Over the weekend, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore said the fight in Wisconsin has “aroused a sleeping giant” for union rights across the country.

But the fight may have aroused a different “sleeping giant” -- the activist liberal Wisconsin electorate, which was dormant in the 2010 midterms.

A poll out today by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute shows President Obama’s and Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s approval ratings heading in opposite directions.

Obama’s approval rating sits at a comfortable 53%-42%, above the national average, and a nine-point improvement in the poll from November. (In November -- after the Democrats' shellacking in the midterms -- the president’s approval in the poll was split at 44%-43%.)

By contrast, Walker’s approval rating is upside down – with 43% approving and 53% disapproving of how he’s handling his job. Walker’s “strongly disapprove” is a sky-high 45%; Obama’s is 26%. Walker’s favorability rating – also 43%-53% -- mirrors his approval. His negative rating is up 18 points from November, when his rating was 45%/35%. His “strongly unfavorable” is up to 41% from a “very unfavorable” rating of just 19% in November.

Wisconsin and the Midwest will be key once again to whether President Obama wins or loses a second term. Wisconsin has been something of a swing state, with Democrat John Kerry winning it in 2004 by just 0.38 percentage points -- the closest margin of any state in the presidential contest. Barack Obama won it by almost 14 percentage points in 2008. But in 2010, Republicans made big gains, taking over the governor’s seat, a U.S. Senate seat, two House seats, and several state legislative seats. And former Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus was able to use the party’s success there as a key selling point for his ascension to chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The fight over unions’ collective-bargaining rights has become national news, and has drawn protestors in the tens of thousands. Views of public employee unions are very favorable – 59% have a favorable opinion of them, just 34% view them negatively. Teachers have a 70%-25% fav-unfav; teachers’ unions have a lower, but still strong 59%-36%.

The poll also finds that by a 65%-33% margin, Wisconsin residents want Walker to compromise on the current standoff.

Midterm elections usually draw the most activist voters, and about 30% fewer voters turn out in them. In Wisconsin in 2010, just shy of 2.2 million people voted. That’s about 27% fewer than in 2008, when almost three million voted.

Members of the Tea Party were among the most enthusiastic voters in 2010. But the group is viewed unfavorably in this poll by a plurality of Wisconsin residents -- 38% view them positively, 44% negatively.

And even Democrats in the state legislature, with all 14 state senators fleeing the state to deny the GOP majority a quorum, enjoy a net-positive rating of 50%-42%, higher than Senate Republicans at 46%-46%.

A lot can happen between now and November 2012, but Republicans have to be concerned that Walker, who has said he refuses to compromise on his budget, may have overstepped.

In New Hampshire on Saturday, Romney unveiled Romney 3.0 (a presidential candidate who focuses more on the economy than on social issues)… How that compares with Romney 1.0 (the socially moderate Massachusetts governor) and Romney 2.0 (the 2008 presidential candidate who ran to McCain’s and Rudy’s right on abortion and illegal immigration)… Mitt’s biggest challenge: authenticity… Mike Huckabee -- an unserious man for president?... Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition cattle call tonight… The expected speaking order: Cain (8:05 pm ET), Pawlenty (8:17 pm), Roemer (8:29 pm), Santorum (8:41 pm), and Gingrich (TBD)… Bloomberg News fact-checks Boehner… Kaine’s decision could come this week… And Heather Wilson makes her SEN bid official. 

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Romney 3.0 …: Mitt Romney’s speech in New Hampshire Saturday night was a preview of the primary -- and possibly general election -- campaign he wants to run in 2011 and 2012. Romney avoided talk of social issues and focused on economic ones (“I know how jobs are created and how jobs are lost”); he made New Hampshire a priority, mentioning the state by name 14 times (“We liked New Hampshire so much, we may just decide to play a double header”); he emphasized American exceptionalism (“I don’t apologize for America because I believe in America!”); and he differentiated RomneyCare from ObamaCare by using the federalism argument (“One thing I would never do is to usurp the constitutional power of states with a one-size-fits-all federal takeover”).

*** … vs. Romney 1.0 and 2.0: This, in short, is Romney 3.0. Romney 1.0 was the socially moderate businessman who won election as Massachusetts governor in 2002. Romney 2.0 was the socially conservative presidential candidate who ran to John McCain’s and Rudy Giuliani’s right on abortion, stem cells, and illegal immigration in 2007-2008. And Romney 3.0 appears to be the repeat presidential candidate who will focus more on the economy and his business record than on social issues. Yet as the New York Times’ Zeleny writes, Romney’s transformation also applies to his appearance. “Mr. Romney is trying to present a more relaxed image to combat impressions that he is unapproachable and stiff. He has not been seen in a necktie for months... He turned up in the pit area of the Daytona 500 last month, mingling with race car drivers while wearing a Bass Pro Shops shirt. And last week, Mr. Romney, who put his wealth four years ago around $200 million, walked into Tommy’s Barber Shop in an Atlanta strip mall for a haircut.”

*** Mitt’s challenge: authenticity: Of course, Romney 3.0 is how we all thought he was going to run at the beginning of the 2008 cycle. And it’s closer to his true political identity (though we still don't know about some of his social policy stances which have, um, evolved over the last two decades). But this could be a constant theme of the 2012 campaign: Where was this Romney in 2008? Could this Romney have won in ’08? Etc. As we -- and others -- have pointed out, the challenge for Romney will be if he can sell yet another political re-invention. “During a weekend speech to New Hampshire Republicans, Mitt Romney delivered what will likely be his most durable rejoinder to critics of the universal health care program he signed into law while governor of Massachusetts,” the Boston Globe’s Glen Johnson reported. “Still remaining, though, is a lingering, fundamental question about his authenticity that has only been perpetuated by recent appearances.”

*** An Unserious Man: As NBC’s Lauren Selsky observed on Friday, Mike Huckabee last week had, shall we say, an interesting week. First, he stated -- incorrectly -- that Obama lived in Kenya. Then, after he said he misspoke and meant Indonesia, Huckabee stated that the president had a different worldview than most Americans. “Most of us grew up going to Boy Scout meetings and, you know, our communities were filled with Rotary Clubs, not madrassas." Lastly, he appeared to take on actress Natalie Portman for having a child out of wedlock. Politics Daily’s Jill Lawrence: “The further Huckabee goes down the road he's on, the less seriously he's taken as a presidential aspirant.” But this all could be good for ratings. Bottom line: Huckabee had a bad week, and one of his challenges for 2012 (should he run) is to go from the intriguing homespun conservative candidate who wasn't taken seriously in 2008 (until late) to a potential commander in chief in 2012. On THAT front, he's made little to no progress.

*** Tonight’s cattle call in Iowa: In Iowa tonight, five Republicans who either have formed presidential exploratory committees or will probably do so soon -- Herman Cain, Buddy Roemer, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, and Newt Gingrich -- will speak at a forum organized by the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition. Per NBC’s Rob Rivas, Cain is expected to speak at 8:05 pm ET, Pawlenty goes at 8:17 pm, Roemer’s speech is at 8:29 pm, Santorum’s is 8:41 pm, and Gingrich’s is TBD.

*** Success in failure? This week, the Senate plans to vote on both the budget-cutting plans by House Republicans and Senate Democrats. The reason: To show that both plans don’t have enough support in the Senate, and to convince Republicans and Democrats to go back to the drawing board. Bloomberg News: “Both measures are likely to fail, signaling to lawmakers -- including House Republican freshmen who are demanding big cuts - - that neither plan can get through the Senate.” There is some eye-brow raising at Senate Dem Whip Dick Durbin's "line in the sand" style talking points on Sunday and whether it's simply part of the theatrics of negotiating or if there is a growing number of Senate Democrats feeling emboldened by polling show these cuts aren't very popular.

*** Bloomberg fact-checks Boehner: Don’t miss this Bloomberg News fact-check of Boehner (and other Republicans) saying that the federal government is broke. “‘The U.S. government is not broke,’ said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York. ‘There’s no evidence that the market is treating the U.S. government like it’s broke.’” More: “The U.S. today is able to borrow at historically low interest rates, paying 0.68 percent on a two-year note that it had to offer at 5.1 percent before the financial crisis began in 2007. Financial products that pay off if Uncle Sam defaults aren’t attracting unusual investor demand. And tax revenue as a percentage of the economy is at a 60-year low, meaning if the government needs to raise cash and can summon the political will, it could do so.”

*** Heads up: Kaine’s decision could come this week: According to a plugged-in Democratic source, current DNC Chairman (and former Virginia Gov.) Tim Kaine will likely announce his decision this week (or next) whether he’ll run for Jim Webb’s Senate seat. Will he get in? The source puts the odds at 50%-50%. Remember this: Kaine has missed a few self-imposed deadlines to announce he would NOT run, which is why there is heavy speculation and assumption that party stalwarts of stalked him into running. If he were NOT running, he'd already have said so.

*** Heather Wilson’s War: And speaking of getting in a Senate race, former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson (R) will announce at 4:30 pm ET in Albuquerque, NM that she’s running for the open Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D). The moderate Wilson has always been a strong general-election statewide GOP candidate, but the question has always been: Can she get through a primary? (See: 2008). Indeed, conservative Erick Erickson tweeted this on Friday, "Keeping Heather Wilson out of the Senate will be the next great noble cause for conservatives." Meanwhile, the DSCC has a Web ad hitting Wilson, which plays up her ties to D.C. and prominent Republicans.

Countdown to continuing resolution’s expiration: 11 days
Countdown to Iowa GOP straw poll: 158 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 246 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 336 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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“The hard-charging House majority will be faced with a historic choice this month: Compromise with President Obama, or roll the dice and shut down the government,” The Hill reports. “Where Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his 87 Republican freshmen draw the line on spending will shape the entire 112th Congress. For now, the GOP and Obama are about $50 billion apart — and the clock is ticking.”

The AP: “Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, predicted yesterday that senators would reject House Republicans’ deep budget cuts, setting up tense negotiations and the need for another short-term spending measure to keep the government operating.”

“About 300 people gathered in Times Square yesterday to speak out against a planned congressional hearing on alleged Muslim terrorism, criticizing it as xenophobic and saying that singling out Muslims is unfair,” the AP reports, adding, “The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Representative Peter King, has said that affiliates of Al Qaeda are radicalizing some American Muslims. King plans hearings starting Thursday on the threat he says they pose.”

The New York Daily News: “Christians, Jews and Muslims branded the hearings a witch hunt, waved signs and chanted, ‘Shame, shame Pete King!’ Celebrities from boxing legend Mike Tyson to reality show darling Kim Kardashian added their support online. ‘We are bigger than Charlie Sheen - we are the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter,’ hip-hop icon Russell Simmons told the rain-drenched crowd.” 

But King is undeterred, saying Muslims don’t cooperate in fighting terrorism the way they should: "I'm aware of a number of cases in New York where the (Muslim) community has not been cooperative… "I don't believe there is sufficient cooperation," King said. "They do not give the level of cooperation that they need." 

“Congressional leaders prodded the Obama administration on Sunday for a more aggressive U.S. response to Libya's increasingly brutal attacks on opposition groups - calling for a no-fly zone and other military measures - but White House officials cautioned against being drawn into a potentially protracted and costly military campaign,” the Washington Post says.

“Senator John Kerry yesterday urged the United States and its allies to draw up plans for a no-fly zone over Libya, to be ready to intervene if Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy commands his air force to slaughter his own civilians,” the Boston Globe adds. 

President Obama is considering tapping into U.S. strategic petroleum reserves to combat the rising price of gasoline, White House Chief of Staff William Daley said yesterday on Meet The Press, NBC’s Andrew Rafferty reports. Daley said, "The issue of the reserves is one we're considering.  It is something that only is done - has been done - in very rare occasions."

NBC’s John Yang reports: From off-camera, background conversations with Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats in Madison, it appears that the political forces at work on both sides in the budget standoff do not favor any sort of resolution much before April 4, when Gov. Scott Walker's (R) layoffs would take effect.

While there are indications that the resolve of some Senate Democrats -- who expected their foray into Illinois would last only a few days at the most -- may be wavering, they are under great political pressure from the unions to stay away as long as possible. They are also resolved to act as a unit, so that no one Democrat can be singled out as the 20th senator who provided the quorum that allowed passage of Walker's budget bill. At the same time, though, they don't want to cause any state worker to be laid off, so it's likely they'll return and face the inevitable before the layoffs take effect on April 4.

The Senate Republicans, meanwhile, appear to be set in stone because of internal bicameral politics. Senate Republicans have a history of compromising after their colleagues in the Assembly take tough, politically difficult votes -- like on Walker's budget bill. Before passing the budget bill, Assembly Republicans sought assurances from their Senate counterparts that they would pass the bill without amendments. And, so far, the Senate Republicans appear to be united. But some Senate Republicans are frustrated with the way Walker has sold the bill to the public, saying he hasn't done enough to make what they see as the link between collective bargaining and bloated public spending.

They also might be further frustrated by the results of this poll: By a 65%-33% margin, Wisconsin residents want Walker to compromise on the current standoff, according to a poll conducted by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. Walker’s approval rating is 43%-53%, with 45% strongly disapproving. (The poll was conducted Feb. 27 to March 1, the day Walker gave his budget address.) (Here’s the full poll.)

“The leader of the 14 Wisconsin Senate Democrats who left the state last month to block legislation that would curb public-employee union rights said yesterday the senators plan to return ‘in the relatively near future,’” the New York Post writes.

Filmmaker Michael Moore was protesting in Wisconsin. He said that the protesters "aroused a sleeping giant" in the national fight for workers' rights. “Police estimated the crowd at 30,000 to 40,000, less than the past two Saturdays,” the Wisconsin State Journal writes. 

George Will skewers Huckabee and Gingrich, saying there are "at most five plausible" GOP candidates. "But the nominee may emerge much diminished by involvement in a process cluttered with careless, delusional, egomaniacal, spotlight-chasing candidates to whom the sensible American majority would never entrust a lemonade stand, much less nuclear weapons," he writes.

“As the 2012 presidential campaign begins to heat up after a sluggish winter, the stakes are high for the five prospective Republican candidates who will address a large crowd of GOP activists at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition forum on Monday night,” Real Clear Politics writes. “Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer will have just 10 minutes each to make an impression on the crowd of several hundred expected to gather for the event in Waukee, just west of Des Moines.”

BACHMANN: “Tea Party leader and Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s schedule for March 12: After a brunch fundraiser for the NHGOP at Courtyard by Marriott in Nashua, she’ll step outside to greet passers-by. Bachmann will appear at a separate fundraiser for the state GOP at the Seacoast home of Ellen Christo March 11,” the Manchester Union-Leader reports.

On Meet the Press, Bachmann said, “I haven't made a decision either way about plans for 2012. What my concern is, is that our country move forward, and that we regain a sound financial footing. I don't believe that Barack Obama has done a good job as President of the United States.”

CHRISTIE: Former Senator John E. Sununu, the son of former governor and retired state party chair John H. Sununu, writes an op-ed in the Boston Globe praising Chris Christie: “The current standoff in Wisconsin has put tough-talking Governor Scott Walker in the headlines, but for sheer candor, no one holds a candle to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.”

DANIELS: Gov. Mitch Daniels won the straw poll at the annual Dorchester Conference in Seaside, Oregon with 30% of the vote, the Daily Astorian writes. Mitt Romney came in second with 23% and Palin in third with 18%. 

“In an interview Friday night with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, [Newt] Gingrich said, ‘my expectation is that by the end of this exploratory process that we’ll have an announcement and we’ll be in the race,’” the Daily Caller reports.

Fox adds: “Gingrich expects his final decision to come in six or seven weeks. ‘If you're serious about trying to not just run, but to both win the nomination and win the presidency, you really need to take some time to lay the groundwork, think it through, explore the possibility before you make the final decision,’” he said on Hannity. 

HUCKABEE: Before he signs books in South Carolina today and tomorrow, Mike Huckabee told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal that he will announce his decision regarding running for president “some time in the summer. I feel like it’s really important to let things simmer out. One of the criteria I’m looking for is the response to the book. If people read it and decide they don’t think these ideas are good then that’s probably an important answer for me to know.”

HUNTSMAN: “Members of the presidential campaign-in-waiting for U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman are set to meet on March 18th in New Orleans for a strategy session,” Real Clear Politics’ McPike reports. And a trip to New Hampshire is planned, as that state will be Hunstman’s strategy. There will be an event there organized by a New Hampshire activist called, "Let's invest in America; let's import jobs to America."

PALIN: Sarah Palin slammed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the State Column writes, “questioning whether the New Jersey Republican’s budget cutting represents ‘true courage.’ ‘He has no choice but to cut budgets because he’s broke, his state is broke,’ Ms. Palin said [on Fox News]. ‘What courage really is is, in the face of having a surplus, when you have an opportunity to spend spend spend other people’s money, that you still choose to rein in government.”

PAWLENTY: MPR News notes degree to which Tim Pawlenty is being viewed as a serious candidate by Washington pundits lately.

ROMNEY: The Boston Globe’s Johnson says health care is one thing, but it’s authenticity that is Romney’s real problem: “You could argue that how well he answers that core concern, not just addresses a single issue, will determine whether he wins the GOP's presidential nomination next year and has a shot at being elected president in 2012.” By the way, it turns out Romney didn’t get much of a hair cut when he stopped by a famed Atlanta barber shop (and he Tweeted the photo). There was Romney’s stop at a NASCAR event wearing a Bass Pro Shops shirt. “It recalled the moment during the 2008 campaign when he proclaimed himself ‘pretty much a lifelong hunter,’” Johnson writes, adding, “Individually, such incidents will hardly bring down a presidential campaign. But cumulatively, they can erode its foundation.”

SANTORUM: “Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is the first likely presidential candidate to confirm an appearance at a ‘Taxpayer Tea Party Rally’ April 15 at the State House,” the Manchester Union-Leader writes.

TRUMP: Lamar Alexander says Donald Trump has “absolutely no chance of winning.”  

The Washington Post: "New Hampshire House Republicans are pushing for new laws that would prohibit many college students from voting in the state - and effectively keep some from voting at all... The measures in New Hampshire are among dozens of voting-related bills being pushed by newly empowered Republican state lawmakers across the country - prompting partisan clashes akin to those already roiling in some states over GOP moves to curb union power. Backers of the voting measures say they would bring fairness and restore confidence in a voting system vulnerable to fraud."

"Democrats charge that the real goal, as with anti-union measures in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere, is simply to deflate the power of core Democratic voting blocs - in this case young people and minorities. For all the allegations of voter fraud, Democrats and voting rights groups say, there is scant evidence to show that it is a problem." 

From NBC's Athena Jones
Amid news that the nation's jobless rate has fallen to its lowest level since April 2009, President Obama today traveled to Florida to applaud the economy's progress and push for investments in education to ensure future growth.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.9% in February and the economy added 192,000 jobs, led by gains in manufacturing, construction, health care, and business services. The president highlighted the 222,000 private sector jobs added during the month -- signaling 12-straight months of private sector job growth. He also touted steps his own administration had taken -- working with Republicans -- to help accelerate the recovery, like the deal reached in December that cut payroll taxes and allowed companies to expense 100% of capital investments.

"You're already seeing those steps make a difference," Obama said as he shared the jobs numbers with the crowd at Miami Central Senior High School. "Our economy has now added 1.5 million private sector jobs over the last year and that's progress, but we need to keep building on that momentum."

Even as Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill struggle to reach an agreement on funding for the rest of this year, the president has argued the country has to invest in areas like infrastructure and innovation that will help keep the country competitive in the 21st century. Today he told the audience "our job is not just to cut" and said sacrificing a commitment to education would mean sacrificing the country's future.

Improving the nation's education system -- with special attention given to transforming failing schools -- is one of Obama's top agenda items. The school the president was visiting has boosted its performance dramatically with the help of a portion of $4.1 billion in "turnaround" funds provided by the Obama administration. The graduation rate at Miami Central has risen from 36% to 63% in the past five years, and student scores have risen 40 points in writing and 60 points in math. The president's budget for fiscal year 2012 -- which begins in October -- proposes an additional $600 million to continue so-called School Improvement Grants.

Obama told the assembled young people "you can't even think of dropping out," and said a good education would lead to a good job. Companies are looking to locate in places with strong infrastructure -- like high-speed rail and high-speed internet -- and a commitment to innovation, the president said.

"But most of all, the single-most important thing companies are looking for are highly skilled, highly educated workers," he said. "More than ever before companies hire where the talent is."

Obama plans to spend the month of March traveling around the country talking about the importance of improving America's schools.

The president was joined at the school by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), a move intended to show that education reform was not a partisan issue, but an economic one. Obama called Bush a "champion of education reform" and at one point joked of the other famous Bushes "apparently the rest of the family also did some work back in Washington back in the day."

Obama was set to attend two fundraisers for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Miami, before heading back to Washington later tonight.

From NBC's Shawna Thomas
The Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) announced the first step that will allow the House of Representatives to be party to the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). 

"I will convene a meeting of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group for the purpose of initiating action by the House to defend this law of the United States," Boehner said in a statement.

This comes after the Justice Department announced last week that they would no longer uphold the constitutionality of DOMA in court but "work closely with the courts to ensure that Congress has a full and fair opportunity to participate in pending litigation."

According to House Rules, Boehner has the ability to direct the House Office of General Counsel in "legal assistance and representation" matters. But while his consultation with the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group -- which consists of House leadership, may only be a formality -- he plans on having the group vote on how to direct the General Counsel. Since that group is made of up the speaker, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), there is little doubt that the group will vote to defend the law.

Later in his statement, Boehner admonishes the Obama administration for moving forward with this issue during the uncertain economic climate.

"It is regrettable that the Obama administration has opened this divisive issue at a time when Americans want their leaders to focus on jobs and the challenges facing our economy," Boehner said.

"The constitutionality of this law should be determined by the courts -- not by the president unilaterally -- and this action by the House will ensure the matter is addressed in a manner consistent with our Constitution," Boehner added.

Though some would say Boehner's House has also not focused explicitly on jobs by giving support to Rep. Chris Smith's (R-NJ) bill that seeks to assure no federal funds are used to obtain an abortion. Earlier this year, Boehner gave Smith's bill the designation of H.R. 3 signaling it's legislative importance behind funding the government (H.R.1) and repealing health care (H.R.2).  

"Aside from standing up for a discriminatory law and failing to focus on jobs and the economy, this action places Republicans squarely on the wrong side of history and progress," Pelosi said in a statement in response. "In addition, this decision will burden the staff and monetary resources of the Office of the General Counsel, and given the complexity of these cases and the number of courts involved, it is likely this will cost the House hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars."

The group is scheduled to meet some time next week.

This announcement does avoid what could have been a nasty floor fight. The speaker had multiple options to choose from including having the whole House vote on whether to defend DOMA in court or not.

DOMA was signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton and states in part, "In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word 'marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." 

From NBC's Lauren Selsky
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has had, shall we say, a very interesting week while promoting his book, "A Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need from Washington (and a Trillion That We Don't!)."
 
Monday: When Huckabee was asked about President Obama's background and birth certificate on Steve Malzberg's radio show, he responded with this much-talked-about answer, "I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, very different than the average American." 
 
Tuesday: Huckabee released a statement on his PAC website, saying: "I simply misspoke when I alluded to President Obama growing up in 'Kenya' and meant to say Indonesia." 
 
Wednesday: Two days after Huck's inaccurate statement about President Obama growing up in Kenya came another much-talked-about comment about the president: "I do think he has a different worldview and I think it is, in part, molded out of a very different experience. Most of us grew up going to Boy Scout meetings and, you know, our communities were filled with Rotary Clubs, not madrassas." 
 
Friday: To cap off the week, news came out that Huckabee took on Hollywood. When conservative radio host Michael Medved asked Huckabee about actress Natalie Portman having a child out of wedlock (even though she and the father are engaged to be married), Huck answered: "[O]ne of the things that's troubling is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, 'Hey look, you know, we're having children, we're not married, but we're having these children, and they're doing just fine.' But there aren't really a lot of single moms out there who are making millions of dollars every year for being in a movie."

In a statement this afternoon, Huckabee clarified: "Natalie is an extraordinary actor, very deserving of her recent Oscar and I am glad she will marry her baby's father. However, contrary to what the Hollywood media reported, I did not 'slam' or 'attack' Natalie Portman, nor did I criticize the hardworking single mothers in our country."

Shutdown reset: Will there be any progress on a deal on the budget and spending cuts? Republicans make the rounds in early presidential nominating states, and is that Charlie Sheen who stopped by the manor?

Special thanks to NBC's Morgan Parmet and Catherine Chomiak

From msnbc.com's Tom Curry:  Government is shrinking, at least if you measure it by the number of government workers.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday showed that employment at all levels of government, federal, state and local, dropped in February by 30,000, to 22,217,000.

Government employment peaked at 22,681,000 in April of 2009, if you omit the temporary hiring the federal government did for the 2010 Census.

The new BLS data shows the contrast between private sector and government employment. The number of private-sector jobs peaked in January of 2008 at 115.6 million, plummeted in late 2008 and 2009, and is still about 7 million below its peak.

Government employment held up better in 2009 and early 2010, but with the waning of federal stimulus money, it has fallen especially in recent months.

The BLS data also shows the long-term trend line: government employment has been growing for decades, no matter which political party controls the Congress, the White House or the majority of state legislatures.

In the past 20 years, total government employment has grown from 18.5 million to today’s 22.2 million, a 20 percent increase, even as the U.S. population has grown by about 22 percent. Government employment is about 17 percent of total employment, just as it was back in 1991.

Taking an even longer view – all the way back to 1951, total government employment was 6.4 million, more than a third smaller than it is today, but the U.S. population was only about half as large then as it is today.

What’s most remarkable about the data is where the growth has occurred: in state and local government.

Federal employment over the past six decades peaked back in the 1988, not including the temporary hires for the 1990 Census.  According to BLS data, federal headcount today is about nine percent smaller than in the late 1980s.

In contrast, state and local government has continued to grow for six decades with occasional slowing or plateaus. In 1991 there were about 15.3 million state and local government employees; today there are more than 19 million.

Of course, many of the functions of state and local government are mandated by, regulated by, and partly paid for by the federal government: especially the two biggest items in state budgets: public schools and Medicaid, but also transportation, wastewater treatment, and other infrastructure.

In fiscal year 2008, the last year before Congress enacted the stimulus, federal funds accounted for 26 percent of total state spending, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. In fiscal year 2010 federal funds accounted for nearly 35 percent of all state outlays. It’s often federal dollars that keep state and local government workers on the job, one reason why the battle over federal spending matters to those workers almost as much as it does to the ones in Washington D.C.

After the first really positive jobs report since they took control of the U.S. House -- less than two months ago -- House Republicans are taking some of the credit for the economy adding 192,000 jobs in February and for the unemployment rate declining below 9%.

Here's Texas Congressman Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the House Republican conference:

The improvement in our nation’s jobs report is welcome news and demonstrates the resilience of the free enterprise economy in spite of the onslaught of the Democrats’ big government agenda. But the real question is why is it taking so long and why is the recovery so weak? The modest improvement can be attributed to two factors – the free-market economy is slowly moving toward a recovery from this deep recession, and with Republicans controlling one lever of the lawmaking powers, job creators know the upper limits of the Democrats’ legislative pain is behind them.

Here's GOP Rep. Tom Price, in a statement entitled, "Republicans Taking Action to Remove Barriers to Job Growth":

“House Republicans will not rest in our efforts to break down those barriers to job creation put in place by Washington Democrats,” said Chairman Price. “Just this week, we voted to remove an onerous mandate on small businesses so they can focus on growth and creating jobs, and we are offering concrete leadership with a responsible plan to reduce the size of government spending and start to tackle the looming debt crisis."

And here's House Speaker John Boehner, who credits the tax-cut deal that President Obama cut with Republicans:

The improvement seen in this report is a credit to the hard work of the American people and their success in stopping the tax hikes that were due to hit our economy on January 1.  Removing the uncertainty caused by those looming tax hikes provided much-needed relief for private-sector job creators in America.

The Washington Post writes about what could be one of the most interesting political stories of 2011: Mitt Romney vs. Jon Huntsman. In fact, both Republicans could stake their early presidential candidacies on how they fare in New Hampshire.

A showdown between Huntsman, 50, and Romney, 63, would likely be the most bitter of the coming election. The respective former governors of Utah and Massachusetts have vast fortunes, silver tongues and great hair. They are also distant cousins, descended from a Mormon apostle who played a key role in the faith's founding. The two men enjoyed the early support of powerful and devout fathers and performed the church's missionary work - Romney in France during the Vietnam War and Huntsman in Taiwan. For years, the clans remained close, until the two scions sought to lead the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, a coveted post that promised to boost political prospects. The Games went to Romney, and the family bonds froze over when Huntsman endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) over Romney in the 2008 presidential contest.

And on the issue of their Mormon faith, as we've heard before, Romney is more BYU (where he got his undergrad degree) while Huntsman is more University of Utah (which he attended).

Polls demonstrate that Mormons overwhelmingly prefer Romney, signaling a schism that some Huntsman supporters welcome. Advocates for the ambassador's presidential bid, speaking carefully on background, argue that there is a meaningful distinction in how Romney and Huntsman practice their faith.

Advocates for Huntsman describe him as nowhere near as devout or defined by his church affiliation. Huntsman is a cultural Mormon, they explain, much in the way people can be culturally Jewish but not keep kosher, or culturally Catholic but not attend daily Mass.

We’re still waiting on the 2012 GOP field to take shape… So far, just two Republicans are officially running (compared to at least 17 Dems and GOPers at this point in the ’08 cycle)… NBC/WSJ poll vindicates Mitch Daniels’ “truce”… Newt’s incomplete rollout yesterday was quintessential Newt… Sununu takes shots at Newt and Huntsman… The Club for Growth’s closed-press cattle call… Unemployment rate drops below 9%, and 192,000 jobs were added last month… On the budget negotiations… NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports on the “evidence” that FBI man Robert Levinson is alive… And “Meet” interviews Bill Daley and Michele Bachmann.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Still waiting: Another week passes, and we’re still waiting on the 2012 GOP presidential field to fully take shape. But we saw plenty of signs that we’re almost there. Among the folks who are likely to run: Newt Gingrich unveiled an exploratory Web site and is officially "testing the waters"; FOX said it was suspending Gingrich’s and Rick Santorum’s contracts while they decide on '12; Mitt Romney’s PAC hired a top communications aide; Pawlenty released his Tea-Paw-ty video; Haley Barbour made the rounds on Capitol Hill; and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer said he’s making a bid. And here’s what we saw from the folks who are sitting on the sidelines: Chris Christie told National Review Online that he could win in 2012 but doesn’t feel ready (doesn't that mean he's encouraging a draft?), and Mike Huckabee made controversial (and incorrect) statements about President Obama’s upbringing.

*** And then there were two: Still, as of today, there are just two Republicans who have formed official committees to begin raising money for a presidential contest: Roemer and Herman Cain. By comparison, as we’ve pointed out before, at least 17 candidates had either declared their candidacy or formed an official committee to legally begin raising money at this point in the 2008 cycle: Biden (Jan. 7, 2007), Brownback (Jan. 20), Clinton (Jan. 20), Dodd (Jan. 11), Edwards (Dec. 28, 2006), Gilmore (Jan. 9), Giuliani (Nov. 20, 2006), Huckabee (Jan. 28), Hunter (Oct. 30, 2006), Kucinich (Dec. 12, 2006), McCain (Nov. 16), Obama (Feb. 10), Paul (Jan. 11), Richardson (Jan. 21), Romney (Jan. 3), Tancredo (Jan. 16), and Vilsack (Nov. 9, 2006). In fact, the first person to drop out of the race -- Vilsack -- did so on Feb. 23.

*** Mitch Daniels vindicated? Out of all the poll numbers in our newest NBC/WSJ survey -- on the budget fight, on President Obama, on the 2012 race -- this might have been the most striking finding: 65% of GOP primary voters said they would be more likely to vote for a Republican who focuses MORE on fiscal issues and LESS on social issues, while just 8% said they’d be less likely. And get this: Among evangelicals, the split was nearly identical, 65%-14%. Last year, Indiana Gov. (and potential presidential candidate) Mitch Daniels drew considerable criticism from social conservatives when he told the Weekly Standard that there needed to be a “truce” on social issues. “We're going to just have to agree to get along for a little while" until the economic issues are resolved, he said. Well, it appears more Republicans might agree with Daniels than first thought. But don't write off the impact of social conservatives in a place like Iowa, and don't write off, say, a Santorum who may decide he'll be the lone voice talking social conservative issues -- because it just might be the way to get a ticket out of Iowa.

*** Quintessential Newt: Newt Gingrich's initial (and incomplete) rollout yesterday was a bit, well, disorganized. First, his team -- intentionally or not -- built up an event that turned into an announcement of ... a Web site. Then, once the site went live, we learned that the diverse group of campaign supporters featured on it was just a stock photo, which also once had been featured on a Ted Kennedy Web site (!!!). And then there was more focus on the prominence of Gingrich's wife than on the soon-to-be candidate. The disorganization, though, was quintessential Newt: When he was speaker, there was always an air of disorganization and around him and his team, but he made up for it by being one of the smartest guys in the room. And that's the goal for this campaign. He’s probably going to win every debate, but so did Joe Biden. The question we have about Newt: Does he become Biden (someone who, despite his baggage, improved during the campaign and later became VP), or does he become Rudy (someone who, despite his baggage, never improved as a candidate and if anything hurt his image by running a surprisingly bad campaign)?

*** Sununu’s shots: By the way, in an interview with Real Clear Politics, former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu took some shots at some members of the GOP field. On Newt: "I think Gingrich forgets the impact of him sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi talking about justifying a carbon tax. There's no way he's going to win a Republican primary with that hanging around his neck, and he's going to learn that pretty quickly." On Huntsman: "He's still an Obamaite. We're not going to nominate an Obamaite. And I will make sure the Republican Party does not nominate an Obamaite." And on Barbour: "Haley's made his path harder in the last two months. Haley's a great governor, great politician, hardworking candidate who loves to campaign, but I'm not sure he has the burning desire to be president… He comes from an area that is so solidly Republican, that he doesn't add anything to a Republican candidacy in a general election." John Sununu is never one to mince words, and he may have just established himself as every political reporter's favorite GOP analyst for the cycle.

*** The Club for Growth cattle call: This weekend, the Club for Growth is holding a GOP cattle call of sorts in Palm Beach, FL. The attendees: Romney, Pawlenty, and Barbour. (In fact, Pawlenty addressed the group last night.) But it’s all closed to the press. And that, Democrats tell First Read, begs questions since some taxes and fees increased during their governorships. A Club for Growth spokesman responds that these talks are held off-the-record to allow for more candor among speakers and Club for Growth members.

*** Unemployment rate drops below 9%: The AP’s breaking news on the monthly jobs numbers: “Employers in February hired at the fastest pace in almost a year and the unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent -- a nearly two-year low. The economy added 192,000 jobs last month, with factories, professional and business services, education and health care among those expanding employment." The public sector lost jobs, but the private job creation more than made up for that loss.

*** On the budget negotiations: Turning to the budget negotiations on Capitol Hill, we’ve heard that talks will continue today, but it involve staff, not principals. NBC’s Luke Russert reports, per a top House GOP aide, that yesterday’s meeting with Biden, Reid, Boehner, McConnell and Pelosi this afternoon produced a "starting point" for negotiations on the fiscal year 2011 budget. The aide said Reid told those present that Senate Democrats -- today or on Monday -- would announce a plan to cut between $6 billion and $10 billion from the fiscal year 2011 budget. The numbers are still fluid because they are still being worked on by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The source indicated that the WH is backing this bill. But Republicans are not impressed and already making that clear in plenty of email traffic this morning.

*** Evidence on Levinson: A senior U.S. official today tells NBC’s Andrea Mitchell "we have evidence" that retired FBI man Robert Levinson is alive. The suggestion that the U.S. has some proof of life goes beyond Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement last night that there are "recent indications that Bob is being held somewhere in southwest Asia." U.S. officials tell Mitchell that after years of silence about Levinson's whereabouts, Tehran has been working in the last few months with the U.S. to resolve the case. Officials say they don't know "precisely" where Levinson is -- and wont be more specific on what apparently are active secret negotiations to get him back, possibly from a third country. 

*** Meet’s exclusives: On Sunday, “Meet the Press” has exclusive interviews with White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R). And don’t miss David Gregory’s chat with NBC’s Political Unit on the new NBC/WSJ poll.

Countdown to continuing resolution’s expiration: 14 days
Countdown to Iowa GOP straw poll: 161 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 249 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 339 days

* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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A top House GOP aide told NBC’s Luke Russert that the meeting between Reid, Boehner, McConnell, and Pelosi yesterday afternoon produced a "starting point" for negotiations on the fiscal year 2011 budget. The aide said Sen. Harry Reid told those present at the meeting that tomorrow or Monday Senate Democrats would announce their plan to cut $6 billion to $10 billion from the fiscal year 2011 budget. The numbers are still fluid because they are still being worked on by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The source indicated that the WH is backing this bill.

On top of that, Reid will also allow a Senate cloture vote on the House GOP's spending bill that includes $61 billion dollars in spending cuts. This is important for the GOP, because it gives them the chance of getting an up-or-down vote in the Senate on their House GOP budget for fiscal year 2011. The aide said if a deal can't be worked out for the rest of fiscal year 2011 in the next two weeks, the GOP will agree to another two-to-four-week continuing resolution, but only if it contains spending cuts.

“A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, Brendan Buck, dismissed the White House number as ‘little more than the status quo,’” the AP says.

“The House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to repeal an unpopular tax filing requirement for businesses tucked into the new health care law,” the AP adds. “The filing requirement is so unpopular in Congress that it is unlikely to ever take effect. The House voted 314 to 112 to repeal the filing requirement, with 76 Democrats joining all Republicans in voting to pass the bill. The Senate passed a similar measure last month and attached it to an unrelated bill to help modernize the nation’s air traffic control system. The White House says President Obama also supports the effort to repeal that provision. However, many Democrats and Republicans — and the House and Senate — disagree on how to make up the potential revenue, so the debate could drag on for months.”

Issa’s “dueling vocations”: Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, said he was there as a board member of his company DEI Holdings and claimed to be there on his own “dime.” But, Roll Call finds, the Oversight Committee paid the way for him and two of his staffers. Roll Call says he may be OK with the Ethics Committee because it allows for “mixed purpose trips,” “but the trip highlights the thin line between Issa’s corporate and Congressional activities.”

First Read’s Law: The first politician to bring up Hitler or Nazis loses the argument: “Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) took to the Senate floor Thursday to defend labor unions, saying that dictators like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin opposed them,” The Hill reports. Brown said, "As a nation, I look back in history and some of the worst governments we've ever had, you know one of the the first thing they did? They went after the trade unions," he said. "Hitler didn't want unions, Stalin didn't want unions. [Former Egyptian President Hosni] Mubarak didn't want independent unions."

And Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) declared war on pirates yesterday, laying out a four-point plan to defeat Somali pirates. 

The AP: “Eager to show some bipartisanship, President Barack Obama is sharing a stage in Florida with Jeb Bush, brother of the former president whose policies Obama blames for sending the nation's economy spiraling into a recession. Obama and Bush, Florida's popular ex-governor, were to speak Friday at Miami Central Senior High School, one of hundreds of low-performing schools across the nation that have received money from the Education Department to help turn the school around. Obama aides said Bush recommended the school as an example of how gains can be made through reform.”

Obama and Bush visit a Florida classroom at 3:05 pm ET, and Obama delivers a speech on education at 4:00 pm. Later, he hits two DSCC fundraisers in Miami at 5:35 pm and 7:30 pm.

Before he leaves for Florida, Obama meets at the White House with Chicago Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel at 10:45 am.

Vice President Biden said of the initial meeting with Republicans on the budget and spending cuts: “We had a good meeting, and the conversation will continue,” The Hill reports. More: “Democrats and the White House have talked about being open to making $6 billion in unspecified cuts in a spending bill covering the remainder of fiscal 2011. When added to $41 billion in cuts in a continuing resolution that expires Friday, plus $4 billion in cuts in a two-week stopgap that President Barack Obama signed Wednesday, the Democrats are on board for about $50 billion in reductions from Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget request. But House Republicans are seeking to reduce spending to $100 billion less than Obama’s request, and the $6 billion offer wasn’t striking Republicans as serious. ‘That’ll pay for two months of interest on the stimulus bill,’” said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Hill’s headline: “Obama, GOP start $50 billion apart.”

But there’s this… “Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has privately assured President Obama that House Republicans will not attack him if he makes a proposal to reform entitlement spending, according to sources familiar with the offer,” The Hill reports. “Moreover, Boehner has personally promised Obama that he will stand side-by-side with him to weather the strong political backlash expected from any proposal to cut entitlement costs.”

Rahm is headed back the White House. But not in any official role. The newly elected Chicago mayor will visit with his old boss, the president of the United States today, The Hill reports. 

Here’s this headline from today’s Wisconsin State Journal: “Senate orders arrest of missing Democrats.” “Senate Republicans Thursday ordered the forcible detention of their 14 Democratic colleagues, who fled the state two weeks ago to avoid a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget repair bill,” the paper writes, adding, “Democrats say the Republicans are overreaching, and they have consulted an attorney for an opinion on whether the GOP actions are legal.”

Gov. Scott Walker will be sending out "at-risk" layoff notices today to public workers. “Walker said he can hold the layoffs for a little while – but they would to begin by April 1st if the budget repair bill does not get passed in the coming days,” per WSAU. "I have no interest in pursuing layoffs unless there is no other choice out there," Walker said, per the Wisconsin State Journal.

“Pro-union protesters who had been camping out at the Wisconsin Capitol for 17 days vacated the building peacefully late yesterday after a judge ordered the building closed at night but ruled the state was wrong to restrict access to the building during the day,” the AP writes. 

BUSH: Why is appearing with President Obama in Miami today a “good move” for Jeb Bush, the Christian Science Monitor asks? “Perhaps it’s a sign that Bush thinks Obama will be hard to beat, and so he might as well take advantage of the spotlight when it’s offered. He’s not saying. One thing is for sure: If Bush has any say in the matter, there won’t be a photo op of Obama giving him a big hug, a la former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, whose embrace with Obama dealt a mortal blow to his Senate campaign.”

CHRISTIE: “Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill yesterday that would have made his state the first in the nation to legalize Internet gambling,” the AP writes. But: “Christie said he was open to a referendum on whether to approve online gambling.”

DANIELS: National Review points out that Mitch Daniels might have a similar “Obamacare problem” as Mitt Romney. “Like Obama, Daniels increased cigarette taxes to expand government-run health care. Whereas Obamacare requires states to open their Medicaid programs to families of four earning $31,000 (138 percent of the federal poverty level), Daniels expanded Indiana’s Medicaid program to families of four earning $44,000 (200 percent of poverty).”

GINGRICH: AP: “Gingrich is stopping short of setting up an exploratory committee, which would make him a legal candidate. A spokesman said Gingrich and his wife oversee a web of commercial and nonprofit ventures and must tie up loose ends with those businesses before they can take that step.” 

The former House speaker “emerged from a meeting with Gov. Nathan Deal and told reporters he has created a website, newtexplore2012.com. But Gingrich stopped short of committing to running for the White House and would not take questions,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recounts. “The move allows Gingrich, under federal election law, to raise and spend money as a candidate on things such as travel and polling. But Gingrich would not have to disclose how much money he's spending and what he's spending it on until he becomes a full-fledged candidate.”

“Gingrich shows greater gains among regular Fox News viewers than any other potential 2012 Republican candidate, including some other Fox News commentators,” Gallup writes, sharing crosstsabs from its latest poll. “Gingrich shows greater gains among regular Fox News viewers than any other potential 2012 Republican candidate, including some other Fox News commentators… Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 13% of regular Fox News viewers say they are most likely to support Gingrich for the 2012 presidential nomination, compared with 8% of occasional viewers and 6% of non-viewers.”

HUCKABEE: “Mike Huckabee's political committee is defending comments the former Arkansas governor made yesterday that referred to President Barack Obama as growing up around Muslim madrassas,” CNN writes. “‘People who read the Governor's full comments about the President in his new book will completely understand – but those who don't, probably won't hear the whole story,’ Hogan Gidley, Executive Director of HuckPAC, said.”

“Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has excoriated Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, saying her remarks Sunday ‘glorify and glamorize’ single motherhood,” the Seattle Post Intelligencer writes. “‘What’s troubling is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, ‘Hey look, you know, we’re having children, we’re not married, but we’re having these children, and they’re doing just fine,’ said Huckabee, who did not watch the Oscar telecast.”

HUNTSMAN: The Hunstman and Romney clans go way back, in fact they’re distantly related to each other -- but their relationship is “likely to end on much less friendly terms,” the Washington Post writes.

“Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu is no fan of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and intends to work against him in the Granite State's Republican presidential primary if he decides to launch a bid for the White House this cycle,” Real Clear Politics writes. “Huntsman won't play well here. Huntsman won't play well anywhere, because Huntsman's only barely a Republican,” the former state Republican Party chair said. “Huntsman isn't the only object of Sununu's discomfort. There's also former House Speaker Newt Gingrich… ‘I think Gingrich forgets the impact of him sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi talking about justifying a carbon tax,’ he said.”

PALIN: Iowa Republican leaders took Palin to task for her lack of presence in the state yesterday, the Washington Post says. “On Thursday, Iowa Republican Chairman Matt Strawn said counting on name recognition in the state is ‘a very risky strategy.’ ‘Unless Sarah Palin begins reaching out to Iowa operatives and activists soon, she runs the risk of digging herself a hole that even her celebrity won't pull her out of,’ Tim Albrecht, communications director for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R),” said.

PAUL: Freshman Sen. Rand Paul (with his dad) is now headed to New Hampshire April 28. That follows a trip he’s also taking to Iowa April 2. Ron Paul will be in the Granite State March 24 and 25.

ROEMER: Buddy Roemer “stood before three dozen friends, supporters and media members in a sterile conference room at the Business First Bank in Baton Rouge and laid out plans for a populist uprising,” the Times-Picayune reports. http://is.gd/FeZ68a

ROMNEY: “Former Governor Mitt Romney is speaking in New Hampshire tomorrow night as his still-unannounced second presidential campaign gathers momentum,” the Boston Globe writes. “On Saturday alone, he's speaking behind closed doors in Florida to a meeting of the Club for Growth, then flying north for a speech at the Carroll County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel in Bartlett, NH.”

“Romney is the front-runner for a nomination that nobody assumes he’ll win,” the National Journal writes. “No need to ask why. His problems are well documented. Fiscal conservatives cringe at parallels between the former governor’s health care program in Massachusetts and President Obama’s federal plan. Social conservatives wince at Romney’s flip-flops on abortion, gun control, immigration, and gay rights, and, privately, at his Mormonism.”

SANTORUM: “For as morally questionable as Santorum may find Obama's decision [on DOMA], its political reverberations will be clearly felt in the Republican presidential primary contest -- and no candidate stands to benefit more than Santorum,” National Journal writes. 

From NBC's Lauren Selsky
Former Louisiana Gov. Charles "Buddy" Roemer (R) today announced that he formed an exploratory committee to pursue the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Roemer, who referred to himself as a reformer and who noted that he had been "out of politics for 20 years," said he would "challenge the current system of money in politics from day one by setting a voluntary limit on contributions of $100 per individual," adding that he will "accept not one penny more."

While not calling anyone out specifically, he did say that "Washington D.C. is a boomtown, and the rest of America is hurting." He added that "Washington DC is a fundraiser every night and it's an auction during the day for retiring congressmen."

He also made mention of the current union issues facing other states, saying: "I love these governors having the battles now. We did that 25 years ago."

He continued, "So all the problems -- budget out of balance, tax code needs to be rewritten, all these things -- I've been through before in a real, but a smaller scale. I've added my business experience to that now, and I'm ready to make my case."

NBC's David Gregory sits down with Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro to discuss the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, and what it says about the role of government, creating jobs vs. cutting spending, the Tea Party, and the 2012 field.

From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama today said Libya's leader must go, and he announced that he approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help Egyptians fleeing the violence there to get back home.

Obama made the remarks during a brief press avail with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. The wide-ranging Q and A involved just two questioners -- one from the American press and one from the Mexican press -- who each asked multiple, compound questions that touched issues from the NFL labor dispute and the 2nd Amendment to arming U.S. agents working in Mexico.

On the matter of Libya, the president repeated his call for international cooperation in holding strongman Moammar Khaddafy accountable for his government's violence against its own citizens and for dealing with the humanitarian crisis.

"The United States and the entire world continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people," he said. "Moammar Khaddafy has lost legitimacy to lead, and he must leave. Those who perpetrate violence against the Libyan people will be held accountable, and the aspirations of the Libyan people for freedom, democracy, and dignity must be met."

The president said that with Khaddafy digging in, there was a danger of a stalemate that, over time, could be bloody. Obama added that he wanted the United States to have the full capacity to act rapidly if there were a humanitarian crisis or if civilians were trapped and in harm's way.

"There are a whole range of options, military and non-military, that we're examining. And we'll be making these decisions based on what's best for the Libyan people and how can we make sure that we're minimizing the harm to innocent civilians during this process," Obama said. "Throughout all this, we will continue to send a clear message that it's time for Khaddafy to go."

But the 50-minute long event wasn't all serious. The president sparked laughs when he was asked to weigh in on the labor stand off between the National Football League's billionaire owners and its millionaire players.

"My expectation and hope is that they can resolve it without me intervening," he said. "Because as it turns out I've got a lot of other stuff to do."

Both presidents spoke about the need for the two countries to work together to combat drug- and gun-trafficking; secure their shared border; boost trade; and conclude agreements on energy partnerships.

When asked by a Mexican journalist whether he could veto the 2nd Amendment, Obama defended the right to bear arms, but he said his belief in the Constitution "does not mean we cannot constrain gun-runners from shipping guns into Mexico." He also said he understood the U.S. -- a main consumer of illicit drugs coming from Mexico and point south -- had a duty to help our neighbor as it battles drug violence.

"We are very mindful that the battle President Calderon is fighting inside of Mexico is not just his battle; it's also ours," he said. "We have to take responsibility just as he's taking responsibility and that's true with respect to guns flowing from north to south. It's true about cash flowing north to south and so we've stepped up our enforcement and monitoring of bulk cash transfers across the border that oftentimes finance these cartels."

President Obama also announced the countries had "found a clear path to resolving the cross-border, long-haul trucking dispute."

According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the new agreement would establish high, reciprocal safety standards for long-haul carriers to operate on both sides of the border. Once the deal is final, Mexico will begin to phase out retaliatory tariffs against U.S. goods put in place during the nearly two-decade long disagreement.

President Calderon praised Obama for his upcoming trip to Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador, saying greater dialogue among the countries would be beneficial to the hemisphere. In addressing the issue of whether U.S. agents working in Mexico should be allowed to be armed, Calderon said it was a matter for the Mexican Congress to decide.

From NBC's Luke Russert
How much will Democrats be willing to cut to the federal budget for the rest of fiscal year 2011 to avoid a future government shutdown? It remains unclear. At a news conference today on Capitol Hill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declined to offer a number in regards to how much Democrats would be willing to cut from the current budget.

"You don’t expect me to announce it right here?” Pelosi said. She continued, “Democrats stand ready to meet with Republicans half way on this, that would be fair.”

What is half way?

Democrats contend they have supported more than $41 billion in cuts to President Obama’s requested fiscal year 2011 budget. That $41 billion comes from a vote in December 2010, which called for the budget to operate at a continued spending freeze at fiscal year 2010 levels till March of 2011. In essence, the $41 billion dollars in cuts to Obama’s desired budget came from the fact that House Democrats took the 2010 budget into the first three months of 2011.

During the 2010 mid-term campaign, Republicans in their “Pledge to America” promised to cut $100 billion from President Obama’s requested fiscal year 2011 budget. In 2010, House Democrats failed to pass a budget for fiscal year 2011. Therefore, the government is currently operating under fiscal year 2010 levels.

Two weeks ago, House Republicans proposed to cut $61 billion from the current spending levels that fund the government. The GOP cut $747 million from the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program and $119 million from an educational grant to improve teaching amongst other things. When asked if Democrats would put forth a counter offer to the $61 billion dollars that Republicans want to cut, Pelosi said:

"What we have to do is get a fair shake for the American people. This is about who can cut more without any scrutiny or subjecting these cuts to the scrutiny of what they do. You may think you are cutting but you aren't saving because your cuts maybe very unwise when it comes to education. Nothing brings more to the treasury than investing in education. Republican cuts to education present a false economy. This isn't just about numbers in the amount of cuts; it's about what is cut."

When pressed further for a concrete number, Pelosi responded, "I'm not going to say that number, because I'm not approximating or conceiving or stipulating to any number.”

The inability of Democrats to suggest a dollar number for cuts to the current budget has invigorated Republicans. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring quickly sent out the following release after Pelosi’s press conference:

“It is remarkable that with families small businesses tightening their belts and a debt that stifles investment and private sector job growth, former Speaker Pelosi still has not offered a plan that cuts a single dollar from current federal spending levels. People deserve honest leadership, and a Congress that is serious about getting its fiscal House in order – not this unserious malarkey that Leader Reid and former Speaker Pelosi keep throwing around.”

Later today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) Pelosi, Sens. Reid (D-NV) and McConnell (R-KY) will meet with Vice President Biden to begin talks in an effort to try and agree a long term government funding bill for the rest of fiscal year 2011. It is unknown if Democrats will offer a dollar figure on how much they’d be willing to cut from the budget to appease Republicans. As of 3:30 pm ET, the figure stands at $0 on top of the $4 billion in cuts that was agreed to earlier this week to keep the government operating another 14 days.

From NBC's Catherine Chomiak
In an appearance this afternoon in his home state of Georgia, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) today announced he launched a Web site -- not an exploratory committee -- to help him examine the possibility of a 2012 presidential bid.

"Because of our concern for the future of the country, our concern for our grandchildren and all of the children of this country who are faced with, I think, a very dramatic choice of which future we're going to have, we are today establishing a Web site -- NewtExplore2012.com," Gingrich said. 

Standing next to his wife, Callista, he cited their beliefs to restore American exceptionalism, to dramatically shrink the government in Washington, D.C., to get back to a balanced budget, to decrease unemployment, and to make Americans safer.

"We will look at this very seriously and we will very methodically lay out the framework of what we'll do next," Gingrich stressed.

"We'll be back. There will be many more chances to have conversations. I simply wanted to give you that, and I think you will have more than enough to write about," Gingrich joked to a room for of reporters at the press conference.

Media attention and predictions over just what Gingrich would say today began earlier this week when one of his top advisers, Joe Gaylord, told the Des Moines Register Gingrich would announce he was forming an exploratory committee during his visit to Georgia.  Later, a Gingrich press release refuted the Register article saying it "contains a significantly inaccurate statement." The release went on to say, "To be clear, while Speaker Gingrich is in Georgia on Thursday, he will NOT announce the formation of an exploratory committee."

From NBC's Pete Williams
After giving the Obama administration a severe tongue lashing, the federal judge in Florida who found the health-care law unconstitutional agreed today to put a hold on his own ruling while the government appeals.

Judge Roger Vinson said he never expected, after ruling Jan. 31 against federal agencies who were defending the law, "that they would effectively ignore the order and declaratory judgment for two and one-half weeks, continue to implement the Act" and then ask the judge to explain the practical effect of his own ruling. When a judge finds a law unconstitutional, Vinson said, it's assumed to have the force of an injunction, or order barring enforcement, because of a long-standing presumption that the government will comply with court rulings.

The judge found that the individual mandate in the law, requiring nearly all Americans to buy health insurance, exceeded the powers given to Congress by the Constitution. But because he said it could not be cleanly separated from the rest of the law, he declared the entire act unconstitutional.

In mid-February, the Justice Department asked the judge to clarify his ruling. His order, the government said, "potentially implicates hundreds of provisions of the Act and, if it were interpreted to apply to programs currently in effect, duties currently in force, taxes currently being collected, and tax credits that may be owed at this time or in the near future, would create substantial uncertainty."

Today, a clearly exasperated Judge Vinson said it was possible the government "may have perhaps been confused or misunderstood" his earlier order. He repeated that he meant for the administration to stop enforcing the health-care law. Even so, given the need for a quick resolution of the issue nationwide, he agreed to put his earlier order on hold, provided that the government seeks fast-track review in either a federal appeals court or directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The Justice Department said it would seek quick review in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. “We appreciate the court's recognition of the enormous disruption that would have resulted if implementation of the Affordable Care Act was abruptly halted," said a Department spokesman, Tracy Schmaler.

“We strongly disagree with the district court’s underlying ruling in this case and continue to believe - as three federal courts have found - that this law is constitutional,” she added.