From NBC's Ken Strickland
As a deadline looms for lawmakers to reach a bipartisan spending agreement or face a temporary government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has offered up the one possible solution that House Speaker John Boehner had already promised to shoot down.

AP

FILE-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill last week.

Reid formally announced on Tuesday that he plans to bring a short term spending bill, often called a "continuing resolution" or "CR", to the floor next week to prevent a government shutdown.  But the stop-gap measure he plans to offer is exactly what Congressional Republicans have vowed to reject: a bill that funds the government for 30 days at existing levels, with no further spending cuts.

That’s a proposal that Boehner nixed last week.  “When we say we're going to cut spending -- read my lips -- we're going to cut spending,” he said at a news conference on Thursday. "I am not going to move any kind of short-term CR at current levels.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell echoed Boehner’s sentiment in a statement today.

"Washington Democrats can't find a single dime of federal spending to cut, insisting on the status quo, even for a short-term spending bill,” McConnell said. “But keeping bloated spending levels in place and, predictably, proposing even more tax increases, is simply unacceptable."

But Democrats say their bill will cut spending when measured against the budget President Obama submitted--but never enacted--for the 2011 fiscal year. This is the same benchmark Republicans used with laying out their plan late last year to cut $100-billion worth of spending.

"This bill will include the $41 billion in budget cuts that Democrats and Republicans agreed to in December, and will keep the government running for 30 days while both sides can negotiate a common-sense, long-term solution," Reid said in a written statement.

The Senate Majority Leader also assigned his chief of staff to begin negotiations with his counterpart in Boehner's office on a long term spending bill that would fund the government for the rest of this fiscal year, ending in October. 

Last week the House passed a long-term bill that produced $60-billion in spending cuts, but Senate Democrats deemed it dead before arrival.

*** UPDATE ***  In a conference call with reporters, Senate Democratic leaders Reid and Sen. Chuck Schumer further turned up the rhetorical heat on Boehner. Schumer said Boehner is "under intense pressure from the right wing" of his party to force a government shutdown.

"He's being mislead and pushed around by his conservative freshmen who don't remember what happened in [a previous government shutdown in] 1995," Schumer said. "And not only don't fear a government shutdown, but they actually say they welcome one."

But Reid and Schumer didn't directly answer a key question: would they accept anything other than what Senate Democrats are proposing -- a stop-gap measure that funds the government at current levels?

"The answer is we believe there should be a conversation held between the Republicans and the Democrats on how we're going to fund the government for the rest of the year. And, I repeat, we can't do it talking through you folks," Reid. "We want to sit down and talk to them."

First Wisconsin, now Indiana?

The Indianapolis Star writes:

House Democrats are leaving the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation, The Indianapolis Star has learned.

A source said Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to Kentucky. They need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana.

The House was came into session this morning, with only two of the 40 Democrats present. Those two were needed to make a motion, and a seconding motion, for any procedural steps Democrats would want to take to ensure Republicans don’t do anything official without quorum.

With only 58 legislators present, there was no quorum present to do business. The House needs 67 of its members to be present.

Unlike in Wisconsin, however, the anti-union legislation doesn't appear to be a priority for the sitting GOP governor.

Gov. Mitch Daniels had said he supports the policy his party is pursuing in this legislation, but said earlier that this is not the year to do it with so many other critical legislation in the works, including his education reform agenda.

Bosma said he spoke to Daniels and said the governor is “very supportive of our position to come in and try to do our work. He was not pleased that the Democrats weren’t here to do their work. And like me is just waiting to see how the course of the day proceeds.”

AP

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington earlier this month.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, South Dakota Sen. John Thune (R) says he's not running for president in 2012:

For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States. We have appreciated hearing their concerns about where the country is headed and their hopes for a new direction.

During this time, Kimberley and I and our two daughters have given a great deal of thought to how we might best serve South Dakota and our nation. That process has involved lots of prayer.

Along the way, we have been reminded of the importance of being in the arena, of being in the fight. And make no mistake that during this period of fiscal crisis and economic uncertainty there is a fight for the future direction of America. There is a battle to be waged over what kind of country we are going to leave our children and grandchildren and that battle is happening now in Washington, not two years from now. So at this time, I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate.

I want to thank those who have encouraged us and prayed for us during the past several months. We are forever grateful for all the support.

From NBC's Pete Williams
Do teachers have a right to engage in collective bargaining? There's no federal constitutional right involved, so when it comes to public employees like teachers, it's up to each state.

AP

Protesters bang drums and shout slogans inside the state Capitol Monday in Madison, Wis. Opponents to Gov. Scott Walker's bill to eliminate collective bargaining rights for many state workers are taking part in their seventh day of protesting.

Since 1935, when Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act, private employees have had the legal right to unionize and bargain collectively. But that law left to individual states the decision of whether to give the same right to their public employees. 

Most states did so, with 34 specifically requiring school districts to engage in collective bargaining with government workers, and 11 others allowing collective bargaining. In those 45 states, including Wisconsin, laws specify which issues can be subject to bargaining, such as pay, benefits, hours, and tenure. The other five states -- Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia -- prohibit collective bargaining by any public employees, including teachers.

Wisconsin was the first state to give collective-bargaining rights to public employees, doing so in 1959. The bill supported by Gov. Scott Walker would take away the right of state-government workers to bargain for anything but pay increases. If it passes, Wisconsin would become the first state in decades to roll back collective-bargaining rights.

At least eight other states are considering something similar. Proposals in Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio would limit the range of issues subject to bargaining. Other bills in Michigan, Nebraska, and Tennessee would eliminate the right to engage in collective bargaining.

The Party of No (Compromise)… Walker rejects offer by GOP state senator to suspend collective bargaining rights for two years… Walker to deliver televised fireside chat at 7:00 pm ET (is he seeing poll numbers that are similar to what labor shows?)… Mourdock launches his primary challenge against Lugar, and says a majority of Indiana GOP leaders are supporting him… Obama, as well as much of his cabinet, heads to Cleveland, OH for a small business forum… Obama speaks at 11:35 am ET and 1:55 pm… And it’s Election Day in the race for Chicago mayor.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The Party of No (Compromise): In his "60 Minutes" interview right before becoming House speaker, John Boehner drew plenty of eyebrows, even from questioner Lesley Stahl, when he wouldn't say the C-word: compromise. Said Stahl: “But governing means compromising.” Boehner: “It means working together.” Stahl: “It also means compromising.” Boehner: “It means finding common ground… When you say the word ‘compromise’…a lot of Americans look up and go, ‘Uh-oh, they're gonna sell me out.’ And so finding common ground, I think, makes more sense.” Later, Stahl asked, “Why won't you say you're afraid of the word?” Boehner: “I reject the word.” And Boehner isn’t the only Republican leader rejecting it. In the standoff in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) is refusing to negotiate with Democrats and labor (more on that below). And in Indiana, a Republican senator known for compromising -- Indiana’s Dick Lugar -- could very well lose his GOP primary next year (ditto). The C-word has become a four-letter word to the party bases, more so on the GOP side these days. And there is a difference between "common ground" and "compromising," the two words are NOT interchangeable, especially in the eye of the GOP primary voter these days.

*** I want it all, and I want it now: On MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” yesterday morning, one of us asked Walker if he would support a compromise -- floated by a moderate Republican state senator -- that would temporarily get rid of collective bargaining rights for state workers for two years. Walker’s response: “It'll never get to me. It will never get to me because, other than that one state senator, all the rest of the Republicans are firmly behind our proposal. All the other members of the majority, the members of the majority that we need to pass it in the assembly are behind us because they recognize what I've been saying all along. You cannot have a short-term fix.”

*** Polling in Wisconsin: Walker’s refusal to compromise publicly, to take a deal getting 90% of what he wants, may be one reason why his numbers are upside down, according to one Democratic poll commissioned by labor groups (plenty of caveats, natch). In the new survey (conducted Feb. 19-20 of 402 Wisconsin voters), the governor’s approval rating sits at 41% approve/51% disapprove; 52% say they disapprove of Walker’s agenda; and 57% want Walker to drop his plan to get rid of collective bargaining rights for state workers if these workers agree to his wage cuts. Of course, we’ve yet to see a good poll sponsored by a neutral party here, but Walker may very well be seeing similar numbers in his own polling, given that he's asking local TV stations for airtime for a televised fireside chat with Wisconsin residents at 7:00 pm ET tonight. Walker's won the budget-policy part of this debate (just look at all the union leaders who have come out over the weekend saying they'll accept the health care and pension cuts). But Walker's struggling to explain why he needs to wipe out collective bargaining rights completely. One less, PERHAPS, from the last four years of American politics is that the 20% of voters in the middle (for general elections, not primaries) don't like politicians who don't at least show a willingness to meet in the middle.

*** Challenging Lugar: Meanwhile, in nearby Indiana, the Washington Post reports that state Treasurer Richard Mourdock today will launch his primary challenge against GOP Sen. Dick Lugar -- and he’ll do so “with the support of a majority of both the state's 92 Republican county chairmen and its state party executive committee.” Mourdock also told the Post that GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels and Rep. Mike Pence will remain neutral in the primary, even though Daniels has previously served as Lugar’s campaign manager and has committed voting for him. Lugar’s sins: He helped President Obama pass the New START treaty with Russia; he voted to confirm both of Obama’s SCOTUS picks; and he opposed the Senate earmark ban. While it's not a surprise RIGHT NOW that Lugar's in trouble in his own party, it's really surprising given how much Lugar has meant to the Indiana GOP. Where would the state party be without Lugar? He WAS the Republican Party in Indiana for years. This is Richard Nixon's favorite mayor that is being rejected by a new generation of Republicans.

*** Will Daniels really stay neutral? Here's an interesting sidebar on Indiana: Will Daniels really stay neutral in next year’s Indiana primary, as Mourdock contends? After all, here is what the governor -- and possible presidential candidate -- said at CPAC: “Purity in martyrdom is for suicide bombers… We have learned in Indiana, big change requires big majorities. We will need people who never tune in to Rush or Glenn or Laura or Sean. Who surf past C-SPAN to get to SportsCenter.”  That sounds like a Mitch Daniels who, if he's privately for Lugar, will be unafraid to support him publicly. Then again, if Daniels does remain neutral, it does tell you he's interested in higher office running from within the GOP.

*** Obama -- and much of his cabinet -- is in Cleveland: Also in the Midwest today, President Obama heads to Cleveland, OH, where his administration holds a forum on small business. Obama will deliver opening remarks at 11:35 am ET and closing remarks at 1:55 pm. Per the White House, this will be the first time the Obama White House has taken so many cabinet members on the road for a domestic trip; indeed, attending today’s event will be Treasury Secretary Geithner, Commerce Secretary Locke, Labor Secretary Solis, Energy Secretary Chu, as well as SBA Administrator Karen Mills. This is the Daley influence, pure and simple. But once again, as the White House turns its messaging to the economy, the big story remains the situation in the Middle East/North Africa -- this time Libya. It’s worth noting that Libya isn’t Egypt; the U.S. doesn’t have real ties to the country and is working through European nations like France, Britain and Italy, who all have closer ties to Libya. But one thing to keep in mind: Libya's crisis could have a bigger economic impact, given that Europe gets much of its oil from Libya.  
 
*** Election Day in Chicago: Mayor Rahm? We’ll find out as Chicago voters head to the polls today to choose among six mayoral candidates -- Rahm Emanuel, Miguel Del Valle, Carol Mosely Braun, Gery Chico, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins, and Williams Walls III. The winner must get 50%-plus to avoid an April 5 run-off, and public-opinion surveys have shown Emanuel at or near that 50% threshold. Polling places open at 7:00 am ET and close at 8:00 pm ET.

*** 2012 watch: Herman Cain today addresses the Kansas Chamber of Commerce in Topeka, KS… Newt Gingrich speaks at the University of Pennsylvania… Mike Huckabee’s new book, “A Simple Government: 12 Things We Really Need from Washington,” his bookstores… And Rick Santorum remains in South Carolina. 

Countdown to Election Day 2011: 259 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 349 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker walks away after talking to the media at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. on Monday.

"No resolution appeared imminent yesterday to the stalemate over union rights in Wisconsin, leaving Senate Republicans resigned to forge ahead with less-controversial business such as tax breaks for dairy farmers and commending the Green Bay Packers on winning the Super Bowl," the AP reports. "As the standoff entered its second week, none of the major players offered any signs of backing down in a high-stakes game of political chicken that has riveted the nation and led to ongoing public protests that drew a high of 68,000 people on Saturday. Thousands more braved cold winds and temperatures in the 20s to march again yesterday, waving signs that said 'Stop the attack on Wisconsin families’ and 'Solidarity.’" The 14 Democratic senators remained missing for a fifth day.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "In a move meant to lure boycotting opposition senators back to Wisconsin, the Republican leader of the state Senate threatened Monday to force a vote soon on a bill that is abhorred by Democrats: requiring people to show an ID at the polls." More: "Monday's events presaged a hectic week, with the Assembly set to vote Tuesday on the budget-repair bill and the Senate planning at the same time to take up other bills to try to force Democrats in that house to return to the state. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Walker - who has shown no sign of relenting - will address voters directly in a "fireside chat."

President Barack Obama gives opening remarks at a small business forum at Cleveland State University in Cleveland.

USA Today: “President Obama spends most of today in Cleveland, Ohio, where he hosts a ‘Winning the Future Forum’ on small business. ‘The forum will be an opportunity for the President and his economic team to hear directly from small business owners and leaders about their ideas for how we can continue to grow the economy, put Americans back to work, and win the future,’ said the White House schedule.”

The Washington Post: "The deep recession has had a profound effect on virtually every segment of the country's population. But if there is an epicenter of financial stress and frustration, it is among whites without college degrees."

Secretary of State Clinton condemned the violence in Libya. "Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed," she said, adding that the U.S. is watching "with alarm."

President Obama is headed to Boston March 8 for a fundraiser for the DCCC, the Boston Globe reports.

"Two former presidents — one Republican, the other a Democrat — will chair a new national institute to promote civility in political discourse in the city where Representative Gabrielle Giffords was severely wounded in a shooting rampage that left six dead, officials announced yesterday," the AP says. "The National Institute for Civil Discourse will be run by the University of Arizona. Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton will serve as its honorary cochairmen."

Donald Rumsfeld says President Obama didn't deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. "It was given to him on hope — had to have been, 'cause there wasn't anything that he'd done," Rumsfeld told Candy Crowley on CNN's "State of the Union," per The Hill. "He'd been in office 15 minutes." And there was this exchange: "Rumsfeld also disputed the notion that America's image overseas has improved with Obama in the White House. 'I don't think there's data that supports that,' Rumsfeld said. 'I think he had made a practice of trying to apologize for America. I personally am proud of America.' Crowley prodded further. 'The streets aren't full of people burning him in effigy,' she said. 'I could be wrong,' Rumsfeld responded, 'but I honestly don't think it's correct.'"

"Majority Leader Harry Reid will have his work cut out for him next week balancing the competing demands of his caucus against a March 4 deadline to avert a government shutdown," Roll Call writes. "Democrats used their retreat in Virginia to coalesce on a message of supporting some cuts while painting the House GOP as extreme. Indeed, several moderates have begun using a talking point that the CR cuts $41 billion to $44 billion from President Barack Obama’s budget, depending on whether Pell Grants are included. That is an apples-to-apples comparison to the $100 billion in cuts touted by the House GOP as meeting their 'Pledge to America.' 'The Republicans factor that into their $100 billion, but for whatever reason it doesn’t seem to count when Democrats do,” the aide said. “Already we’re meeting them halfway.'"

More Roll Call: "As Rep. Steve King seeks to raise his national profile, the Iowa Republican is looking to Sen. Jim DeMint to help boost his influence in conservative circles.

BARBOUR: In Iowa, the AP's Glover interviewed Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Glover's lead: "Though he's faced some criticism on such matters, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says he carries no political baggage because of his positions on racial issues."

After meeting with Iowa’s governor and other state leaders, Haley Barbour told reporters that he would decide whether to run for president in April, the New York Times adds. “‘There’s a lot that enters into it,’ Mr. Barbour told reporters at Iowa’s Statehouse. ‘I have been political director of the White House under Ronald Reagan, and I understand what I’m getting into. I’m 63 years old and this is a 10-year commitment if you run and get elected, you’re committing yourself for re-election and so you’ve got to be prepared for a 10-year commitment and that’s the majority of the rest of my productive life.’”

HUCKABEE: "An impending book tour could help Mike Huckabee decide whether to seek the GOP nomination for president in 2012, the former Arkansas governor said Monday," The Hill writes. "Quite frankly, part of the process is to be able to gauge reaction to the message," Huckabee said.

“Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) doesn't like the idea of Republicans calling a ‘truce’ on social issues to focus on fixing the economy -- but that doesn't mean he's eager to take on the man pushing that message, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R),” National Journal writes. “‘I'm a fan of Mitch Daniels,’ Huckabee said on a conference call with reporters Monday, adding that Daniels has ‘an extraordinary skill set not only to be governor but to be president.’”

PALIN: “A new memoir from an embittered former aide to Sarah Palin includes a trove of emails that vividly illustrate her intense focus on image and depiction in the media,” Politico writes. “The still-unpublished manuscript, obtained by POLITICO, reveals Palin, as a candidate for governor, penning letters-to-the-editor in praise of herself, to be sent under other names. It blames the candidate for inflaming, rather than ignoring, scurrilous rumors. And it quotes her pledging to avoid appearing on any network other than Fox News, referring to the rest as “the bad guys.”

PAWLENTY: The Concord Monitor runs a photo of a guest holding Tim Pawlenty’s book at an event yesterday for the Merrimack County Republican Committee.

THUNE: “This Presidents Day marks a week until Sen. John Thune's self-imposed deadline on whether or not to run for the highest office in the land. Even as the day draws nearer, Thune isn't dropping many hints about his intentions,” writes KDLT. 

"Recent Senate retirements in Arizona and New Mexico and competitive races in Nevada, coupled with growing populations, have elevated the Wild West to be the next major political battleground," Roll Call writes. "The region will play a decisive role in Democrats’ ability to hold their Senate majority."

(Those three states will also likely decide the presidential race. Example: If Obama wins both New Mexico and Nevada, his path to 270 electoral votes is an easy one.)

CONNECTICUT: Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney says he will not run for the Senate.

INDIANA: "Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock will kick off his campaign against Sen. Dick Lugar Tuesday, setting up the longtime Republican lawmaker for a potentially competitive primary," Roll Call writes. "Mourdock told Roll Call that he will reveal a list of supporters that includes more than 75 percent of GOP county chairmen in the state."

NEW MEXICO: "Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich is considering a run for Senate in 2012 following Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s announcement last week that he would not seek re-election in New Mexico, the House Member said Sunday," Roll Call says.

NEW YORK: Groundhog's Day in Upstate? "New York state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin was chosen Monday to be the GOP’s representative in the special election to replace Rep. Chris Lee (R) in the Empire State’s 26th district," per Roll Call. "The nomination of the establishment favorite, while celebrated by local Republican officials Monday night, drew an ominous warning from western New York tea party activists who immediately vowed to pursue a third-party candidate."

From NBC's Kevin Hurd
As potential 2012 candidates gear up for a run on the national stage, each of them will enter the race having served different political offices. Some have been governors, members of Congress, a combination of both, or none of the above.
 
On this Presidents' Day holiday, we take a look back at the other offices past presidents held before being elected president. From George Washington to Barack Obama, here is the breakdown:
 
Governor only: 25% (Thomas Jefferson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush). Note: Jefferson served in Congress, but it was prior to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, which created the current system of government in this country.
 
U.S. House only: 14% (James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Millard Fillmore, James A. Garfield, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush)
 
U.S. Senate only: 14% (James Monroe, Martin Van Buren, Benjamin Harrison, Warren G. Harding, Harry Truman, Obama)
 
Both House and Senate: 16% (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon)
 
Both Congress and governor: 14% (Andrew Jackson, John Tyler, William Harrison, James Polk, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley)
 
Neither Congress nor governor: 18% (Washington, John Adams, Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, William Taft, Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower)

After House Republicans slashed billions in the legislation to fund the federal government for the rest of the year, and with the budget standoff in Wisconsin entering another today, the question has become: Are Republicans miscalculating on austerity?

As the New York Times writes:

[I]n the view of officials from both major political parties, Republicans may be risking the same kind of electoral backlash Democrats suffered after they were perceived as overreaching.

Public surveys suggest that most voters do not share the Republicans’ fervor for the deep cuts adopted by the House, or for drastically slashing the power of public-sector unions. And independent voters have historically been averse to displays of political partisanship that have been played out over the last week.

“If Republicans push too far and overreach their mandate, they will be punished by independent voters, just as they were in 1996,” said Mark McKinnon, a Republican strategist who was a senior adviser to President George W. Bush. “Voters said they wanted bold action. They are getting bold action. But Republicans need to be constantly reminded that the last election was a referendum for change, not a referendum for the G.O.P.”

Indeed, our NBC/WSJ poll from last month found that 49% of respondents said unemployment was their top economic concern, versus 17% who cited the federal budget deficit.

Yet Politico wonders if organized labor is miscalculating in Wisconsin.

Some strategists and labor officials watching the protest conflagration from the outside are beginning to fret that a large-scale defeat in Wisconsin will have a devastating ripple effect, weakening labor state by state throughout the rest of the country.

“Some of the labor people are saying ‘It’s the beginning of the fight back,’ ” a top labor official said of Wisconsin. “But if the labor movement rallies and gets run over in Wisconsin, it opens (the gates) in every state” for governors to start pushing harder to curtail labor rights.

BACHMANN: Rep. Michele Bachmann “spoke Saturday to the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women, sounding like she was on the campaign trail. She called the state a “GOP paradise.”

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour talks with a reporter in the lobby of the Hyatt after speaking to a group of coal operators in Lexington, Ky. last week.

BARBOUR: “Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour plans to visit Des Moines as a Republican presidential prospect Monday, aides said,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Barbour plans to meet privately with Iowa GOP officials, headline a luncheon with state party officials and visit with lawmakers at the Iowa Capitol.”

DANIELS: “Some influential Iowa Republicans say Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' call for a singular focus on reducing the federal debt would have an attentive audience in the leadoff caucuses, should he decide to run for president,” the Des Moines Register writes. “Questions persist about whether a strict economic conservative can compete in Iowa, where evangelical conservative Mike Huckabee won in 2008. But in a crowded field, Daniels could exploit a niche as a fiscal hawk, the type of candidate polls have shown Iowa GOP caucusgoers prefer, some prominent Iowa fiscal conservatives say.”

GINGRICH: Speaking at the Hawaii Republican party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner, Newt Gingrich acknowledged that he would have trouble winning the state if he ran for president. "He should be popular here," Gingrich said of Obama. "He is, in many ways, a favorite son, and people here have to be very proud of him. And I would say that this would be one of the last states to decide not to vote for his re-election. So I'm very conscious of that reality."

GIULIANI: “Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be back in New Hampshire next month. Giuliani will be at the Manchester Republican Committee's Lincoln Reagan Dinner on March 18,” according to the AP.

HUCKABEE: “The sponsor of the dinner at which former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a likely presidential contender, spoke Monday night in Knoxville says the group is ‘real pleased with the result’ but declined to say how much was raised for pro-life programs on college campuses,” the Knoxville News Sentinel writes. http://bit.ly/eBF1en

“Anyone who thinks presidential ambition is an incurable condition hasn't spent much time lately with Mike Huckabee,” the Washington Post says. “The man who came in second in the 2008 GOP primary isn't exactly ruling out another run in 2012. But he doesn't sound all that eager to jump right back into the fray, either.”

“Mike Huckabee may be especially tempted to run in 2012 by a lingering feud between him and Mitt Romney, a severe hangover from the 2008 campaign that has created a lasting and bitter rift between the two, Republicans who know both men say. ‘[Huckabee] hates Mitt, and his goal in Iowa last time was to stop him,’ said one prominent Republican, who’s known both men for years. ‘If he sees an opportunity to cut Mitt off [during the nominating process], he will take it.’”

PAWLENTY: Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s recent trip to Arkansas to visit with GOP operatives there underscores two key points, Politics Daily writes: “First, politicians pondering a presidential run aren't scared to trek into the turf of native son Huckabee, who leads in some 2012 polls. Secondly, the state is also home to a lot of potential GOP cash.”

Tonight, “a small group of Republicans will gather in a private Las Vegas home to chat with former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty about his new book,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes. “The evening was organized by Mike Slanker, a GOP operative who helped raise money for [Gov. Brian] Sandoval.”

ROMNEY: As Politico smartly notes, the New York Post seems to be targeting Mitt Romney.Likely Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been out on the pre-campaign trail this month saying he is the man to get Americans back to work, despite a spotty jobs record while on Wall Street.

However, the former private equity firm chief's fortune -- which has funded his political ambitions from the Massachusetts statehouse to his unsuccessful run for the White House in 2008 -- was made on the backs of companies that ultimately collapsed, putting thousands of ordinary Americans out on the street. That truth if it becomes widely known could become costly to Romney, who, while making the media rounds recently, told CNN's Piers Morgan that "People in America want to know who can get 15 million people back to work," implying he was that person.

“Mitt Romney is the early frontrunner for the 2012 Republican nomination for president among New Hampshire Republicans. However, the great majority of voters are undecided about who they will eventually support,” Fosters Daily Democrat writes. In a new WMUR Granite State poll, Romney gets 40% of the vote, followed by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani with 10%.

During his visit to Las Vegas last week, Romney “found time to have lunch with a fellow Mormon, Brandon Flowers, the frontman for The Killers band. The two dined at The Palms steakhouse at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Flowers has been involved in politics before, backing another prominent Mormon, [Sen. Harry] Reid, for re-election in 2010.”

SANTORUM: “Former United States Senator Rick Santorum admitted he is traveling to early primary states, such as Florida, to gauge if he and his message are a “credible alternative to Barack Obama,” Naples Daily News writes, following Santorum’s visit to the Ave Maria School of Law in Naples on Friday. “‘My objective is to make sure we have a conservative president elected in 2012, and I want to be as helpful to that process as possible,’ Santorum said. ‘At this point, I’m just trying to determine whether that means as a candidate or as someone who is just a voice.’”

IOWA: The Iowa caucuses are anyone’s game, NPR writes. “Ask just about any politico or pollster who they think may emerge a GOP winner in next February's Hawkeye State contest — or even who will ultimately run — and the response will be similar to Steve Scheffler's. ‘I have no idea,’ says Scheffler, president of Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. ‘This is probably the most wide-open field we've had in decades.’”

SOUTH CAROLINA: “The state Republican Party is putting together a first-in-the-South presidential debate in Greenville in early May — and still no announced candidates,” the Spartanburg Herald-Journal writes.

From NBC's John Bailey
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) Budget Repair Bill, and the ongoing fight over its provisions, was prompted by a large, looming state budget deficit. Wisconsin has an immediate budget shortfall of $137 million, projected to grow to $3.6 billion by mid-2013. The lion’s share of the blame for Wisconsin’s budget woes falls on the receding economy, but other factors such as tax cuts, rising health care costs, and expiring federal aid have contributed as well.

Wisconsin's budget problems
-- Falling tax revenue resulting from the recession is the greatest culprit of Wisconsin’s budget woes -- between 2008 and 2009, state tax revenues fell over 7%.

-- Since July 2009, there has been an estimated dip in revenues of $200 million annually; the state saw little growth in tax revenues in 2010.

-- Unemployment rose more than 4 percentage points between 2007 and 2010, forcing more Wisconsin residents on Medicaid and causing state Medicaid costs to rise.

-- A series of tax cuts passed since 2003 that cumulatively represent $3.7 billion and, by 2013, make up a $800 million-per-year reduction in tax revenues.

-- In addition, this year agency budget requests will rise $2.9 billion -- nearly two-thirds of which is for Medicaid, with much of that amount associated with replacing one-time federal Medicaid revenues the state received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

What is the real budget gap?
-- Walker's Democratic predecessor, Jim Doyle, estimated that in June of 2011, Wisconsin would still have a $10 million surplus, but Walker has said the state is facing a $137 million deficit today. Why the discrepancy?

-- Walker made a number of adjustments to Doyle’s estimates, mainly accounting for higher-than-expected Medicaid costs.

-- Walker also pushed through three tax cut bills negatively impacting projected tax revenues by $117 million -- the tax cuts went toward health savings accounts, deductions for relocated businesses, and exclusions for hiring new employees.

Wisconsin’s pensions
-- The pension system in Wisconsin is actually quite healthy. In fact, it was one of only four states (FL WA, and NY are the others) that entered 2008 fully funded.

-- State employees do not pay into their pensions.

Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill
-- Pensions: Requires employees who pay into the Wisconsin Retirement System to contribute 50% of their annual pension payment an estimated 5.8% of salary; currently, employers make all pension contributions.

-- Health insurance: Requires state employees to pay at least 12.6% of the average cost of annual premiums—about double what they pay now.

-- On collective bargaining, it:
1) removes rights to bargain collectively for most of 175,00 state employees;
2) exempts most law enforcement, firefighters, and Wisconsin State Patrol;
3) does not allow employers to collect union dues in paychecks.

Political power in Wisconsin
-- State House is Republican controlled 57-38-1

-- State Senate is Republican controlled 19-14

Other nuggets
-- AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) started in Madison in 1932.

-- Wisconsin was the first state to give local government workers and teachers collective bargaining rights with the Public employee Collective Bargaining Act in 1959.

-- State government workers got collective bargaining in 1970s.

From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama today took his case for investing in education and innovation out west, where he toured Intel's semiconductor manufacturing facility and met with student scientists.

He also used the opportunity to announce that Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini would join his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness -- which is being headed by another prominent CEO, General Electric's Jeff Immelt. The council is set to meet for the first time at the White House on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Even as he tries to convince the American public that he is serious about reining in government spending to help bring down a massive deficit, Obama has consistently argued that the country must also invest in areas that can help lay the foundation for long-term growth, from infrastructure to research and development.

"If we want the next technological breakthrough that leads to the next Intel to happen here in the United States -- not in China, not in Germany -- but here in the United States, then we have to invest in America's research and technology" he said. "If we want companies like yours to be able to move goods and information quickly and cheaply, we've gotta invest in communication and transportation networks like new roads and bridges, high speed rail, high speed Internet."

Republicans say "investment" is just code for more spending, and that the country's massive deficit requires deep cuts not just in the budget for Fiscal Year 2012, which doesn't start until October, but for the remainder of this year. House Speaker John Boehner has vowed that the Republican-controlled House will not to approve even a temporary spending bill that does not include big cuts.

Obama has also stressed the need to encourage more students to study math, science, engineering and technology and his budget includes a goal to use $100 million to prepare 100,000 instructors in these subjects over the next decade and to recruit 10,000 such teachers in the next two years. During his trip to Intel's Hillsboro, OR plant today, he chatted with student finalists in the company's Science Talent Search competition, before delivering his remarks.

"We can't win the future if we lose the race to educate our children," Obama said. "In today's economy, the quality of nation's education is one of the biggest predictors of a nation's success. It is what will determine whether the American Dream survives."

The president hailed Intel as a positive example of a company that understands the importance of having a pipeline of skilled workers, noting that Intel had invested some $50 million in Oregon schools and often hired them to fulfill hi-tech jobs.

"You're not just a good corporate role model, you're a corporation who understands that investing in education is also a good business," he said. "It's good for the bottom line."

The president was in the San Francisco Bay area Thursday night to meet with a dozen technology business leaders -- including the founder of social media juggernaut Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg; Yahoo! President and CEO Carol Bartz; ailing Apple Chairman and CEO Steve Jobs; Google Chairman; and CEO Eric Schmidt and Oracle Co-Founder and CEO Larry Ellison -- to talk about ways to promote innovation and private sector job growth.

With tens of thousands of public sector workers jamming the halls of the Wisconsin statehouse – and similar labor battles brewing in Ohio and Michigan – Republican governors and Americans around the country are contemplating the state of the unions.

The fracas in Madison has emphasized the divide between those who view unions favorably and those who don’t – a gulf that has also deepened as union membership has declined.

Per a new survey from the Pew Center for People and the Press, Americans’ positive perceptions of unions are languishing at the lowest levels in the last quarter century. Just 45 percent express positive views about labor unions, and only a quarter say that they help American companies to compete globally.  

Another poll conducted by the Clarus Research Group found even deeper opposition to the unionization of government employees specifically, with 64 percent of registered voters saying that government workers should not be able to join unions that bargain for higher pay and benefits.

Both surveys found sharp differences along party lines, with Republicans much more likely to have an unfavorable view of unions than Democrats.

But, Pew notes, the public's opinion of labor organizations is similar to its wariness of big business. Public approval of corporations has plummeted even more sharply than that of unions in the past decade.  According to the poll, 47 percent of Americans say they view corporations positively, down from about 70 percent in the late 1990s.

And, despite the data showing lower national esteem overall for unions, Americans still say that they’re generally inclined to side with labor groups in disputes with state or local governments.

Asked whose side they would generally favor in a conflict between unions and state or local governments, 44 percent of respondents told Pew that they would support the labor group while 38 percent picked the government.

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, union membership has declined from 20 percent of all wage and salary workers in 1983 – the first year that the bureau collected comparable statistics – to just under 12 percent today.

Public sector workers are much more likely to belong to a union than those who work in private industry. Over 42 percent of local government employees – many of them teachers, firefighters, and police officers – say they are members of a union, while under seven percent of private sector workers are members of a labor organization.

Union membership is highest among African Americans and workers 55-64 years old. Less than 5 percent of workers under 24 are members of a union.

From NBC's Mark Murray and Luke Russert
Democrats in the House and Senate have proposed legislation halting congressional pay during a federal government shutdown.

Said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a co-sponsor of the legislation introduced by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bob Casey (D-PA): “Though I’m hopeful that House Republicans will reach an agreement and back away from their threat of a government shutdown this spring, we should be realistic in preparing for that possibility.”

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) has introduced the same legislation in the House. "If we're going to throw federal employees, including our staffs, out on the street, we should be right there with them," Moran said. "In the event of a shutdown, members should be eating peanut butter and jelly like everyone else."

From NBC's Shawna Thomas and Mark Murray
As expected, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence's (R) amendment to strip federal funding for Planned Parenthood passed the House by a 240-185 vote. Ten Democrats joined the GOP majority, while seven Republicans voted against the measure.

It is very unlikely that the measure would pass the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Conservatives have organized a counter-protest in Wisconsin on Saturday, "I Stand With Scott Walker."

Here is a Facebook listing for the rally, which will take place at the state Capitol.

The counter-protest will feature, among others, Andrew Breitbart and Herman Cain, who has formed an exploratory committee to run for president.

From NBC's Mark Murray and Ken Strickland
New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) will not run for re-election in 2012, according to two sources with knowledge of his decision.

Bingaman was first elected in 1982, and he's currently serving his fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

Democrats say they're confident they will keep the Senate seat, especially in a presidential year (Obama won New Mexico with 57% of the vote in 2008). A top Dem candidate to replace Bingaman would be two-term Congressman Martin Heinrich (D).

Bingaman joins a 2012 Senate retiree list that includes Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Jon Kyl (R-AZ).

U.S. Congressman Jack Kingston at Chatham County Republican Party Headquarters in Georgia.

From NBC's Luke Russert
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) came out strongly against a provision of health-care overhaul that is actually quite popular across the country.

Talking on the House floor today about the provision that allows children to stay on their parent's health-care plan until they're 26 years old, Kingston said (paraphrasing here, but pretty close):

"I have four kids under the age of 26. I have raised them to be responsible. The average age of soldiers in Vietnam was 19. World War II probably the same. I have raised my kids to be responsible, to get health care at 21. Kids don't need to be running home to mommy and daddy until they're 26 for healthcare."