GINGRICH: He was bitten by a penguin.

ROMNEY: The Boston Globe looks at Romney’s inner circle and how the campaign is going to expand quickly. “The expansion, and the potential change that comes with it, will be swift. Romney’s campaign is preparing a dramatic increase in manpower, with the current full-time staff of about 80 expected to reach 400 in the coming weeks, according to a Romney aide,” the Globe writes.

“Mitt Romney last week declared his belief that ‘all moms are working moms,’ but he insisted as recently as January that women on welfare need to get jobs, even if they have young children,” the Boston Globe adds. More: Romney, himself, has said the ‘all moms are working moms’ argument does not apply to mothers who accept welfare assistance.”

Romney said at a Jan. 4 campaign stop in Manchester, N.H.: “Even if you have a child two years of age, you need to go to work,” Romney describing his position as Massachusetts governor. “And people said, ‘Well that’s heartless,’ and I said ‘No, no, I’m willing to spend more giving daycare to allow those parents to go back to work. It’ll cost the state more providing that daycare, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.’ ”

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner called Romney’s 92% jobless women claim “deeply misleading” on Meet the Press. “It’s a ridiculous way to look at the problem,” Geithner said on “This Week.” He said on Meet the Press it was a “deeply misleading look at the economy.”

Romney spoke before the National Rifle Association Friday. The group’s executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre,” accused the media of “sensational reporting” on the Trayvon Martin case.

“The commander-in-chief yesterday said he was ‘hopeful’ the Caribbean island would begin ‘loosening up’ its communist ways in the years ahead,” the New York Post writes.

The Secret Service agents/Colombian prostitute story is the front page of the New York Daily News with the headline, “Love club.” (Here’s the story.)

The New York Post: “A Secret Service agent shamed the United States after a wild night of babes and booze that ended in an argument with a Colombian hooker over as little as $47.”

One of 11 elite agents assigned to ensure President Obama’s protection at a summit meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, was busted after his lady of the evening refused to leave his hotel room in the morning without her fee.”

The New York Post meanwhile goes with a photo of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton drinking a beer at a bar under this headline: “SWILLARY. Hill knocks back brew as scandal rocks summit.”

Bill Maher isn’t doing the Obama reelection effort any favors defending Hilary Rosen’s comments.

The AP releases its battleground map. It has 242 electoral votes either solidly or leaning Democratic, 191 solidly or leaning Republican, and 105 up for grabs. (Here’s the NBC battleground map released in late February.)

Hearings on the General Services Administration’s spending that led to the ouster of an Obama appointee begin today on Capitol Hill, led by Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa. “Issa admits over-the-top GSA spending existed during the previous Bush administration, though he disputes figures released by Obama officials that show a 102% increase from 2006 to 2008,” CNN writes. “So why not invite Bush officials to testify as well? When pressed, Issa insisted he intends to do that later, but first he will focus on the president currently in the White House. ‘This president ran saying he was going to make changes. The question is, was he well-served by his political appointees when they were ordered to go in and make these cultural changes and if they didn't make it, is it because they didn't listen to the president or is it because he didn't really mean it?’ he asked.”

Over the weekend, the Obama campaign released a video countering Romney’s attacks on Obama at Friday’s NRA conference.

CHRISTIE: The Trenton Times says the tunnel project between New Jersey and New York was canceled because of a grudge between NJ Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

By the way, Chrstie is getting out of the Garden State today and doing some campaigning in… Ohio for Senate candidate Josh Mandel. (Also, there will be Sen. John McCain, another Romney endorser.)

HALEY: Is this a headline for a potential veep? The Columbia State: “Critics: S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley's memoir 'just makes stuff up'.”

She says she wouldn’t even consider a cabinet position in a Romney administration.

HUCKABEE: Political Wire: Mike Huckabee on Fox News Sunday about whether he’d be VP: "I haven't gotten the call and I doubt I will. I just go merrily on about doing my business."

RUBIO: The L.A. Times: “Marco Rubio: 'I'm not going to be the vice president'.” He told CNN en Espanol: "I’m not going to be the vice president. I’m not.”

Former Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says Rubio should not be the pick. "Rubio's resume does not reflect someone prepared to confront serious and dangerous issues that our country faces as president," the former attorney general said.

Mike Huckabee, though, says Rubio should be the pick.

RYAN: “Nearly 60 progressive Catholic leaders released a statement Friday, condemning Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s assertion that his budget proposal was shaped by his Catholic faith,” Politico reports.

SANTELLI: There is seriously a Draft Santelli for President effort going on to pick the CNBC reporter credited with sparking the Tea Party movement.

PORTMAN: The Columbus Dispatch’s Jack Torry likes the idea of Portman as VP.

NEW YORK: “Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is being courted by a top state Republican to run for mayor next year — and the city’s top cop is open to the idea, sources told The Post.”

Ed Towns won’t run for reelection.

WASHINGTON: The Dennis Kucinich Washington state buzz continues, and Democratic officials in the state are not happy about it. Kucinich has until May 18 to file.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mitt Romney went well beyond his standard stump speech at a closed-door fundraiser on Sunday evening, and offered some of the most specific details to date about the policies he would pursue if elected. 

Karen Bleier / AFP - Getty Images

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney floated the idea of eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the cabinet-level agency once led by the candidate's father.

In a speech to donors in the backyard of a private home here, the former Massachusetts governor and presumptive GOP presidential nominee outlined his plans to potentially eliminate or consolidate federal agencies, win back Latino voters and reform the nation's tax code.

And even Ann Romney, the subject of a national debate last week over the role of women in the workplace, was more direct than usual. She sounded like a political tactician when she described a Democratic consultant's criticism of her decision to be a stay-at-home mom as "an early birthday gift."

Romney went into a level of detail not usually seen by the public in the speech, which was overheard by reporters on a sidewalk below. One possibility floated by Romney included the elimination of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Cabinet-level agency once led by Romney's father, George. 

"I'm going to take a lot of departments in Washington, and agencies, and combine them. Some eliminate, but I'm probably not going to lay out just exactly which ones are going to go," Romney said. "Things like Housing and Urban Development, which my dad was head of, that might not be around later. But I'm not going to actually go through these one by one. What I can tell you is, we've got far too many bureaucrats. I will send a lot of what happens in Washington back to the states."

Asked about the fate of the Department of Education in a potential Romney administration, the former governor suggested it would also face a dramatic restructuring. 

"The Department of Education: I will either consolidate with another agency, or perhaps make it a heck of a lot smaller. I'm not going to get rid of it entirely," Romney said, explaining that part of his reasoning behind preserving the agency was to maintain a federal role in pushing back against teachers' unions. Romney added that he learned in his 1994 campaign for Senate that proposing to eliminate the agency was politically volatile. 

At that time, Sen. Ted Kennedy ran ads against Romney — then a political neophyte — accusing him of being uncaring for saying he wished to eliminate the agency.

Romney told the audience here tonight (along with the Weekly Standard in an interview in early April) that that experience remains fresh in his mind. It's contributed to his caution in publicly naming federal agencies and programs he would eliminate or dramatically curtail.

Romney's wife Ann also spoke briefly, where she described her role in a controversy over women in the workplace and Republicans' efforts to make inroads with female voters.

Mrs. Romney acknowledged Republicans' deficit at present with female voters, and urged the women in attendance to talk to their friends, particularly about the economy. She also discussed the criticism she faced this week, and her pride in her role as a mother.

"It was my early birthday present for someone to be critical of me as a mother, and that was really a defining moment, and I loved it," Mrs. Romney said.

Gov. Romney went further in engaging the so-called "war on moms" that followed in the media — upon which his campaign has been aggressively fundraising — calling it a "gift" that allowed his campaign to show contrast with Democrats in the general election's first week.

Romney also went into greater detail than he has on the campaign trail in describing how he would maintain the progressive structure in the tax code after implementing his 20 percent across-the-board tax cut.

Democrats have argued that Romney's tax proposals would disproportionately help the wealthy, but on Sunday, Romney identified specific loopholes and deductions for the wealthy that he would eliminate in order to both finance his tax cut, and ensure that the nation's top earners face the same tax burden they do today.

"I'm going to probably eliminate for high income people the second home mortgage deduction," Romney said, adding that he would also likely eliminate deductions for state income and property taxes as well.

"By virtue of doing that, we'll get the same tax revenue, but we'll have lower rates," Romney explained. "The nice thing about lower rates is that small businesses not get to keep a larger share of what they're earning and plow it back in to hire more people and expand their business."

Romney covered much of the ground he does in his standard stump speech before a crowd of several dozen donors, who were gathered to contribute to his new general election "Victory Fund." But Romney also offered, over fried chicken and snapper, a simpler way of understanding his economic policies.

"I'm asked — how do you boil it down, how do you encapsulate this into a campaign message: Two things, jobs and kids," Romney said, explaining that restarting job growth and preserving a better future for the next generation were the campaign's guiding principles.

Though the general election campaign has only begun in earnest — and the policy proposals floated by Romney on Sunday evening were far from formal platform items — the former governor's remarks marked the campaign's acute sense of what awaits them in the coming months. 

That sense was represented in Ann and Mitt Romney's discussion of how they might win back women. The former governor also addressed how he might make strides toward winning back Hispanic voters, another crucial voting bloc with whom he and other Republicans lag, according to recent polls.

Predicting that immigration would become a much larger issue in the fall campaign, Romney told his audience, "We have to get Hispanic voters to vote for our party," warning that recent polling showing Hispanics breaking in huge percentages for President Obama "spells doom for us." 

Romney said the GOP must offer its own policies to woo Hispanics, including a "Republican DREAM Act," referring to the legislative proposal favored by Democrats that would offer illegal immigrants a limited path to citizenship, to give Hispanic voters a real choice between parties. 

Romney nonetheless predicted that, by November, the economy would trump immigration as a driving issue for Hispanic voters, and he vowed also to remind the Hispanic community that, despite promises of comprehensive immigration reform by Obama, Democrats ultimately fell short in passing legislation in their two years in control of Congress and the White House at the start of the president's term. 

Romney also described his media strategy going forward, including his views on so-called "earned media," and how the campaign might pair surrogates with complimentary news outlets.

He said his campaign had been well-covered by Fox News, but that Fox was watched by "the true believers," and that he knew he would have to reach out to a broader audience in order to win over independents and women voters that will decide the election in November. He painted a picture of a media landscape in which liberal voices won out on television, but conservatives were strongest online.

"We are behind when it comes to commentators on TV. They tend to be liberal," Romney said. "Where we are ahead or even is on twitter and on the Internet."

ST. LOUIS — Under pressure by President Obama's re-election campaign to release them, Mitt Romney's campaign announced Friday that the former Massachusetts governor had filed for an extension in his 2011 taxes.

A spokeswoman for the Romney campaign said that while the presumptive Republican nominee had asked for more time to prepare his taxes this year, he would release them before November's election. 

"Earlier this year, Gov. Romney released his 2010 tax return and an estimate of his 2011 income and taxes.  This is an extension for filing his 2011 actual return, similar to what he has done in prior years," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement. "Sometime in the next six months, and prior to the election, Gov. Romney will file and release the 2011 return when there is sufficient information to provide an accurate return."

The move was sure to prolong a national debate set in motion by the White House over the issue of tax fairness. The president's campaign arm has also demanded more transparency by Romney on the matter of taxes, demanding not only this year's returns, but also Romney's returns from the last decade. 

Romney will now have until mid-October — just weeks before the general election — to file his returns with the IRS.

A former co-founder of the private equity firm Bain Capital, Romney is estimated to be worth as much as $250 million dollars, according to personal disclosure documents.

His immense wealth had been made an issue in the primary campaign, when rival candidate Newt Gingrich demanded that Romney release his tax returns. After resisting the pressure, in January, the Romney campaign released his 2010 tax returns and an estimate for 2011. 

Those records showed that Romney paid an effective tax rate of about 14 percent, a tax rate stemming from the fact that the bulk of Romney's income comes from capital gains and investments. Romney's extension estimates a tax liability of over $3.2 million last year, and reflects a total payment of over $3.4 million last year.

Still, the debate did a degree of political damage, and came only after revelations that Romney's financial advisers maintained accounts in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland, both of which are sometimes regarded as tax shelters. (Romney's campaign has consistently said the ex-governor has paid all relevant taxes.) 

The statement from the Romney campaign comes on the same day President Obama and Vice President Biden released their 2011 returns. The release of those forms were amid a weeklong push by the president's campaign and the White House — timed to coincide with tax season — to highlight the "Buffett Rule," a proposal by Obama that millionaires should be required to pay a minimum effective tax rate of 30 percent.

In a Friday morning memo titled "What is Mitt Romney Hiding from the American People," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina called on Romney to release his 2011 Tax returns -- and those for previous years -- in keeping with tradition for the nominees of each major party, including Romney's father George, who in 1968 released 12 years of returns during his unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination.

"On the eve of April 17th, Governor Romney has yet to provide tax returns from the period in which he made hundreds of millions as a corporate buyout specialist, or as governor of Massachusetts, the experience he says qualifies him to be president," Messina said in his statement.

Romney's inability to talk about his wealth comfortably — those close to Romney say privately he just doesn't think of himself as a "rich guy" — has often been regarded on as a stumbling block for his campaign, and a weakness for democrats to exploit by painting the former private-equity CEO as "out of touch."

TAMPA, FL -- President Obama wanted the employees at the Port of Tampa to know that he’d be thinking about them, and, by extension, other American companies looking to do business with other countries in Latin America ahead of a summit there this weekend.

“While I’m in Colombia talking with other leaders, I’m going to be thinking about you,” he told a group of the port’s officials and workers, surrounded by massive shipping containers, before heading to South America for a two-day summit this weekend.

The short touchdown in Tampa before heading to Colombia was intended to announce a new initiative to help small businesses establish trade relations in foreign countries. But given Florida’s electoral importance -- and its large Latino population -- the president stressed that the measures were targeted directly, in part, at Latino entrepreneurs, as well as a few other key demographic groups.

Obama was met at the airport by, among others, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who was elected in 2010.

“This initiative is going to help our small businesses –- Latino-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, African American-owned businesses. We want every business to be able to access these new markets, start exporting to these countries," the president said.

The short trip in Tampa was immediately followed by a flight to Cartagena, Colombia, where he will participate in the Summit of the Americas, which Obama said was an example of his willingness “to go anywhere in the world to open up new markets for American businesses.”

ST. LOUIS -- Mitt Romney delivered a speech on Friday broadly decrying President Obama's "assault" on basic freedoms -- especially gun rights -- in a bid to court the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its 4 million or so members nationwide.

Romney largely avoided wading into thorny issues of gun control and the Second Amendment, issues which have dogged his past campaigns, and stuck to broader criticism of the president before this largely conservative audience.

Michael Conroy / AP

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks April 13, 2012, at the National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis, Mo.

"President Obama is moving us away from our founders vision," Romney told several thousand members of the NRA gathered here today. "Instead of limited government he is leading us toward limited freedom and limited opportunity."

Romney's speech today, in which he mentioned the word "gun" only once, focused largely on broad themes of freedoms, and, his advisers said, was designed to be one of several speeches which would "crystallize" the choice for voters between the presumptive GOP nominee and Obama.

To that end, Romney further pressed his vision of the fall election as a defining choice between two different destinies, and accused the Obama administration of curtailing Americans' personal, religious and economic freedoms. He referred to the NRA as a single-issue group -- that issue being freedom.

Eighteen minutes into his speech, Romney pivoted to Second Amendment issues, pledging to stand up for the rights of hunters, sportsman and other gun owners, and accusing the president of failing to do so.

"We need a President who will stand up for the rights of hunters, sportsmen, and those seeking to protect their homes and their families. President Obama has not; I will," he said.
 
"If we are going to safeguard our Second Amendment, it is time to elect a president who will defend the rights President Obama ignores or minimizes," Romney added. "And I will protect the Second Amendment rights of the American people."

Democrats shot back at Romney before his speech was even delivered.

“The president's record makes clear the he supports and respects the second amendment, and we'll fight back against any attempts to mislead voters. Mitt Romney is going to have difficulty explaining why he quadrupled fees on gun owners in Massachusetts then lied about being a lifelong hunter in an act of shameless pandering," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement this morning. "That varmint won't hunt.”

Romney's history with second amendment and gun-ownership issues is a colorful one, from saying "I don't line up with the NRA," during his 1994 senate campaign, to being forced to backtrack on his skill as a hunter in 2008, ultimately admitting he only shot "small varmints." This campaign cycle, Romney has laughed about his lack of skill as a hunter, including with comedian Jeff Foxworthy in Alabama, whom he joked could help him figure out which end of the rifle to point.

The Republican frontrunner's speech also came, though, at one of the biggest recent flashpoints for gun rights in recent memory. The Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida has sparked nationwide coverage of "stand your ground" laws -- the self-defense law under which George Zimmerman, the man charged with second degree murder in Martin's death, is mounting his criminal defense.

Romney didn't address those laws in his speech, though his campaign said in a briefing with reporters on Friday morning that the former Massachusetts governor would defer to states to determine their own laws on that matter.

For Romney, winning over the NRA's roughly 4 million members nationwide will be a crucial part of rallying the party's base for November's elections. Conversations with NRA members here suggested he has a tough -- though certainly not insurmountable -- road ahead of him.

Mary Brucker, a retired IRS worker and proud hunter of moose who showed off photos of a successful hunt this summer in Alberta, Canada, was "torn" on Romney as an advocate for gun-owners' issues, saying she was considering not voting this fall.

"He's not really committed to our ideals and foundations," Brucker, who had also supported Santorum, said with a sigh.

Bob and Bonnie Merrill, auto shop owners from Maine, told NBC before Romney's speech they worried he was "wishy-washy" on the second amendment, but that while they had originally hoped to support Rick Santorum, they would "absolutely" back Romney against President Obama.

"I think he's better than Obama," Mrs. Merrill laughed when asked her feelings about Governor Romney's positions on gun issues.

"I think anybody is better than Obama when it comes to gun issues," her husband interjected.

But gun issues have largely fallen to the backburner in this election cycle. In a bow toward the dominant issue this week -- the women vote -- Romney's wife, Ann, offered a brief introduction of her husband.

"Let me give a shout out to all moms that are working, and by the way all dads that are working. We love all of you," she said, following a few day's worth of coverage of Mrs. Romney's decision to be a homemaker when her children were younger.

And Mitt Romney said of the issue in his introduction of Ann: "I happen to believe that all moms are working moms, and if you have five sons, your work is never over."

Edited by NBC's Matt Loffman.

The firestorm ignited by a Democratic cable commentator's remarks about Ann Romney made its way to the White House briefing room yesterday, with press secretary Jay Carney fielding several questions about it.

He also talked about the president's continued use of the Buffett Rule and his decision not to sign an executive order banning workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation among federal contractors.

In another example of how outside groups are beginning to hammer President Obama in advertisements, the Karl Rove-backed group American Crossroads is up with a $175,000 radio buy -- which is pretty large for radio -- in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The target: coal.

This radio spot follows a TV ad Crossroads GPS (a sister group to American Crossroads) is airing against Obama on gas prices, as well as one by the American Energy Alliance on the same subject.

With President Obama's and Vice President Biden's 2011 tax returns now posted online, the Obama campaign is calling on Mitt Romney to release his -- as well as those going back several years.

“Mitt Romney’s defiance of decades of precedent set by presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle, including his own father, begs the question -- what does he have to hide?" Obama Campaign Manager Jim Messina asked in a statement. "Did he exploit loopholes in the tax code by keeping his investments offshore and is that why he’s protecting those loopholes now? Why did he open a Swiss bank account instead of an American bank account and establish a corporation in Bermuda instead of on our shores? Did he pay a lower income tax rate than the 13.9 percent he paid in 2010 and is that why he opposes the Buffett Rule to ensure millionaires don’t pay less taxes than middle-class families?”

Files / AFP - Getty Images

With President Obama's and Vice President Biden's 2011 tax returns now posted online, the Obama campaign is calling on Mitt Romney to release his.

Earlier this year, Romney released his 2010 tax returns, which showed he paid an effective tax rate of 13.9%, as well as an estimate of his 2011 returns.

According to Obama's 2011 returns, he paid an effective tax rate of about 20%, and Biden paid about 23%.

*** UPDATE *** Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul replies, "It’s no surprise with the worst job creation record in modern history that President Obama would try to distract Americans from the real issues with a series of sideshows. Gov. Romney has already released his 2010 return and an estimate of his 2011 income and taxes. He will release his full 2011 return when it is filed."

We’ve entered the silly season… In fact, there have been three manufactured controversies in the past month (Etch A Sketch, hot mic, and Hilary Rosen)… What yesterday did teach us: It didn’t take much for conservatives to rally to Romney’s side… Team Obama’s not-so-good week… Romney calls Obama “incompetent” after North Korea’s “incompetent” missile launch… Romney addresses NRA at 2:20 pm ET, while Obama gives a speech in Tampa, FL at 1:20 pm ET and sits down for interview with Telemundo before departing to Colombia… Lugar gets Super PAC help… And “Meet” interviews Treasury Secretary Geithner.

*** The silly season: If this first week of the general election has taught us anything, this is going to be a long next six months. It started with the Obama White House and campaign hammering away at the "Buffett Rule," which was more of an effort to embarrass Mitt Romney (and his low effective tax rate) than a realistic policy proposal. And then on Wednesday and Thursday, the Romney campaign seized on comments by Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist with thin ties to the White House, who said that Ann Romney has never worked a day in her life. It was a manufactured controversy -- fueled by Twitter and social media -- because no serious political actor in this presidential contest is criticizing stay-at-home moms or the value of the work they do. In fact, Rosen was referring to the Romneys’ wealth, not Ann Romney’s decision to raise her five sons at home. While the two major parties are fundamentally divided (over taxes, entitlements, the role of government, and national security) and while so much is at stake (control of Washington, potentially two Supreme Court justices), we find ourselves smack-dab in the silly season.

*** Three manufactured controversies in the past month: Of course, manufactured controversies are nothing new in American politics. There was Nixon’s famous “Checkers” speech. Even four years ago, political observers were obsessing over Michelle Obama’s patriotism and John McCain’s seven homes. What is new, however, is how much faster and professionalized -- due to Twitter and the drive to make something go viral -- these manufactured controversies have become. Indeed, we’ve now seen three of them in the past 30 days: Etch A Sketch, hot mic, and Hilary Rosen. Now all three were related to a bigger issue or narrative (doubts about Romney’s true beliefs and ideology, conservative suspicions about Obama’s intentions, and a real gender gap in American politics). But, unfortunately, we talk about the manufactured controversy and not the real story here (that a general-election candidate always moves back to the center, that a president’s second term with no more elections on the horizon does give him more flexibility to do certain things, and that women do have real anxieties about the balance between working and raising a family). The fact is, these next few months before the conventions are probably going to be filled with these manufactured “shiny metal object” controversies because of what we noted -- just how professionalized both political parties are at creating them. And some in the media are easily susceptible to helping these manufactured controversies go viral because they are seen as simply “more interesting” than the serious “eat your vegetables”-like issues that divide the two parties.

Steven Senne / AP

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks with his wife Ann.

*** Rallying around Romney: Yesterday also taught us something else: Conservative elites are going to rally around Romney. They needed just the tiniest spark (Hilary Rosen) and they went into overdrive for Romney. It remains to be seen whether conservatives will stick around the former Massachusetts governor when the going gets tough -- that’s the true definition of a strong base (see African Americans for Obama, evangelical Christians for George W. Bush) -- but the folks in Boston have to be pleased with the past 24 hours. But today will be an interesting when Romney addresses the National Rifle Association’s conference in St. Louis at 2:20 pm ET. After all, it’s been well chronicled that Romney, who only became a “lifetime member” of the NRA in 2006, lacks a natural appeal with gun-rights groups, having supported some gun-control measures in the past. But so far this cycle, he’s avoided awkward missteps like in the ‘08 cycle, when he said (falsely) on Meet the Press that he’d been endorsed by the NRA, claimed to have been “a hunter pretty much all my life,” and the “Varmint” hunter press conference. By the way, expect a lot of anti-Obama chatter out of the NRA convention. While not surprising, do consider this so-called anti-gun president signed one of the largest expansions of rights for gun owners in recent history, allowing loaded guns to be carried in National Parks.

*** Team Obama’s not-so-good week: This was supposed to be a week when the White House and the Obama campaign focused on tax fairness and Mitt Romney’s wealth, punctuated by today’s release of Obama’s and Biden’s tax returns (more on that below). But the last seven days have been rough for Obama. There was last Friday’s disappointing jobs report (which led to a nervousness and recalibration on Wall Street and in the economic community in general), the rallying around Romney (due to Rick Santorum’s exit and the Hilary Rosen flap), and the Romney campaign’s success in manufacturing a distraction (when Romney was having a rough time erasing his gender gap). Even yesterday, one of Obama’s local TV interviews didn’t go so hot, with the RNC clipping this exchange. That said, it shouldn’t be lost that Obama has had a GREAT last three months -- with strong jobs numbers, the divisive GOP primary season, and the GOP’s focus on abortion and contraception. But the last seven days haven’t been as good for Team Obama, and these last 7 days constitute the first REAL week of the general election.

*** Obama campaign to urge Romney to release his tax returns: Speaking of tax returns, the Obamas and Bidens will release theirs today -- with a statement calling on Romney to do the same, the New York Times reports. “While Mr. Obama has long acknowledged being in the nation’s high-income echelon, thanks largely to sales of his best-selling books, he and his wife, Michelle, have paid an effective federal tax rate nearly twice that of Mr. Romney and his wife, Ann, according to tax returns released by both couples. The Obama campaign will post the 2011 tax return for the Obamas, as well as those dating back to 2000, on the campaign’s Web site, an official said. It will also post tax returns for Mr. Biden and his wife, Jill. In January, under intense pressure from his Republican rivals, Mr. Romney released his tax return for 2010, plus an estimate of his tax payment in 2011. But he has not released returns from earlier years, when he was governor of Massachusetts or a financial executive at Bain Capital.” Obama gives a speech in Tampa, FL at 1:20 pm ET and sits down for interview with Telemundo before departing to Colombia.

*** Romney calls Obama “incompetent” after North Korea’s “incompetent” missile launch: Last night, Romney released a statement criticizing Obama for North Korea’s failed missile launch. “President Obama sought to appease the regime with a food-aid deal that proved to be as naïve as it was short-lived. At the same time, he has cut critical U.S. missile defense programs and continues to underfund them. This incompetence from the Obama Administration has emboldened the North Korean regime and undermined the security of the United States and our allies.” Two things jump immediately to mind with this release: 1) Wasn’t the real incompetence was on North Korea’s side due to the failed launch and the nation squandering its chance at food aid? 2) The tone of this statement appears to reinforce a growing perception in serious foreign policy circles that Romney is willing to say anything, no matter how knee-jerk, to try to get an upper hand on these issues. What would Romney do when it comes to North Korea? Isn’t his criticism of Obama on North Korea also a criticism of  Bush’s handling of the country as well?

*** On the GOP trail, per NBC’s Adam Perez: As mentioned above, Romney speaks at the NRA conference in St. Louis at 2:20 pm ET, while Gingrich addresses it at 3:00 pm ET.

*** Veepstakes watch: NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reports on Rob Portman stumping last night for Romney in Pennsylvania: Portman began his academic-feeling speech with a lengthy tip of his hat to Santorum in an effort to nurture a spirit of party unity. But later, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the evening’s keynote speaker, seemed to resist Portman's entreaty, stopping short of rallying would-be Santorum voters behind Romney. “We’re going to have a presumptive nominee for 2012 really soon,” Blackburn said tepidly, per Novogrod.  Blackburn, in fact, did not mention Romney by name during her speech -- and only later, during an on-camera interview with NBC, did she say: “I will support our nominee.  We are moving to having that presumptive nominee, and it’s going to be Gov. Romney from what it appears, and I look forward to supporting the nominee.”

*** Lugar gets Super PAC help: Politico: “After massive ad buys against Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar by national conservative groups like the Club for Growth, the establishment cavalry is coming to his rescue, with the American Action Network launching a nearly $600,000 broadcast buy just in Indianapolis… The ad, called ‘Problems,’ is an ad slamming Lugar's primary opponent, state treasurer Richard Mourdock, accusing him of ‘receiving illegal tax breaks,’ and hitting his ‘failed stewardship’ of his government office, according to a release. The ad, which launches tomorrow on broadcast, will run through May 4. The cost of the flight is $590,000. There will also be a digital ad component, and a limited statewide mail buy, in the AAN campaign.”

*** On “Meet” this Sunday: On Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” NBC’s David Gregory will interview Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and have a roundtable featuring Hilary Rosen, Michele Bachmann, NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, Harold Ford Jr., and Mike Murphy.

Countdown to the CT, DE, NY, PA, and RI primaries: 12 days
Countdown to Election Day: 208 days

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*** Friday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: Digging into this week’s Rosen-Romney dust-up with Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business Director Betsy Myers, who led the Obama 2008 campaign women outreach and was a senior adviser to President Clinton on women’s issues… Latest on North Korea’s failed rocket launch… A deep dive into the historic 1976 Republican convention battle between Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford – and what Romney can learn from it – with “Reagan’s Revolution” author Craig Shirley… More 2012 news and analysis with former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Bernard Center for Women, Politics and Public Policy Michelle Bernard and The Washington Post’s Anne Kornblut.

*** Friday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews former Obama White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, former Santorum aide Robert Traynham, Huffington Post’s Amanda Terkel, Mother Jones’ David Corn, iVillage’s Kelly Wallace, “MORE” magazine’s Lesley Seymour, GOP strategist Susan Del Percio,  the Washington Institute’s Michael Singh, and Col. (ret.) Jack Jacobs.

*** Friday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include Politico’s Maggie Haberman, Salon.com’s Steve Kornacki, BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith, Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson, former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, Paul Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton, and Time’s Adam Sorensen

*** Friday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, Georgetown Univ. Sr. Adviser & Korea chair Victor Cha, NBC’s Richard Engel, and actress Allison Williams.

*** Friday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews NBC’s Richard Engel (on North Korea), NBC’s Peter Alexander (on Mitt Romney’s NRA speech, and the New York Times’ Michael Schmidt (on rising number of police officers being killed across the country).

*** Saturday’s (and Sunday’s) “UP with Chris Hayes” line-up: Chris Hayes’ guests include (on Saturday) the New York Times’ Mark Bittman and the Huffington Post’s Amanda Terkel and (on Sunday) Reuter’s David Cay Johnston and former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA).

*** Saturday’s (and Sunday’s) “Melissa Harris-Perry” line-up: Melissa Harris-Perry’s guests include (on Saturday) MSNBC contributor Jeff Johnson, former Santorum spokeswoman Alice Stewart and actress Mira Sorvino, and (on Sunday) The Grio’s Joy-Ann Reid.

The New York Times on the Obama-Romney money race: “Aides and leading donors to Mitt Romney are preparing a major expansion of the campaign’s fund-raising efforts to prepare for a general election contest against President Obama, with the goal of raising up to $600 million, according to several people involved in the discussions...  And Mr. Obama, who raised $750 million in 2008, is likely to meet or exceed that this year, according to people involved in his fund-raising operation.”

ROMNEY: The Lukewarm Candidate: “In Iowa, Tea Party activist Ryan Rhodes said he has a ‘really good clothespin.’ That would be for his nose, he said, when he votes for Mitt Romney in November,” the Boston Globe writes. “Grass-roots conservatives said Wednesday they would reluctantly get behind the former Massachusetts governor now that he has all but sewn up the Republican nomination for president. But their enthusiasm level is low, if not flat-lined, as Romney begins the general election task of rallying the party and energizing a skeptical conservative base — even as he seeks to broaden his appeal to more moderate, independent voters.”

But Romney leads in a new FOX News poll.

Mitt Romney addresses the National Rifle Association convention today in St. Louis. The St. Louis Dispatch takes a long look at Romney’s challenges with gun advocates: Head of the group Wayne “LaPierre did not have overwhelming praise for Romney's tenure in Massachussetts — ‘he tried to help people up there, and he was supportive of the Second Amendment,’ he said — but suggested many NRA members already know how they will vote in November. ‘If you talk to most Second Amendment supporters in the country, they'll tell you, 'Anybody but President Obama,'’ LaPierre said. For Romney — who got a ‘B’ rating from the group while running for governor — the challenge Friday will be to energize NRA members enough that they share that enthusiasm when they go back to their home states.”

The AP: “Mitt Romney's speech to the National Rifle Association is a high-profile chance for the Republican presidential candidate to woo conservatives who have viewed him warily for years.” And it points out: “The address on Friday in St. Louis also comes at a moment of heightened national concern about gun use because of the explosive Florida case in which a neighborhood watch volunteer fatally shot an unarmed teenager. The NRA strongly backed Florida's ‘stand your ground’ law, which is at the heart of the unfolding legal matter.”

And: “When Romney ran successfully for Massachusetts governor in 2002, the NRA gave his Democratic opponent a higher rating on gun-rights issues but made no endorsement. Massachusetts quadrupled its gun-licensing fee while Romney was governor. He signed a law that made permanent a ban on assault-type weapons, although it was coupled with measures backed by gun-rights groups, such as the creation of an appeals board for people seeking to restore their gun licenses. … Romney drew snickers in 2008 by claiming he sometimes hunts ‘small varmints.’ He showed more humility and humor last month in Alabama, where he said he hoped to go hunting with a friend who ‘can actually show me which end of the rifle to point.’”

FLASHBACK: Mitt Romney’s claims on women’s jobs losses reminded us of this: “This is the president of the United States that has killed more jobs in America than I think any president in history, certainly in my lifetime. I think the only job he cares about is the one he’s got.” – Rick Perry Aug. 19, 2011

That won Perry two Pinocchios from the Washington Post’s fact checker.

Not everyone’s throwing their enthusiastic support behind Romney. At a county GOP dinner in Pennsylvania last night (attended by Veep possibility Rob Portman), Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, the evening’s keynote speaker, seemed to resist Portman's entreaty to unify the party – at least right away. “We’re going to have a presumptive nominee for 2012 really soon,” Blackburn said, tepidly, per NBC’s Jamie Novogrod. Blackburn -- who endorsed Romney in 2008 and withdrew her support and threw it to Fred Thompson -- though, did not mention Romney by name during her speech.

Later, during an on-camera interview with NBC, though she said: “I will support our nominee. We are moving to having that presumptive nominee, and it’s going to be Governor Romney from what it appears, and I look forward to supporting the nominee.” She added, “I’m an old county party chairman, and I appreciate letting the primaries play out, and I look forward to – very quickly.  I think we’re very quickly going to have our nominee named and have that presumptive nominee.” And when asked if Romney would be a strong nominee, she said, “Oh indeed he is. Very strong economic message.”

But the Duggars are on board.

The Boston Globe: “Quietly, ‘Swift Boat’ donor throws big money behind Romney.”

“Outside Central and South America, no population will be paying as close attention to Obama's three-day visit to the city of Cartagena as Hispanics in the United States. With more than 50 million U.S. Latinos -- 21 million of them eligible voters, Obama has an important audience that is especially vital in an election year,” the AP writes. “Obama also is kicking off the trip with a stop Friday in Tampa Bay, Fla., drawing attention to the benefits of trade with Latin America in a crucial swing state in the general election. The brief detour underscores the administration's attempts to cast the trip on domestic terms and to improve the president's tenuous stance with the U.S. business community.”

The New York Daily News: “President Obama comes to Ann Romney's defense: 'There’s no tougher job than being a mom.’”

The New York Post: Dem’s jab at Romney’s wife has O reeling

Obama weighed in on Kanye West again, reaffirming that he’s a “jackass.” He tells The Atlantic magazine: "He is a jackass. But he's talented.” He said he prefers Jay-Z and added, “Although I like Kanye. He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.”

Beyonce, Jay-Z’s wife, wrote a heartfelt letter to Michelle Obama.

CHRISTIE: He’s open to being VP, he told a town hall in New Jersey: "If Governor Romney comes to me and wants to talk about it, I'll always listen."

Romney doesn’t carry New Jersey with Christie on the ticket. Obama would win 49%-42%, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Without Christie, it’s about the same – 49%-40%. But GOP 12’s Heinze writes: “Putting Christie on a ticket would be about drumming up national enthusiasm; not winning a key state; whereas picking Bob McDonnell would be more about winning Virginia than generating a national splash.”

JINDAL: “U.S. Sen. David Vitter has taken a critical swipe at fellow Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's budgeting plans, saying the use of one-time money to pay for ongoing expenses is poor fiscal policy,” AP writes. Jindal goes anti-Washington in response: “Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin said the U.S. Senate hasn't passed a budget in nearly three years. Plotkin said, ‘Until they do, we'd encourage Senator Vitter to focus his efforts on fixing the problems in Washington.’”

MCDONNELL: GOP 12’s Heinze notes of McDonnell’s upcoming overseas trip: “Now, it's important to note that these trade missions are often fruitful for business development, but there's always a handy political element, as well. Christie's trip to Israel was ostensibly about economic development, but he got some killer photos of himself in the Holy Land, met with Bibi Netanyahu, and got everyone chatting about his future political designs.”

PORTMAN: He was in Pennsylvania speaking on Romney’s behalf at a county GOP dinner. NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reports that Portman heaped praise on Rick Santorum and urged the party to unite behind Romney, who he described as a competent manager of the Olympics who “made America proud” only months after the attacks of 9/11, and a tax-cutter as Governor of Massachusetts. Portman took no questions and left the dinner shortly after the speech.

RUBIO: Check out this interview with a local Miami station: “Is contraception wrong?” the local reporter “asked Senator Marco Rubio in a recent exclusive one-on-one interview. ‘In terms of?’ he responds. ‘Birth control,’ I said. ‘Of course not,’ he replied. ‘Who says it is?’ You’re going to get into this whole argument about contraception. No one has ever said that contraception should be illegal, that contraception should be discouraged, that people should be looked down upon for using it. The only argument that there ever has been about this issue isn’t even about contraception, it’s about religious liberty.’”

But the report points out: If Senator Marco Rubio sounds a little defensive on the issue it’s with good reason. Earlier this year, Rubio co-sponsored the Blunt Amendment, a measure that would allow any employer to stop providing insurance coverage for items such as birth control if the employer finds those items morally objectionable.”

RYAN: Jeffrey Kuhner writes in the Washington Times: “The Ryan plan is a hammer that will smash Obamaism. Mr. Romney has rightly embraced it. And there is no better way to prove his commitment than to choose Mr. Ryan as his running mate. A Romney-Ryan ticket is the Democrats’ worst nightmare, and it is our best shot at restoring the American dream.”

CHRISTIE: He’s open to being VP, he told a town hall in New Jersey: "If Governor Romney comes to me and wants to talk about it, I'll always listen."

Romney doesn’t carry New Jersey with Christie on the ticket. Obama would win 49%-42%, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Without Christie, it’s about the same – 49%-40%. But GOP 12’s Heinze writes: “Putting Christie on a ticket would be about drumming up national enthusiasm; not winning a key state; whereas picking Bob McDonnell would be more about winning Virginia than generating a national splash.”

JINDAL: “U.S. Sen. David Vitter has taken a critical swipe at fellow Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's budgeting plans, saying the use of one-time money to pay for ongoing expenses is poor fiscal policy,” AP writes. Jindal goes anti-Washington in response: “Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin said the U.S. Senate hasn't passed a budget in nearly three years. Plotkin said, ‘Until they do, we'd encourage Senator Vitter to focus his efforts on fixing the problems in Washington.’”

MCDONNELL: GOP 12’s Heinze notes of McDonnell’s upcoming overseas trip: “Now, it's important to note that these trade missions are often fruitful for business development, but there's always a handy political element, as well. Christie's trip to Israel was ostensibly about economic development, but he got some killer photos of himself in the Holy Land, met with Bibi Netanyahu, and got everyone chatting about his future political designs.”

PORTMAN: He was in Pennsylvania speaking on Romney’s behalf at a county GOP dinner. NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reports that Portman heaped praise on Rick Santorum and urged the party to unite behind Romney, who he described as a competent manager of the Olympics who “made America proud” only months after the attacks of 9/11, and a tax-cutter as Governor of Massachusetts. Portman took no questions and left the dinner shortly after the speech.

RUBIO: Check out this interview with a local Miami station: “Is contraception wrong?” the local reporter “asked Senator Marco Rubio in a recent exclusive one-on-one interview. ‘In terms of?’ he responds. ‘Birth control,’ I said. ‘Of course not,’ he replied. ‘Who says it is?’ You’re going to get into this whole argument about contraception. No one has ever said that contraception should be illegal, that contraception should be discouraged, that people should be looked down upon for using it. The only argument that there ever has been about this issue isn’t even about contraception, it’s about religious liberty.’”

But the report points out: If Senator Marco Rubio sounds a little defensive on the issue it’s with good reason. Earlier this year, Rubio co-sponsored the Blunt Amendment, a measure that would allow any employer to stop providing insurance coverage for items such as birth control if the employer finds those items morally objectionable.”

RYAN: Jeffrey Kuhner writes in the Washington Times: “The Ryan plan is a hammer that will smash Obamaism. Mr. Romney has rightly embraced it. And there is no better way to prove his commitment than to choose Mr. Ryan as his running mate. A Romney-Ryan ticket is the Democrats’ worst nightmare, and it is our best shot at restoring the American dream.”

ARIZONA: Political Wire: “Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) "has signed a bill into law banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and making numerous other changes to abortion regulations," the Arizona Republic reports.”

WASHINGTON: Kucinich is still thinking about a run there: "I haven't really made up my mind what I'm going to be doing with my future. I'm looking at all my options, I haven't made a decision. If I made a decision, I'd tell you right now."

WISCONSIN: Politico’s Hohmann notes that Scott Walker is on air hitting Tom Barrett and Kathleen Falk.

President Obama responded to democratic strategist Hilary Rosen’s comments about Ann Romney having never worked a day in her life by saying that it was an “ill-advised statement by somebody on television.”  In an interview with the Columbus affiliate WCMH, he also said that spouses are “off-limits” because they have a “really tough job.”

The President and the rest of the Democratic establishment has been quick to distance themselves from the comments that have become a rallying and fundraising cry for the Romney campaign but also the Republican National Committee.