From NBC's John Yang and Domenico Montanaro
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) new budget is drawing praise from some and criticism from others. The budget makes public workers, well, the public enemy. It goes after their collective-bargaining abilities and mandates that they ante up for their health care.

“The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO on Sunday launched a major advertising campaign against Gov. Scott Walker's plan that would erase almost all collective bargaining rights for most public workers as a way to shore up the state's finances,” the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. “The television and radio ads say Walker and other politicians plan to "take away rights of thousands of nurses, teachers and other trusted public employees" and are doing so with almost no public discussion or debate.” More: “The Legislature could act this week on the bill, which would shore up the state's finances through June 30. A public hearing is expected on the bill Tuesday in the Legislature's budget committee. The bill would require the vast majority of state, local and school employees to pay half the costs of their pensions and pay at least 12.6% of their health care premiums.”

And then there’s this: “The bargaining law changes would apply to all public workers except police, firefighters and state troopers. The unions for state troopers, Milwaukee police officers and Milwaukee firefighters all endorsed Walker, while most other unions endorsed his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.” 

The union ad buy was largely in response to this Wisconsin Club for Growth ad in support of the governor's plan. The ad went up on Friday, shortly after Walker announced his plan. The conservative group is run by a former top Walker campaign adviser.

So could it pass the state legislature? While the Republicans have a commanding 57-38 majority (plus one Independent) in the Wisconsin house, they have a much narrower 19-14 majority in the state Senate. The Senate majority leader says he doesn't know when the chamber will take it up, effectively acknowledging he doesn't have the votes yet. Four Republicans were quoted in the Journal-Sentinel saying they weren't ready to commit to support the legislation and another four Republicans whose districts have lots of state workers wouldn't return phone calls.

The Journal-Sentinel’s editorial board largely backs Walker on his moves: “Walker is right to do this. He must insist that state workers pay a bigger share of their benefits. And he's right to take steps to compel them to do so. The governor is overreaching in some respects. And even if he wins the bruising fight to come in the state Capitol, he risks alienating broad swaths of independent voters. But Walker must fill a gaping budget hole of $137 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30 and a much larger imbalance in the next two-year budget. Something has to give.”

And AP had this: “Gov. Scott Walker says the Wisconsin National Guard is prepared to respond if there is any unrest among state employees in the wake of his announcement that he wants to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights. Walker said Friday that he hasn't called the Guard into action, but he has briefed them and other state agencies in preparation of any problems.”

The mention of the National Guard in Walker's Friday news conference was specifically in reference to state prisons. He said he would call out the Guard to take control of prisons if Corrections Officers went on strike or took any other sort of job action. Union officials say they don't have any plans to. One union official said the governor was "baiting" guards.  Walker’s bill would maintain the workers' ability to negotiate over pay and only over pay -- it would strip them of their rights to negotiate any other benefits or work rules. Any raises couldn't exceed inflation, all contracts would be limited to one year and employees would be required to vote every year on whether to recertify the union as their bargaining agent.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
As the president's budget for 2012 arrives at the Capitol Monday morning, so begins the parade of administration officials going to Congress to defend it. In the Senate, over the course of three days, there are six hearings about the president's budget.

But before the hearings begin, Republican budget leaders will fire the opening salvo. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and top Senate Budget Committee Republican Jeff Sessions hold a news conference Monday at 2:30 pm.

Here's a quick look at the Senate's budget hearing schedule this week:
TUESDAY: OMB Director Jack Lew, Budget Committee (2:00 pm); HHS Secretary Sebelius, Finance Committee (2:30 pm)
WEDNESDAY: Energy Secretary Chu, Energy/Natural Resources Committee (9:30 am); Treasury Secretary Geithner, Finance Committee (10:00 am)
THURSDAY:- Geithner, Budget Committee (10:00 am); Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Homeland Security Committee (2:30 pm).

Also, the Senate Banking Committee is calling Wall Street's heavy-hitters back for a six-month review of last years financial regulatory reform law. Slated to appear are Fed Chairman Bernanke, FDIC Chair Bair, and SEC Chair Schapiro.

On the floor this week, Senate leaders hope to complete work on the FAA authorization bill. And next week, starting on Feb. 21, the Senate is out of session for its President's Day week-long recess.

Obama’s $3.7 trillion budget is an opening bid, as well as a political document by someone who wants to win re-election… 10 additional things you need to know about the budget… The president discusses the budget at 10:20 am ET in Baltimore… CPAC winners: Ron Paul, Chris Christie, the Trump-hungry tabloids, and Sarah Palin… The CPAC losers: GOP foreign-policy chops, CPAC itself, and Gingrich/Santorum… Romney and Pawlenty were neither winners nor losers… A WIDE range of opinions on Daniels’ speech… Barbour sounds like he’s running… And Flake to announce he’s running for Kyl’s Senate seat.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Obama’s opening bid: The $3.7 trillion budget that the White House will unveil today won’t please Republicans or those who cheered the recommendations of the bipartisan deficit-reduction commission. Yet perhaps the best way to view it is as President Obama’s opening bid, with the White House not willing to show all the cuts it might be willing to accept. The New York Times explains why Obama didn’t go bold: “That decision partly reflects Mr. Obama’s characteristic caution, but also a White House calculation: that ‘now’ is too soon for the nation’s political system. And that boldness could backfire — wounding not just a president facing re-election next year but also the prospects for bipartisan agreement on the very tax and spending-cut proposals that all sides realize are needed to truly stem the projected red ink in a nation confronting high health care costs and an aging population.” Bottom line: Presidential budgets are more political documents than anything else, and this budget is by someone who wants to win re-election. Now we wait for the GOP’s counter-offer.

*** 10 additional things to know: Here are 10 additional things to know about the Obama budget: 1) It projects 2012 spending at $3.7 trillion and a budget deficit of $1.1 trillion. For 2011, the White House estimates a deficit at $1.6 trillion (largest ever), more than CBO does; numbers were crunched PRE-tax cut deal based on PRE-tax cut deal GDP projections. 2) It lowers the deficit over 10 years by $1.1 trillion -- two-thirds of that money comes from program cuts, one-third comes from tax hikes. 3) Most well-known cuts come in subsidies for lower-income Americans for heating and cooling, as well as no more Pell grants for summer college. 4) The tax hikes: capping charitable deductions for wealthiest at 28% rate, Bush tax rates gone in 2013 for those making $250K+, and estate tax would rise back to the ‘09 level. 5) The five-year spending freeze (at 2011 levels) is included. 6) It attempts to pay for both the AMT-tax and "Doc" Medicare fixes for three years and two years, respectively. 7) It projects that, by 2017, the only yearly deficit will be from interest on national debt. 8) There are $78 billion in cuts over five years in the Pentagon budget. 9) It projects federal spending to surpass $5 trillion a year in the year 2019. 10) It offers no attempt to deal with Social Security or tax reform in this budget; the White House says those are separate conversations to have. 

*** CPAC winners: While Donald Trump is right that Ron Paul can’t win the presidency or even the GOP nomination, his CPAC straw-poll victory and the rock-star treatment he received from his backers prove that he generates more enthusiasm than more mainstream GOP types. For those who dismiss Paul, don’t forget that Dr. No is one of the godfathers of the Tea Party movement. And a question: Why aren’t young conservatives as gung-ho for Romney, Pawlenty, etc. as they are for Paul? Another winner was Chris Christie. He didn’t show up and repeatedly says he won’t run for the presidency, but he tied for third in the straw poll. Enough said. A third CPAC winner will be the tabloids, which will salivate from now until June speculating about Donald Trump’s presidential bid. A final winner was Sarah Palin. While it’s unclear that she’ll run, and while it’s clear she’d be a weak candidate against Obama, that a “fake” Palin could cause such a stir -- “Is that really her?” asked numerous excited (then dejected) attendees -- suggests she still generates a considerable amount of buzz within the conservative movement.

*** CPAC losers: The biggest loser, by far, was the GOP’s foreign-policy stature. Outside of Paul, a brief mention by Santorum, and Pawlenty saying the words “Muslim Brotherhood,” the potential presidentials really didn’t address what happened in Egypt, the biggest foreign-policy development in quite a while. That really puts into question the foreign-policy chops of a field already lacking foreign-policy experience. (Over to you, Jon Huntsman?) Another loser was CPAC itself. With Paul finishing first for the second-straight year and with the controversy over the GOProud gay-rights group, the annual confab may have lost some relevancy. And other losers were Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, who delivered very flat speeches on Thursday and were overshadowed by Trump and Rumsfeld/Cheney.

*** On Romney and Pawlenty: Mitt Romney was neither a winner nor a loser. He gave a fine speech; it was received well; and he finished second in the straw poll (after finishing second last year and first in 2007, 2008, and 2009). He’s the grown-up in the GOP field, and he performed as expected. But what does it say about him when Paul, Trump, and the “fake” Palin create a bigger stir at CPAC than the GOP front-runner? Where's the excitement? Obama and Hillary, after all, were never upstaged in 2007-2008. As for Tim Pawlenty, his speech -- especially at the end -- was perhaps stronger than Romney’s. But T-Paw got only 4% in the straw poll, which tied him for fifth with Michele Bachmann and Mitch Daniels. Here’s the thing about Pawlenty: If he wins Iowa, he becomes a serious threat. If he doesn’t, then he doesn’t. In this respect, he’s a lot like Lamar Alexander was in 1996. There's a path, but it's a one-state strategy. Think roulette and putting your chips not on black or red but on "00."

*** On Daniels: Then we come to Mitch Daniels. No other speech drew a wider range of opinions. MSNBC.com’s Carrie Dann says he benefited from being the banquet keynote, where attendees were dressed formally and seated at round tables in a more dimly lit auditorium -- an adult audience for the "adult" conversation, right? His speech was somber, lengthy, and erudite. He didn't throw out applause lines or jokes as much as he delivered pithy arguments and highbrow witticisms. ("Raison debt"? Pretty much crickets.) Dann adds that Daniels’ speech probably would have bored a red-meat crowd, although his calls for civility and seriousness had an indie appeal for the audience that was willing to stick around until 9:00 pm, when he FINALLY took the stage on Friday. Our take: If Obama’s budget suggests someone who wants to win re-election, then Daniels’ speech suggested someone who probably doesn’t run. It was a speech by a politician who seemed liberated to say the things he wanted to say.

*** And on Barbour -- it looks like he’s running: The final CPAC speaker, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who finished tied for eighth in the straw poll getting 1% of the vote, should now be seen as a candidate who is RUNNING (a la Romney), but simply hasn't formally announced.  Watch his Fox News Sunday interview and then you'll see what we mean. Here’s what he said in response to his lobbying past: “The guy who gets elected or the lady who gets elected president of the United States will immediately be lobbying. They would be advocating to the Congress, they'll be lobbying our allies and our adversaries overseas. They'll be asking the business community and labor unions.” (It was similar to the response he gave to the Weekly Standard in that profile of him.) He even referred to Ronald Reagan as a "lobbyist"! And here’s what he said about the potential GOP field: “I have a record as governor. I have a record of cutting spending. And I talked yesterday not only about we ought to cut spending, I talked about how we've cut spending in Mississippi and how if you did the same things in the federal government, you would save tens of billions of dollars a year.”

*** Flake to run for Kyl’s Senate seat: The Arizona Republic reports:” Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., will announce Monday that he will run for the U.S. Senate being vacated by Sen. Jon Kyl, a source has told The Arizona Republic. Flake, who was first elected to Congress in 2000, has long expressed interest in running for the Senate. He will make it official at an 8 a.m. news conference at the same Phoenix hotel where Kyl on Thursday announced that he will retire when his current term ends in January 2013. Flake's decision to run for the Senate is sure to rev up Republican competition for his GOP-heavy congressional district. He's also expected to have plenty of competition in the Senate primary.”

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“President Obama sent Congress a $3.7 trillion budget plan for 2012 Monday that would trim Pell college grants and low-income heating aid, raise taxes on upper-income taxpayers and oil companies, and slash $1.1 trillion from the deficit over 10 years,” USA Today reports.

The Washington Post: "Although the budget request offers an important glimpse of the president's priorities - his first since Republicans regained control of the House in November - it is unlikely to have much influence in the budget debate on Capitol Hill. House Republicans plan to offer their own spending proposal for fiscal 2012, after attempting to push through sharp and immediate cuts to spending this year."

“President Obama’s budget will be dramatically different than his previous ones,” The Hill writes. “Liberals are already wincing, and congressional Democrats will oppose many of the president’s demands. Obama’s presidency has reached a watershed. Despite administration denials, it is widely agreed that Republican triumph in November’s election have spurred Obama to march right into centrist territory, especially on fiscal issues. Today’s budget is intended to suggest a business-friendly executive attacking a crippling deficit. Most Democrats backed Obama’s previous budgets. This year, the left will rip him for excessive cuts, while the right will claim he hasn’t gone far enough.”

The New York Times says, “With the budget he is to unveil Monday, President Obama has not opted for the bold, comprehensive approach to reining in the fast-growing federal debt that his own fiscal commission has said is needed, now. That decision partly reflects Mr. Obama’s characteristic caution, but also a White House calculation: that ‘now’ is too soon for the nation’s political system. And that boldness could backfire — wounding not just a president facing re-election next year but also the prospects for bipartisan agreement on the very tax and spending-cut proposals that all sides realize are needed to truly stem the projected red ink in a nation confronting high health care costs and an aging population.”

Politico’s Rogers adds: “After November’s election results, no one assumes this is sufficient, but more than any of Obama’s prior efforts, this budget makes choices that help define the man himself. He bets big on education spending — an 11 percent increase next year — while altering the Pell Grant program to try to save the aid levels now allowed for college students from the poorest families. The National Institutes of Health would grow by about $1 billion, even as old anti-poverty programs and heating assistance would be cut. And $62 billion in Medicare savings would be plowed back into paying physicians who care for the elderly.”

More: "The numbers read less like a budget than a soldier deciding what he must carry and what will weigh him down too much when he jumps into a hot landing zone."

The New York Daily News: “For 2012, the administration sees the imbalance declining to $1.1 trillion, giving the country a record four straight years of $1 trillion-plus deficits.” 

“House Republicans will be dealing with spending issues as they scramble to put together a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government beyond March 4. An original CR had to be shelved last week, after freshman Republicans argued the cuts did not go deep enough. Republicans are hoping to vote on a new package, containing $100 billion in cuts, towards the end of the week,” The Hill writes.

This is a nice Roll Call headline for the GOP House leadership to wake up to: “Ethics Is No Joke for GOP.” Boehner “didn’t admit to having a hand in [Christopher] Lee’s departure, but GOP sources say the new Speaker has shown little patience for ethical lapses and scandals. In an incident last May, Boehner wasted no time dealing with then-Rep. Mark Souder after he learned of the Indiana Republican’s affair with a part-time aide. Boehner spoke on the phone with Souder. A day after Boehner, then the Minority Leader, reported his conversation with the House Ethics Committee, Souder resigned.”

But there’s the lingering issue of Rep. David Rivera (R-FL): As Roll Call writes, “Several Republican strategists, however, noted that it’s not always an easy call when it comes to handling the ethics of Members. Boehner has already given some leeway to embattled freshman Rep. David Rivera. The Florida Republican is under investigation by local law enforcement for allegations that he failed to report $130,000 in loans from a company owned by his mother. Rivera has said that he has since repaid the loans. Boehner said at a press conference in late January that the allegations against Rivera did not involve his Congressional service and that ‘we need to see how this plays out.’” As ethics professor James Thurber told First Read last month: "If they’re interested in shining a light on how much more ethical they are, unlike the Democrats, then it sends the wrong message."

What has been a remarkably cohesive and collegial Senate Republican leadership team threatens to be torn asunder over the next 18 months by a potentially divisive race for Whip and additional jockeying for other top Conference posts,” Roll Call reports. “Aides to Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) and John Cornyn (Texas) insist that the close personal friendship shared by the two Republican leaders will prevent their competition to succeed Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) as Whip from becoming bitter.” And if John Thune doesn’t run for president, which is looking less likely, he could run for Whip as well.

On Meet the Press, John Boehner again would not definitively correct those that believe President Obama is not a Christian with his “I accept him at his word” line: "It's not my job to tell the American people what to think. Our job in Washington is to listen," Boehner said. "The president says he's a Christian. I accept him at his word." 

Msnbc.com’s Carrie Dann lists the results of the CPAC presidential-preference straw poll: (Here's her write up.)

Ron Paul – 30%
Mitt Romney - 23%
Gary Johnson – 6%
Chris Christie – 6%
Newt Gingrich – 5%
Michele Bachmann – 4%
Tim Pawlenty – 4%
Mitch Daniels – 4%
Sarah Palin – 3%
Mike Huckabee – 2%
Herman Cain – 2%
Rick Santorum – 2%
John Thune – 2%
Jon Huntsman – 1%
Haley Barbour – 1%
Other – 5%
Undecided – 1%

DANIELS: The Washington Post’s Cillizza names Mitch Daniels one of the “winners” of CPAC: “The Indiana governor's sobering speech about the danger of the country's growing debt was a sharp contrast to the red-meat heavy addresses of his potential rivals for the 2012 nomination. While the speech was received politely in the hall, it was met with effusive praise by the party's smart set, the national media, and, interestingly, the Drudge Report.”

PAUL: "Representative Ron Paul of Texas won the [CPAC straw] poll for the second year in a row, and Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, took second place. The results reflected the challenges that lie ahead for Republicans as they weigh arguments of electability and ideology and try to unite the party," the New York Times writes. 

The Washington Post notes that Paul won with less than a third of the vote – “a result that suggested the energy of conservative activists at the gathering has not coalesced behind a single candidate.”

ROMNEY: “Conservative pundit Ann Coulter warned activists Saturday that if the party nominates former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in 2012, President Obama will win reelection,” The Hill reports. After initial hesitation, she endorsed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.“ “If you don't run Chris Christie, Romney will be the nominee and we'll lose,” she said.

“Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney provided some red meat to the conservative crowd on Friday, slamming President Obama’s economic initiatives, saying they have resulted in the millions of lost jobs,” The State Column writes of Romney’s CPAC speech.

SANTORUM: Cillizza calls former Sen. Rick Santorum one of CPAC’s losers, more due to circumstance rather than substance: “For those who watched his speech, Santorum did just fine. But, the room was less than two-thirds full during Santorum's remarks - an attendance issue that highlighted his potential difficulties in breaking through in the crowded field.”

THUNE: “Sen. John Thune received minimal support in a straw poll this weekend of who conservative activists prefer for president,” the Rapid City Journal writes. “The Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll gave Thune support of 2 percent of attendees.” 

Several potential presidential hopefuls, including Newt Gingrich and Haley Barbour, remained “coy” on Sunday when they were asked about their plans on the Sunday morning talk show circuit, the Wall Street Journal writes.

BACHMANN: “Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann told CNN Friday she will visit the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire ‘soon’ as she explores the possibility of a 2012 presidential bid.”

BARBOUR: “Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Saturday he would campaign aggressively for the Iowa caucuses, should he decide to seek the Republican nomination for president,” the Des Moines Register reports.

“Mississippi Governor, and potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, Haley Barbour joined ‘Fox News Sunday’ to discuss the possibility that he’ll make a run for the White House,” Fox writes. “On whether he will make an announcement to run Governor Barbour said, ‘I'm not going to make a decision until April, but I am very serious about it… I understand that this is a decision to dedicate the productive -- remaining productive years of my life, the next 10 years, to the most consuming job in the world.’”

CNN recounts Barbour’s appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” noting that he defended his lobbyist past. “"I'm a lobbyist and had a career lobbying. The guy who gets elected or the lady who gets elected president of the United States”

“According to a State Department filing by Barbour's former lobbying firm, The Embassy of Mexico decided to retain Barbour's services on August 15, 2001, to work on, among other things, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for foreigners living illegally in the United States—what opponents of immigration reform call ‘amnesty.’”

PALIN: “Sarah Palin has hired a chief-of-staff, a move that experts say is the strongest indication yet that the former Alaska governor will run for President in 2012,” the New York Daily News writes. “Michael Glassner, attorney who has worked for several high-profile politicians, including Bob Dole and John McCain, will serve as the head adviser of her political action committee, Sarah PAC.”

PAWLENTY: Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor, said the administration ‘spoke like a Tower of Babel’ and that its message throughout the progress of Egypt’s revolution was ‘incoherent’ and ‘inconsistent,’” The Hill writes.

“Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty on Friday delivered some of his harshest criticism yet of President Obama's foreign policy, telling the president to ‘stop apologizing for our country,’” the Washington Post writes.

“Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate, had dinner with former Minnesota governor and possible Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty Saturday night in Richmond,” the Washington Post reports.

ROMNEY: “Mitt Romney has a lot riding on Nevada as he readies his early-state strategy for a possible Republican primary campaign, but changes in the state’s caucus rules and a surge of Tea Party movement activism will make the state a tougher environment for him than in 2008,” the Boston Globe writes. Romney is in Las Vegas today.

“More than twice as many Utahns would vote for Mitt Romney over Jon Huntsman Jr. in a GOP presidential primary, according to a new Deseret News/KSL poll,” KSL reports. “56 percent of Utahns would cast their ballot for Romney, while just 26 percent would choose Huntsman in a race between the two.”

TRUMP: “Don't laugh,” the Manchester Union-Leader writes of Donald Trump’s presidential aspirations. While political analysts think he probably wouldn’t do well in most parts of the state, “they concede anything is possible in New Hampshire and it would be up to Trump to figure out a way to get Granite Staters to hire, and not fire, him.”

ARIZONA: Rep. Jeff Flake is expected to announce his bid for Senate today to replace Sen. Jon Kyl.

IOWA: “Iowa Republican officials, leaders and activists say the most active caucus participants were watching [CPAC], and that buzz from the conference will travel through the state's conservative channels,” the Des Moines Register writes. “‘Really, it's the first time you get to see them on the same stage, a chance to see who demonstrates that leadership quality,’ said Rockford Republican Chuck Laudner, a former Iowa GOP executive director attending his 15th CPAC conference.”

MAINE: Tea Partier Ian Dodge announced at CPAC he’s running against Olympia Snowe (R) because she’s too liberal. 

For the second year in a row, conservatives attending the annual CPAC conference in Washington D.C. have selected Rep. Ron Paul of Texas as the winner of their presidential straw poll.

Paul received 30 percent of the vote.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts came in second, with 23 percent of the vote. Romney, considered a frontrunner to win the GOP nomination for the 2012 race, was the victor in three consecutive CPAC straw polls before Paul’s victory last year.

The selection of Paul – an isolationist, anti-war fiscal conservative who advocates for the dismantling of the Federal Reserve – as the attendees’ top choice to run for the White House signals a strong libertarian streak of many of the annual conference’s attendees, many of whom are students. Paul raised eye-popping sums on the web during his 2008 presidential run but almost certainly lacks the campaign organization and wide appeal with GOP primary voters to be a serious contender to win the nomination.

Just over 3,700 people cast votes in the poll, a record number of participants but still only about one-third of the conference's attendees. Almost one half of the participants in the poll were under 25, per organizers.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- who has insisted that he will not run and did not attend the conference -- both received six percent of the vote.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich received five percent of the vote, along with Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty received four percent of the vote, as did Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Sarah Palin, who did not attend the confab, received three percent of the vote, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee received two percent.

The poll’s results are certain to be dismissed as irrelevant by presidential contenders who have been building the staff and infrastructure necessary for a serious run.

The announcement of the straw poll results prompted a prolonged celebration by Paul supporters in the conference's ballroom, mixed with loud boos from other attendees.

CPAC attendees voted in the poll throughout the three-day conference, choosing from among 15 potential GOP presidential contenders.

The confab attracted about 11,000 conservatives this year, including many students who embrace Paul’s message of small-government and individual liberty. On Friday, a packed ballroom cheered Paul’s remarks – which included an fierce indictment of the Fed and a strident call for the elimination of foreign aid.

The White House unveils its budget Monday, and it's sure to set off a fight on spending. But can Republicans corral the Tea Party? Jay Carney takes the helm as White House press secretary, CPAC wraps up - can anyone top The Donald? John Thune, Newt Gingrich say they'll announce this month, and Andy's big news. (Link.)

Special thanks to NBC's Pete Williams for his audio expertise.

From NBC's Mark Murray and msnbc.com's Carrie Dann
Mixing "Minnesota Nice" with a full-throated critique of the Obama White House and government spending, former Minnesota Gov. -- and probable presidential candidate -- Tim Pawlenty delivered a sometimes fiery speech to appeal to the conservative audience at CPAC.

He began his address with plenty of red meat to the conservative audience. "Now, I’m not one who questions the existence of the President’s birth certificate. But when you listen to his policies, don’t you at least wonder what planet he’s from?" he asked. "On what planet do they create jobs by taxing the daylight out of people trying to grow jobs? On what planet do they try to reduce the deficit by spending even more? On what planet do they make health care better by putting bureaucrats in charge?"

Pawlenty took issue with some recent media comparisons between Obama and former President Ronald Reagan - a theme that has provided an oft-used punchline for CPAC attendees for the past two days. "Ladies and gentleman: Barack Obama is not behaving like Ronald Reagan!" he exclaimed. "He’s behaving like Jimmy Carter!

And, testing out a recently formulated stump speech line -- he used it at his speech at the National Press Club last month as well -- he declared, "Just because we followed Greece into democracy, does not mean we need to follow them into bankruptcy!"

Those lines won him an enthusiastic response from a packed audience, much of which was assembled in anticipation of the speaker after Pawlenty -- Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. (Paul, as most know, has a base of fervent, young voters. Because of them, he surprisingly won last year's CPAC straw poll.)

Pawlenty appeared on stage moments at the same time that Obama was speaking in the White House's Grand Foyer on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's ouster from power. The unrest in Egypt has received wall-to-wall cable coverage throughout the CPAC gathering but has been almost completely ignored at the confab.

But the Minnesota governor did directly -- if briefly -- critique the president's handling of the Egyptian unrest, singling out what he called the president's "appeasement" of an anti-Mubarak group. "We appease Iran, Russia, and adversaries in the Middle East, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood," Pawlenty said.

Throughout the speech, Pawlenty underscored his biography as the son of a milk trucker driver and a fiscally conservative governor.

As governor, he said, "I drew a line in the sand and said, "Absolutely not. We're going to live within our means just like families, just like businesses, just like everybody else.'"

The plain-spoken governor - sometimes described by critics as short on pizzazz -- urged that future leadership for the country should be less characterized by flowery speech and more by unglamorous hard work.

Ending on a fiesty note, he said, "We’ve had enough of the hype and speeches filled with rhetoric that soars – but takes us in the wrong direction. This is about rolling up our sleeves, plowing forward, standing tall, and getting the job done."

"We will rise up, as our forefathers did, with the assurance of our time-tested conservative values, the wisdom of the American people, and the courage of our convictions."

From NBC's Athena Jones
Marking the historic end to the three-decade long presidency of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, President Obama said Egyptians had inspired the world by their peaceful protests for their universal rights.

Obama made the remarks after huddling in the White House Situation Room with his national security team. The president had dropped by a previously scheduled Principals Committee meeting convened by National Security Advisor Tom Donilon to discuss current developments in the country, according to a spokesman.

The news of Mubarak's resignation came a day after the White House and the world had expected the leader to step down. Yesterday in Michigan, Obama had called what was happening in Egypt a "moment of transformation." Today he expanded on those sentiments.

"There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place," he said during brief remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House. "This is one of those moments; this is one of those times. The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard and Egypt will never be the same."

Obama said Egypt had played "a pivotal role in human history" for more than 6,000 years and that young Egyptians had shown the world what can be achieved through non-violent protest, a clear message to extremists.

"This is the power of human dignity, and it can never be denied," he said. "Egyptians have inspired us and they've done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained through violence. For in Egypt it was the moral force of non violence -- not terrorism, not mindless killing, but non violence. Moral force that bent the arc of history toward justice once more."

The president ended by comparing the events in Egypt to the fall of the Berlin Wall and quoted Martin Luther King, saying that Egypt reminds us, "There's something in the soul that cries out for freedom."

From msnbc.com's Carrie Dann and NBC's Mark Murray
In his speech at today's CPAC Republican cattle call, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota urged perseverance in the contest to oust President Obama from the White House, but his remarks offered mixed signals about whether he wants to try to take on the role of presidential contender himself.

Quoting his wife Kimberly, Thune said his family recognized after his first defeat for the Senate seat -- he later won in 2004 -- that "It's important to be in the arena," but offered no hints if that arena -- for Thune -- is the White House or the Senate.

He also poked fun at a few presidential contenders. He noted that he's mostly visited first-in-the-nation caucus state Iowa "on my way home to South Dakota." And in what could be construed as a shot at both Sarah Palin and Donald Trump, who made a splash at the conference yesterday, he joked that "the closest I've ever come to being on a reality TV show is C-SPAN's live coverage of the Senate floor."

Thune, the only member of Congress considered to be seriously mulling a run for the White House, could see a clearer path to ascend up the Senate leadership ladder after GOP whip Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) announced Thursday that he won't run for re-election. (Although Texas Sen. John Cornyn has also expressed interest in the job.)

The South Dakota lawmaker argued in his remarks that programs like Social Security and Medicare are desperately in need of reforms that would only be executed by Republican leadership in the White House.

"If we're going to solve our entitlement problem," he said, "we're going to need to solve our White House problem by electing a conservative in 2012."

But whether or not he thinks he could be the solution? We'll have to stay tuned.

Vice President Biden called what's happening in Egypt a "pivotal moment in history."

"We have said from the beginning, that future of Egypt will be determined by Egyptian people," Biden said at an event at the University of Louisville as part of the McConnell Center's spring lecture series.

Biden added that the U.S. stands for "a set of core principles," that the "transition must be an irreversible change ... toward democracy."

He said Republicans and Democrats, "even in this contentious political climate" have largely "spoken in one voice." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is with Biden at the event.

Biden said he "had planned on speaking more," but will wait for the president to give his remarks before saying more.

President Obama is expected to speak at 1:30 pm ET.

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Athena Jones reports the president's statement is now TBD and moved to the Grand Foyer.

*** UPDATE 2 *** NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports the president's statement will be at 3:00 pm ET.

A Sarah Palin impersonator walked the halls at CPAC, confusing throngs of onlookers.

From NBC's Kevin Hurd
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won't show up at CPAC this year.

But the fake Sarah Palin did.

A woman, who looked and dressed like the famous Republican, started walking around and doing interviews. In fact, she began drawing a crowd. People requested pictures, asked questions, and expressed their support for her.

Mumbles of mixed reactions buzzed through the crowd about her legitimacy. One person said, "That's not the real Palin," while another said, "You bet. That is real, legitimate Palin." Another mentioned checking her latest Twitter status to verify whether or not it was her.

But a staff member escorting the woman around confirmed that, despite her similarity, this was not the real former governor.

From msnbc.com's Carrie Dann and NBC's Mark Murray
In remarks heavily focused on the economy, foreign policy, and American exceptionalism Friday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney squarely challenged the competence and the authenticity of the man he’d like to replace in the White House.

The speech to the CPAC conservative conference -- the same group to whom he conceded the presidential primary race three years ago --  was primarily an assault on what he described as President Barack Obama’s fickle and hesitant strategy for solving the nation’s economic problems.

Romney received a mostly polite – but also sometimes enthusiastic – response from the thousands of conservative activists in the audience. The biggest sustained applause he received was when he delivered this criticism of the president: “It’s going to take more than new rhetoric to put Americans back to work. It’s going to take a new president.”

The former Bain & Company CEO, whose business credentials have served as the linchpin of his case for the presidency, blamed the Obama presidency for the nation’s nine percent unemployment rate.

“President Barack Obama has stood watch over the greatest job loss in modern American history. And that, my friends, is one inconvenient truth that will haunt this president throughout history,” he said.

But polls have consistently said that the public largely blames the previous Republican administration more than the current White House for the state of the economy.

Also in his speech, Romney accused Obama of fashioning a new pro-business facade without an actual understanding of how business works, even implying that the president plagiarized his pro-growth rhetoric from Romney’s CPAC speech last year.

“The president is trying to show that he finally gets it—that he really isn’t a liberal after all. But his idea of conservative economic policy is to invite some corporate CEO’s to the White House for an evening of table-talk,” he said. “I’m sorry, Mr. President, but that’s not a policy, it’s a dinner party.”

“If I decide to run for president,” he added, pausing for a boisterous moment of encouragement from the crowd, “it won’t take me two years to wake up to the job crisis threatening America. And I won’t be asking Tim Geithner how the economy works—or Larry Summers how to start a business.”

And he tied free market ideals and capitalism to the notion of American exceptionalism – an ideal that Republicans often declare to be uncomfortable and unfamiliar to the current commander-in-chief.

"We believe in freedom, in opportunity. We believe in free enterprise and capitalism. We believe in the American dream. And we believe that the principles that made America the leader of the world today are the very principles that will keep America the leader of the world tomorrow.”

Early in his remarks, Romney also took shots at the White House’s diplomatic dealings and foreign policy strategy, although he avoided specific references to the uncertainty rocking Egypt. He slammed Obama as unsteady and incoherent in his handling of the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, the conflict between North and South Korea, and the uprising in Iran.

"An uncertain world has been made more dangerous by the lack of clear direction from a weak president," he said, later adding that he hopes the president will someday "finally be able to construct a foreign policy, any foreign policy."

The one thing missing from Romney's speech: any mention of the "ObamaCare" health-reform law particularly despised by this CPAC audience. Romney, so far, has struggled to make a solid argument against the president's health care law,  which has many similarities to the law Romney championed during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts.

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman took to the cameras and made a quick statement, saying Hosni Mubarak had stepped down and handed off power to the military.

Here's AP:

Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday, bowing down after a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. ... 'In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic," a grim-looking Suleiman said. "He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor."

NBC's Athena Jones reports, per the White House, that the president will make an on-camera statement later today.

From the White House:

The President was informed of President Mubarak's decision to step down during a meeting in the Oval Office. He then watched TV coverage of the scene in Cairo for several minutes in the outer Oval.

*** UPDATE *** We noted in First Thoughts the potential political peril for the Obama administration after the Mubarak not stepping down yesterday and the mixed messages coming from administration officials.

NBC's Mark Murray reports that a Democratic official said in an e-mail that this is "great news for the admin/president – people will remember – despite some fumbles yesterday – that the President played an excellent hand, walked the right line and that his statement last night was potentially decisive in brining this issue to a close. The situation remains complicated and delicate going forward – but this is a huge affirmation of the President’s leadership on the international stage."

White House makes its clearest break with Mubarak… How the situation in Egypt now brings political peril for Team Obama… All CPAC eyes on Romney, who speaks at 10:30 am ET… Other potential presidentials on today’s schedule: Thune (1:30 pm), Pawlenty (3:00 pm), Paul (3:30 pm), Cain (4:30 pm), and Daniels (7:30 pm)… How Donald Trump stole Day 1 at CPAC, and what that says about the GOP field… LaPierre: Guns don’t kill people, the government does… Another race/Mississippi story for Barbour… Tea Party forces House GOP leadership to make bigger cuts… And Gibbs’ last briefing.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Breaking away: After Egyptian President Mubarak shocked his country, the White House, and the rest of the world by declaring yesterday that he wasn’t stepping down, President Obama issued his sharpest break from Mubarak. “The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient,” he said in a statement last night that never named Mubarak. “Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.” Clearly, Egypt's at a point of no return, and the same thing can be said for what remains of the U.S. government's relationship with Mubarak and his VP.

*** Political peril: Yesterday was the best example of how the situation in Egypt now carries potential domestic political peril for the Obama White House. Before yesterday, it was probably unfair to say that -- given that there’s only so much the administration can really do from the sidelines. But what happened yesterday in Michigan, where the president subtly signaled that Mubarak was stepping down (which didn’t happen), was embarrassing for them. Combined with the flubs by CIA Director Panetta (who appeared to confirm reports of Mubarak stepping down, but then had to retract) and DNI Director James Clapper (calling the Muslim Brotherhood "secular") on Capitol Hill, the impression was of an administration that simply wasn't on top of the situation. Obviously, the Egyptian government -- from Mubarak to the military -- was NOT speaking with one voice, and in there's a clear explanation for why everyone was receiving so many mixed signals. That said, fair or not, the White House now owns what’s happening in Egypt. It’s on their watch.

*** All eyes on Mitt: Win or lose, Mitt Romney might be the most fascinating GOP storyline of 2011 and early 2012. He's probably the Republican presidential field's front-runner, but he's a weaker front-runner than either McCain or Dole ever was. He has history on his side as GOP primary voters usually choose the next in line, yet this no longer looks like your father’s Republican Party. He has a great story to tell on the economy and turnarounds (Bain Capital, 2002 Olympics), but he’s struggled to explain how his Massachusetts health-care law is different than Obama’s. He’s always looked the part, yet he might have been the GOP’s biggest disappointment in 2008 after losing his leads in Iowa and New Hampshire and also losing his own, well, center. And while his best path to the GOP nomination appears to be through New Hampshire, not going all-in in Iowa could come back to haunt him, since not going all-in in Iowa only means he'll be weaker in South Carolina.

*** Today’s CPAC schedule: Those political dragons Romney will have to slay will be part of the backdrop of his 10:30 am ET speech today at CPAC. The other potential presidentials who will be speaking on Day 2 of the conservative confab: John Thune (1:30 pm), Tim Pawlenty (3:00 pm), Ron Paul (3:30 pm), Herman Cain (4:30 pm), and Mitch Daniels (7:30 pm). Haley Barbour will address the conference on Saturday (9:30 am). A Pawlenty aide sends First Read these advanced excerpts from T-Paw’s address: “Just because we followed Greece into democracy, does not mean we need to follow them into bankruptcy… [W]e cut government in Minnesota, and if we can do it there, we can do it anywhere… I drew a line in the sand and said, ‘Absolutely not. We're going to live within our means just like families, just like businesses, just like everybody else.’… The federal government should do the same.”

*** A flat Day 1: Day 1 set a relatively low bar for today’s speakers. At last year’s CPAC, Marco Rubio and Jim DeMint rocked the house. Yesterday, by comparison, was … flat, at least until Donald Trump took the stage (more on that below). Newt Gingrich walked into the ballroom with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” blaring, but that ‘80s tune was probably the most exciting part of the speech. He discussed the accomplishments of the 1990s like welfare reform, balanced budgets, and tax cuts (which Bill Clinton could also take credit for); he called for an American energy policy (oil, nuke, clean coal); and he proposed abolishing and replacing the EPA. (Gingrich v. Obama debates in the fall of 2012 would have a college professor faculty debate feel to them, no?) Later, Rick Santorum addressed a ballroom that was about a third empty. He started off his remarks criticizing Obama for not believing in American exceptionalism. Then he responded to Mitch Daniels' "truce" on social issues, saying: "They are the issues that matter."

*** But Trump steals the show… : But then stepped up Donald Trump -- yes, that Donald Trump. He ended up stealing the show. He was, without question, the best-received speaker yesterday. "While I'm not at this time a candidate for the presidency, I will decide by June whether I will become one," Trump declared. "I'm pro-life. I'm against gun control. I agree with your previous speaker and I will fight to end Obama-care and replace it. And Trump showed pluck in not shying away from the numerous Ron/Rand Paul supporters in the audience. "I like Ron Paul," he said before adding, "He has zero chance of being elected." Of course, someone could say the same thing about The Donald…

*** … And what that says about the GOP field: That Trump stole the show yesterday says more about the lack of enthusiasm for the GOP field than anything else we’ve seen. Trump should be a punch line, and probably will end up being one. But it only reinforces the point we made a couple of weeks ago: that the potential GOP field looks a whole lot like the Dem field from 2004. The base enthusiasm to fire the incumbent president is clearly there, but there's no single candidate lighting the base on fire and sending the message they are ready to do it. Of course, it will be interesting to see how Romney, T-Paw, Daniels, Barbour, etc., are received today and tomorrow.

*** Guns don’t kill people, the government does: Issues-wise, the most provocative CPAC speech of the day came from the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre. They were his first substantive comments on guns and gun control after the Arizona shootings, and it was a full-throated defense of NRA policies and ideology. “If Tucson taught us anything it taught us this: government failed," he said, per CNN. "And when they tell you that a ban on assault weapons can make you safer, don't you buy it, not one second, because it's a lie. Their laws don't work; their lies aren't true. By its laws and lies and lack of enforcement, government policies are getting us killed." He also said: "The best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." And: "Put guns in the hands of good people.” As msnbc.com’s Carrie Dann put it, Pierre's fairly easy invocation of Tucson signaled that the touchy post-Giffords era is officially over.

*** Barbour and race in Mississippi: By the way, here’s another reminder how the issue of race will be an issue if Barbour, the Mississippi governor, becomes a presidential candidate. The AP: "A fight is brewing in Mississippi over a proposal to issue specialty license plates honoring Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan. The Mississippi Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans wants to sponsor a series of state-issued license plates to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which it calls the 'War Between the States.' The group proposes a different design each year between now and 2015, with Forrest slated for 2014."

*** House GOP settles on $100 billion (or $60 billion) cut: On Capitol Hill, it looks like House Republicans have resolved their internal division over how big their spending cuts should be, NBC's Shawna Thomas reports. After a last-minute GOP Conference meeting, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and other members of the leadership came out smiling. Out of the gate, Cantor sort of acknowledged the rancor within his ranks when he said, "Republicans are coming around and uniting around the fact that we are going to bring a bill to the floor next week that cuts $100 billion." Before the official media avail, NRCC Chair Pete Sessions said they were doing away with talk of pro-rating and annualized numbers and just cutting a solid $100 billion. "We need to stand behind what we said." Still, Cantor admitted that the $100-billion number, like the one that was announced before the freshman revolt, "is $100 billion based on the difference between what was projected for FY 2011." And Appropriations Committee staff was quick to confirm that when compared to current spending levels, the cuts will actually come out to around $60 billion.

*** Gibbs’ last day: Robert Gibbs’ final White House press briefing takes place at 12:15 pm ET. 

Countdown Chicago’s mayoral election: 11 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 270 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 360 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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"President Hosni Mubarak’s refusal to step down on Thursday, after a day of rumors galvanized the crowds in Cairo, confronts the Obama administration with a stark choice: break decisively with Mr. Mubarak or stick to its call for an 'orderly transition' that may no longer be tenable," the New York Times says. "To some extent, Mr. Mubarak opened the door for President Obama to appeal even more directly to the protesters, some of whom have felt betrayed by the administration’s cautious approach, saying it placed strategic interests ahead of democratic values. In his speech, Mr. Mubarak said he would not brook foreign interference, suggesting that he was digging in his heels after days of prodding by the United States for 'immediate, irreversible' change."

The Boston Globe’s top story is Egypt: “Hope, disbelief, rage.”  

“The federal government’s budget deficit grew by $50 billion in January and is expected to finish the budget year as the highest in history,” AP writes.

NPR previews the coming fight over the budget. The Obama administration unveils its budget Monday.

“Vice President Joseph Biden will deliver remarks Friday as part of a leadership lecture series held at the University of Louisville, the alma mater of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,” Roll Call writes. “The Kentucky Republican will introduce Biden at the free public event, according to Biden’s office.”

In the latest issue of National Journal, Ron Brownstein credits the soon-to-close DLC for reviving the Democratic Party after its presidential defeats in the 1980s. “As the party revived after the 1980s, the Democratic coalition didn’t evolve as the DLC anticipated: Democrats recovered more by recapturing upscale coastal voters rather than the heartland and Southern working-class whites the DLC had targeted. Yet the group’s legacy is undeniable. The DLC’s insistence that Democrats needed not just new tactics but also a new agenda was indispensable in breaking the Republican lock on the White House.” 

Per the New York Times, "House Republican leaders said Thursday that they would accede to demands from conservatives and dig deeper into the federal budget for billions of dollars in additional savings this year, exhibiting the power of the Tea Party movement and increasing chances of a major fiscal clash with Democrats."

"The uprising exposed serious divisions among Republicans bent on reducing the size of government, the defining issue of the campaign that swept them back into power in the House this fall. Dozens of freshmen, fueled by tea party fervor, are demanding a rapid response to the groundswell of public anger," the Washington Post says.

The Hill: “Not good enough: Tea Party freshmen sink Republican spending plan.”

The AP writes of the Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY) Craigslist scandal: “He was one of Congress' rising stars at lunchtime and was out of office by dinner. Republican Rep. Christopher Lee fell from power this week with a velocity seldom seen in the annals of Washington sex scandals, a blinking red caution sign for those who need one that the speed and reach of the Internet can crash a political career in the time it takes to push a button… What happened in between in the congressional complex remains unclear. But Republicans, still scrambling for their footing less than two months after assuming control of the House of Representatives, where Lee represented New York state, insisted that Lee, who is married and has a young son, did not need to be pushed.”

The headline of the Boston Globe’s editorial: “Internet: A congressman loses his shirt.” The Globe makes this point: “In the past, such recklessness led to plenty of private pain, but today’s technological and media environment ratchets up the agony.” 

“U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann opened the Conservative Political Action Conference [yesterday] by urging Republican activists to make Barack Obama ‘a one-term president,’” Bloomberg writes. “Referring to the overhaul of the U.S. health-care system that Obama pushed into law last year, the Minnesota Republican said, ‘Obamacare is clearly the crown jewel of socialism, and repealing it is the driving motivation of my life.’”

“Former House speaker Newt Gingrich called for replacing the Environmental Protection Agency with an ‘environmental solutions agency’ as part of a broader re-assessment of American energy policy in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference today in Washington,” the Washington Post’s Cillizza writes.

New York Times: “Gingrich called his party’s 2010 midterm victories ‘the appetizer’ and said ‘2012 is the entrée’ in a speech to conservative activists on Thursday. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mr. Gingrich declared that ‘Barack Obama is no Ronald Reagan.’ But he offered a pointed suggestion to the audience: invite President Obama to give the keynote speech at the conference next year.”

“One theme of Rick Santorum's CPAC speech was that President Obama has his priorities all wrong, because he ‘doesn't believe America is exceptional,’ does see America as a ‘force for disruption, and even evil,’ and won't ‘say that jihadism is evil,’ Talking Points Memo recounts. “Santorum also called social issues ‘the issues that bind us,’ and that when it comes to those issues, ‘just because it's not popular doesn't mean it's not true.’”

The Washington Post on CPAC's first day: "There was, as always, a carnival atmosphere, with attendees scurrying about the hotel and exhibitors peddling books, posters and political philosophies. Despite a boycott by some conservative groups protesting the participation of GOProud, an organization that supports gay rights, there was little evidence of a real battle for attention between social and fiscal conservatives."

“It was Donald Trump, a real estate investor who became a reality show star, who finally got the crowd's 2012 election juices going on the first day of the Conservative Political Action Committee conference. And it sure sounded like the Donald was running for president,” Time writes. “’Considering the state of the country we need a competitive person,’ Trump said, after noting the Business Week had named him ‘the world's most competitive business person.’”

Politico: “CPAC to Trump: You're hired!” 

Politico writes, “In an expansion of their political footprint, the billionaire Koch brothers plan to contribute and steer a total of $88 million to conservative causes during the 2012 election cycle, according to sources, funding a new voter micro-targeting initiative, grassroots organizing efforts and television advertising campaigns. In fact, as the annual Conservative Political Action Conference meets this week in Washington and conservatives assess the state of their movement, the Kochs’ network of non-profit groups, once centered around sleepy free-enterprise think tanks, seems to some to be emerging as a more ideological counterweight to the independent Republican political machine conceived by Bush-era GOP operatives Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie before the 2010 midterm elections.”

“Likely Republican presidential candidates Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney are quietly but aggressively wooing Members of Congress for endorsements and political support in campaigns that have yet to officially take flight,” Roll Call writes.

ANGLE: “Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle expects to be added as a featured speaker to the final two days of CPAC,” Hotline On Call writes. "I didn't know I was coming to the conference until Saturday, so that's why they weren't able to agenda-ize me," Angle said. "But when they found out I was here, they said, 'We're going to fit you in,' so I guess it's to be announced."

BARBOUR: “On March 2, the two-term Mississippi governor and prospective presidential candidate expects to raise big bucks for Haley’s PAC with lots of help from former K Street colleagues who have signed up to haul in $10,000 each,” the Center for Public Integrity writes, adding, “The event is yet another sign that Barbour is inching towards a run to secure the GOP nomination, a move that many of his old lobbyist buddies are eager to see him make.” More: “Over the last few months, a small group of Washington insiders and lobbyists have been laboring quietly to lay the groundwork for a potential Barbour campaign. They include: lobbyist Scott Reed, who ran Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign and was executive director of the RNC under Barbour; former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie; Don Fierce and Kirk Blalock of the GOP lobbying shop Fierce Isakowitz and Blalock; Ed Rogers, his former lobbying partner at Barbour Griffith & Rogers (now known as BGR Group); and pollster Ed Goeas.”

BLOOMBERG: There goes the Irish vote: “Speaking at the American Irish Historical Society on Wednesday night, he said he was used to seeing ‘people that are totally inebriated hanging out the window’ at the society. ‘I know, that’s a stereotype of the Irish,’ Bloomberg added, ‘but nevertheless, we Jews from around the corner think this.’ The comments elicited laughter, boos, and moans. John Dunleavy, chairman of the parade, said the words were outrageous,” AP writes.

The cover of the New York Post: “Irish stew.”

The New York Daily News: “Bloomy’s Blarney.”

DANIELS: Although Mitch Daniels called CPAC “a lot of rowdyism and barbs cast at the other side” last year, he spoke last night at the conference’s banquet in honor of Ronald Reagan, the Indianapolis Star reports. “He said he accepted a speaking invitation this year because it's a chance to talk about the state of the nation and how conservative activists can ‘help lead us out of our current trouble.’”

PAWLENTY: Speaking to the Today show yesterday, Tim Pawlenty said that he sees “only good news” for House Republican leaders and their new hard-line Tea Party colleagues, Reuters writes. “’The good news is, and this is I think the story for CPAC and for conservatives more broadly, reducing government spending and dealing with the deficit and the debt is now mainstream,’ he says. ‘And so the fact that the Tea Party and others are pushing for more cuts, deeper cuts, faster reform, that’s a good thing. I don’t discount that, I applaud it.’”

Back to New Hampshire: Tim Pawlenty will return to the Granite State on March 10 to address a party organized by Granite Oath, a conservative political action committee, CNN reports.  The group is headed by former Senate candidate and prominent New Hampshire conservative Ovide Lamontagne. 

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski
U.S. sources who have been closely involved in the Egyptian crisis tell us that "Mubarak is going nowhere," at least for now, and that they were "taken by surprise," by tonight's announcement.

They, too, are concerned about Mubarak's statement (according to the translator) that to restore confidence in the economy Mubarak would "federalize the streets." (U.S. presidents have "federalized" military forces to confront segregationists, anti-war protestors, etc.).

According to one official however, "We have assurances, both PRIVATE and public that the [Egyptian] military would not fire on the people."

Intelligence officials are also scrambling to try to determine exactly what this all means. According to one official, "We didn't know exactly what Mubarak was going to do tonight. There was an assumption he would step down, but it looks like he's got other ideas."

From NBC's Shawna Thomas and Luke Russert
It looks like it could be another day before House Republicans comes out with their actual cuts to this year's budget, and those cuts could be bigger than previously announced. The House Appropriations Committee was supposed to have posted the continuing resolution (CR) language on its Web site today, but in its place is a statement from Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) reaffirming the GOP’s promise to cut “$100 billion from the continuing resolution.”

The statement reads, “After meeting with my subcommittee chairs, we have determined that the CR can and will reach a total of $100 billion in cuts compared to the President’s request immediately -- fully meeting the goal outlined in the Republican ‘Pledge to America’ in one fell swoop. Our intent is to make deep but manageable cuts in nearly every area of government, leaving no stone unturned and allowing no agency or program to be held sacred.”

However, the $100 billion number could become smaller when the cuts are compared to the government current actual spending levels.

Any way it goes, this is a sign that the GOP is working hard to come up with a much bigger number than what had already been announced. Apparently, everything is on the table now with multiple aides confirming that even “security” spending is on the chopping block. “We will make $100 billion in discretionary cuts, while making common sense exceptions for our troops and veterans -- just as the Pledge promises.” The aide continued, “Yes, some cuts will come from “security” categories.”  

As for the new timing of the CR language, a leadership aide said, "Our goal is for it to come out on Friday." Rogers statement noted that more information will be made available “when the bill is formally introduced.” It did not specify a date.

Speaker John Boehner, when asked about the CR’s progress earlier today, answered calmly, "We're working with our members and our committee chairman to achieve the largest cut possible." When pressed he proceeded to repeat a similar line but seemed confident that the CR would come to the floor next week. 

Boehner was also asked whether this was the right time to cut funding to programs like WIC, the Women, Infants and Children program that provides nutrition “at no charge to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women; and infants and children." His response, "Everything is on the table. We're broke. Let's be honest with ourselves. It's time for Washington to get serious and that's exactly what the American people expect of us."

Based on the numbers provided yesterday, it looks like WIC could take about a 10% hit to their budget. 

(Crunching the numbers: WIC's budget in FY2010 was $7.3 billion and $6.9 billion in FY2009. The president asked for $7.6 billion for 2011, so the proposed cut of $758 million would be about 10%.)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also was asked about the delay, and she pointed to Republican infighting as a possible cause. "We had hoped to receive the numbers this morning so that we could make some comment." She continued, "Now because of the disarray in the Republican party, and this is only one manifestation of it, they will be taking another day. I think they're finding out is that it's easier to talk about cutting then it is to actually do it."

Pelosi also said that eliminating $100 billion, "really cuts to the heart of who we are as a county. Unless they're putting everything on the table." 

And with security spending not being sacred anymore, that begs the question what will be cut from that category. Boehner was asked specifically about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Extra Engine that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he doesn't want funded.  The reporter asked if it was a “no brainer” to defund that as well as some ethanol programs. Boehner responded, "Some of the things that you're mentioning are not in the discretionary spending pot... I remind you that we've been in the majority now five weeks. We're going to have a long year. You are going to see more spending cuts come out of this Congress than any Congress in the history of this country."

And some of those large cuts may become very visible tomorrow. But will that be large enough to appease Tea Party and Republican Study Committee members who have publicly complained for the last few weeks that leadership hasn’t been serious about getting the budget under control? 

From msnbc.com's Carrie Dann
OMG. They love The Donald.

The impressively coiffed business magnate and reality TV star made a previously unscheduled appearance at the annual CPAC conference of conservative activists on Wednesday, reigniting chatter that he hopes to leverage his name and fortune to become America’s, um, CEO.

Speaking –- occasionally haltingly --  to a packed Washington, D.C., ballroom, Trump declared that he’s mulling a run and that, if elected, his leadership would return “respect” to America.

“While I’m not at this time a candidate for the presidency, I will decide by June whether or not I will become one,” he told the crowd.

Trump’s promises to work to repeal the health care law, protect gun rights and advocate against abortion won jubilant applause, as did his rundown of his accomplishments as an entrepreneur.

“I’m well acquainted with winning,” he declared at one point.

But the most boisterous moment of the afternoon came when Trump mentioned former (and perhaps future) presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, the idiosyncratic Texas congressman whose intense following is on full display among the young conservatives attending the event.

“Ron Paul cannot get elected, I’m sorry,” The Donald said as a deafening mix of hearty applause and boos ensued.

"I like Ron Paul, but honestly he has just zero chance of getting elected. You have to win an election."

NBC's Lea Sutton contributed to this article.

From NBC News:  During his weekly press conference, House Speaker John Boehner made his first public comments on the abrupt resignation of Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY) following reports about inappropriate texting and photos.

"Congressman Lee made his own decision that he thought was in his best interest and the interest of his family," Boehner said.  "I think he made the right decision for himself and his family," he added. 

The House leadership has promised "zero tolerance policy" for ethical problems, and they've generally been quick to act when allegations arise. For example, when Rep. Mark Souder admitted last spring that he had an affair with a staffer, he was quickly forced to resign.

Today, Boehner said "I believe that members of Congress should be held to the highest ethical standard. That's what the American people expect."

Boehner "refused to say whether he spoke to Lee or urged him to resign" yesterday, according to the AP.  But he added:  "My conversations with members are private, and they will remain that way."