"President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed into a White House meeting Tuesday with the same goal: trying to move the Israelis and Palestinians to resume face-to-face peace talks," the AP writes. "Netanyahu on Sunday endorsed the U.S. call for direct talks between the two parties, just days after White House officials said Obama would push during the Oval Office session for those negotiations to get under way sooner rather than later."

The Washington Post: “Obama was cool toward Netanyahu during their last meeting, leaving the Israeli leader and his aides in the West Wing alone for hours as a subtle rebuke over Israeli settlement policies… That encounter followed an announcement by Israel, during a visit to the country by Vice President Biden, of a plan to construct 1,600 Jewish homes in a part of East Jerusalem that Palestinians view as their future capital. This next meeting has been promised as ‘a makeup visit.’”

"Vice President Joseph Biden said Monday that the Iraqis are 'absolutely' ready to take over full responsibility for securing their country as the U.S. proceeds with a planned drawdown of combat forces," The Hill reports. "'They are ready. Absolutely they’re ready to take over,' Biden said in an interview with NBC News during his two-day trip to Iraq over the July 4th holiday."

"President Obama may get liberal Elena Kagan on the Supreme Court, but conservative swing-voter Anthony Kennedy says he's not going anywhere anytime soon," the New York Daily News' DeFrank reports. "Justice Kennedy, who turns 74 this month, has told relatives and friends he plans to stay on the high court for at least three more years -- through the end of Obama's first term, sources said. That means Kennedy will be around to provide a fifth vote for the court's conservative bloc through the 2012 presidential election. If Obama loses, Kennedy could retire and expect a Republican President to choose a conservative justice."

Arizona Democratic Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick, Harry Mitchell and Gabrielle Giffords joined a growing Republican chorus in denouncing President Barack Obama for not pushing for more specific action in his Thursday speech on the nation’s immigration and border security issues," The Hill notes.

Roll Call reports, “Few doubt that Elena Kagan will be the next Supreme Court justice. But that’s not stopping Senate Republicans from continuing their campaign to try to derail her nomination. From now until August, the GOP Conference will launch its latest assault on Kagan, with plans to try to tar her as a Democratic political operative who would bring to the court liberal views on abortion, gun rights, campaign finance and the military. Republicans hope that even if they can’t stop the nomination, they can build enough opposition to force a highly partisan vote.”

The AP takes a long look at the personal side of Charlie Rangel and his relationship with other members of Congress: "His wife, Alma, warns him not to be naive about the glad-handling. 'You know,' she tells him, 'they're putting you on.' ... 'She says it's unseemly,' Rangel says of his wife's advice. 'I say, 'Suppose it's not real. As long as they keep saying these things until I die, what difference does it make?' But he admits, 'It's still painful. It's times like this when I have to reinforce the facts: I'm alive, I'm well, and 60 years ago I could have died when I was surrounded by hundreds of Chinese' in the Korean War."

Roll Call again highlights the legislative graveyard that has become the Senate.

"Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) last week asked Republican Members to fill out a three-page 'private survey' reporting what constituents have told them are the most important issues facing the country," Roll Call writes. "The poll is part of the America Speaking Out project, a multipronged effort launched by House Republican leaders in May to gather ideas for their new agenda from citizens around the country. Republicans expect to release the final policy document in September."

After saying on ABC’s “This Week” that RNC Chairman Michael Steele “is going to have to assess as to whether he can still lead the Republican Party,” the Wall Street Journal remarks, John “McCain is the highest-profile Republican to withdraw his support from the party chairman.”

McCain on Steele: "I think those statements are wildly inaccurate and there is no excuse for them. I think that Mr. Steele is going to have to assess as to whether he can still lead the Republican Party as chairman of the Republican National Committee."

The New York Daily News calls Steel the "gaffe-master GOP honcho."

What will the Tea Partiers think of this? "It can all be traced to a Fish Pier luncheon in South Boston. Representative Barney Frank, the face of liberal Democrats, had once dismissed Senator Scott Brown, the poster candidate of Republicans and the Tea Party movement, by saying, “Having an old truck and two daughters are not usually policy arguments.’’ But now, in March, Frank was meeting Brown for an extended conversation, and the two quietly began laying the groundwork for the most unlikely of political partnerships… But whatever happens with the bill, the surprising effort at partnership provides a unique window into Frank’s political pragmatism, and Brown’s evolution as part of what might be called the Odd Couple of Massachusetts politics."

"House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner (Ohio) is hitting back at President Barack Obama after the president criticized him for comparing the financial crisis to an 'ant,'" The Hill writes. "In a new video posted online, Boehner suggests Obama should be focused on solving the nation’s myriad problems rather than attacking him. 'Mr. President, what about the country?” Boehner asks in the video, which intersperses lines from Obama’s speech last week in Racine, Wisc., with questions from the Republican leader.'"

RNC chairman Michael Steele's open-mouth-insert-foot comments on the war in Afghanistan was fodder for the liberal blogs today, and it even has some notable critics on the right calling for his resignation. And today's dismal jobs numbers are ample fodder for conservatives before the holiday weekend begins.

The DNC released a clip of Steele at a fundraiser in which he calls the Afghanistan war "of Obama's choosing. This was not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.

"If he's such a student of history has he not understood that, you know, that's the one thing you don't do is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? Because everyone who's tried, over a thousand years of history has failed," Steele continued.

After a barrage of criticism from the left and right, the RNC released a statement in which Steele seemed to try to explain his comment: “As we have learned throughout history, winning a war in Afghanistan is a difficult task. We must also remember that after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, it is also a necessary one. That is why I supported the decision to increase our troop force and, like the entire United States Senate, I support General Petraeus’ confirmation. The stakes are too high for us to accept anything but success in Afghanistan.”

AMERICAblog's John Aravosis played on Steele's words. "Student of history lesson 1: Bush got us into Afghanistan. Student of history lesson 2: We didn't go in by our choosing. Al Qaeda planned the 9/11 attack from there, and then the Taliban protected them. This is just bizarre," he wrote.

Later, Aravosis simply posted a clip of the musical Avenue Q's song, "It Sucks to Be Me."

With a heavy dose of sarcasm, Balloon Juice's mistermix wrote, "Everyone knows that there was no land war in Afghanistan until 2009. Since Saddam paid for Al Qaeda’s attack on 9/11, it’s always puzzled me what Obama was doing attacking that other place."

Washington Monthly's Steve Benen excerpted RNC spokesperson Doug Heye's own explanation of Steele's words: "The responsibility for building and maintaining that strategy falls squarely on the shoulders of the President. Like so many Americans, Chairman Steele wants to hear an explanation from President Obama on what his strategy is for winning the war in Afghanistan. The Petraeus hearings were an opportunity -- a missed opportunity -- to do that. Instead, all we hear from the President is criticism of his predecessor for doing exactly the same thing.

"At the same time, Congress must stop playing politics with the war and provide the funding our troops need to win and come home."

But, Benen found, "Listening to Steele, and then reading Heye, it's hard not to notice that one has absolutely nothing to do with the other. (And given Republicans voting against funding the troops, Heye's conclusion seems rather ironic.)"

He asks some questions of Heye:

* "Steele said the war in Afghanistan is 'of Obama's choosing.' In light of reality, and the fact that the war began nearly nine years ago, what does that mean?

* Steele said the war in Afghanistan 'was not something that the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.' Given the events since 2001, what does that mean?

* Steele said he considers it a mistake to 'engage in a land war in Afghanistan.' Does that mean he supports withdrawal? When did he reach this conclusion? Why has Steele previously suggested the exact opposite? Does he believe all of the members of his party who believe the opposite are misguided?

* Steele said there are 'ways to engage in Afghanistan without committing U.S. troops.' Can the RNC name some of the alternatives Republicans would support?

On the right, leading conservative columnist Bill Kristol called for Steele to resign as "an act of service for the country you love."

More: "At a time when Gen. Petraeus has just taken over command, when Republicans in Congress are pushing for a clean war funding resolution, when Republicans around the country are doing their best to rally their fellow citizens behind the mission, your comment is more than an embarrassment. It’s an affront, both to the honor of the Republican party and to the commitment of the soldiers fighting to accomplish the mission they’ve been asked to take on by our elected leaders."

And more: "There are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan, and they’re certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn't be the chairman of the Republican party."

Red State's Erick Erickson joins the chorus of conservatives calling for Steele's resignation: "I have heard Michael Steele’s comments regarding Afghanistan and the President. I have read the RNC’s statement on the matter. The RNC statement is indecipherable in the context of what Michael Steele actually said. The war in Afghanistan is not a war of Barack Obama’s choosing. It is a war of Al Qaeda and the Taliban’s choosing. We responded," he wrote.

"Michael Steele must resign. He has lost all moral authority to lead the GOP," he concluded.

On the jobs report, Hot Air's Ed Morrissey ridiculed what he characterized as Obama's attempt to squeeze good news out of today's announcement of a 125,000-job drop in employment, which reminded him of Chip Diller, the iconic "all is well! all is well!" character in Animal House.

Morrissey wrote, "Don’t worry, Obama told the cameras; we’re heading in the right direction! In that sense, Obama may remind viewers of another famous declaration that people should remain calm."

More, on Obama's specific policy announcement today: "How unserious was this announcement? Obama used it to launch his broadband initiative, which will cost almost $800 million and which will create … five thousand jobs. That’s $160,000 per job, but that’s not the most ridiculous calculation in this announcement. In the past month, we had over 650,000 people leave the work force, which is around 130 times the number of jobs Obama offered as a tonic for this month’s report.

And notice that President Chip Diller never mentions that factory orders fell off for the first time in nine months, back to a low not seen since shortly after Obama’s stimulus plan passed. How’s that for 'the right direction?'"

NRO's Jim Geraghty also lambasted the "right direction" concept, citing a "jarring" statistic: the amount of unemployed people no longer searching for a job. "In June 2009, the unemployment rate was 9.5 percent, just as it was in June 2010. However, a year ago, the civilian labor force was 154,759,000, and now it is 153,741,000," he pointed out.

"In other words, 1.018 million people have dropped out of the labor force. The good news is that the country will be back to a relatively normal jobless rate of 6 percent once another 5.39 million of the unemployed stop looking for work. Naturally, President Obama cites the report as another sign “we’re headed in the right direction," he concluded.

Red State's Moe Lane noted that while 225,000 census jobs came to an end this month, which contributed to the overall decline in payroll employment, May's 431,000-job gain was also census driven.

"We’re just at the end of that particular necessary, but strictly limited, exercise in government spending. So, how is that Keynesian economics thing working out for people, anyway? - Because where I’m sitting it seems to be roughly equivalent right now to revving the engine when the car’s set to neutral," he commented.

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
In anticipation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit with President Obama next week, senior White House officials said the meeting will focus on broad topics relating to an ultimate Middle East peace plan, rather than specific issues that continue to vex Israeli-Palestinian relations.

In a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Daniel Shapiro, senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, and Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said that the meeting Tuesday will be geared toward furthering indirect negotiations, known as proximity talks, currently in progress between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the U.S. special envoy to the region, George Mitchell.

The Palestinian Authority has said it will not engage in direct talks until Israel completely ceases building settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Mitchell recently returned from his fifth round of talks, which began in May of this year.

A current freeze on new settlements is set to expire in September, but Rhodes said that while the moratorium has been "quite significant and contributed to progress so far," its expiration will not be discussed in Tuesday's meeting.

Shapiro added that the meeting will focus on "capitalizing on the momentum through proximity talks to continue to move forward and reach direct negotiations," adding that the administration views proximity talks only as a mechanism to get to direct negotiations.

The officials cited several recent policy changes that they say indicates movement towards face-to-face talks.

Shapiro praised Netanyahu's recent announcement that he would loosen restrictions on trade between the Israel-Gaza border. Israel issued a blockade on the region three years ago after the Islamist organization Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist regime, took over the strip of land, but the restrictions, meant to prevent Hamas from getting weapons, also limited the amount of food and construction supplies making its way into the region.

Netanyahu's loosening of the blockade came a few weeks after a violent incident in which 19 people were killed on a Turkish flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the region. That sparked a new round of international pressure to allow more basic products into Gaza.

"The president welcomed those changes which we think are already making a significant difference in the lives of the people on the ground in Gaza," Shapiro said, adding that the announcement helped to "address what has been an unsustainable situation" for Gazan civilians.

The officials also touted the most recent round of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran, as well as Obama's signing of the Iran Sanctions Act, which the president said would "strik[e] at the heart of the Iranian government’s ability to fund and develop its nuclear programs."

While the officials said they were nearing ever-closer to reaching direct negotiations, they demurred on specifying a timeline, saying only that it would be "premature to speculate" on details of the discussions.

The officials also shot down any talk of a "rift" between Israel and the United States, citing support of its "qualitative military edge," as well as its funding of the Iron Dome missle defense program, as evidence of a "deepening of cooperation," according to Rhodes.

For most, it’s not as entertaining as watching a singer make the American Idol judges’ jaws drop, or seeing a hard-charging entrepreneur impress The Donald.

But if you happen to be someone who would like to kick back on the couch and watch an exceptionally talented lawyer win over the members of the United States Supreme Court, don’t get your hopes up.

You can’t – at least not yet. 

Unlike the everyday proceedings of the House and Senate chambers, the high court’s consideration of important cases takes place out of the eye of television lenses. And unlike the public scene of Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill this week, the snapping of camera shutters is silenced in the court’s chamber. Reporters covering arguments leave their cell phones, laptops, audio recorders, and Blackberries at the door. Except in a few cases, audio recordings are not available until the end of the court’s term, although transcripts are published on the Supreme Court’s website on the day of the arguments.

Defense lawyers have long been wary of television coverage of lower court proceedings, saying that the privacy of witnesses could be disrupted by cameras and that juries could be corrupted by media reports.

But Supreme Court oral arguments – the hour-long sessions during which attorneys for each side make their case before the court’s nine members – don’t feature the witness stands, Exhibit As, and jury deliberations of typical courtroom dramas. Just the nation’s best lawyers being questioned by nine people about their interpretation of the Constitution.

“Our view has always been that oral arguments don’t present any of the traditional arguments against cameras in district courts,” said Bruce Collins, C-SPAN’s general counsel.

One person on Collins’ side appears to be the court’s newest possible member, Elena Kagan. “I think it would be a terrific thing to have cameras in the courtroom,” said the Supreme Court nominee during her confirmation hearing earlier this week.

“It's an incredible sight, because all nine justices, they're so prepared, they're so smart, they're so thorough, they're so engaged, the questioning is rapid fire. You're really seeing an institution of government at work really in an admirable way,” she gushed.

But several of Kagan’s soon-to-be colleagues (assuming that she is confirmed later this summer) say that video of oral arguments would encourage grandstanding from the participants and sensationalist soundbite-editing from news outlets.

“If you introduce cameras, it is human nature for me to suspect that one of my colleagues is saying something for a soundbite,” Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy pleaded during congressional testimony in 2007. “Please don't introduce that insidious dynamic into what is now a collegial court.”

Security could also be a concern, according to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Currently, the justices live their lives in relative anonymity (According to a survey released by Findlaw.com, two-thirds of Americans cannot name a single sitting justice.)  Cameras, he said, could bring unwanted attention and intrusion into the lives of members who are, by definition, required to separate themselves from politics.  

Another concern is simply that oral arguments can be a little esoteric, to say the least. The exact definition of a “corrupting influence” via corporate general treasury funds? Discussions about the interpretation of the Footnote Four in United States v. Carolene Products?

So You Think You Can Dance, it ain’t.

"I think the case is so strong," now-retired Justice David Souter famously declared, "that I can tell you the day you see a camera come into our courtroom, it's going to roll over my dead body.”

But the question for broadcasters, transparency advocates, lawyers, and lawmakers remains: Should the public have the right to watch the Supreme Court mull over cases that could affect their daily lives?

The debate dates back at least to 1988, when C-SPAN chairman and CEO Brian Lamb wrote his first letter to then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist requesting gavel-to-gavel coverage of the court.  Scores of requests have followed; the court has always declined.

Lawmakers have weighed in as well. Former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Penn., has twice shepherded legislation through the Senate Judiciary Committee that would require the court to televise its hearings.  The most recent proposal passed the committee with bipartisan support, by a vote of 13-6.  But so far, the bill has languished without a vote on the Senate floor.

The short-term prospects for camera backers look bleak. Congress may be reluctant to order around a branch of government with the power to strike down its laws. And without binding legislation, the justices would have to agree amongst themselves during one of their private sessions.

“This court is mysterious,” Collins laments. “Trying to figure out what goes on during these closed-door conversations is like reading tea leaves.”

Still, C-SPAN and its backers are hopeful that the doors of the court, over time, will inch open to eventually allow live broadcasts of its arguments.

If and when that happens, Kagan noted in her confirmation hearing, there’s one consequence that some of the justices will have to take into account.   Asked by Specter about what the televising of oral arguments could mean for the institution, Kagan deadpanned her response:

“It means I'd have to get my hair done more often, Senator Specter.”

Congress is off, but there's plenty of 2010 campaigning going on. Obama heads to Missouri and Nevada, Biden heads to California for Boxer, DeMint to Colorado for Buck, NGA kicks off, Netanyahu to the White House after trip was rescheduled because of the Gaza flotilla incident.

VIDEO: WATCH THE WEEK AHEAD.

Because of the July 4th holiday, Congress has off for the week. We'll still be here at First Read, for most of the week anyway, keeping an eye on things.

As early as Tuesday the Justice Department could file its lawsuit challenging Arizona's new immigration law.

A week after meeting with the Saudi King, President Obama meets with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, at the White House. The meeting was rescheduled after Netanyahu canceled a trip to Washington a month ago because of the controversy over Israel's handling of a flotilla of ships headed for Gaza, in which 19 people died.

Also Tuesday, the funeral in Arlington, VA, for the late Sen. Robert Byrd takes place. The West Virginia Democrat, who was the longest-serving member of Congress, was 92.

On Thursday, President Obama is back on the road. He'll be in Kansas City for another town hall on the economy. He'll also raise money for Senate hopeful Robin Carnahan. Carnahan, Missouri's secretary of state, is running against Congressman Roy Blunt for that competitive open seat.

Vice President Biden also plays 2010 politics. He goes to California to help raise money for Sen. Barbara Boxer. President Obama has already done two fundraisers for her this year.

Her California seat should be a safe one for Democrats. If it's not, then Republicans could come close to taking back control of the Senate. The GOP needs to flip a whopping 10 seats to do that.

One thing threatening Republicans' chances, though, is the much-discussed intraparty ideological rift. That will be on display Thursday in Colorado, another competitive Senate seat. Sen. Jim DeMint, the South Carolina Republican who has become a conservative kingmaker this cycle, campaigns for Ken Buck.

Buck, a district attorney, who gained recognition in conservative circles for his attempts at arresting illegal immigrants in 2008, has, well, bucked, the establishment. National Republicans prefer Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, who they view as a stronger general-election candidate against Democrat Michael Bennet, the appointed sitting senator.

Speaking of competitive seats, on Friday, President Obama heads to Nevada to campaign for Harry Reid. We've said plenty of times that the Senate majority leader is one of the most vulnerable incumbents this fall. That's still true, but Reid's chances have improved, because of controversial positions held by his Republican opponent Sharron Angle. Angle has also had trouble raising money.

Also Friday, in Boston, the nation's governors kick off their annual meeting, which will run through the weekend.

VIDEO: WATCH THE WEEK AHEAD.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) -- who was one of a handful of GOP senators who voted for Elena Kagan's nomination as solicitor general -- says he is opposing her nomination for the Supreme Court.

Do note that he also voted against Sonia Sotomayor. Also note that Hatch is up for re-election in 2012, and he probably noticed what happened to fellow GOP Sen. Bob Bennett, who lost his party's nomination in May.

Here's Hatch's statement:

"I have carefully examined Solicitor General Elena Kagan's record, actively participated in the entire Judiciary Committee hearing, and considered the views of supporters and opponents from Utah and across the country. Qualifications for judicial service include both legal experience and, more importantly, the appropriate judicial philosophy. The law must control the judge; the judge must not control the law. I have concluded that, based on evidence rather than blind faith, General Kagan regrettably does not meet this standard and that, therefore, I cannot support her appointment.

"Supreme Court Justices who, like General Kagan, had no prior judicial experience did have an average of 21 years in private legal practice. General Kagan has two. The fact that her experience is instead academic and political only magnifies my emphasis on judicial philosophy as the most important qualification for judicial service.

"Over nearly 25 years, General Kagan has endorsed, and praised those who endorse, an activist judicial philosophy. I was surprised when she encouraged us at the hearing simply to discard or ignore certain parts of her record. I am unable to do that. I also cannot ignore disturbing situations in which it appears that her personal or political views drove her legal views. She promoted the Clinton administration's extreme position on abortion, including the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion.

As Dean of Harvard Law School, she blocked the access by military recruiters that federal law requires. And she took legal positions on important issues such as freedom of speech that could undermine the liberties of all Americans.

*** UPDATE *** Per NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote on Elena Kagan's nomination for the Supreme Court on Tuesday July 13th at 10am.

From NBC's Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, Sarah Blackwill and Ali Weinberg
If it's Friday, it's time for another First Read Top 10 list. Today's is our look at what we consider the top TV ads of the cycle, so far:

10. Pamela, Get Your Gun: This ad shows Arizona congressional candidate Pamela Gorman (R) delivering fire -- not at her opponent, but rather at a target range.
9. Kirk vs. Giannoulias, Part 1: In what might be the most heated general election campaign right now, Illinois Senate Mark Kirk (R) went up with this TV ad hitting opponent Alexi Giannoulias' (D) family bank.
8. Kirk vs. Giannoulias, Part 2: And then Giannoulias fired back -- though not Pamela Gorman-style -- with this ad blasting Kirk's misrepresentations about his record.
7. Meet Alan Grayson: No one has ever accused Florida Rep. Alan Grayson (D) of being shy, and this Grayson TV ad sums up Grayson well: provocative, liberal, and not holding back.
6. Bradley Byrne Believes In Evolution! This TV ad blasted Alabama gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne (R) for believing in evolution -- and not believing that everything in the Bible is true. This run-off is July 13.
5. Lowden's Scientology Hit: The TV ad Sue Lowden ran against Sharron Angle (R) in Nevada's GOP primary -- criticizing her support for a Scientology-backed program to give massages to inmates -- is something Harry Reid (D) will certainly use in the fall.
4. The "Dang Fence": John McCain's tough-on-immigration TV ad -- even though it's a reversal for him (in either tone or substance) -- is one of the reasons why he remains the front-runner in his GOP primary against J.D. Hayworth.
3. "Gather Your Armies": It's not every day you see a congressional candidate run a TV ad suggesting taking up arms against our government, but that's what Alabama's Rick Barber does here. Note: This TV ad hasn't run on Alabama TV; it was instead an Internet sensation.
2. Dale Peterson: In a cycle of colorful -- and over-the-top -- Alabama ads, this one by Alabama ag commissioner candidate Dale Peterson (R) is our favorite. Peterson didn't win his race, but he followed up with this endorsement.
1. Demon Sheep: The one and the only… And by the way -- as crazy as it might sound -- it helped Fiorina beat Tom Campbell for the GOP nomination in California.

***UPDATE*** This week's First Read Top 10 poll temporarily disappeared due to a technical glitch.

NH SEN, Bender, "YUM!"
7/1
UNCLE SAM: MMM Yum. ANNCR: The federal government is taking over everything. Devouring everything in its sight. We've seen it feast on businesses, kid's college loan programs and our personal health choices. BENDER: I'm Jim Bender. Running for U.S. Senate. And I'll put our government on a strict diet. I'll see that he's finished fattening up on your hard-earned dollars. We know that as independent Granite Staters, we don't want the government running everything. UNCLE SAM: Yum. Chevy. BENDER: I'm Jim Bender and I approve this message.

GA GOV, Johnson, "Enough"
7/1
JOHNSON: "I'm Eric Johnson. Think you're paying enough in taxes? I have a record of cutting taxes and making sure politicians pay theirs. Now I say it's time to cut taxes on small businesses. how about reform that stops punishing hard work and starts to reward it? And we need to make it harder for the legislature to ever raise your taxes again. We'll lower taxes. That's the key to putting Georgia back to work and I'm just the guy to do it." ANNCR: "Eric Johnson. Republican for Governor. Let's put Georgia back to work"

NH SEN, Binnie, "Back on Track"
6/30
ANNCR: "Bill Binnie has a plan to put America back to work. Cut taxes, especially payroll taxes; encouraging small businesses to create jobs, cut government spending, stop the waste, stop the bailouts, cut the deficit, demand free trade from all countries, including India and China. Bill Binnie will get our economy moving and create jobs. Bill Binnie for Senate." BINNIE: "I'm Bill Binnie and I approved this message"

MN GOV, Entenza, "Plan"
6/30
ENTENZA: "Everything I've been able to achieve, I owe to a Minnesota classroom like this one and the teachers who pushed me." ROBINSON: "And as the daughter of two teachers, I know how important education is for Minnesota's future." ENTENZA: "Our plan starts with scrapping No Child Left Behind." ROBINSON: "So instead of teaching to a test -- teachers can teach to every child's potential." ENTENZA: "Make sure money goes into the classroom." ROBINSON: "And invest in excellent teaching." ENTENZA: "Making Minnesota great again starts right here

MI GOV, Cox, "Prosecutor: Tom Berry"
6/30
BERRY: "As a former police lieutenant, I protected the public. I worked case after case with Mike Cox. He's a Marine who believes in tough, firm, fair justice. When a fellow officer was attacked by Kwame Kilpatrick, Mike Cox prosecuted him and sent him to jail. Now, political thugs attack Mike Cox. Don't beleive it. Mike Cox is a leader in integrity who has been sending criminals and politicians to jail since 1990. Mike Cox: Tough enough to lead Michigan"

MI GOV, Cox, "Prosecutor: Max Bandy"
6/30
BANDY: "I'm a retired cop. My son was also a cop who died in the line of duty. Our job is to protect you. Today, I'm protecting my colleague, Attorney General Mike Cox. who's being falsely attacked by political thugs. Don't believe them. Mike Cox is a tough Marine and a by-the-book prosecutor. When Kwame Kilpatrick attacked a police officer, it was Mike Cox who put him behind bars. Mike Cox is a leader of integrity Mike Cox: Tough enough to lead Michigan"

CA GOV, Brown, "Back On Track"
6/30
MALE: "Just when you thought it was safe to watch TV or listen to the radio, Meg Whitman's back, falsely attacking Jerry Brown. But all the money in the world can't change the facts." FEMALE: "As governor, Brown sold off the state jet, and limo. He refused to live in the governor's mansion - paying his own rent instead. Time Magazine said 'Brown honored his pledge to hold the line on taxes...'" MALE: "Even as he built up the largest budget surplus in California history. Long before it was popular, Brown took on Big Oil to expand renewable energy - and bring in good paying jobs." FEMALE: "As Attorney General, Brown cracked down on mortgage fraud. He protected consumers from credit card companies, and went after nursing home who abused seniors." MALE: "It's easy to talk about balancing the budget or fighting for working people." FEMALE: "But only one candidate's done it before. Jerry Brown will get California back on track." ANNCR: "Paid for by Working Californians. Major Funding by California State Council of Service Employees Small Contributor Committee and California State Association of Electrical Workers Committee. Not authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate."

From NBC's Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
Another mixed jobs report… The economy lost 125,000 jobs in June (but that was mostly due to the loss of 225,000 Census jobs); the private sector added 83,000 jobs; and the unemployment rate fell to 9.5%... Obama to talk about the economy at 9:35 am ET before heading to Robert Byrd’s memorial in West Virginia… Senate Dems appear to have their 60 votes on financial reform… It seems Kagan will be confirmed, but with fewer GOP votes than Sotomayor received… A political reality check on Palin… RNC Chairman Steele channels his inner Cindy Sheehan?… First Read’s Top 10 TV ads… Mark Kirk’s big fundraising haul… And happy July 4!

From Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Another mixed jobs report: On Monday, we wrote that today’s jobs report would signal whether last week’s good news for the Obama White House -- the progress on financial reform, the replacement of Stanley McChrystal with David Petraeus -- was a turnaround or a mirage of one. Well, here’s the answer and it’s, well, mixed: According to the AP, the economy lost jobs (125,000) for the first time in six months (although that was due mostly to the loss of 225,000 Census jobs); private businesses added 83,000 jobs, which is an improvement from May but below projections; the job numbers for April and last month were revised upward; and the unemployment rate fell to 9.5%. Translation: One step forward, one step back. President Obama will talk about the job numbers at 9:35 am ET, as well as make an announcement about the administration’s recovery act. At 11:30 am, he and Vice President Biden will deliver remarks at Robert Byrd’s memorial service in West Virginia.

*** Dems appear to have their 60 votes on financial reform: The good news for the White House is that financial reform should pass the Senate after its July 4 recess. Yesterday, per NBC’s Ken Strickland, Dem Sen. Maria Cantwell -- who previously voted against cloture on the legislation in May -- now says she’ll support it after the fixes made to the bill, essentially replacing Byrd’s 58th vote. GOP Sen. Susan Collins is pretty much a yes (59); GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe is almost a yes (60); and GOP Sen. Scott Brown is a “maybe” right now (61). That should be enough to break a GOP filibuster after recess, and that assumes Dem Sen. Russ Feingold and GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley are no’s.

*** Will Kagan get fewer GOP votes than Sotomayor did? Elena Kagan seemingly aced her confirmation hearings (though often by dodging questions as past SCOTUS nominees have done), didn’t attract much national attention, and wasn’t the center of a huge controversy (outside the Harvard military recruitment story). Ironically, however, it appears she’s going to get fewer GOP votes than Sonia Sotomayor did -- despite Sotomayor’s more highly publicized “wise Latina” comment and that New Haven firefighter controversy. Sotomayor ended up getting nine GOP votes, but the Washington Post writes that Kagan’s support will probably be less than that, and it also signals that Dem Sen. Arlen Specter (who voted against her nomination for solicitor general) might oppose her.

*** Palin reality check: Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Sarah Palin’s announcement that she was quitting her first term as Alaska governor. Since that time, however, she hasn’t stayed away from the news -- she wrote a book, signed a contract with FOX, has given numerous paid speeches, and has blasted the Obama administration via Twitter and Facebook. The AP says “she's evolved into an enduring political personality writ large -- and now the talk, growing louder, is of her own run for the White House in 2012.” But here’s the political reality: Outside of Republicans, she’s not popular at all. According to our NBC/WSJ poll, just 29% view her favorably, compared with 43% who view her unfavorably (not far from George W. Bush’s 29%-50% score). In addition, the poll shows that 52% have problems with a candidate who has been endorsed by Palin, versus only 25% who are comfortable with that attribute. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Palin is more of a political celebrity than a political figure.

*** Steele on Afghanistan: Does RNC Chairman Michael Steele not believe that the U.S. should be waging war in Afghanistan (putting him at odds with most Republicans)? It sure seems that way, according to this video the DNC has of Steele at a GOP fundraiser in Connecticut. Said Steele: "Keep in mind again … this was a war of Obama's choosing. This was not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.” More: “Well, if [Obama] is such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that's the one thing you don't do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?”

*** More midterm news: In Connecticut, it appears that GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley’s 1994 divorce is about to become a campaign issue… In Illinois, GOP Senate nominee Mark Kirk raised an impressive $2.3 million in the 2nd quarter… In Kentucky, Rand Paul raised $1 million in the quarter… And also in Kentucky, “[i]n a troubling move for Democrats, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo refused Wednesday to say if he would endorse his party's candidate in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race,” the AP writes.

*** Happy July 4: Finally, a note that our next morning note won’t be published until Tuesday, July 6, although we’ll update the Web site as news warrants. Have a happy and safe July 4. And we’ll see you bright and early on Tuesday…

Countdown to AL run-off: 11 days
Countdown to GA primary: 18 days
Countdown to OK primary: 25 days
Countdown to KS and MO primaries: 32 days
Countdown to CO and CT primaries: 39 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 123 days

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The AP's Benac: "Confident but still cautious. Smart and then some. Disarming. Knowing. Wicked funny. This week's Senate confirmation hearings were America's first and probably last chance for an in-depth conversation with Elena Kagan, who most likely will soon vanish into the cloistered corridors of the Supreme Court."

"Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan appears on her way to confirmation on the nation’s highest court, with Republicans showing little interest in a long-shot filibuster attempt after grueling testimony over abortion, gays in the military, and other divisive issues," AP writes. "The powerful National Rifle Association attempted to spark interest in Kagan’s defeat yesterday by opposing her as someone who 'has repeatedly demonstrated a clear hostility to the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms guaranteed under the US Constitution.' But, barring an unexpected turn, Kagan will succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens and become the fourth female justice in the Supreme Court’s history."

But the Washington Post writes that she might get fewer GOP votes than Sonia Sotomayor received. “Last August, Sonia Sotomayor won 68 votes to be confirmed to the court, including those of nine Republicans, a level of support that appears unlikely for Kagan. Just seven Republicans voted for her confirmation as solicitor general in March 2009; Democrats and Republicans expect few, if any, senators who opposed that nomination to a lower post to support her lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court. Among the Republicans who voted 'aye' were three conservatives -- Sens. Tom Coburn (Okal.), Orrin G. Hatch (Utah) and Jon Kyl (Ariz.) -- who often support executive branch nominees out of deference to presidential hiring. The three were some of Kagan's toughest interrogators this week.”

Happy Fourth of July to the unemployed... "More than 1.3 million laid-off workers won’t get their unemployment benefits reinstated before Congress goes on a weeklong break for Independence Day. And hundreds of thousands more will lose their benefits in coming weeks. The House voted 270 to 153 yesterday to extend jobless benefits for people who have been laid off for long stretches, but the Senate has not passed any bill containing that measure. For the third time in as many weeks, Republicans in the Senate successfully filibustered a similar measure Wednesday night before most senators adjourned for vacation."

Good luck with that... "Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) is trying to foment a long-shot Democratic rebellion against Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that would install House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) in her place after the November elections. The scenario, as Simpson sees it, runs like this: Democrats lose a bunch of seats but cling to a narrow majority. If a handful of Democrats withhold their votes for Pelosi, Democrats would have to put up another candidate, or else Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) would become Speaker." But Simpson, who's courting Blue Dog Democrats like Walt Minnick of Idaho, points out that "a similar dynamic toppled Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) from the Speaker’s post after losses in the 1998 elections left Republicans clinging to a narrow majority."

What does it say when the GOP is considering getting rid of its POLICY committee? Isn't that where the ideas come from? "The chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee has caused friction among his fellow leaders this week over his plan to terminate the position and return the office funds to the Treasury Department to pay down the national debt," Roll Call reports.

"Congressional Democrats aren’t sending a war spending bill to President Barack Obama by July Fourth as they had hoped," Roll Call writes. "House Members passed the bill as their last order of business late Thursday before leaving town for roughly 10 days. But a bevy of changes that they made to the measure -- including adding $10 billion to stem teacher layoffs -- means the bill will have to go back to the Senate after the July Fourth recess before it can go to Obama for his signature."

CONNECTICUT: “Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley's 1994 divorce was so bitter and contentious that 12 years later, the White House asked him to obtain a signed statement from his former wife --saying that he had never threatened or physically abused her -- before he was approved in 2006 as then- President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Ireland,” the Hartford Courant finds.

ILLINOIS: "Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk has $4 million in the bank after raising $2.3 million this spring, his campaign said today," the Chicago Tribune reports. "Aides said the campaign raised more than $1 million alone in June -- a month in which the Republican was forced to acknowledge and apologize for embellishing his resume, including his military record."

KANSAS: The fact that the two Republican Senate candidates are accusing each other of wasteful spending, despite Rep. Jerry Moran’s earmarks for a Kansas opera house and his primary opponent Rep. Todd Tiahrt’s funding of an inflatable tennis court dome, the AP writes that “in congressional campaigns across the country, one of the age-old tools for getting elected -- bringing home the federal bacon for your district -- has suddenly begun to backfire as government spending becomes a central issue in the midterm election.”

KENTUCKY: “In a troubling move for Democrats, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo refused Wednesday to say if he would endorse his party's candidate in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race,” the AP writes.

Rand Paul raised more than $1 million in the second quarter.

From NBC's Pete Williams
A candidate in Wyoming's crowded Republican primary for governor has received an unusual celebrity endorsement, from actor Wilford Brimley.

"My wife and I met with Rita Meyer in our home, and after a very pleasant visit, we decided to support her," Brimley says in a 60-second radio commercial that began running in the state this week.

"She assured me she'd do her utmost to keep the federal government out of our business and, most of all, out of our wallets."

Brimley also endorsed John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.

In addition to Meyer, who is Wyoming’s state auditor, other Republicans running for governor are Colin Simpson, son of former US Sen. Alan Simpson; Matt Mead, grandson of former US Sen. Cliff Hansen; former state legislator Ron Micheli; John Self, a retiree; Tom Ubben, an energy company employee; and Alan Kousoulos, a shop supervisor for the state Department of Transportation.

Brimley has appeared in several major films, including The China Syndrome, Cocoon, The Natural, and The Firm, and TV commercials for Quaker Oats and Liberty Medical. He and his wife live in the northern Wyoming ranching and farming community of Greybull.

Though other actors have connections in Wyoming, most notably Harrison Ford, who has a house near Jackson, they seldom endorse political candidates.

From NBC's Pete Williams
The National Rifle Association says today it's opposing Elena Kagan's nomination for the Supreme Court and will score her vote, which could further discourage Republicans from voting for her.

"This vote matters and will be a part of future candidate evaluations," the NRA says.

Excerpts from an NRA statement follow:

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she refused to declare support for the Second Amendment, saying only that the matter was "settled law."

This was eerily similar to the scripted testimony of Justice Sonia Sotomayor last year, prior to her confirmation to the Court. When pressed on the Second Amendment then, Sotomayor also referred to the issue as "settled law."

But in the recently decided case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, Sotomayor ignored the "settled law" of the Heller decision and signed a dissenting opinion that declared, "I can find nothing in the Second Amendment's text, history, or underlying rationale that could warrant characterizing it as 'fundamental' insofar as it seeks to protect the keeping and bearing of arms for private self-defense purposes."

It has become obvious that "settled law" is the scripted code of an anti-gun nominee's confirmation effort. The NRA is not fooled. No member of the U.S. Senate should be either.

With no judicial record, only Kagan's political career can be reviewed. And this provides no reason to trust her with Americans' firearms freedom. Throughout her career, she has repeatedly demonstrated a clear hostility to the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution.

As a clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, Kagan said she was "not sympathetic" to a challenge to Washington, DC's ban on firearms. As a domestic policy adviser in the Clinton White House, a colleague described her as "immersed" in Clinton's aggressive assaults on the Second Amendment. She was involved in Clinton's scheme to ban more than 50 types of commonly-owned semiautomatic firearms - an effort described as "…taking the law and bending it as far as we can to capture a whole new class of guns."

As U.S. Solicitor General, Kagan chose not to file a brief last year in the landmark McDonald case, thus taking the position that incorporating the Second Amendment and applying it to the states was of no interest to the Obama Administration or the federal government.

These are not the positions of a person who supports the Second Amendment and, in fact, represent a clear and present danger to the right to keep and bear arms.

The trial for former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer will kick off Oct. 18th, just two weeks before Election Day.

Talk about an October surprise, Charlie Crist...

The St. Petersburg Times:

An Orange County judge on Thursday set an October trial date for the ousted former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. The trial of Jim Greer on theft, fraud and money laundering charges is to begin Oct. 18. Greer, who has pleaded not guilty, wasn't at the hearing. Neither were his attorneys.

Greer, 48, who lives in Oviedo in nearby Seminole County, was the head of the state GOP for three years until his forced resignation this past January.

From NBC's Luke Russert and Carrie Dann:
Derided by President Obama yesterday for his comments about financial reform, House Minority Leader John Boehner is set to hit back today, saying that the president is "whining" and "making excuses" for the nation's economic woes.

According to prepared remarks to be delivered later this morning, Boehner is to say, in part:

"For someone who asked to be held to the highest standard, President Obama spends an awful lot of time making excuses and whining about others. The American people want leadership from the White House, not childish partisanship."

Boehner will also criticize what he calls the president's lack of leadership on economic policies, focusing on persistently high levels of unemployment -- especially among minorities:

"With the President failing to lead, Democrats are rushing out of town to watch fireworks and eat macaroni salad instead of getting the American people's work done."

Boehner faced a public-relations assault yesterday from Democrats after he said that the financial-reform bill pending completion in Congress amounts to "killing an ant with a nuclear weapon."

Obama said yesterday in Racine, Wisc., that Boehner's comment illustrates that he is "out of touch."

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
Inside the Senate chamber, the body of the late Sen. Robert Byrd is at the center of the well, his flag draped casket resting on the same platform built for Abraham Lincoln.

His daughters, sons in law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren children are seated to the side receiving guests. Among those paying their respects so far, current and former members of Congress, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, daughter of former President Johnson, and Lynda Bird Johnson Robb.

Byrd's Senate staff fills one section of the public gallery. Lines are wrapped around the halls where staffers and members of the public wait to enter. Uniformed Capitol Hill police officers with black striped badges stand guard. That honor guard changes shifts with a slow procession down the center aisle and a salute.

There is no video coverage. The C-SPAN cameras are off. One news photo will be released after the family leaves the floor. That is exceedingly rare. The last Senate floor memorial in 1969 was photographed only by a Senate employee not a journalist.

Obama takes up immigration in speech at 10:50 am ET… Why immigration reform isn't easy this year and why it won't be easier in 2011… WWJMD -- What Will John McCain Do?... Obama also will be raising Arizona in his speech today… Financial reform passed the House last night, while Senate won't take it up until the week of July 12 (due to today's remembrance of Robert Byrd and the upcoming July 4 recess)… Dems announce their four finalists for the 2012 convention… And the politics of LeBron James.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Obama takes up immigration: Here's what else we know this Thursday morning: After completing her testimony yesterday, Elena Kagan is well on her way to winning confirmation to the Supreme Court… With last night's House vote, Congress is one step closer to clearing the financial reform legislation for President Obama's signature, though there's still plenty of Senate drama… Also last night, the Senate -- once again -- was unable to block a GOP filibuster against legislation extending unemployment benefits… And despite whatever President Obama says in his speech today on immigration reform at 10:50 am ET in DC, the legislative reality is that it won't happen this year. (Indeed, just consider how difficult financial reform, once viewed as a shoo-in for passage, has turned out to be.) So the question becomes: What are the chances next year, and is it simply a political tool for Democrats to try and create a wedge inside the GOP?

*** Immigration reform won't be easier in 2011: According to reform advocates, the prospects and the math don't necessarily get easier in 2011. For starters, there won't be that many Senate Republicans willing to back comprehensive immigration reform next year. In 2006, 23 GOP senators, including Arlen Specter, voted for the comprehensive immigration package that passed the Senate. But this year -- after the last two election cycles and after Specter's defection -- that number now stands at 11. And come next year, it will dwindle to seven (and that's if John McCain wins re-election). In addition, if Republicans win back the House this November, that would likely catapult conservative Rep. Lamar Smith (R) to be chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who is no champion of comprehensive immigration reform. And lastly, next year will bring us the start to the race for the GOP presidential nomination, and we're already hearing that Republicans aren't all that eager to have an immigration debate play out during those primaries because the politics will inevitably pull the primary conversation to the right. (Remember what the immigration debate did to the Republican presidential campaign debate in 2007-08.)

*** WWJMD? On the other hand, reform could end up being a win-win for everyone -- including the Obama White House (which would be looking to fulfill a campaign promise and mobilize Latino voters) and the Republican Party (which would want to make sure it wasn't digging its own demographic grave). "It's a win-win situation," Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg argues to First Read. "At some point, the Republican Party is going to have to abandon their anti-immigration views or they are going to be a minority party." Yet the key to all of this might very well be John McCain. If he wins his primary and re-election, does he once again become an important player on immigration reform? Or does he stand on the sidelines? What will John McCain do?

*** Raising Arizona: In addition to immigration reform, we're hearing that the other big component of Obama's speech this morning will concern Arizona's tough anti-illegal immigration law and the administration's likely lawsuit against the law. By the way, MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports," which airs at 1:00 pm ET, will discuss immigration with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D).

*** Financial reform and remembering Robert Byrd: By a vote last night of 237-192, with three Republicans joining the Democrats, the House passed the reconciled financial reform legislation, NBC's Luke Russert reports. The Senate will take up the legislation the week of July 12 -- after the July 4 recess -- given that the chamber doesn't have the time to vote due to the memorial services for the late Robert Byrd, who lies in rest at the U.S. Capitol today. Per NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, a black-draped platform is already inside the Senate chamber this morning. As the hearse arrives outside the Capitol steps later this morning, it will be met by Byrd's current Senate staff "family." Then the coffin will be met at the top of the Capitol steps by Byrd's family. And then it's anticipated that Vice President Biden will lead his colleagues into the Senate chamber for a prayer by the chaplain.

*** 2012 watch: First Read has confirmed that the Democratic National Committee has chosen four cities to be the finalists for host of the party's 2012 convention, which will take place the week of Sept. 3. The four (in front-runner order): Charlotte, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Cleveland. Republicans have already selected Tampa, FL for their site, although that decision still must be ratified by the Republican National Committee. The GOP convention will take place the week of August 27. Everything we're hearing points to Charlotte as the front-runner -- given that it's a key city in a battleground state where the demographics are trending Democratic, while St. Louis is in a state where the state is slowly growing toward the Republicans. By the way, could the DNC find a way to use the losing convo cities in another way? One more wrench for the Democrats: They are restricting how much corporate money can be used in a city's bid and one of the four cities could end up having to drop out if they can't find the money. And here's a little trivia for you: In presidential contests, Democrats have not lost a state that hosted their convention since 1988 (Georgia), while Republicans haven't won a state that has hosted their convention since 1992 (Texas).

*** The politics of LeBron James: Here's a little Thursday fun, given LeBron James' free-agency, which is now official: He has turned into a political football, er, basketball. Keeping him in Cleveland has become an issue in Ohio's gubernatorial race (remember that Gov. Ted Strickland participated in that "We are LeBron" song). And the debate about the economic impact to downtown Cleveland is real. Also, what happens if James heads to Obama's Chicago? Or to Miami in the battleground state of Florida? New York Post even took a shot at New York politicians about the Miami prospect, since the one benefit for LeBron by signing with a Florida team is no state income tax.

Countdown to AL run-off: 12 days
Countdown to GA primary: 19 days
Countdown to OK primary: 26 days
Countdown to KS and MO primaries: 33 days
Countdown to CO and CT primaries: 40 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 124 days

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