief of staff, Ken McKay, resigned (or was he fired?) and was replaced by Deputy Chief of Staff Mike Leavitt, who was Michael Steele's campaign manager in his '06 Senate race. And McKay's departure means that Steele's top consultants who were close to McKay -- Curt Anderson, Wes Anderson, and Brad Todd -- are now out, too. "Given our firm's commitments to campaigns all over the country we have concluded it is best for us to step away from our advisory role at the RNC," the trio said in a statement. "We have high personal regard for the chairman and always have; we wish him well." The separation can, at best, be described as mutual.

*** Steele isn't going anywhere -- for now: The big question everyone is asking: Will Steele be able to hold on to his job? All signs are still pointing to yes. First, we hear that the RNC is set to announce to a big fundraising haul from March (fueled in large part due to health care's passage). It could be the committee's best fundraising month under Steele and PERHAPS the best single fundraising month in the history of the committee (for a midterm year). Second, the new consulting team Steele will bring in also will buy him some time (and perhaps some love from the establishment community that was upset it didn't get a piece of the consultant pie when the Andersons stepped in). And third, we're just too far into this cycle -- it's just seven months until Election Day -- to make this kind of change. To be forced out, a large group of state party chairs would have to get together. And at this point, those folks have their own issues to deal with (including their own state conventions and campaigns). But one thing is crystal clear (and it was crystal clear before the sex-themed club story broke last week): Steele is not coming back to lead the RNC during the 2012 cycle. For all intents and purposes, he appears to be a lame duck chairman.

*** War games: Kicking off the start of a nine-day focus on nuclear weapons, President Obama today unveils his policy on nuclear weapons, which is a departure from past administrations in a couple of ways. First, it declares that the U.S. will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries. But there's one caveat, the Washington Post says, that appears tailored to apply to Iran: Those non-nuclear countries like must be in compliance with nonproliferation treaties. Second, the policy states that the U.S. would use nuclear weapons only for deterrence, and that the nation will not produce any more nukes. The new policy is classic Obama, as it strikes a middle ground and is unlikely to please hawkish conservatives or dovish liberals. The New York Times writes, "Mr. Obama's new strategy is bound to be controversial, both among conservatives who have warned against diluting the United States' most potent deterrent and among liberals who were hoping for a blanket statement that the country would never be the first to use nuclear weapons." On Thursday, in Prague, Obama will sign a non-proliferation treaty with Russia. And then beginning next week, Obama will host a nuclear summit in DC.

*** Obama to make statement on West Virginia tragedy: President Obama will make remarks about the mining tragedy in West Virginia at 9:40 am ET.

*** The Karzai problem: Here's maybe the biggest story few are talking about: the Obama White House's problem with Afghanistan President Karzai. "Karzai's startling threat to join the Taliban if foreigners don't stop meddling in Afghanistan and his strident criticism of the West's role have worsened relations with Washington at a time when the U.S. military wants closer cooperation ahead of a potentially decisive offensive this summer," the AP wrote yesterday. "Karzai has been fuming for months about what he considers Washington's heavy hand. He's gambling that blaming outsiders for the troubles in a society with a long tradition of resisting occupation will bolster his stature at home - while carrying little risk because the U.S. has no choice but to deal with him." What's driving this latest shift in rhetoric? How could Karzai be saying this just DAYS after meeting personally with the president. What's he up to? Today's "Daily Rundown" has an interview with one of the U.N. officials Karzai called out by name: Peter Galbraith. 

*** Reid Kicks Things Off: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the Senate's most vulnerable incumbent, officially kicked off his re-election bid yesterday. "I know what close elections are and this is going to be a close election," Reid said at a Las Vegas rally, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Every vote counts." Reid also appeared on FOX yesterday, where he downplayed his low poll numbers. "We're doing fine," he said. "The polls are fine. I'm not going to get into a poll battle, because the only poll that matters is the one in November."

*** Rove cuts Census ad: How concerned are some Republicans that the anti-Census sentiments among some conservatives -- like Michele Bachmann, who appears tomorrow with Sarah Palin -- could hurt the party? Concerned enough that Karl Rove has cut a TV ad for the Census.

Countdown to IN, NC, and OH primaries: 28 days
Countdown to NE and WV primaries: 35 days
Countdown to AR, KY, OR and PA primaries: 42 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 210 days

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"U.S. Sen. Harry Reid on Monday kicked off his re-election campaign with an emotional send off from his hometown of Searchlight," only a week after a 10,000-strong Tea Party rally overtook the town, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. "'You can't escape who you are. My roots are here and no one can take that away from me,' Reid told a crowd of more than 100 supporters."

"Reid (D-Nev.) took aim at the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, who joined Tea Party ralliers in Searchlight, Nev., to campaign against Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate," The Hill reports. "'I was going to give a few remarks on the people who were over here a week ago Saturday,' Reid said in a video posted by Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, 'but I couldn't find it written all over my hands. You betcha,' Reid added to supporters' laughter, mimicking one of Palin's trademark slogans."  
 
In the interview, he takes a shot at Martha Coakley, Fox News, and defends the Nebraska Medicare deal. On Massachusetts, "They were afraid we were messing with their health care. Most states have no health care. And the campaign wasn't all health care. We had a few other problems. Without denigrating the campaign or anything about -- VAN SUSTEREN: Coakley? I thought she ran a good campaign. REID: Massachusetts didn't agree. VAN SUSTEREN: She was up 19 points on December 20th. REID: Until she came back from her three week vacation?" Here's a partial transcript.

The Washington Post says that the nuclear policy that President Obama will unveil today is a middle-of-the-road approach. "Under the new policy, the administration will foreswear the use of the deadly weapons against nonnuclear countries, officials said, in contrast to previous administrations, which indicated they might use nuclear arms against nonnuclear states in retaliation for a biological or chemical attack. But Obama included a major caveat: The countries must be in compliance with their nonproliferation obligations under international treaties. That loophole would mean Iran would remain on the potential target list."

More: "The new policy will also describe the purpose of U.S. weapons as being fundamentally for deterrence. Some Democratic legislators had urged Obama to go further and declare that the United States would not use nuclear weapons first in a conflict. But officials in the Defense and State departments worried that such a change could unnerve allies protected by the U.S. nuclear 'umbrella.'"

The New York Times: "Mr. Obama's strategy is a sharp shift from those of his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation's nuclear posture for a new age in which rogue states and terrorist organizations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China… Mr. Obama's new strategy is bound to be controversial, both among conservatives who have warned against diluting the United States' most potent deterrent and among liberals who were hoping for a blanket statement that the country would never be the first to use nuclear weapons."

Also on Obama's agenda today: "President Obama will sit down Tuesday with about 20 black religious leaders, including representatives of the major African American denominations, in the second White House meeting in three months to discuss the needs of the black community," the Washington Post reports.

"The Obama administration is delaying release of the annual report on the financial health of Social Security and Medicare so that the report can reflect the effect of the recently passed health care overhaul," the AP reports. "An administration official, speaking yesterday on the condition of anonymity before the formal announcement, said that this year's trustees report will be delayed until June 30, three months later than it usually comes out. In January, Richard Foster, the chief actuary for Medicare, estimated that the bill the Senate passed on Christmas Eve would extend the life of the Medicare hospital trust fund by 10 years."

"A war of words between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the White House escalated yesterday, with Washington expressing frustration that an attempt to smooth over the feud had failed," Reuters writes. "Karzai said he stood by remarks from last week accusing the West of carrying out election fraud in Afghanistan, and he appeared to sharpen the criticism further by singling out the United States for blame."

Politico yesterday broke the news on the resignation of RNC chief of staff Ken McKay, who became "the highest-ranking official to depart the committee after revelations that the national party spent nearly $2,000 at California sex club." More from the story: "McKay's departure in turn prompted one of RNC Chairman Michael Steele's closest advisers to cut ties to the party – an indication that a full-scale bloodletting is under way at the troubled committee. Doug Heye, communications director for the RNC, declined to say if McKay was forced out but indicated the move was directly related to the money spent at the now-infamous Voyeur Club and broader concerns about the party's fundraising and the performance of Steele."

Also: "Steele was more explicit in an email message sent Monday night to committee members and donors, many of whom were caught by surprise about the decision. 'Leadership requires that I can safely assure you, our donors, and the American people that our mission is what drives every dollar we spend, every phone call we make, every email we send and every event we organize,' Steele wrote in the email, obtained by POLITICO. 'Recent events have called that assurance into question and the buck stops with me. That is why I have made this change in my management team and why I am confident about going forward to November with renewed focus and energy.'" 

The Washington Post says McKay will be replaced "by Deputy Chief of Staff Mike Leavitt, a Steele loyalist and longtime party operative who ran Steele's unsuccessful Senate campaign in Maryland in 2006 and worked at the RNC with Robert F. McDonnell's winning Virginia gubernatorial campaign last year. Some leading Republican strategists said the turnover will not be enough to quell the growing concerns among GOP donors and establishment figures about Steele's leadership and his record of spending. Ed Rogers, a prominent party strategist, said it is "absolutely not" enough to calm donors, and he suggested that problems with 'sloppy management' at the RNC cannot be solved unless Steele leaves."

"The Democratic National Committee set a date Monday for their next national party convention -- the week of Sept. 3, 2012 -- where they will re-nominate President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden. Now they just need to pick a place," Roll Call writes.

"Ohio governor Ted Strickland and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm have made a friendly wager over which of the two states will have the highest participation rate in the 2010 Census," Ohio's WFMJ station reports. "The winner will be determined by the state with the highest participation by April 22, Earth Day, [and] will donate the state tree to the losing state on Arbor day."    

CALIFORNIA: The San Jose Mercury News reports, "[Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg] Whitman, the front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor, will announce today that she contributed $20 million more to her war chest late Monday."   

This brings "her contributions from her personal fortune to $59 million in what is expected to be the most expensive governor's race in California history," AP notes.  
 
"Former Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) will report $1.6 million in receipts for his Senate bid in the first quarter of the year, his campaign announced Monday," Roll Call reports. 

Peter Schurman, the former founding executive director of MoveOn, says he will challenge Jerry Brown in the Dem gubernatorial primary.

CONNECTICUT: Responding to Senate candidate Linda McMahon's "questionable" answers on a 2009 questionnaire as part of a vetting process for a spot on Gov. M. Jodi Rell's board of education, the campaign of Republican opponent Rob Simmons said, "Just because some of McMahon's scandals have been front page news does not give her license to lie about them," the Hartford Courant reports.  
 
FLORIDA: "Rudy Giuliani emphasized Marco Rubio's trustworthiness Monday as he endorsed him for Florida's open Senate seat over an opponent he said broke a promise to support him in his presidential bid," the AP writes. "Giuliani worked hard to get Crist's endorsement in his 2008 presidential run, and said the governor promised he'd get it. Crist instead backed Sen. John McCain." 

The Hill: "Giuliani said his endorsement goes beyond 'whether Charlie Crist broke his word with me on several occasions; he did -- that's the reality, that's the truth -- he did break his word.' Giuliani downplayed any notion the endorsement had to do with his personal relationship with Crist, according to bloggers on the call, saying it 'goes way beyond that.' 'Whether I did have a history or not with Gov. Crist, in terms of him having broken his word, I'd be supporting Marco in any event,' Giuliani said."  
 
IOWA: In a new Research 2000 poll, 42% of Iowa voters said they would re-elect Sen. Chuck Grassley, compared with 31% who said they want someone new and 27% who are undecided, the Iowa Independent writes. 

KENTUCKY: Republican Senate candidates Trey Grayson and Rand Paul "spent much of a nearly two-hour event at Union College defining the differences in their views about how much power the federal government should wield," the Lexington Herald-Leader writes of the candidates' forum last night.   

NEW YORK: "Tea Party-backed Buffalo developer Carl Paladino kicked off his promised $10 million campaign for the GOP nomination for governor last night, vowing to shake up the race and capture grassroots support," the New York Post writes.  
 
WISCONSIN: A Wisconsin Public Radio/St. Norbert College Survey Center poll shows former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson beating incumbent Russ Feingold 45%-33%. "The telephone poll of 400 Wisconsin residents was done between March 23 and March 31 and has a margin of error of plus of minus 5 percentage points," AP writes. 

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski
Senior military and Pentagon officials acknowledge that U.S. special operations forces inadvertently killed three women during a commando operation in Afghanistan in February, but deny allegations that the American forces tried to cover it up.

On Feb. 12, shortly after midnight in Gardez, U.S. Special Operations forces, along with Afghan forces were on a nighttime raid to capture a known Taliban operator responsible for a major impovised explosive device, or IED, operation. When they came upon the compound, a man armed with an AK-47 emerged and was shot dead by U.S. snipers. A short time later, a second man, also armed with an AK-47, appeared in a doorway, and he too was shot dead by at least two snipers firing five to six shots. Military officials say it is now evident the three women were in the room behind the man shot in the doorway.

By the time the larger unit of Special Forces arrived at the compound, family members had apparently moved the bodies of the two men into a seperate room along with the bodies of the three women. The military's forensic investigators have photos of all five bodies together, some already prepared for burial. By then, family members had also apparently attempted to wash down the walls in the room where the male victim was shot in the doorway.

The intial ISAF (US/NATO) incorrectly stated that while U.S. forces shot the two men, it appeared the three women were killed before the raid.

A seperate Afghan investigation, based on interviews with family members the day after the attack, determined the three women were shot by U.S. forces. The father of one of the dead women also claimed U.S. soldiers had dug bullets out of the women's bodies and the wall in an apparent attempt to hide the evidence.

U.S. officials say the soldiers did dig two slugs out of a wall, in an attempt to identify the sources of the bullet holes, but deny they attempted to retrieve any bullets from the bodies.

ISAF and the U.S. military have opened a third investigation in an effort to reconcile the differences in the two reports.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
John McCain tells Newsweek he never considered himself a maverick.

Much as the crowd ate up her every word, Palin had apparently missed the real message this electoral season in Arizona: for his three decades in Congress, McCain hadn't gone with the flow enough, at least not enough to satisfy many Arizona Republicans. Why else would his rival, former congressman J.D. Hayworth, be billing himself as "the consistent conservative"? Many of the GOP's most faithful, the kind who vote in primaries despite 115-degree heat, tired long ago of McCain the Maverick, the man who had crossed the aisle to work with Democrats on issues like immigration reform, global warming, and restricting campaign contributions. "Maverick" is a mantle McCain no longer claims; in fact, he now denies he ever was one. "I never considered myself a maverick," he told me. "I consider myself a person who serves the people of Arizona to the best of his abilities." Yet here was Palin, urging her fans four times in 15 minutes to send McCain the Maverick back to Washington.

That's a striking declaration, considering his 2008 campaign ran an ad called "Original Mavericks." From that ad, "He battled Republicans and reformed Washington."

*** UPDATE *** And there's this, the subtitle of his book: "Worth the Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him."

(Hat tip: TPM.)

And:

And (hat tip to the Washington Post) Biden spoke at length in the vice-presidential debate on whether McCain was, in fact a "maverick."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Doug Adams
President Obama's first pitch, as Bob Uecker might say was "just a bit outside."

Obama told Nationals announcers he was "a little disappointed," and attributed the Jesse Orosco-like looping swerve to an early and high release.

He said during "practice" he was throwing strikes (he swears). But he said he slipped a little bit on the mound, leading to the high pitch.

Obama went up to the Nats' announcer booth in the second inning of today's game and spent about 10 minutes talking during the bottom of the second and into the top of the third.

More from Obama in the booth:
Asked about his favorite Chicago White Sox player growing up, Obama admitted that he didn't become a White Sox fan until he moved to Chicago after law school. He said that growing up, he was an Oakland A's fan.

Obama added that he was a "baseball purist" and said the National League rule of not having a designated hitter is "the way to go."

He said he couldn't wait to see Nats phenom Steven Strasburg pitch, calling him the "real deal."

Asked about the White Sox chances this year, Obama said the White Sox have "as good a starting rotation as any in the league." He said he's a bit worried about the Sox' offense, and says closer Bobby Jenks need to have a good season.

Asked about tonight's NCAA final, he said Butler is a "great story" but he thinks Duke will win; that Duke is too strong inside. On the women's side, Obama said he liked Connecticut.

Asked about his tournament bracket, he said he was doing well -- in the 98th percentile, but when Kansas lost, his bracket collapsed.

From NBC's Jenna Pfeffer
In Republican Gilbert Baker's first ad, he urges Arkansans to vote for him, because "we have to stand up to President Obama and put Arkansas values first."

Baker, a state senator, is one of several candidates running in the competitive GOP Senate primary. He is vying for the seat held by the vulnerable incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln.

In the 30-second ad, Baker hits on several themes, including Obama, Washington, health care, deficits, bailouts and Wall Street.

The ad depicts Obama in a doctor's labcoat with a stethoscope around his neck and emphasizes Baker's conservative credentials.

"America's economy struggling, trillion dollar deficits, President Obama forcing America down the wrong track," a narrator says before pivoting to Congress and Washington. "Congress shares the blame. Taxpayer bailouts for bad behavior -- banks, Wall Street, car companies. Washington is broken, and Congress is the problem. Here in Arkansas we have small town conservative values. We balance the budget, cut taxes, and invest in job creation. We use common sense."

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
Sen. Jim Bunning (R KY) issued the following statement concerning the expiration of unemployment benefits. He and other Republicans point out that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats did not agree to a short-term extension:

"Before the Senate adjourned for the Easter Recess, Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats had agreed to pass a one-week extension of unemployment benefits that was fully paid for. Unfortunately, the House Democrat leadership said no, and then Congress left town knowing the benefits would expire. Earlier, Senate Democrats voted to kill a one-month extension that was fully offset and did not add to the deficit.

"We could have stayed in Washington to resolve the issue and see that these benefits are extended and paid for, but it seems the Democrats thought it was more important to catch their planes. I am disappointed that the Democrats continue to play political games to avoid paying for these benefits that are so important to the many struggling families across our nation who rely on them to make ends meet while they search for work. Clearly, the Democrats don't want to help the unemployed unless they can increase the deficit while they're doing it."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
First, the Illinois legislature fired him.

Now, Donald Trump.

From one oddly coiffed man to another, Trump last night told former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, "You're fired" on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice.

In case anyone cares, here's how it went down. Blago was apparently the project manager on his struggling team this week. They lost again. And he was axed.

"I think we did not win," Blago told Trump, adding, "We're making progress."

Trump responded with a more-glowing-than-usual sacking: "And governor, I have great respect for you. I have great respect for your tenacity, for the fact that you just don't give up. But, Rod. You're fired."

Blago: "Thank you."

(There was an awkward handshake afterward, and an even more awkward salutation with the elevator operator.)

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Ben Smith reports that the RNC has lost a key fundraiser:

Former Ambassador Sam Fox, a top supporter of George W. Bush who was one of the co-chairmen of the Republican Regents -- the RNC's top-level fundraising board -- has left the post, two Republican sources said. Fox, a Missouri businessman who was Bush's ambassador to Belgium, was one of the RNC's few remaining connections to the deep-pocketed Republican establishment and was viewed as the heaviest hitter among its fundraisers. But Fox was "deeply troubled by the pattern of self-inflicted wounds and missteps," another major Republican fundraiser told me today, and had "lost confidence" in Steele.

*** UPDATE *** We've noted on First Read that other GOP committees have been benefiting from the problems at the RNC. And Ben Smith notes that Fox is helping the RGA: "He'll be hosting an RGA fundraiser in St. Louis on April 21, the source said."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is endorsing John McCain in his run for re-election in Arizona. It's another high-profile endorsement designed to shore up McCain's conservative bonafides.

Last week, McCain campaigned with former running mate Sarah Palin. Palin is a Tea Party favorite and has, at least temporarily, staved off some Tea Party groups from endorsing J.D. Hayworth, who is challenging McCain from the right.

"The formal endorsement comes at 2 p.m. (ET) today at a Capitol Hill luncheon," USA Today writes.

The chamber's Bill Miller, senior vice president and political director, said in a statement, per USA Today:

"We're endorsing John McCain because he has a record of standing up for the people of Arizona. He is an invaluable leader on important business issues. We're confident that Senator McCain will continue to look out for businesses of all sizes.  A strong proponent of fiscal responsibility, Senator McCain helped spur business growth and job creation in the state by exposing wasteful spending in the federal government and pressing for a balanced budget. On issues ranging from lowering taxes to exposing government waste, Arizona businesses and workers will continue to have no better friend in Washington than John McCain."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele this morning, as we noted in First Thoughts, said he had a slimmer margin for error because of his race.

"The honest answer is yes," Steele said. And he followed that with, "Barack Obama has a slimmer margin."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responded and dismissed the comment.

"That's a fairly silly comment to make," Gibbs said, per the Washington Post. "I think Michael Steele's problem isn't the race card, it's the credit card."

Preparing for yet another political battle -- a Supreme Court vacancy… Does Obama go for a safe pick or swing for the fences?... Steele gives his first interview since the sex-themed club story broke… USA Today/Gallup breaks down the Tea Party… A new L.A. Times/USC poll has Meg Whitman narrowly leading Jerry Brown… Rand Paul has a new TV ad hitting Trey Grayson… And Rudy Giuliani stumps for Marco Rubio.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The next battle? Just as things started to slow down a bit after health care's passage, the political world might be bracing for another big fight very soon. And we're not talking about financial or immigration reform. Rather, we're talking about what may be President Obama's second opportunity to fill a Supreme Court seat. On Sunday, both the New York Times and Washington Post ran interviews with 89-year-old (and soon-to-be 90-year-old) Justice John Paul Stevens, who suggested that he could be retiring soon. Those interviews followed Jeffrey Toobin's March New Yorker profile of Stevens, who said that he would make up his mind in April. "'Well, I still have my options open,' he said. 'When I decided to just hire one clerk, three of my four clerks last year said they'd work for me next year if I wanted them to. So I have my options still. And then I'll have to decide soon.' On March 8th, he told me that he would make up his mind in about a month."

*** Go safe or swing for the fences? A Stevens retirement would trigger yet another political fight over filling a SCOTUS vacancy. It's worth noting that the White House -- after the year-long health-care fight -- is pretty exhausted and might not have the appetite for a really big battle. Then again, even if Obama gets two terms, will he ever have 59 Democratic senators again? If you wanted to swing for the fences one more time, this might be your last opportunity, right? The early short list includes the runners-up from last year: Diane Wood of the 7th Circuit, current Solicitor General Elena Kagan, and Merrick Garland of the D.C. Circuit.

*** Steele speaks: In his first interview since the controversy over the RNC's $2,000 expenditure at a sex-themed club surfaced, Chairman Michael Steele maintained that he would not step down, arguing that the RNC fired the staffer responsible for that expenditure. "We dealt with it," he told ABC this morning. "We got to the bottom of it." He also responded to criticism of the RNC's fundraising and spending. "At the end of the day, I have raised more money than the Democrats in seven of 10 months." He also said that the RNC had spent money to win the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. Still, he admitted that his RNC needed to be more fiscally responsible. "I hear our donors; I hear our base out there." When asked whether he had a slimmer margin for error because he was black, Steele replied, "The honest answer is yes." Steele then tied himself to the president: "Barack Obama has a slimmer margin." Finally, he said, "At the end of the day, I am judged by whether I win elections and raise money."

*** Who are the Tea Party supporters? USA Today/Gallup is the latest polling group to examine the Tea Party movement. And its conclusion is similar to GOP pollster Dave Winston's: These folks are essentially disaffected Republicans. In the USA Today/Gallup poll, 49% of Tea Party supporters identify themselves as Republicans, while 43% say they are independents. But a whopping 70% of them say they are conservatives, while just 22% say they are moderate and only 7% say they are liberal.

*** California Dreamin': A new L.A. Times/USC poll shows Meg Whitman (R) leading Jerry Brown (D) by three points (44%-41%) in a hypothetical gubernatorial match-up, and it has Whitman leading primary challenger Steve Poizner by 40 points. "In the Republican Senate contest, former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell held a slim lead over one-time Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina, 29% to 25%. Coming in a distant third was Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, at 9%. At this early stage of the campaign, [Democrat Barbara] Boxer has a comfortable cushion over a generic Republican, 48% to 34%, as she seeks her fourth term. Although somewhat diminished in popularity, Boxer maintains a positive impression among California voters, the poll found."

*** Super Senate Tuesday: In Kentucky, Rand Paul (R) has a new TV ad hitting Trey Grayson (R) for raising money in DC and being part of the "Washington machine." And in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Arlen Specter (D) has campaigned relentlessly, "making return visits to each of the state's 67 counties since September."

*** Other midterm news: In Colorado, Sen. Michael Bennet has a new TV ad… In Florida, Rudy Giuliani endorses and stumps for Marco Rubio in Miami… And in Nevada, Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian "paid $5,575 to cover a disputed [$5,000] check and prosecution fees before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis approved withdrawing felony theft and bad check charges, court officials said," the AP says.

Countdown to IN, NC, and OH primaries: 29 days
Countdown to NE and WV primaries: 36 days
Countdown to AR, KY, OR and PA primaries: 43 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 211 days

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On Sunday, both the Washington Post and New York Times ran profiles of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, which suggested that he might be retiring soon.

"'I can tell you that I love the job, and deciding whether to leave it is a very difficult decision,' he [told the Washington Post. 'But I want to make it in a way that's best for the court.' That would mean a decision sooner rather than later, in time for the nomination and confirmation process to be completed before a new term begins in October, he said." 

"'There are still pros and cons to be considered,' Justice John Paul Stevens [told the Times]. But his calculus seemed to be weighted toward departure, and he said his decision on the matter would come very soon. 'I do have to fish or cut bait, just for my own personal peace of mind and also in fairness to the process,' he said. 'The president and the Senate need plenty of time to fill a vacancy.'"

In March, the New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin reported that Stevens would make up his mind this month. "'Well, I still have my options open,' he said. 'When I decided to just hire one clerk, three of my four clerks last year said they'd work for me next year if I wanted them to. So I have my options still. And then I'll have to decide soon.' On March 8th, he told me that he would make up his mind in about a month."