May 2009

Per National Journal's SCOTUS blog The Ninth Justice --

Federalist Society Executive Vice President Leonard Leo told NationalJournal.com that a member of the group's senior management team, Dean Reuter, attended a White House briefing May 19. Representatives from the American Constitution Society, American Bar Association, Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Association of Corporate Counsel were also there, we've learned; the White House has not released a full list.

This is one of at least three meetings involving the White House in the weeks before President Obama introduced Sonia Sotomayor as his high court nominee. One of them brought together several heavyweight left-leaning groups, including the Alliance for Justice, People for the American Way and the AFL-CIO; in another, several minority bar associations, including those representing Hispanics, Asian-Americans and Native Americans, discussed the nomination with officials as part of an annual meeting.

Read on.

(NJ.com's AMY HARDER)

Pollster.com's Margie Omero finds that women, even GOP women, are enthusiastic about the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the SCOTUS.

The Gallup poll showed a higher gender gap in support for Sotomayor than for past nominees, although she was overall about as well-received as Roberts. But according to today's Quinnipiac poll, many more voters approve of Sotomayor (+30 "approve" minus "disapprove") than approved of either Roberts (+17) or Alito (+14) at the time of their nominations. And women are responsible for the difference. Sotomayor receives similar ratings from men (+17) as the previous successful nominees (+21 Roberts, +16 Alito). But women approve of her nomination in much larger numbers (+41) when compared to Roberts (+15) or Alito (+11).

Read on for Omero's analysis. Note that this puts further stress on GOP leaders to squash the uproar and highly charged react coming from conservatives like Rush Limbaugh, Tom Tancredo and Newt Gingrich.

The Groton Democratic Town Committee approved a resolution of support yesterday for embattled Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT). The twist? His Dem challenger, Merrick Alpert, is a member of the town cmte. and was in the room as the resolution was debated.

Awkward.

"I was astonished and saddened by the effort of some on the Groton Democratic Town Committee last night to silence me,'' Alpert said in a statement emailed by his press aide, Meredith Drum, to the Hartford Courant. "Astonished because the move was so petty and saddened because I served in Bosnia as a US peacekeeper to ensure that all citizens had a right to participate in elections only to come home and have local Democrats fight to prevent me from participating in the American democratic process. The silver lining is that only nine of the twenty people present voted for the motion, despite considerable pressure from the Dodd forces."

House Race Hotline editor Tim Sahd takes a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week. Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning.

5. PA-11: Not Lackawanna-ing Potential Candidates

Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA 11) just survived his most challenging re-election contest in 20 years, and he already has to contend with rumors that Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty (D) will run against him in '10.

Doherty has long been considered one of the frontrunners for this seat when Kanjorski retires, but with Lackawanna Co. Commis. Corey O'Brien (D) also making noises about a primary challenge, Doherty may not want to be left out. Will all this talk about Dem competition make Kanjorski think twice about running for re-election?

4. FL: The GOP Isn't The Only Party That's Re-shuffling

With Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) move to the SEN race, many GOPers are attempting moves up the political ladder. To a lesser extent, that's happening on the Dem side, too, and that's affecting a few House races -- moves that are potentially very positive for Dems.

G. Gordon Liddy has surely overstepped the boundaries of what's right and proper, of fairness and decency, with this commentary about Sonia Sotomayor.

A book deal and a chairmanship for Howard Dean, the former DNC chief, '04 presidential candidate and onetime Dem governor of VT.

Dean will chair the Progressive Book Club (PBC), the New York- based on-line bookseller. According to a release, he "will help lead PBC's efforts in showcasing the ideas and the thinkers that are critical to building a dynamic and enduring progressive movement." He also has a book in the works titled, "Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Health Care Reform: How We Can Achieve Affordable Medical Care for Every American and Make Our Jobs Safer."

Dean, also a doc, had expressed interest in an Obama administration gig, but was snubbed. Some posited that he most coveted the HHS job, which went first to Tom Daschle and then, when he was forced to withdraw due to tax troubles, to KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

As the public processes Pres. Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the nation's highest court, the left is pushing back against some conservatives' charges that empathy is an outrageous characteristic to desire in a SCOTUS justice or personal experience, read background or gender or race, would not shape a person's viewpoint.

Here is one clip making the rounds of Samuel A. Alito, Jr. during his 2006 confirmation hearings.

And an interview with Sandra Day O'Connor that ran in Ladies Home Journal soon after she was appointed. Here, per The Plum Line, is how in '82 the AP reported her remarks on gender.

"I think that I bring to the court differences in background that are more germane than my gender," she said.

"My experience as a legislator gives me a different perspective. Also, I bring to the court the perspective of a woman primarily in a sense that I am female, just as I am white, a college graduate, etc.

"Yes, I will bring the understanding of a woman to the court, but I doubt that that alone will affect my decisions," she said. "I think the important fact about my appointment is not that I will decide cases as a woman, but that I am a woman who will get to decide cases."

Wonder if either of these justices' reflections take steps toward invalidating questions about what Sotomayor meant when she mused during a speech at University of California, Berkeley in '01:

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman, with the richness of her experiences, would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Pres. Obama apparently enjoys a good burger. He ventured to Five Guys today in SE for a bite. A few weeks ago, he and VP Biden hit Ray's Hell Burger in VA, and Michelle Obama has also ventured to an area Five Guys.

Here's today's pool report, courtesy USA Today's David Jackson.

Another Obama burger run, this time to a Five Guys in Southeast Washington.

President Obama ordered cheeseburgers for himself and members of his staff, and paid at least $80 in cash. The entourage included a NBC News crew that has been trailing the president for a "day-in-the-life" documentary to air next week.

Play-by-play

Motorcade left the White House at 12:42 p.m. The NBC crew caught Obama's walk out with two crews, one stationed just outside the Oval Office and another on the other side of the presidential limo. The latter crew had a camera attached to a long crane that arched over the driveway.

At 12:51 p.m., we arrived at the Five Guys at 1100 New Jersey Ave. SE, a few blocks from Nationals Stadium. As the pool scurried up to the restaurant, we could shrieks of delight and squeals of "O, my God! O, My God!"

Obama, sans jacket, walked up the counter, scanned the menu posted above, and began ordering. Aides Reggie Love and Marvin Nicholson slipped him various requests from the crew. At one point, he brought up NBC's Brian Williams, who ordered a cheeseburger with ketchup and fries. The pool believes it spotted the president peeling off at least four $20 bills for payments.

A little presidential dialogue: "Reggie, you got you orders? Where's Reggie? Whaddya got?"

To his order taker: "I need one cheeseburger and one fries for me. Jalapeno, tomato, mustard. That's it for me ... Plus lettuce on mine too."

Obama then read out other orders, cheeseburgers and at least one grilled cheese sandwich, with various toppings. Unlike last time, Obama did not offer to buy food for the pool.

Obama received order slip number 41, then proceeded to walk around the restaurant to greet the patrons and pose for pictures.

He tended to ask people their and names and occupations. Hard to hear over the media and customer scrum in the small restaurant, but the pool picked up some snippets.

"How long you been doing that?" he asked one person. To one man who appeared to cite his military background, Obama said: "Appreciate your service." At another point, Obama could be heard saying that someone "didn't know the economy was going to collapse."

A couple of women requested and got a group picture. "It's such an honor," one of the women told the president.

He asked a woman with a distinct accent where she was from, and she said, "Ireland."

Obama: "What part of Ireland?"
"Dublin"

Obama: "Dublin? Outstanding. I've got to visit Ireland."

After his number was called, Obama went to claim his burgers and such. He summoned White House photographer Pete Souza for a group picture with the Five Guys staff.

Obama then walked out, carrying two very large brown paper bags. Motorcade left the site at 1:05 p.m., and was back at the White House at 1:15 p.m. Obama, jacket over his shoulder, walked to the Oval as the cameras rolled.

Terry McAuliffe released a new radio ad today, his first featuring Bill Clinton. The ad, targeted at black voters, will run run on adult urban contemporary, gospel and religious radio stations in the Norfolk and Richmond media markets, according to the campaign.

"It makes a difference who the Governor is, it makes a difference what the policies are, and I am telling you Terry McAuliffe was made for this moment in history," Clinton says in the ad. "He's got more energy than anybody I've ever met, he's relentlessly positive and he really cares about people like you."

Clinton has appeared on the stump with McAuliffe in Richmond and Roanoke and in NoVA. The campaign is bargaining the the ex-president is still popular with black voters -- even after angering some during his wife's '08 WH bid, when he sought to diminish Barack Obama's candidacy by likening him to Jesse Jackson in the run up to the SC Dem primary.

The campaign notes in a release that the ad was produced by Potomac Waves, a minority-owned and operated media consulting firm based in DC.

State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D), one of three candidates for VA governor, is airing a new television ad highlighting his endorsement by the Washington Post and linking him to popular VA Dem govs Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

The spot will air in Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke and Bristol -- but not in the vote-rich Washington suburbs, where the paper's endorsement might have the most sway.

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Xerox Corp. CEO Anne Mulcahy, Caterpillar Inc. CEO Jim Owens, Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, and features a roundtable with BBC's Katty Kay, NBC's Brian Williams and Newsweek's Richard Wolffe.

Face the Nation hosts Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and features a rountable with New York Times' David Brooks and Washington Post's Bob Woodward.

This Week hosts Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John Cornyn (R-TX), and features a roundtable with ex-RNC Chair/ex-Bush counselor Ed Gillespie, PBS' Gwen Ifill, New York Times' Paul Krugman, ABC's Jan Crawford Greenburg and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R).

State of the Union hosts Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Dem strategist Donna Brazile and Gillespie. The "Last Word" guest is Egyptian Amb. to U.S. Sameh Shoukry (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Ralph Nader, not exactly a beloved figure among rock solid Dem voters, has accused Terry McAuliffe, one of three candidates for VA governor, of trying to bribe him to stay off the ballot in critical states during the '04 election. At the time, McAuliffe was DNC chair, and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) was in a knock-down drag out fight against Pres. Bush.

Nader told the Washington Post in a report that hit the Web last night that McAuliffe offered his campaign "an unspecified amount of money, believed to be party funds," to spend in 31 states in exchange for his commitment to withdraw from 19 battleground states where he could've hurt Kerry.

"Terry McAuliffe is slipperier than an eel in olive oil," Nader said in the interview.

Anyone who has spent five minutes with McAuliffe knows he's a relentless salesman, a "hustler," as he described himself in his book. So Nader's disclosure -- and why is it that he's held on to it for five years? -- doesn't reveal an element of the McAuliffe persona unfamiliar to the Beltway set. If, in the remaining days until the 6/9 primary, it will sway VA voters less familiar with the candidate remains to be seen.

But to highlight the other side of Nader's news, it shows that McAuliffe was, however underhandedly, doing his job, advocting for a WH candidate in a tough fight who, the party chairman believed, shouldn't go down to Bush as Al Gore did in 2000. With a great assist from Nader.

McAuliffe would probably argue the move showed loyalty to the party and to Kerry -- and a goal-oriented shrewdness that eluded party leaders in 2000, when they let Nader sneak off with almost 100K votes in the Sunshine State, 200 times the ultimately decisive margin between Bush and Gore.

The episode is perhaps most revealing for showing that Nader is still railing against the Clinton establishment, a label that will prove more challenging for McAuliffe to shake in the Obama era than any suggestion by the former Reform Party candidate that McAuliffe tried to negotiate Nader out of the '04 contest.

Why would Nader move to possibly sabotage the VA race for Dems who will face this fall a formidable and well-funded candidate in Bob McDonnell, who resigned as state AG to run fulltime for governor? And might the party loyalists who typically turn out in primary contests see McAuliffe's Nader maneuver as practical, smart, savvy even? Could he get a boost at the ballot bax, an attaboy, for his party devotion?

Or will the whole mess underscore McAuliffe's ties to the national scene and suggestions by rivals that he's an interloper in state politics?

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News" led with SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor. "Evening News" led with GM heading for bankruptcy. "Nightly News" led with a new report on foreclosure numbers.

Pres. Obama's WH meeting with Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas was a big topic of discussion on TV last night.

Int'l Crisis Group's Robert Malley: "If the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu was tough and the speech that President Obama is going to give in Cairo will be a challenge, this was spring break. This was the presidents getting along and actually agreeing on virtually everything. It's hard to see where they might have disagreed in their private meeting. It certainly wasn't apparent in their public meeting."

More Malley: "And I suspect that President Abbas comes back very comforted by what he heard, which is a president who said basically, 'You're on the right track.' That's what he said to the Palestinians, and saying to the Israelis, 'Now you've got to get your act together'" ("NewsHour," PBS, 5/28).

CNN's Lothian, on Abbas: "Just looking at his body language, he seemed very comfortable. But he was also very confident and then committed to the peace process" ("Situation Room," 5/28).

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "We have to start understanding that Abbas is an illusion. He is a fiction. He is a ghost. ... Even the presidency he holds is a dubious legality. ... You got a man who doesn't have anything in his control. ... There are some, however, in the administration who believe you can actually have a real settlement in this administration. I think it's an illusion. There's an old adage in the Middle East, 'He whom the gods would destroy puts it in his head to solve the Arab-Israeli dispute'" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/28).

More after the jump, including Sotomayor's stance on abortion and the future of GM.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

While conservative talk show hosts and some GOP politicians sound ready to man the barricades to stop Judge Sonia Sotomayor from joining the SCOTUS, Republican participants in the latest National Journal Insiders Poll don't think it would be politically smart to try to stop her. Of the 89 Republican Insiders who responded to this week's survey, 64% said it would not be politically smart for Republicans to try to block her confirmation, while 24% said it would be. Another 12% said the answer to that question depends on what additional information comes out about her in the confirmation process.

Not surprisingly, an overwhelming 89% of the 92 Democratic Insiders who responded to the poll said it would not be politically smart for Republicans to try to block her.

The Republican Insiders who were against trying to block Sotomayor listed several reasons for not doing so, including:

-- such a move would alienate Hispanic voters from whom the GOP cannot afford to loose any more support;

-- it could also antagonize many women, another group to which the party needs to build more bridges;

-- she can't be that liberal if she was first appointed to the bench by President George H. W. Bush;

-- and her life story as the daughter of a single mom who goes on get an Ivy League education and a seat on the Federal judiciary would be compelling to many Americans.

And as a backdrop for many of these comments was a general belief that Republicans in the Senate couldn't find the 41 votes necessary to filibuster her nomination. So why pick a fight you can't win? As one Republican Insider put it, "Don't rain on big Latino parades, especially when the outcome is already certain."

Among the 24% of GOP Insiders who thought it would be politically smart for the party to try to block Sotomayor's confirmation the reasons given were:

-- it would appeal and energize the GOP base which is still in a bit of a funk;

-- the only way for the out-of-power Republican Party to build support is by creating distinctions and "drawing lines" with the Democrats;

-- and Sotomayor's a liberal.

There is also a sense among some Republican Insiders that it's payback time for the Democrats who put Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito through the Senate confirmation wringer back in 2005 when they were appointed by President George W. Bush. No doubt, Democrats played hardball, especially with Alito. But at the end of the day the Democrats in the Senate who had 45 members of their caucus at the time compared to the 40 the Republicans count today weren't able to block either Bush nominee. And the reviews after those confirmation fights were over were generally unflattering for the Democrats.

For the complete results of the poll and the verbatim comments of Democratic and Republican Insiders click here.

(National Journal's JIM BARNES)

State Sen. Creigh Deeds's VA gubernatorial camp got a shot in the arm 5/22 when the Washington Post gave the Bath County lawmaker its endorsement for the Democratic nomination. The editorial has refocused the rural legislator's efforts in NoVA, where conventional wisdom up to now put Deeds in third place behind his two rivals, who both hail from the region. But does Deeds have the money to play in the bluest region of VA in the remaining 10 days of the primary contest? A look at the each of the three candidates' media buys so far provides Deeds with some consolation -- but also reason to worry.

Prior to the Post editorial -- which called Deeds "the best candidate" for NoVA -- he was expected to focus his efforts outside the Commonwealth's wealthy DC suburbs, hoping to find victory in his rural backyard. In the days since the endorsement, however, Deeds has been spending more and more time in NoVA, adding new events to the calendar and scooping up area endorsements. According to campaign staff, Deeds will spend at least six days campaigning in NoVA before the 6/9 primary, unexpected for a guy running against two prominent NoVAians, ex-DNC chair Terry McAuliffe and ex-Del. Brian Moran.

"The Post changed the momentum up here," Deeds spokeswoman Brooke Borkenhagen said. "We think we can compete and do well."

There's some evidence that presumed frontrunner McAuliffe might agree. He recently sent out a mailer outlining the records of Deeds and Moran in a way that suggested they line up with GOP nominee, ex-AG Bob McDonnell. Moran called the mailer a "false, negative attack," and though Deeds' response was more muted, it is clear the campaign is enjoying the attention from McAuliffe.

"Terry is clearly running scared," Borkenhagen said. "That's why he's trying to hustle Virginia voters with this deceptive mail piece."

Deeds plans to rely on mail alone to push the Post editorial. His campaign is currently trying to raise $20K to cover the cost of a new mailer for NoVA that touts the Post editorial.

"We've got no plans to take it on TV," Borkenhagen said, adding, "I don't want to say there's no chance at all, but we have no plans to go on air in Northern Virginia."

So far, the only candidate on air in NoVA is McDonnell, who's using a set of RGA-funded spots to combat a multi-million dollar statewide TV ad campaign leveled against him by the 527 group Common Sense Virginia, which is funded by the DGA.

According to numbers compiled for On Call by CMAG's Evan Tracey, the total media buys by those two nationally-funded campaigns total close to $2M. McDonnell alone has spent upwards of $750K on ads, which is more than double the $320K Deeds has spent on his pair of TV spots (running outside NoVA).

As of Apr. 9, Deeds had $1.2M CoH -- more than enough to put ads on TV in NoVA. But it seems he didn't anticipate the need. So he has to rely on mail pieces to bolster his recent momentum in the polls.

Meanwhile, Tracey found that McAuliffe has spent $800K on ads so far. As of Apr. 7, he had $2.5M on hand -- though he has a large paid staff. A campaign spokeswoman wouldn't say if McAuliffe will use any of that money for a last surge of TV ads in NoVA.

"(I) can't confirm (the spending numbers)," McAuliffe spokeswoman Lis Smith said. "And we don't discuss our campaign strategy."

If McAuliffe stays off the air in the region, it's possible Deeds' mailings and increased robocalls in NoVA could make him competitive. Many who have looked at the polls believe the race is still anybody's game. But with no plans to take the Post editorial -- the first real piece of potentially game-changing news for any candidate in the long primary fight -- to the NoVA audience via the television airwaves, Deeds could potentially find himself where he's been all along -- pushed to the sidelines by a McAuliffe-Moran war of words. For all the hullabaloo surrounding the Post editorial, Deeds could basically be right where he started before 5/22 -- hoping for big numbers outside NoVA and a small turnout overall.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Terry McAuliffe is airing a new radio ad featuring will.i.am of "Yes We Can" and Black Eyed Peas fame. The 60-second spot will air Richmond and Norfolk media markets. Listen here, and script below. Note the Pres. Obama mention.

This is will.i.am from the Black-Eyed Peas.

In 2004 I met my good friend Terry McAuliffe. If you know Terry, then you know how contagious his energy is -- so when he asked me to join him and the Democratic Party to reach out to young people - I didn't have to think twice.

As I traveled across the country supporting the Democratic Party, I felt the hunger and hope for change we see today.

And my work with Terry led me to actively campaign for Barack Obama.

We needed change, new ideas and most of all we needed hope for our future.

Together, we made it. We elected Barack Obama our President.

Now my friend Terry McAuliffe is running to become the next Governor of Virginia.

Terry gets that families are struggling, that it's tough to pay for college and find a job. That's why his plan will help create thousands of jobs here in Virginia.

Now I'm asking you to step up. Get out and vote for Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday June 9th.

Believe me, I know he's gonna' bring the energy and I know your vote for Terry will bring the change we need to Richmond.

(IFC photo)

During a panel discussion hosted by IFC earlier today at the Newseum, newly-named FNC contributor Tucker Carlson contended that the media in the Age of Pres. Obama has shown "a childish obsession with race and gender."

Pointing to a recent headline that used the word "Latina" in the announcement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as Obama's SCOTUS nominee, Carlson questioned whether this was the most important thing to know about Sotomayor. Fellow panelist/NPR's Juan Williams responded, "There's never been one before, dude!"

The event, which was billed as an examination of the media's coverage of the Obama administration, was moderated by Gideon Yago (of MTV fame) and also featured ABC's George Stephanopoulos, FNC's Greta Van Susteren, CNN's John King, Washington Post exec. ed. Marcus Brauchli and cong. scholar Norman Ornstein.

Asked if Obama is making good on his campaign promise to be transparent, King said there are different types of transparency. He noted, for example, that Obama's reversal on the release of detainee photos was pitched understandably as a matter of nat'l security. Meanwhile, Williams, who earlier recalled crying on camera when Obama was elected, said there has been "a consistent pattern" of the media not covering the WH's lack of transparency.

Much of the conversation, however, turned to the news industry's economic woes and the role technology plays in the business. Most of the panel agreed that local news coverage is being hit the hardest -- and to a great detriment to the American people. Ornstein mentioned the two CA journos responsible for exposing the ex-Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA) scandal who won a Pulitzer and were later laid off as an example of how the industry is hurting. Williams later added: "Shoe-leather reporting is what is being lost."

King agreed, saying, "I care more about [coverage of] the school commitee than the president of the United States as a parent."

During the Q & A portion, Stephanopoulos was asked about his "Twitterviews" with Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Ornstein interjected, asking for a short answer from his colleague. "In 140 characters or less, George," he said.

Admitting he was "late" to the phenomenon by joining Twitter in Feb. or Mar., Stephanopoulos said the technology was "fun and one more tool."

Asked why the media isn't more proactive in the use of new technologies, Carlson answered, "'Cause we're really busy.'" Van Susteren, meanwhile, defended FNC and King's CNN as two nets that have been invested in using newer technology. King: "Well, as the hologram in the room..."

King said while the success of the hologram technology used during CNN's election coverage is "debatable," the experiment was well worth it. The net did find success with its renowned Magic Wall, he said. The challenge to stay ahead technology-wise, King said, is money restrictions.

As for the future of the industry, Brauchli said students in journalism schools who decide not to go into public relations will pioneer the next wave of storytelling. Brauchli: "The appetite for news is undiminished."

The panel closed on a contentious note when, unprompted, Williams, a regular panelist on "Fox News Sunday," said of fellow FNCer Van Susteren, "People watch Greta and they think they are watching a news show." Van Susteren barked back: "At least people watch!"

The event was held in conjunction with the "IFC Media Project" (airs Sundays at 11pm), "a documentary series that draws back the curtain on news coverage and seeks to uncover the truth behind the news."

(KATHERINE LEHR)

It was only a matter of time before the GOP used the Nancy Pelosi/CIA imbroglio in an add. The NRCC today announced a new radio ad and robocalls -- an "Accountability Offensive" -- aimed at targeting Dems "for blocking an investigation into Speaker Nancy Pelosi's audacious claim that the CIA 'misleads [her] all the time,'" according to a release.

The radio ads will air in six districts and the robo-calls will be used in 11 districts.

"The Democrats have once again shown they'd rather protect their Speaker than uncover the truth," said NRCC comm. dir. Ken Spain. "For Pelosi to insinuate that the CIA lied to her is bad enough, but for her puppets to then block an investigation into her claims is even worse."

The NRCC use the radio ads to target these members:

Suzanne Kosmas (FL); Glenn Nye (VA); Tom Perriello (VA); Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD); Vic Snyder (AR); and Harry Teague (NM).

Robocalls will finger these members:

John Boccierri (OH); Bobby Bright (AL); John Hall (NY); Steny Hoyer (MD); Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ); Harry Mitchell (AZ); Walt Minnick (ID); Mark Schauer (MI); Steve Kagen (WI); and Larry Kissell (NC).

DCCC Press Sec. Ryan Rudominer said the GOP has spent millions to no avail attacking Pelosi over the past three cycles.

"The tired attacks from the Republican Party of No are just an attempt to distract from the progress President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Congress are making on jobs, health care, and energy," he said. "Polls show that Americans are reacting badly to House Republicans lack of ideas, obstruction, and commitment to the politics of the past."

Listen to the ads here.

VP Biden calls Sonia Sotomayor ... wait for it ... "a home run." Yes, the gal who "some say saved baseball," as Pres. Obama put it earlier this week, provides an easy metaphor. And her inspiring life story continues to dominate the early push for her confirmation.

Here's Biden's email to the Organizing for America list:

President Obama hit a home run with his nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court -- and not just because she's the "woman who saved baseball" by ending the strike in 1995, nor simply because she would be the first Latina ever to serve on the high court.

It was a home run because in her three-decade career as a prosecutor, judge, private litigator and law professor, she has time and again earned bipartisan praise as one of America's finest legal minds. And it was the right choice because Judge Sotomayor -- herself born and raised in a South Bronx housing project -- has summed up the American dream in her own incredible story and never once forgotten how the law affects our daily lives.

Now her historic nomination goes to the Senate. I know that process well, and I can tell you that the debate of the coming weeks and months will be shaped by the public response in the next few hours and days. It's critical that the Senate and the public clearly see where the American people stand.

Will you add your name to the growing list of Americans who are pledging to "Stand with Sotomayor" today? Your name and comments will become part of a public display of support at this crucial time.

I've followed Judge Sotomayor's remarkable journey for years. I voted for her when President George H.W. Bush nominated her for the District Court in 1992, and I was proud to vote for her again when President Bill Clinton nominated her for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998.

Born to a Puerto Rican family, Sotomayor grew up in a public housing project in the South Bronx. She was an avid reader from an early age, and was first inspired to pursue a legal career by the Nancy Drew mystery novels. Driven by her mother's belief in the power of education and her own relentless work ethic, she excelled in school. She won a scholarship to Princeton University, graduated summa cum laude, and then went on to attend Yale Law School where she served as an editor of the prestigious Yale Law Journal.

Like President Obama, Sotomayor passed up many more lucrative opportunities after law school to put her degree to work for the public good. She served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York, tackling some of the hardest cases facing the city, including robberies, assaults, murders, police brutality, and child pornography. Her growing reputation for fearlessness and legal brilliance prompted her first nomination to the federal bench, and she's only continued to soar.

If confirmed, she would start with more federal judicial experience than any Justice in a century, more overall judicial experience than any Justice in 70 years, and replace David Souter as the only Justice with firsthand experience as a trial judge. She has participated in over 3,000 panel decisions and authored roughly 400 opinions, expertly handling difficult issues of constitutional law, complicated procedural matters, and lawsuits involving complex business organizations.

In her years on the bench, Judge Sotomayor has earned acclaim from legal scholars and experts from both sides of the aisle for her intellectual toughness, her probing oral questioning, and her ability to issue decisions that hold both factual details and legal doctrines in equal measure. And she's never failed to apply a steady, common-sense analysis of how the law touches our daily lives.

Her story is incredible. Her qualifications are undeniable. And her judgment will serve us all well on the highest court in the land.

Please join me in becoming a part of this historic moment for the Court and our country. Add your name now to publicly show that you, too, "Stand with Sotomayor." In these crucial early hours, let us leave no doubt about the people's support for this extraordinary nominee.

http://my.barackobama.com/sotomayorstand

Thank you,

Vice President Joe Biden

A new Common Sense VA television ad began running today on both broadcast and cable stations targeting GOP gubernatorial nom Bob McDonnell's claim that he'll be a jobs governor. The buy is six figures, and the spot will air in the Northern Virginia, Richmond, Norfolk and Roanoke markets.

This ad is the latest in a series highlighting McDonnell's opposition to accepting $125M in federal economic stimulus funding.

Script after the jump.

Ted Olson and David Boies, adversaries in the SCOTUS case that settled the 2000 election, yesterday announced their joint effort to fight the CA gay marriage ban. They spoke with passion about their legal endeavor.

"People should not have to beg to be treated equally," Olson said during a press conference, "... and when people are denied their rights they deserve a remedy, and the courts are the most direct way to accomplish that."

More Olson: "This is not about right or left or partisan politics. This is about what we all share as Americans."

And the duo showed that their friendship and good humor is intact in the wake of the election and subsequent legal fight that captivated the nation.

Boies: "I must say that being up on a platform with Ted Olson and all these lights makes me want to urge everybody to count every vote."

Mitt Romney is in Arlington, VA, today to discuss the pitfalls of the Employee Free Choice Act with area business leaders.

He will continue his Commonwealth roadshow tomorrow in Richmond, where he'll appear with Bob McDonnell, the GOP's candidate for governor. (McDonnell, it's worth noting, was not a Romney backer during the '08 WH campaign. He served as state co-chair for Fred Thompson's bid.)

Also today, Romney endorsed GOPer Chris Christie for NJ governor. "I'm convinced the challenges facing New Jersey and the rest of the country can be overcome with courageous leadership. Chris Christie is a strong conservative voice for balanced budgets, low taxes and more jobs. He will bring badly-needed change to state government," Romney said in a statement released by his Free and Strong America PAC. "By electing Chris Christie, the people of New Jersey will be taking a giant step toward a brighter and more prosperous future."

And 6/1, the busiest WH '08er will give a speech titled "The Care of Freedom" at the Navy Memorial Burke Theater. The event, part of Protect America Month, is sponsored by the Heritage Foundation.

Last night, Roland Burris attempted to explain that phone call with Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother in which he weighs if and how to give the governor money and also gain consideration to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat. Watch and enjoy.

"World News" led with the housing market showing signs of recovery. "Evening News" and "Nightly News" both led with GM heading for bankruptcy.

Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) called into "Hardball" to discuss the recently released tape of his conversation with Robert Blagojevich, the brother of ex-IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).

Burris: "It was a normal fundraising conversation. I had supported the governor in previous fundraising events, and his brother was fundraising. ... I told the governor's brother when he called earlier to call me back after November because I was supporting other candidates for the November election. And he called me back after the election. And of course, by that time, I had become very concerned about my interest in getting appointed to the Senate seat, as well as, you know, how could I help him with the fundraising."

More Burris: "And I had come to the conclusion that that was not really a wise thing to do, that I could not give money to the governor because I was interested in being appointed to the Senate seat. So on the bottom line, there was no money ever given, nor was there any money ever raised."

More after the jump, including SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor, PA SEN and ex-VP Cheney.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Worth noting, though, that Rep. Joe Sestak, should he dive into the PA Dem SEN primary, would have an uphill climb.

Per the Hotline:

A Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group (D) poll; conducted 5/3-5 for the DSCC; surveyed 300 Dem RVs; margin of error +/- 5.7% (Toeplitz, Roll Call, 5/21). Tested: Sen. Arlen Specter (D) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-07).

Primary Election Matchup

A. Specter 56%
J. Sestak 16
Undec 16

Looking likely that Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) will challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in the Dem primary, spoiling Specter's plan to avoid a contentious early contest by changing parties.

TPM has the latest, including this comment from Meg Infantino, the congressman's sister, who works at Sestak for Congress: "He intends to get in the race. In the not too distant future, he will sit down with his wife and daughter to make the final decision."

Lots of fabulous nuggets in Peter Baker's upcoming Sunday New York Times piece charting Bill Clinton's post presidency -- and life in the wake of the bruising '08 Dem primary. Baker finds a more mellow Clinton, a man who has found piece with his wife's loss and her now more visible international role in the Obama administration.

The story is titled, "It's Not About Bill."

On reaching Hillary Clinton

"The only bad thing about Hillary's being secretary of state," he groused good-naturedly, "is I can't always get hold of her. They changed all her phone numbers, and her phone doesn't work inside the State Department building."

From HRC, a clinical assessment of his worth

Hillary Clinton, who declined to comment for this article, recently told Mark Landler of The Times that her husband is careful to give her space but can be a useful source of information. "He just knows a lot and he knows everybody," she said. "He has a broad-gauge understanding of issues and personalities, so he's always value-added."

On remaining '08 grudges

People close to Clinton said he has largely got over his resentment at Obama but not toward Ted Kennedy and his niece, Caroline Kennedy. As Clinton sees it, they say, he did so much for the Kennedys over the years that he felt they became almost family. Nor has he forgiven Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who endorsed Obama even though Clinton appointed him to two cabinet posts. And the man once called the "first black president" remains deeply wounded by allegations that he made racially insensitive remarks during the campaign, like dismissing Obama's South Carolina win by comparing it with Jesse Jackson's victories there in the 1980s.

"None of them ever really took seriously the race rap," he told me. "They knew it was politics. I had one minister in Texas in the general election come up and put his arm around me." This was an Obama supporter. "And he came up, threw his arm around me and said, 'You've got to forgive us for that race deal.' He said, 'That was out of line.' But he said, 'You know, we wanted to win real bad.' And I said, 'I got no problem with that.' I said it's fine; it's O.K. And we laughed about it and we went on."

On his health

But the heart and lung operations drained his fabled stamina. "It changed me," he said. "One of the things I noticed is that on normal days ever since I had that heart surgery, I'm a lot more laid back and a lot more relaxed and a lot more healthy. But I also noticed since I had the surgery -- and this is what you picked up in the campaign -- that if I'm really, really tired, it's more difficult for me than it was when I was back in politics before I had the heart problem. I have no explanation for why that is. I'm just observing it. It's neither an excuse for any mistake I made or anything else. I'm just explaining. It's something I've noticed. My life has changed."

On his relationship with George W. Bush

"I had a talk with him about it one day, a real frank talk, because they were being rough," Clinton told me. "I told him that I understood how he felt, and it didn't bother me. I liked the fact that he loved his father and that I felt a great affection for his father, too. But I said: 'I'll tell you what, I'll make you a deal. If you ever need me to do something for you and I can do it consistent with my conscience, I'll do it.' "

On forgiveness and Ken Starr

And Clinton and George W. Bush agreed to appear onstage together in Toronto on May 29 for a 90-minute discussion of current events.

"You know, I'm a Baptist," Clinton explained. "We don't give up on anybody. We believe in deathbed conversions."

How about Ken Starr? "Well," he said, then paused. "That's another kettle of fish."

The AFL-CIO announced today that actor Martin Sheen, he of West Wing fame, launched a radio ad today calling on Sens. Arlen Specter (D-PA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to support the Employee Free Choice Act. The 60-second ad, paid for by Catholics for Working Families, will air on religious radio stations in each state, according to an AFL-CIO release.

Sheen, joined by fellow West Wingers Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff, took to the Hill in March for an event for the "card check" legislation, which makes it easier for unions to organize.

Ad script:

Hello, I'm Martin Sheen, and when I joined my first union in 1961, thirty percent of the American workforce was unionized. Now that number is less than twelve percent.

As CEOs receive massive salaries and bonuses, working families continue to struggle.

A bill in Congress called the Employee Free Choice Act will provide a fair and democratic process for workers to form unions. And that will help build a more just economy.

An economy that promotes families, an economy that values human life and serves everyone, not just the people at the top.

We need laws that protect all workers, especially the most vulnerable:
the people who prepare our food, the people who who care for our children, the people who build our homes.

Senator Arlen Specter, please, join us. Stand with America's working families and support the Employee Free Choice Act. Thank you.

Per the WH:Michelle Obama will visit Bancroft Elementary School - the DC school whose students have helped plant the WH kitchen garden this spring. The school was selected because students and faculty manage their own garden on school grounds and healthy eating is woven into the curriculum. This event, scheduled for 5/29, is also an extension of the FLOTUS's outreach to the DC community.

In assessing the Sonia Sotomayor nomination, RNC new media dir. Todd Herman simply reTweeted Newt Gingrich's message suggesting, much as Rush Limbaugh did first, that she's a racist. First noted by The Plum Line.

Is this really the road the GOP wants to travel at a time when the party is struggling with diversity, both in its representation and voter support?

Sometimes it's a punch line.

The Washington Post offered this correction to an editorial that ran late last week in which the paper endorsed state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) in the three-way Dem primary for VA governor:

A May 22 editorial on Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary incorrectly stated that Terry R. McAuliffe had described himself as a "huckster." In his autobiography, Mr. McAuliffe described himself as a "hustler."

Former Bush administration Solicitor Gen. Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, attorneys who argued opposite sides of 2000 Bush vs. Gore election case, will join forces to fight Proposition 8 in federal court.

Per the Los Angeles Times:

In a project of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, Olson and Boies have united to represent two same-sex couples filing suit after being denied marriage licenses because of Proposition 8.

Their lawsuit, to be filed in U.S. District Court in California, calls for an injunction against the proposition, allowing immediate reinstatement of marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) will make his debut appearance this evening at a national Dem event since switching parties. Specter will join Pres. Obama at the Beverly Hilton in LA for a DNC fundraiser, a national democratic campaign staffer tells On Call. It marks his first outing with Obama -- and with Jennifer Hudson, we should note. The Academy Award winner will sing at the event. As will Earth, Wind and Fire.

Tickets for the concert range between $1K and $2,500. A separate dinner will run $30,400 per couple. Party officials expect to raise between $3M and $4M.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Jeb Bush Jr., son of the last FL governor and grandson of the first Pres. Bush, endorsed Marco Rubio today in his looming '10 primary battle against Gov. Charlie Crist for the Sunshine State's open Sen seat.

Rubio Twittered the news: Proud to announce the endorsement of Jeb Bush Jr. He will be a great asset in our efforts to reach the next generation of GOP leadership.

A proxy endorsement for his powerful pop?

Here's Bush's statement:

Today I would like to let you know that I will be enthusiastically supporting my friend Marco Rubio for his bid for the United States Senate.

Florida and our country are at a crossroads. Not only in our economic life, but in who we are as Republicans.

My choice was a simple one: Marco Rubio represents the best in what our Party should strive to be and who it must engage - he is young, conservative, and believes in the principles of our Founding Fathers, that individual freedom and liberty are what makes our country great and always will.

Marco Rubio is a candidate who can help to bring our Party back on track by reaching out to our youth, entrepreneurs, Hispanics and those who believe that if you work hard enough, anything you dream can be achieved. With Marco, we have a great opportunity to elect a true conservative and a greater obligation to elect a man of principle.

I hope that you will join with me in this exciting journey to elect my friend Marco Rubio to the United States Senate in 2010. If you can make a donation today to keep this effort going it will go a long way to bring back common sense and a return to conservative principles in Washington.

I thank you for your time and consideration.

With warm regards,

Jeb Bush, Jr.

Let the lobbying for and against Sonia Sotomayor begin!

Already, the left-leaning Coalition for Constitutional Values is airing a television ad - "Justice" - introducing Sotomayor, Pres. Obama's first pick for the SCOTUS, to the American public. The coalition of public interest organizations is co-chaired by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Alliance for Justice and People for the American Way.

The ad will air today on national network news and cable news.

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Last night's TV coverage tackled several dimensions of Pres. Obama's selection of Sotomayor. First up, how will how GOPers react?

ABC's Stephanopoulos, asked how GOPers oppose the first Hispanic nominated, given how increasingly important that voting block is to their party: "As one White House official told me today, he said, I dare them. Now, the Republicans are very aware of the danger here. So, they're going to tread carefully, but they believe that they have got to make these arguments about her judicial philosophy, the president's judicial philosophy so they can preserve those arguments for the next nominee who might not have Judge Sotomayor's background or who may come at a time when the Democrats ... don't have such overwhelming numbers in the Senate" ("World News," 5/26).

NPR's Liasson: "No Republican has came out of the gate saying no. When Judge Bork was nominated, Ted Kennedy was on the floor that day manning barricades against him. So that hasn't happened yet, and I think they will think very hard and long about opposing the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/26).

Harvard Law prof. Charles Ogletree: "The Republicans should be applauding this because this is a person who's tough on criminal justice issues, who sides with business frequently" ("AC 360," CNN, 5/26).

Politico's Allen: "Republicans' hearts are not in this. Republicans will tell you this was a smart pick. ... When she was confirmed as a federal appeals court judge, among the senators voting for her were Senator Bill Frist and Senator Rick Santorum. Tell me that isn't pretty good insurance for the White House" ("Ed Show," MSNBC, 5/26).

Much more after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Pres. Obama will give Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) a boost tonight during a Las Vegas fundraiser that is expected to raise $1M for the Dem leader. The Divine Ms. M, Sheryl Crow and other big names to perform at the Caesar's Palace event. Reid's poll numbers have fallen in recent months, but he tells the New York Times that he'll raise as much as $25M for his re-election campaign, an attempt to fend off any viable challengers.

Anthony Weiner passing on a bid for NYC mayor? New Dem endorsements for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-elect hint as much.

Mitt Romney wooes conservative base with knock on Sonia Sotomayor.

WH Press Sec. Robert Gibbs defends Sotomayor's taped comment about policy-making judges (see above or click through).

Jerry Falwell, Jr., suggests Young Dems are indeed welcome at Liberty University, though the group can't use the school's name or funding.

Sonia Sotomayor. The personal photographs. Provided by the WH.

The nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the SCOTUS produced some of the the most animated tweeting activity from Dems since Pres. Obama's "Not State Of The Union" address. Members from both sides of the aisle sounded off on the selection, but Dems were most vocal.

Highlights, displayed in the order in which they were received:

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC): "Sotomayor in 2005: "court of appeals is where policy is made." Did Obama's nominee fail 8th grade civics?" 5/26, 9:18 AM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO): "Going on Fox News in a few to talk about Judge Sotomayor. It's a terrific pick.Like her background as a courtroom prosecutor & trial judge." 10:38 AM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT): "Judge Sotomayor is a highly qualified and historic nominee who would bring extensive legal experience and a unique perspective to the Court." 11:43 AM

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA): "applauds the nomination of Judge Sotomayor. If confirmed she would bring an excellent record to the court, as well as needed diversity." 5/26, 12:00 PM

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): "President Obama made history by nominating a highly qualified Latina, Judge Sotomayor, to the U.S. Supreme court. Way to go Mr President!" 1:08 PM

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ): "Sotomayor is terrific choice. Latina. Common touch because she faced a lot of obstacles growing up, particularly battle with diabetes." 4/26, 1:25 PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH): "Next Supreme Court Justice should have a record of impartiality, not judicial activism: http://is.gd/FubT" 4:16 PM

Do you have a favorite political tweep you think should be added to our list? Email us at hotlinetwitter@nationaljournal.com.

Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline.

On Call Aside: all tweets are reproduced exactly as they appeared.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

So it seems that last year as then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich weighed whom to appoint to fill Barack Obama's Sen seat, Roland Burris promised the governor's brother that he'd write the Blago a check. But, alas, he didn't send the check because, as the Sun-Times is reporting, he didn't think it was a good idea.

Burris, whom Blagojevich, of course, tapped for the job, failed to mention the conversation during his sworn testimony to an IL House panel earlier this year.

Pollster.com's Mark Blumenthal writes about the lack of solid polling in the Dem primary contest for VA governor. Primary surveys can be perilous, he says, but aren't always unreliable. Still, as voters get ready to cast a ballot in the three-way 6/9 contest, Blumenthal suggests that the three most recent public polls provide an incomplete snapshot of the race. Uncertain turnout is just one challenge in surveying the horserace.

Blumenthal:

Which Virginia poll is the most reliable? Are any providing an accurate snapshot of the true likely electorate? The truth is, no one knows for sure. No poll can possibly predict the likely electorate with any confidence, and the results we have indicate considerable indecision among those willing to describe themselves as likely voters.

Read on.

Terry McAuliffe, one of three candidates for VA governor, is airing his eighth (!) television ad of the primary contest. "Right Here" focuses on McAuliffe's education plan, which includes targeted funding for early childhood education, investment in increased teacher pay and a reduction in class sizes. It will air in the Richmond, Norfolk and Roanoke media markets.

Pres. Obama introduced Sonia Sotomayor today to his political wing, Organizing for America.

Though GOP lawmakers have been tentative in offering any criticism of SCOTUS nom Sonia Sotomayor, conservative bloggers today exhibited less restraint. They're girding for a fight:

• Michelle Malkin: "So, it's Sonia Sotomayor. Identity politics triumphs."
• John Hawkins: "Barack Obama picked Sonia Sotomayor because she's Hispanic, female, and is willing to put liberal political concerns above the Constitution."
• Ilya Shapiro: "Judge Sotomayor is not one of the leading lights of the federal judiciary and would not even have been on the shortlist if she were not Hispanic."
• Ramesh Ponnuru: "[Sotomayor is] Obama's Harriet Miers."
• Erick Erickson: "Conservatives rejoice. Of all the picks Obama could have picked, he picked the most intellectually shallow."

Read on.

(IAN FAERSTEIN)

Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT), chair of the Senate Judiciary Cmte, weighed in on 1998 on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the 2nd Circuit, according to a clip provided by C-SPAN.

Leahy: "Judge Sonia Sotomayor is just such a qualified nominee, and she is one being held up by the Republican majority, apparently because some on the other side of the aisle believe she might one day be considered by President Clinton for nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, should a vacancy arise. "

What to make of the Sonia Sotomayor selection?

Her pick -- Pres. Obama's first nominee to the nation's highest court -- is not unexpected but still markedly political and shrewd -- and a sign of a president well aware of his political heft, in Washington and nationally. While Sotomayor might spark a frenzy on the right -- Rush Limbaugh has already assailed Sotomayor today for being a "reverse racist" -- GOP lawmakers are unlikely to block her for at least three reasons.

-- She is the first Hispanic selected for the SCOTUS, a nod to a demographic that voted two-to-one for Obama for president but whose leaders have expressed less-than-stellar reviews of the administration's inclusion of Latinos in top positions. (In 2004, by comparison, Pres. Bush won 40% of the Hispanic vote, a "modern high" for a Republican. A growing voter group, Hispanics will continue to hold sway in national elections, and the GOP is going to have to find a way to win their favor again. Knocking the first Hispanic nominee to the high court would not be well-received.)

-- She is a woman, the third ever appointed to the court. And while this attribute is secondary to breaking the first-ever barrier noted above, it's not at all insignificant. Third ever. In the history of this nation. Mary G. Wilson, president of the League of Women Voters, heralded the pick as "another milestone on our path toward a democracy that is truly representative of its citizenry."

-- She has an up-from-the-bootstraps story -- raised in a Bronx housing project, she graduated from Princeton and Yale University -- that apparently resonated with Obama. Hers is a narrative that, much like the president's story, reflects a truely American trajectory. The daughter of immigrants, she rose from humble roots to the country's most storied schools to the bench. Obama today said Sotomayor has a "practical understanding of how the law works in the everyday lives of the American people."

Let's not also discount another important fact -- Sotomayor was first appointed by Pres. George H.W. Bush, a Republican, to the federal district court for the Southern District of New York. And in 1998, when nominated by Pres. Bill Clinton to her position on the 2nd Circuit, she won bipartisan support, including from several sitting GOP senators. Among them, Orrin Hatch and Judd Gregg.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

The CA Supreme Court ruled today that a ban on same-sex marriage should stand -- though it specified that 18K gay marriages sanctioned prior to the decision will be honored by the state.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, weighs in on Pres. Obama's selection of Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring SCOTUS Justice David Souter:

"This historic nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court sends a strong signal that President Obama understands the importance of ensuring that our Supreme Court justices respect precedent while also protecting our civil liberties.

"Judge Sotomayor has vast experience in nearly every aspect of the law, having served as a big-city prosecutor and a corporate litigator, a federal trial judge on the U.S. District Court, and an appellate judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. What our nation needs from our Supreme Court justices is a deep understanding of the law, an appreciation of the impact of the court's decisions on everyday Americans, and a commitment to the protection of our individual liberties. Judge Sotomayor will bring this dedication and commitment with her to the bench.

"There is no doubt that Judge Sotomayor's story is an inspiration to all. Her nomination as the first Hispanic woman justice reminds us that, with hard work and commitment, all things are truly possible in America."

Sen. Min. Leader Mitch McConnell on the selection of Sonia Sotomayor to the SCOTUS: "Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law even-handedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences. Our Democratic colleagues have often remarked that the Senate is not a 'rubber stamp.' Accordingly, we trust they will ensure there is adequate time to prepare for this nomination, and a full and fair opportunity to question the nominee and debate her qualifications."

RNC Chair Michael S. Steele is reserving judgment: "Republicans look forward to learning more about federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor's thoughts on the importance of the Supreme Court's fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law. Supreme Court vacancies are rare, which makes Sonia Sotomayor's nomination a perfect opportunity for America to have a thoughtful discussion about the role of the Supreme Court in our daily lives. Republicans will reserve judgment on Sonia Sotomayor until there has been a thorough and thoughtful examination of her legal views."

A statement from self-described Sen.-elect Al Franken (the Dems' 60th member, if sworn in): "I want to congratulate Judge Sotomayor on her history-making nomination to the Supreme Court. Confirming a Supreme Court Justice is among the most important responsibilities the Senate has, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I look forward to joining my colleagues as we examine Judge Sotomayor's qualifications carefully before confirmation. However, it is already clear that President Obama has chosen a remarkable jurist with an impressive record of accomplishment and a life story with which working families can identify."

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI): "I congratulate Judge Sonia Sotomayor on her nomination to the United States Supreme Court and President Obama on his first Supreme Court nomination. I supported Judge Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1998 and from all accounts, she is a highly qualified and very experienced judge. Judge Sotomayor's nomination marks a historic moment for our nation. She is the first Hispanic American to be nominated to our nation's highest court and if confirmed, she would be just the third woman to serve on the Court. Evaluating a Supreme Court nominee is a responsibility I take very seriously considering the significant impact a Supreme Court justice can have on our country. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing Judge Sotomayor's record and questioning her during the Judiciary Committee's hearings."

And after the jump, the AFL-CIO, not surprisingly, likes the pick.

Pres. Obama on Sonia Sotomayor:

During her tenure on the District Court, she presided over roughly 450 cases. One case in particular involved a matter of enormous concern to many Americans, including me: the baseball strike of 1994-1995. In a decision that reportedly took her just 15 minutes to announce, a swiftness much appreciated by baseball fans everywhere -- she issued an injunction that helped end the strike. Some say that Judge Sotomayor saved baseball. ...

It's my understanding that Judge Sotomayor's interest in the law was sparked as a young girl by reading the Nancy Drew series -- (laughter) -- and that when she was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of eight, she was informed that people with diabetes can't grow up to be police officers or private investigators like Nancy Drew. And that's when she was told she'd have to scale back her dreams. Well, Sonia, what you've shown in your life is that it doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like, or what challenges life throws your way -- no dream is beyond reach in the United States of America. And when Sonia Sotomayor ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the highest court of the land, America will have taken another important step towards realizing the ideal that is etched above its entrance: Equal justice under the law.

Pres. Obama will nominate Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and a 54-yr.-old of Puerto Rican descent, to the highest court in the land.

If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic justice and the third woman ever to serve on the SCOTUS. The daughter of a nurse, she grew up in a Bronx housing project. Her father died when she was nine.

Feisty and an unbashed liberal, Sotomayor is not as safe a pick as say, Diane Wood, a judge on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, or Solicitor Gen. Elana Kagan. She was, however, first appointed by George H.W. Bush in 1991, to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

We'll have more on this later today.

The Sorting Table didn't make the cut this morning due to "technical" issues. But check back tomorrow for your behind-the-scenes look at The Hotline.

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with North Korea's nuclear test.

In light of the news of North Korea's nuclear test, some pols and pundits offered Pres. Obama advice on how to handle the situation.

Weekly Standard's Hayes: "President Obama has to take decisive action, and take it soon. ... We have seen again and again, including the second term of the Bush administration, North Korean provocations followed by U.S. either passivity, or, in many cases, flat out concessions. ... What [Obama] needs to, I think, look to prevent at this point is doing something that seems passive, not only because of the implications it would have for North Korea, which are obvious and significant, but for the implications with Iran" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/25).

CNN's Schneider: "It's certainly a challenge to President Obama. But you can also argue this demonstrates the failure of the Bush administration's policies with North Korea and Iran, policies of isolation and ostracism towards those countries in order to dissuade them from their ambition to become nuclear powers. That doesn't seem to have worked. Both countries seem to be even more determined now to become nuclear powers, so President Obama is determined to try a different course" ("Situation Room," 5/25).

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): "This is an opportunity for the president to send a very clear message that he is going to strengthen and put more efforts, enhance our missile defense systems, that this is a time that he is going to deploy that, and make certain that we are not only protecting ourselves, but protecting our allies" ("Your World," FNC, 5/25).

After the jump, ex-Sec/State Colin Powell clarifies his party preference.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

On Call returns Tuesday. Enjoy the weekend!

Pres. Obama signed a "Prayer for Peace" proclamation earlier commemorating Memorial Day.

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris and WH Social Sec. Desiree Rogers were on board a United Airlines flight that made an emergency landing in Pittsburgh this morning, Burris spokesman Jim O'Connor told the Chicago Breaking New Center. The plane lost hydraulic power after taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport in DC. There were 119 people on the plane, and the landing was without incident.

Pres. Obama, in his final commencement address of the season at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, underscored this morning the national security message he offered yesterday at the National Archives, saying broadly that America's values will not allow the use of harsh interrogation tactics.

Yesterday I visited the National Archives and the halls that holds our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence, and our Bill of Rights. I went there because, as our national debate on how to deal with the security challenge that we face proceeds, we must remember this enduring truth: The values and ideals in those documents are not simply words written into aging parchment, they are the bedrock of our liberty and our security. We uphold our fundamental principles and values not just because we choose to, but because we swear to; not because they feel good, but because they help keep us safe and keep us true to who we are.

Because when America strays from our values, it not only undermines the rule of law, it alienates us from our allies, it energizes our adversaries, and it endangers our national security and the lives of our troops. So as Americans, we reject the false choice between our security and our ideals. We can and we must and we will protect both. And that is just what you will pledge to do in a few moments when you raise your right hand and take your oath.

His full speech, including his gift to graduates, is available after the jump.

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Senate Maj. Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich, and features a roundtable with National Review's Rich Lowry, NPR's Michele Norris, Washington Post's Eugene Robinson and NBC's Chuck Todd.

Face the Nation hosts ex-Sec/State Colin Powell and Dr. Alvin Poussaint.

This Week hosts JCS Chair Mike Mullen and features a roundtable with Dem strategist Donna Brazile, New York Times' David Brooks, Washington Post's E.J. Dionne and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Karl Rove. The "Power Player" is Bugles Across America founder Tom Day.

State of the Union hosts ex-PA Gov./ex-DHS Sec. Tom Ridge (R), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), GOP strategist Mary Matalin and Dem strategist James Carville. The "Last Word" guest is Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

RNC chair Michael S. Steele recently told a group of students gathered for a C-SPAN event that he was a college slacker -- and look how well he has managed in life, he suggested. He almost got kicked out of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

"I partied my behind off," Steele said. "I heard there were classes, and some people told me I really should go. But I was having a good time. I was freshman class president ... I just networked the heck out of that bad boy. I was getting there. I was talking. I was grooving. I was having a ball."

The full program will air 5/25 at 7 p.m. on C-SPAN.

Terry McAuliffe today jumped into a brewing fracas in Lynchburg, VA, over a decision by Christian college Liberty University to strip the school's Young Democrats chapter of its right to organize on campus.

"Liberty means freedom," McAuliffe, one of three Dems vying for the party's nomination for governor, said on a call with reporters. "To me it means freedom of speech. As most of you know, I'm a huge advocate of freedom of speech."

Condemning the school's decision, he added: "The Liberty University college Democrats have been very helpful to my campaign."

The group, which has about 30 members, was founded in October '08 and notified by school officials earlier this month that it is no longer permitted to assemble on campus.

The chapter's rules require that a party nominee first be determined before an official endorsement is issued; VA voters go to the polls 6/9 to pick from the three Dems running.

The members, though, are backing McAuliffe over state Sen. Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran, who resigned as a state delegate after 13 years in the General Assembly to run fulltime for governor, said Maria Childress, the Young Dems' staff advisor.

Childress said the "Republican Party and its platform is preached from every avenue" at the school and that she considers the quieting of the Dem group "censorship."

"I think there is an issue of censorship here," she said. "I think the bigger issue is being one-sided."

Childress added: "I've always been a Democrat, contrary to what my parents wanted me to be. ... I think it does the university a great disservice to stifle one side of the discussion."

Brian Diaz, the head of the LU Young Dems, said he, too, is baffled by the administration's decision.

"I want to be able to share the love of Christ, but I guess I can't do that on campus because I'm a Democrat as well," he said.

Students were notified 5/15 via an email from Mark Hine, vice president of student affairs, that the club would have to stop using the university's name, holding meetings on campus or advertising events, according to a report in the Lynchburg News Advance.

"The Democratic Party platform is contrary to the mission of Liberty University and to Christian doctrine (supports abortion, federal funding of abortion, advocates repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, promotes the "LGBT" agenda, hate crimes, which include sexual orientation and gender identity, socialism, etc.)" Hine said in his email.

McAuliffe said today he'd be willing to visit the school to have a broader conversation about the situation.

Liberty University was founded in 1971 by the late evangelist Jerry Falwell, Sr. The school has previously been at the center of national political interest; Sen. John McCain, after deeming Falwell one of the political "agents of intolerance," reversed course en route to the '08 GOP nom, seeking to woo conservatives by delivering the school's commencement address in '06.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

A bit of a stunner this a.m. as The Washington Post endorsed state Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Bath County Dem, for governor over Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran, who each have Northern Virginia roots, and in the case of McAuliffe, national Dem influence and likely a longstanding relationship with Post writers and editors.

A snippet:

The knock on Mr. Deeds is that he's a nice guy -- an odd insult. The implication is that he might not be forceful enough to push his agenda through a balky legislature. Our judgment, from watching Mr. Deeds over the years, is that he is more politically astute than his "aw, shucks" persona might suggest. He has carefully studied Democratic governors who have accomplished the most -- notably Mark R. Warner and Gerald L. Baliles -- and understands how they mixed reaching out with playing tough. He's better positioned to do both than either of his opponents.

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with the Pres. Obama/ex-VP Cheney speeches and policy debate.

All of the nets dedicated the majority of their coverage last night to the Obama/Cheney Face/Off.

ABC's Stephanopoulos: "We've never seen this stark of a debate this early in an administration between a president and a former vice president. The timing to have these speeches in the same day and the same hour was something of a coincidence, but it really made for a stunning split screen. ... It was also striking to me how personal it seemed beneath the surface. They were directly talking to each other" ("World News," 5/21).

WH historian Richard Norton Smith: "It's highly unusual, not so much in the criticism itself as in the timing of the criticism. ... Fifty years ago, when the Bay of Pigs disaster took place, a 100 days ... into the Kennedy presidency, former Vice President Richard Nixon stepped forward and praised the president, lent support, as did his boss. There is a sort of gentleman's code that exists in which former presidents and vice presidents withhold their fire for a certain indeterminate period of time. On the other hand, that code works both ways. The incoming administration is also expected to hold its fire, in effect, regarding its predecessors" ("NewsHour," PBS, 5/21).

Pat Buchanan: "Clearly Cheney helped himself and I think he won, but I don't think Barack Obama necessarily lost. I thought it was an elegant speech by him. But Cheney [was] clearly up there against the heavyweight champion, and he did a terrific job and he rallied his troops" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 5/21).

Much more after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

I have a feature in the latest National Journal magazine about Terry McAuliffe's bid for VA gov. It can be read in full here.

And here's the top of the story:

By Jennifer Skalka

When he turned 52 early this year, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe -- glad-handing former rainmaker of the Democratic National Committee and permanent First Friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton -- fittingly celebrated with a fundraiser lightly disguised as a birthday party. Old pals, including such famous-for-Washington types as lawyer Richard Ben-Veniste and former Rep. Tom McMillen, turned out for the Macker, as he's known.

In the middle of the room stood a five-tier confection -- bright blue and decorated with cardinals, the state bird. A McAuliffe-looking figurine, but blonder, stood atop the cake, which had the state's motto, Sic semper tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants), draped across it. But when the time came for guests to dive in, a waiter instead delivered ready-to-eat slices of some other goodie from a back room.

Was the strange, towering creation for real? Without dragging a finger through the Technicolor frosting, it was impossible to tell. But as the irrepressible party pitchman-turned-candidate closes in on his first-ever primary, the mystery dessert makes an easy metaphor for what Old Dominion voters must decide about his gold-plated campaign. "If you're lookin' for the same old thing, I'm not your guy to go to Richmond," the transplanted New Yorker, who has developed a new habit of dropping his g's, told well-wishers.

The architect of President Clinton's Lincoln Bedroom fundraising strategy and a fast-talking fixture on cable television, McAuliffe spent three decades selling the candidacies of other Democrats. Now he is concentrating on his own political advancement and on raising enough money to steamroll his party rivals in what may well be the most-watched race of 2009. Already, McAuliffe has raked in more than $5.1 million and hired a staff of more than 100. But he has never served on a city council, never toiled in a statehouse, never run a government agency, never argued with local lawmakers about tax rates or school construction dollars. His governing skills are untested.

Both national parties are closely watching the Virginia contests. Democrats believe that a general election victory would confirm that the state has turned true blue in the Age of Obama; Republicans see flipping both of the governorships on the line this year -- in Virginia and New Jersey -- as a powerful way to demonstrate their rebound. Democrats have won the last two gubernatorial elections in the commonwealth. But to repeat this year, they would have to break a strong pattern: Ever since 1977, Virginia's governorship has been captured by the party that lost the previous year's presidential election. And in former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who resigned in February to run full-time, the GOP has a strong contender.

Eighteen months ago, McAuliffe probably never imagined that his political future would hinge on how well he stacks up in Virginia voters' minds against longtime state pols. But his 2008 presidential candidate of choice, Hillary Rodham Clinton, was foiled by Barack Obama, her White House aspirations heaped into the dustbin of history. Along with them went McAuliffe's chances of becoming, say, White House chief of staff.

Looking for a personal political rebirth as a candidate, the boisterous McAuliffe is using the sales skills he honed at the knees of party giants. On the stump, the man who The New York Times Magazine noted has a "Barnum & Bailey personality" is relentless, loud, and a master of hyperbole.

"New energy for new jobs!" he crows at every opportunity. On a gray and chilly March morning while touring a Lorton waste-to-energy plant with company executives and reporters, McAuliffe, the grip-and-greet connoisseur, sounded every bit the auctioneer.

"I love all waste!" he roared. Incinerated chicken poop, he said, will help meet the state's ever-growing demands for electricity. High-speed rail from Northern Virginia to Richmond and Hampton Roads? He'll make it happen. Higher teacher pay? He's in. And candidate McAuliffe will insert your name, voter, into every sentence.

To those who complain that he hasn't worked his way up in Virginia politics, he retorts, "This is democracy. No one has a birthright in democracy. If you have good ideas, go run. What if they told Barack Obama that? 'Where have you been?' "

McAuliffe is charging into the minutiae of state government with his trademark gusto, but the journey isn't likely to be easy. Even if he prevails in the June 9 primary and the November general election, he will still have to figure out how to get his way in a governorship that is notoriously weak because it is limited to a single, four-year term.

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., who has lived in Northern Virginia's tony McLean for 17 years, McAuliffe transformed the primary race merely by entering it. His opponents, former state Del. Brian Moran and state Sen. Creigh Deeds, have long served in Richmond, but they can't match McAuliffe's fundraising clout, seasoned campaign savvy, or political celebrity status. In the first quarter of this year, McAuliffe raised $4.2 million -- more than five times the take of Moran, who served for 13 years in the General Assembly and whose brother Jim represents Alexandria and Arlington in the U.S. House.

McAuliffe's supporters say he will bowl over the competition by launching an air and ground war (he has more than 50 field workers) that won't be easily rivaled, and that will be built on a retooled Bill Clintonesque "It's the economy, stupid" message emphasizing job creation. Detractors predict that McAuliffe's appeal will prove quite limited, that voters will reject him as an interloper. "For Democrats, the key to success is to find a Democrat who appeals to [Virginia's] urban base but who also has strong appeal in rural Virginia," said Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher, a Deeds supporter who represents Tazewell and other counties in the state's southwest. "I think people are going to make their judgment based on reasons other than the number of TV commercials they see."

In the view of veteran Democratic strategist Peter Fenn, McAuliffe's chief task is to persuade voters that his campaign isn't an ego trip. "The real question is, can he prove to the citizens of Virginia that this is about Virginia, that this is about them?" Fenn said. "What he's got to show is, he has the clout and the ideas to deliver for folks -- and not because he's a national figure."

In a turn of the screw not lost on local political observers, McAuliffe is playing down the work for which he is best known -- boosting the Clintons -- to cast himself as an independent voice for Virginians. That is a tricky maneuver, given that McAuliffe is simultaneously trying to cash in on Bill Clinton's star power by appearing with him in Richmond, Roanoke, and the state's Washington suburbs. McAuliffe is doing nothing to remind Virginia Democrats of his ties to Hillary Clinton, who was crushed, 64 percent to 35 percent, in their 2008 presidential primary.

Obama's landslide in that contest signaled the state's lack of interest in Clinton 2.0. So McAuliffe is refashioning himself in the model of, well, Obama -- a post-partisan figure devoted to job creation and renewable energy. But questions remain: Why does the salesman want to govern? And can he win?

In the latest National Journal Congressional Insiders Poll, 71% (24) of the 34 House and Senate Dems surveyed said that Speaker Nancy Pelosi "hurt herself a little" in how she's handled the CIA waterboarding controversy. She said the intelligence agency had misled her when its representatives briefed her in 2002 on the use of harsh interrogation techniques on terrorist detainees. After Pelosi's charge, CIA director Leon Panetta said that the CIA briefers had not misled her. Only 12% (four) of the Insiders said she "hurt herself a lot." At the same time, 12% (four) said she "helped herself a little" by taking on the issue. Another 6% (two) of the Insiders said that Pelosi had neither helped nor hurt herself in how she's handed the controversy.

Predictably, the 43 House and Senate GOPers who were surveyed in the poll had a much tougher verdict on Pelosi's handling of the waterboarding controversy: 81% (35) of the GOP Insiders felt that the Speaker had hurt herself a lot. Another 16% (seven) said she hurt herself a little and 2% (one) said she had both helped and hurt herself.

(Click through to view the entire poll and its verbatim comments.)

GOP members of Congress are eager to exploit Pelosi's stumble and have called for a bi-partisan congressional investigation. (Click here for remarks by House Min. Leader John Boehner on the issue).

Many observers of Congress say Pelosi is one of the strongest speakers in decades and being the first woman to hold that post has also elevated her profile. But as such, she's also become something of a lightening rod for her party. A new Gallup Poll released 5/21, found that a solid plurality of 47% of those surveyed disapproved of how she has handled interrogation issue. Only 31% approved. At the same time, 59% of those surveyed said that they approved of how Pres. Obama has handled the matter, and 52 percent said they approved of the CIA's handling.

One saving grace for Pelosi, the public doesn't give Republicans in Congress much higher marks than her on the issue. (For a complete look at the Gallup Poll results, click here.)

(National Journal's JIM BARNES)

Ex-FL state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) has had a tough couple of weeks. First to announce that he would run to replace retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (R), Rubio's buzz was overcome by the entrance in the contest of FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R). Crist enjoys the support of the national party and some of the GOP's biggest figures, including NRSC Chair John Cornyn, making him the instant frontrunner in the primary and general.

But conservatives upset at what they say is Crist's overly moderate voting record are intent on battling him to the end through Rubio, who's aligned with the Club For Growth. That group is, of course, best known of late for forcing Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) to switch parties after the group's former chair, Pat Toomey, mounted a primary bid against him.

Rubio has an uphill climb with the state GOP, too. FL GOP chair Jim Greer is a longtime Crist supporter, though he promises the state party will remain neutral in the Crist-Rubio primary. Asked about that today, Rubio said he was comfortable with Greer's leadership.

@thehotline: "Where are you tweeting from? And with what?"

@marcorubio: "home office on a mac"

@thehotline: "First Q: the dynamics of [the race] have changed a lot since you announced, with many nat'l GOPers backing Crist. Are you staying in?"

@marcorubio: "this is a FLORIDA primary. I ran and will continue to run because of what I believe in. Not about endorsements but about ideas. I AM IN IT TO WIN IT." (second tweet)

@thehotline: "Why is Gov. Crist so popular in FL and with the nat'l party? How do you overcome it?"

@marcorubio: "politics should not be about popularity,should be about leadership. to lead you must take clear positions and make tough choices ... we overcome it by running a campaign. Numbers that matter wont be posted until next August." (second tweet)

@thehotline: "How would a Sen. Rubio's voting record differ from a Sen. Crist's in DC?"

@marcorubio: "no on cap/trade,stimulus&judge turned lawmakers, yes to flat or fair tax,balanced budget & ct judges who interpret law"

@thehotline: "Do you have any disagreements with Sen. Martinez' voting record? If so, what are they?"

@marcorubio: "would not have voted for immigration bill. Secure borders and fix legal process b4 we can move on to other parts of issue"

@thehotline: "Do you feel like the state GOP will be fair to you in this race? Should Greer step down?"

@marcorubio: "the backbone of state GOP is county committees. They have insisted on fairness. Party belongs to voters not to party bosses"

@thehotline: "So you're comfortable with Greer, an outspoken Crist ally, running the state party during this primary?"

@marcorubio: "I am comfortable with fact that GOP voters in Florida not state Chair or D.C. Senators will decide this election"

@thehotline: "(Please forgive our college Spanish) Qué impacto tendrán los hispanos en la elección primaria? ... (for our English-speaking audience, we asked 'what impact will Hispanics have in the primary?')" (second tweet)

@marcorubio: "they vote (son votantes!)But I need to earn their support as well (yo tengo que ganarme el voto de los hispanos)"

@thehotline: "OK, lets talk about you for a few questions and then we're done. What faith are you, if any? How often do you attend services?"

@marcorubio: "Baptised & confirmed Catholic & attend mass, also attend evangelical church with my wife every week."

@thehotline: "Numbers: How many cars do you own? How many houses? How many guns? How many kids in public school?"

@marcorubio: "own ford f150(05),lease an escalade,2 houses (miami and Tallahassee) no guns, 3 of 4 kids @ Fl Christian School in Miami."

@thehotline: "Who did you vote for in the 2006 US Senate primary?"

@marcorubio: "Johnnie Byrd, (he was house speaker at the time and I endorsed him almost 9 months before Sen. Martinez got in the race)"

Note: Rubio actually referred to the '04 GOP FL SEN primary in his tweet. In a followup email, his campaign said that in the '06 GOP primary, Rubio voted for ex-FL Secretary of State/ex-Rep. Katherine Harris.

@thehotline: "Last one: Our sources tell us you're a Dolphins fan. What do you think the Fins record will be this year?"

@marcorubio: "10-6"

On Call Aside: all tweets are reproduced exactly as they appeared.

Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Mitt Romney weighs in on today's battle of national security speeches, suggesting in a post on National Review's The Corner that Pres. Obama hasn't, ahem, taken his advice and has instead politicized the West Wing. He said Obama is "still hanging on to the campaign trail."

The item was blitzed to reporters by Romney's Free and Strong America PAC.

Two speeches, two very different men. Former Vice President Cheney seeks no political future. He speaks from the vantage of one who witnessed the killing of our fellow citizens, who deliberated and defined the strategy that would successfully prevent further murders of our fellow Americans.

His address today was direct, well-reasoned, and convincing.

President Obama, on the other hand, continues to speak as a politician. Contrary to the advice I and others gave him, he has placed two of his top political consultants in the West Wing, looking to them to opine on matters of national security. Barack Obama is having a hard time going from politician to president. His speech and his policies have one foot in campaign mode and another in presidential mode. He struggles to explain how he is keeping faith with the liberal advocates who promoted his campaign but in doing so, he breaks faith with the interests of the American people. When it comes to protecting the nation, we have a conflicted president. And his address today was more tortured than the enhanced interrogation techniques he decries.

It is laughable to suggest that Guantanamo is a meaningful aid in terrorist recruiting. Before Guantanamo came the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the bombing at Riyadh, the attacks on Khobar, the bombing of our embassies, the Cole. There will always be rallying cries for recruitment whether it is the existence of Israel or the freedoms enjoyed by Americans. Appeasement has not ever, does not now, and will never satisfy a foe who looks to destroy freedom and rule the world.

Vice President Cheney has been the target of every media, from mainstream to comic. But he spoke today as before without regard to the politics but with abiding respect for the truth. Barack Obama is still hanging on to the campaign trail. He said that the last thing he thinks about when he goes to sleep at night is keeping America safe. That's a big difference with Vice President Cheney--when it came to protecting Americans, he never went to sleep.

National Journal's Stuart Taylor shuffles his rankings for SCOTUS Justice David Souter's replacement, moving Diane P. Wood to the top of the heap.

Pres. Obama knows Wood, a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit who teaches at the University of Chicago Law School. She is impeccably credentialed, a woman (of course), a Covington & Burling alum (hello, Eric Holder), has Justice Dept. credentials, and is well regarded in the legal community. She is not a political lightning rod. Some say she's the left's John Roberts equivalent.

Here is Taylor's rationale: "The reasons include the news that Judge Wood was the first SCOTUS candidate to meet with President Obama and reports that the White House is especially impressed with her display of intellectual power and judicial temperament in 14 years on the federal appellate bench. Wood's judicial record has won the respect of conservative as well as liberal colleagues and many other experts as well."

Retiring FL Sen. Mel Martinez (R) endorsed Bill McCollum (R) this afternoon for governor:

"In these tough economic times, Bill is the best person to lead the state of Florida. He has the experience; he has been tested; and I know he is ready to be governor. Bill has the perspective an executive needs and the determination to help our state through difficult times. I am proud to give him my endorsement and look forward to calling him my Governor."

VP Joe Biden at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, today made a joke -- do we get it? not so much, but see below -- about AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

Per the WH transcript:

Hey, those of you from Alaska, your helicopter unit today gave me a copy of your patch -- Northern Exposure. (Laughter.) You've all seen it, haven't you? I just -- where the hell were you when I was debating Sarah Palin? (Laughter.) I could have used this patch. When she said, "Can I call you Joe?" I'd say, "Sure, if you wear your patch." (Laughter.) By the way, she's quite a lady -- and I mean that sincerely.

I got to admit, though, I've never seen a patch quite like this one. I won't ask what you're exposing -- but at any rate. (Laughter.)

His full remarks are available after the jump.

A fascinating Daily Kos/Research 2000 survey issued today shows that GOPer Bob McDonnell, who resigned as AG to run fulltime for governor, has the advantage over each of his possible Dem challengers in a general election match-up -- and his favorable ratings are also solidly higher than his rivals.

The poll, conducted from 5/18-20, shows McDonnell has Barack Obama-like favorables, in fact -- 53% of those surveyed said they have a very favorable or favorable view of McDonnell, compared with 58% who said the same of the president. Just three weeks before the 6/9 primary, the Dems vying for the party's nomination, fared more poorly: 37% said they have a very favorable or favorable view of Terry McAuliffe, and 35% said as much of Brian Moran and state Sen. Creigh Deeds.

Meanwhile, McDonnell would defeat McAuliffe in a general election, 44% to 34%. The GOP nom would trump Moran, 42% to 35%, and best Deeds, 45% to 32%.

If the Dem primary contest were held today, McAuliffe, who has aired a half dozen television ads, would garner 36% of the vote, compared with 22% for Moran and 13% for Deeds. Some 29% are undecided still. McAuliffe has the edge with black voters, 33% to Moran's 16% and Deeds' 2%, but a whopping 49% remain undecided -- even after Pres. Clinton stumped for pal McAuliffe, the onetime head of the DNC.

Digging into the general election numbers, there's one big bright spot for the Dems: vote-rich Northern Virginia. There, McDonnell trails McAuliffe by 25 percentage points, Moran by 24, and Deeds by 22. Fairfax, Prince William and Loudon counties comprised more than one-fifth of the statewide vote in last year's general election.

The poll has a margin of error of 4%.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Dick Cheney registered a full-throated defense this morning of the Bush administration's interrogation policies and issued a renewed call for the full release of the intelligence reaped via harsh questioning tactics. In a 34-minute speech given at AEI, Cheney also harshly criticized the Obama WH and the New York Times and asserted, as he has since leaving office, that the Bush/Cheney team kept the country safe in the wake of 9/11.

On torture

Torture was never permitted, and the methods were given careful legal review before they were approved. Interrogators had authoritative guidance on the line between toughness and torture, and they knew to stay on the right side of it. Even before the interrogation program began, and throughout its operation, it was closely reviewed to ensure that every method used was in full compliance with the Constitution, statutes, and treaty obligations. On numerous occasions, leading members of Congress, including the current speaker of the House, were briefed on the program and on the methods.

In my long experience in Washington, few matters have inspired so much contrived indignation and phony moralizing as the interrogation methods applied to a few captured terrorists.

On closing Gitmo

On his second day in office, President Obama announced that he was closing the detention facility at Guantanamo. This step came with little deliberation and no plan. Their idea now, as stated by Attorney General Holder and others, is apparently to bring some of these hardened terrorists into the United States. On this one, I find myself in complete agreement with many in the President's own party. Unsure how to explain to their constituents why terrorists might soon be relocating into their states, these Democrats chose instead to strip funding for such a move out of the most recent war supplemental.

The administration has found that it's easy to receive applause in Europe for closing Guantanamo. But it's tricky to come up with an alternative that will serve the interests of justice and America's national security. ... I think the President will find, upon reflection, that to bring the worst of the worst terrorists inside the United States would be cause for great danger and regret in the years to come.

Tactics made country safer

The broad-based strategy set in motion by President Bush obviously had nothing to do with causing the events of 9/11. But the serious way we dealt with terrorists from then on, and all the intelligence we gathered in that time, had everything to do with preventing another 9/11 on our watch. The enhanced interrogations of high-value detainees and the terrorist surveillance program have without question made our country safer. Every senior official who has been briefed on these classified matters knows of specific attacks that were in the planning stages and were stopped by the programs we put in place.

This might explain why President Obama has reserved unto himself the right to order the use of enhanced interrogation should he deem it appropriate. What value remains to that authority is debatable, given that the enemy now knows exactly what interrogation methods to train against, and which ones not to worry about. Yet having reserved for himself the authority to order enhanced interrogation after an emergency, you would think that President Obama would be less disdainful of what his predecessor authorized after 9/11. It's almost gone unnoticed that the president has retained the power to order the same methods in the same circumstances. When they talk about interrogations, he and his administration speak as if they have resolved some great moral dilemma in how to extract critical information from terrorists. Instead they have put the decision off, while assigning a presumption of moral superiority to any decision they make in the future.

On the release of interrogation memos

Releasing the interrogation memos was flatly contrary to the national security interest of the United States. The harm done only begins with top secret information now in the hands of the terrorists, who have just received a lengthy insert for their training manual.

...

As far as the interrogations are concerned, all that remains an official secret is the information we gained as a result. Some of his defenders say the unseen memos are inconclusive, which only raises the question why they won't let the American people decide that for themselves. I saw that information as vice president, and I reviewed some of it again at the National Archives last month. I've formally asked that it be declassified so the American people can see the intelligence we obtained, the things we learned, and the consequences for national security. And as you may have heard, last week that request was formally rejected. It's worth recalling that ultimate power of declassification belongs to the President himself. President Obama has used his declassification power to reveal what happened in the interrogation of terrorists. Now let him use that same power to show Americans what did not happen, thanks to the good work of our intelligence officials.

The Bush/Cheney legacy

For all the partisan anger that still lingers, our administration will stand up well in history - not despite our actions after 9/11, but because of them. ... To the very end of our administration, we kept al-Qaeda terrorists busy with other problems. We focused on getting their secrets, instead of sharing ours with them. And on our watch, they never hit this country again. After the most lethal and devastating terrorist attack ever, seven and a half years without a repeat is not a record to be rebuked and scorned, much less criminalized. It is a record to be continued until the danger has passed.

Dick Cheney began his speech on national security at AEI a few moments ago by knocking Pres. Obama for speaking too long this morning at the National Archives. Obama, of course, used his remarks to outline the principles and values that he believes should guide the country's national security policies.

"It's pretty clear the president served in the Senate and not in the House or Representatives because, of course, in the House, we have the five-minute rule," Cheney said.

In a speech at the National Archives, Pres. Obama is making the case right now for a national security policy is guided by American values and freedoms:

I have studied the Constitution as a student; I have taught it as a teacher; I have been bound by it as a lawyer and legislator. I took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief, and as a citizen, I know that we must never - ever - turn our back on its enduring principles for expedience sake.

I make this claim not simply as a matter of idealism. We uphold our most cherished values not only because doing so is right, but because it strengthens our country and keeps us safe. Time and again, our values have been our best national security asset - in war and peace; in times of ease and in eras of upheaval.

Full prepared remarks after the jump.

The Work Fairness Institute is also conducting recess activities around the Employee Free Choice Act, rallying veterans across the country to push members to oppose the bill, which makes it easier for union members to organize.

The group's internal memo outlines its strategy.

Some highlights:

-- Events with veterans in the targeted EFCA states, including AR, CO, LA, NE.

-- Veterans will be drafting and submitting op-eds to local publications and media.

-- High-profile veterans will be reaching out to bloggers and national radio programs.

-- Email messages will be sent to national and target state WFI lists activating networks to contact Members of Congress.

-- Contacts generating calls and letters into Senate offices will continue and veterans will play an increased role in the outreach during the Memorial Day recess.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with Senate Dems rejecting Pres. Obama's request for funding to close Guantanamo Bay.

Among the reaction to Senate Dems rejecting Obama's request:

CNN's J. King, on whether the WH was surprised by the Dem reaction: "In a word, yes. And they're giving credit to the Senate Republican leader, Mitchell McConnell, who almost every day for two weeks has gone to the floor of the United States Senate and drummed up this issue. Republicans have been out on every news show ... talking about this issue. And Democrats going home are getting increasingly nervous about ... the not in my backyard [issue]" ("Situation Room," 5/20).

Politico's VandeHei: "You don't even need to listen to us for a critique of this. Dianne Feinstein and other Democratic senators say that this was a big defeat for Obama because he did not get involved and he did not articulate where exactly" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 5/20).

Newsweek's Wolffe: "The administration did itself no favors in failing to give these Democrats a narrative, a story to say about what's going to happen to the detainees when Guantanamo Bay is closed down. ... But that's the extent of my reasonableness on this one, because frankly this is a spineless position for Senate Democrats to take. For start, 2008, the whole campaign was in large part debated and argued and contested about the politics of fear. You would think that the results of that election could draw an easy conclusion about where that politics should be left."

More Wolffe: "Secondly, if they're worried about polls, about terrorism, they should look at different polls because there's plenty of numbers out there that suggest Democrats, for the first time in a very long time, have drawn up in parity with Republicans on national security questions. And thirdly, Democrats gave this one of the biggest applause lines through the whole campaign. Closing Guantanamo Bay was part of restoring America's position to the world. Isn't that obvious to people, even inside the Senate?" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 5/20).

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

The AFL-CIO is using the Memorial Day recess to ramp up its push for the Employee Free Choice Act, and the events scheduled, many of them candlelight vigils, target key moderate Dems and Repubs: Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN); Arlen Specter (D-PA); Mary Landrieu (D-LA); Blanche Lincoln (D-AR); Olympia Snowe (R-ME); Susan Collins (R-ME); and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

In addition to more than a dozen candlelight vigils, the group vows to hold economic community roundtables, phone banking parties and deliver personal letters to offices of members of Congress. In total, working families will participate in more than 200 events, write 25K handwritten letters, and make 40K calls to ask Congress to pass the bill.

Highlights include:

-- A 24 hour vigil in Little Rock, AR, at Lincoln's office, featuring faith and community leaders, with shorter vigils across the state;

-- AK union members and military veterans will present signatures to Murkowski's office declaring their support for the Employee Free Choice Act, with events across the state;

-- In PA, there will be statewide candlelight vigils and roundtables featuring workers, faith leaders, academics and political leaders;

-- A roundtable on the economy and EFCA in New Orleans;

-- A working women's event with State Assembly Rep. Kristen Dexter in WI;

-- In IN, three candlelight vigils culminating with in a vigil in Indianapolis; and

-- A rally, a vigil, and smaller events featuring fired and harassed workers in ME.

No new television ads this vacation.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

The GOP -- wisely!, we'll editorialize -- voted down a resolution today that would have labeled the opposition the "Democrat Socialist Party."

RNC chair Michael S. Steele endorsed the decision:

"The Republican Party strongly believes that a government which spends without restraint, incurs record amounts of debt, owns banks and makes cars is not the right kind of 'change' America needs. Republicans are united in opposition to the destructive policies of the President and Congressional Democrats. I am pleased that the committee adopted a resolution that focuses on the Democrats' policies and their destructive effects on America's economic engine, rather than attempting to rename our opponents. The RNC and the entire Republican Party is moving forward with strength and unity."

Now onto the real business of, you know, rebuilding the GOP.

An emailed letter from Pres. Obama to the Organizing for America email list emphasizing his aim to sign sweeping health care reform legislation. It's also worth noting that there's a "donate" button at the bottom of the message.

He rarely sends "personal" messages via the OFA list, though he did use it to announce his endorsement of the Democratic candidate in the NY-20 contest.

Here's his latest entreaty:

The chance to finally reform our nation's health care system is here. While Congress moves rapidly to produce a detailed plan, I have made it clear that real reform must uphold three core principles -- it must reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for every American.

As we know, challenging the status quo will not be easy. Its defenders will claim our goals are too big, that we should once again settle for half measures and empty talk. Left unanswered, these voices of doubt might yet again derail the comprehensive reform we so badly need. That's where you come in.

When our opponents spread fear and confusion about the changes we seek, your support for these core principles will show clarity and resolve. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward.

Join my call: Ask Congress to pass real health care reform in 2009.

After adding your name, please consider sharing your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life and the lives of those you love.

I will be personally reviewing many of these signatures and stories. If you speak up now, your voice will make a difference.

http://my.barackobama.com/HealthCareOrganizing

American families are watching their premiums rise four times faster than their wages. Spiraling health care costs are shackling America's businesses, curtailing job growth and slowing the economy at the worst possible time. This has got to change.

I know personal stories can drive that change, because I know how my mother's experience continues to drive me. She passed away from ovarian cancer a little over a decade ago. And in the last weeks of her life, when she was coming to grips with her own mortality and showing extraordinary courage just to get through each day, she was spending too much time worrying about whether her health insurance would cover her bills. She deserved better. Every American deserves better. And that's why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America.

Please add your name to join my call. Then share your personal story about why you too will not rest until this job is done.

http://my.barackobama.com/HealthCareOrganizing

Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins. That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in these crucial moments, your voice once again has extraordinary power. I'm counting on you to use it.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Per the AP, a surprising turn of events in the Granite State:

A divided House has refused to go along with changes the governor demanded to make New Hampshire the sixth state to allow gay marriage. Instead, it voted to further negotiate with the Senate. The Senate passed the changes, 14-10, today, but the House failed to agree later, 188-186.

Opponents tried to kill the bill, but failed. The House then voted 207-168 to ask the Senate to negotiate a compromise.

Gov. John Lynch said last week he wouldn't sign the legislation without language to better protect churches and their employees against lawsuits if their beliefs preclude them from marrying gays.

The DSCC is raffling off dinner with Pres. Obama for $5. Check out the email solicitation, which asks for donations as part of the cmte.'s big June fundraiser, held at the Mandarin Oriental:

How does meeting President Obama sound? Save the date. Because on June 18, you and a friend could be attending a dinner and having your picture taken with the president!

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is hosting a dinner to celebrate President Obama's plans to bring needed change to our country, and excitement about the evening is growing. We'd like you to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Entering for your chance to win is easy. When you make a donation to the DSCC - the only branch of the Democratic Party solely dedicated to expanding the Democratic majority in the Senate - you will be automatically entered into a contest to win a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend our special dinner. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. All you'll have to do is decide which friend you would like to bring along and start packing!

Seems it's not sold out.

Kevin Madden -- spokesman for Mitt Romney's '08 presidential campaign -- told students at DC's Eastern Senior High School recently that he'd work for the onetime MA gov if he decides to run again.

On Call got to preview his remarks:

"I think if he were to still choose to stay in public life and run again, that would be something that I would like to contribute towards," Madden said as part of the C-SPAN series called "Students & Leaders." "So I still feel that desire, that goal, that pursuit of helping Gov. Romney in his political career."

The interview with Madden, now managing dir. in the public affairs division of The Glover Park Group and a popular television personality, will air 5/29 at 7 p.m.

DNC chair Tim Kaine wrote to MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) yesterday to urge him to certify Al Franken as the winner of MN's '08 Senate contest. Kaine tells Pawlenty, quiet to date about GOPer Norm Coleman's appeal to the state's highest court, that the whole mess shouldn't be bumped to the federal courts should MN's justices rule against Coleman.

Pawlenty, with his eye on a potential '12 WH bid, is in a bind. How long does he fly the flag for Coleman -- and the party -- when the results seem insurmountable? And at what point do MN voters, already tired of the contest, start to blame the gov for letting it drag on too long?

May 19, 2009

Governor Tim Pawlenty
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Dear Governor Pawlenty:

It has now been six months since Minnesota voters went to the polls to cast their ballots in a hard fought election for the United States Senate. No one will deny that the race was incredibly close - but after an official recount, an extensive legal process and a clear and definitive ruling by the three judge panel, it is all but indisputable that Democrat Al Franken won and will be the next Senator from Minnesota.

The voters of Minnesota elected Al Franken, and during every step in the legal process that judgment has been confirmed. By continuing to fight this losing battle - despite the fact that two-thirds of Minnesotans believe its time for him to concede - Norm Coleman is putting his own political ambition ahead of the voters choice and Minnesota's right to full representation in the Senate.

Last month, there was another hard fought race in New York's 20th Congressional district. But once Republican Jim Tedisco realized the numbers were not going his way, he appropriately conceded. He congratulated his opponent Scott Murphy and moved on. Now that the outcome of the election in Minnesota is abundantly clear: its time for Norm Coleman to follow Jim Tedisco's example. I urge you to use your influence to bring this process to an end by asking Norm Coleman to allow his neighbors and yours, their full representation in Congress.

However, if Mr. Coleman refuses to concede and this case is heard and decided by the Minnesota State Supreme Court, I urge you to commit to signing an election certificate for the rightful winner as soon as the Court issues a ruling in this case. To allow this to process to continue into the federal courts for no other reason than to deny for as long as possible the seating of another Democratic Senator would make what has been a bad situation for Minnesotans even worse. I urge you to do everything within your power and influence to bring this process to an end.

Sincerely,
Tim Kaine
Chairman Democratic National Committee

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with the Senate passing the credit card crackdown bill.

Much of last night's TV coverage focused on the Senate joining the House in withholding money for Pres. Obama's proposal to shut down Guantanamo Bay. Dems are deciding not to fund the closing until the admin. has a plan.

FNC's Angle: "Given the views of leading Democrats, it's hard to see what kind of plan Mr. Obama can come up with that would pass muster even in his own party. In addition, many Democrats are disgusted with the White House for leaving them exposed on this issue and having no plan to resolve the matter" ("Special Report," 5/19).

CNN's Bash: "Republicans are reveling in a rare victory here. They're not letting go. They're offering a measure on the Senate floor that will prohibit any detainee currently at Guantanamo Bay from coming to U.S. soil and being detained on U.S. soil. I just asked the number-two Democrat, Dick Durbin, ... whether or not he thought it would pass, and he said, yes, ... they would get enough Democratic support for it to pass" ("Situation Room," 5/19).

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "When you have Harry Reid chiming in and saying nowhere, no how, nobody, you got a problem. And I must say that Obama deserves it. He is the last prisoner on Gitmo right now, and he incarcerated himself. ... Walking all the way back on the promise of Guantanamo is going to be a hell of a thing for him to swallow. It will be a huge embarrassment" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/19).

After the jump, reax to RNC Chair Michael Steele's speech and Obama's new fuel efficiency standards.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Board of Equalization chair Judy Chu's (D) name may get lost in all the talk about the defeat of CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (D) ballot initiatives 5/19. Regardless, she's the CD's newest Rep. -- at least unofficially -- after defeating state Sen. Gil Cedillo (D) and ex-Cong. aide Emanuel Pleitez (D), by a 32%-23%-14% margin. Eight others combined for the rest.

We say presumptive because Chu will have to face off against Monterey Park Councilor Betty Chu (R) in the 7/14 general election. In CA, since no special election candidate cleared 50% in the all-party primary, the top vote getters from each party move to the general. Chu took 10% for fourth place in the balloting. But the CD is heavily Dem -- Obama carried it with 68% -- and Chu will have no problem dispatching of the underfunded GOPers' bid.

Still, since it's likely the GOP Chu benefited from J. Chu's name ID, the Dem will have some work in the general to educate voters.

While J. Chu's victory last p.m. was not surprising, it was nonetheless impressive. She defeated Cedillo and Pleitez in a majority Hispanic CD, and at the same time managed to steer her voters clear of a similarly named candidate.

J. Chu racked up the endorsements in the race, especially from labor and Hispanic politicians like L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA 47). The EMILY's List-backed candidate also received the help from many in the Solis family.

Still, it was her ground game that may have laid the framework for this victory. Of the nearly 17K absentee ballots cast heading into the last weekend, Asian voters accounted for over 30% of those. That created the base she needed in order to whomp the rest of the field.

(TIM SAHD)

A CNN/ORC survey out this evening indicates there is agreement between GOP and Dem voters against the release of photos of U.S. military personnel allegedly abusing Iraqi prisoners.

The poll says that 87% of Repubs and 62 percent of Dems oppose the public release of photos. Three out of four independent voters, meanwhile, would also prefer for the photos to stay under wraps.

So there was little cost then for Pres. Obama, even with his base, in deciding to withhold them.

Read on.

Dem Brian Moran is airing his first television ad in the contest for VA gov, a spot that contrasts his record with that of rival Terry McAuliffe. The spot will debut this evening Northern Virginia, in conjunction with the 8 p.m. airing of today's final candidate debate (taped earlier in the day and written up on On Call), and will then go into "regular rotation" in Hampton Roads and Richmond.

National Journal's experts explore the fallout over revelations that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on harsh interrogation tactics used on detainees.

NJ.com's Shane Harris asked the experts:

As the White House, Justice Department, Pentagon, State Department and CIA establish and implement policies for extracting information from terrorist suspects, what useful roles can members of Congress play in oversight? After all, they are the recipients of top-secret briefings on the matters. Is Congress, given its awareness of the Bush administration's interrogation program, now too compromised to conduct a fair and thorough investigation of the roles played by Bush policymakers?

Click through for responses from a collection of contributors, including Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO); Amy Zegart, a public policy professor, UCLA; and Col. W. Patrick Lang, (U.S. Army, ret.).

The dynamics of today's final Dem debate for VA gov showed that the three candidates vying for the nomination know there's one frontrunner: Terry McAuliffe, who chaired the DNC from '01 to '05.

With three weeks until voters go to the polls to select a candidate to battle the GOP's Bob McDonnell, each of McAuliffe's rivals raised questions about the Dem's character and his vows to make big sweeping changes in the state, despite his inexperience in Richmond. McAuliffe, meanwhile, appeared to relish playing defense.

During a segment of the event sponsored by The Washington Post and News Channel 8 in which the candidates questioned each other, State Sen. Creigh Deeds rattled off a list of McAuliffe's promises to voters, ranging from paying off teachers' mortgages to making the state the film capital of the nation to building a new high school gym in Martinsville.

"Those are a few of the things you've said in public, I don't know what you've said in private," Deeds said, perched in the middle of the candidates at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale.

Later, Moran targeted McAuliffe for claiming on the campaign trail that he has created thousands of jobs. Moran said McAuliffe has suggested he's employed 100K people, which, he noted, would be "more than Bill Gates and Microsoft." Moran added that McAuliffe cashed in an investment in now-defunct telecommunications giant Global Crossing that earned him $20M (McAuliffe's team has suggested he make $8.1M, reports indicate he could have reaped as much as $18M). And Moran said that the five VA businesses McAuliffe says he created were all limited liability corporations that were run out of his McLean home and did not create jobs.

McAuliffe was unfazed. He called Moran's attack, "the politics of personal destruction."

"People are sitting home watching this today saying, 'What are you going to do for me?'" McAuliffe said. "... I can justify everything I've done."

When his turn rolled round, Moran tried another tactic, suggesting that McAuliffe, who is airing an ad that advocates for protection from payday lenders, doesn't understand how state government functions.

"I don't have time to teach you the legislative process nor do Virginians have time for you to learn," Moran said, prompting some boos in the audience.

Moran added, "This isn't the politics of division. This is the politics of record."

And on it went. The race, upended by McAuliffe's entry, remains imbalanced. A veteran of bruising national campaigns, McAuliffe seemed unmoved by the attacks of Deeds and Moran, deflecting them easily and advising, as he has throughout the contest, that he can "shake it up" in Richmond. McAuliffe said he'll think out of the box and that he hasn't been part of the partisan battles of the past.

Moran, for his part, said that having a toiled in the trenches of state government -- he was a state delegate for 13 years -- will help him get legislation through the GOP-dominated General Assembly.

"Records are important," he said. "I have a twenty year record of fighting for Virginians."

In a strong closing, Deeds cast himself as the candidate "who can go best head-to-head" against McDonnell, who resigned as AG in February to run fulltime for governor. Deeds lost the '05 AG contest to McDonnell by fewer than 400 votes, and today he said that "middle class families don't stand a chance with Bob McDonnell in the governor's mansion." He also said that McDonnell is outside the mainstream of VA voters in opposing stem cell research and a woman's right to have an abortion.

The candidates parsed positions on drilling for offshore oil. McAuliffe said no to drilling but that he wants all other options on the table, and he used the opportunity to pitch his recent endorsement by the League of Conservation Voters. "I get excited about alternative energy," he crowed, implementing a trademark line.

Meanwhile, Moran opposes offshore drilling, a position he said today is in sync with that of the U.S. Navy.

And Deeds said he'd be supportive if it's environmentally safe. "We can do the offshore drilling if we get royalty payments," Deeds said, adding, "whatever's off the coast of Virginia is not the panacea."

Not one of the candidates offered a surefire way to cure the state's traffic woes, which plague the Washington suburbs, though each advocated for high speed rail and suggested that a solution is critical to jumpstarting the state's economy.

In the waning weeks of the contest, as much was to be gleaned from the body language onstage as from the substance of the discussion.

When Deeds questioned McAuliffe, he slipped on his eyeglasses, glancing at the Dem from above the frames. He mentioned that he had solicited voter questions for his rivals in the days before the debate. Moran, by contrast, grew red in the face while querying McAuliffe. McAuliffe, always animated when speaking, mostly looked straight into the distance while his rivals answered questions. At times it appeared he wasn't even listening.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

New Americans United for Change spot -- dubbed "Jobs of the Future " -- will go up tomorrow on DC cable. The ad, which promotes Pres. Obama's energy plan, will air through the end of the week.

"Fifty years ago a young President challenged us to put a man on the moon," says a narrator. "John Kennedy's vision put America in the forefront of the technological revolution that created the jobs of the future -- for a generation Americans. Today President Obama has challenged us again - to create the jobs of the future for our generation - millions of clean energy jobs."

The ad asks voters to call their members of Congress to issue their support for Obama's proposal.

"When the time comes, will the Party of NO help President Obama create millions of green jobs -- or keep looking out for big oil's bottom line?" said Jeremy Funk, comm. dir. of the group.

U.N. Sec.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Bill Clinton as the U.N. special envoy for Haiti.

"I am confident that President Clinton will bring energy, dynamism and focus to the task of mobilizing international support for Haiti's economic recovery and reconstruction," said Mr. Ban.

Clinton, in a statement circulated by his foundation: "It is an honor to accept the Secretary General's invitation to become Special Envoy to Haiti. Last year's natural disasters took a great toll, but Haiti's government and people have the determination and ability to "build back better," not just to repair the damage done but to lay the foundations for the long term sustainable development that has eluded them for so long."

Haiti, deemed by Reuters as "the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, which suffered four hurricanes and riots last year," is in dire need of international assistance. And Clinton is just the high profile, influential global figure who could turn attention to the nation's plight.

The AP reports that State Dept. attys must sign off on the appointment because of Clinton's marriage to Sec/State Hillary Rodham Clinton. They "must approve and review some of Clinton's international activities under an agreement between the U.S. Senate and the Clinton Foundation, which works in Haiti on a number of issues including health care, AIDS, the environment and economic development."

Will ex-OK Gov. Frank Keating (R), who leads the American Council of Life Insurers, seek Sen. Tom Coburn's seat if the GOPer retires?

National Journal's Peter H. Stone examines.

Cyrus Krohn, former E-Campaign dir. for the RNC, chatted with NJ.com's Lucas Grindley about his decision to leave the party when incoming chair Michael S. Steele signed on. Krohn offered praise for his successor, Todd Herman, but had words of caution for the gaffe-prone Steele.

NJ: You've already said you have a lot of confidence in your successor. Do you have any advice for him going forward on how to work with the chairman?

Krohn: I don't have any advice for my successor. Frankly, he's smarter than I am. [Laughs] He'll do a wonderful job. Maybe the best thing he could do at the committee would be to help temper Chairman Steele's comments when he feels he needs to speak freely.

NJ: I was wondering what you think of all that. His comments are getting a lot of play.

Krohn: I think first impressions are everything, and he could have come out of the gate a little bit differently.

NJ: More quietly?

Krohn: I'll leave that to your listeners.

Click through for the full conversation with Krohn, a Yahoo veteran whose departure from the RNC was a real blow to the party.

The American Future Fund (AFF) launched a radio ad today inviting Iowans to its upcoming Conservative Lecture Series event featuring Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). It's the first time the group has run such a spot in advance of a lawmaker's event, amplifying a visit already viewed as the first of many by Ensign in the run-up to the '12 WH contest.

"Hundreds of billions in bailouts...A trillion dollar debt...Social Security and Medicare on their way to bankruptcy...And now, a vacancy on the Supreme Court," a narrator says. "There's no shortage of big problems. What we need are clear, conservative voices leading the debate. ... One of the Senate's leading conservatives, and considered a rising star in the conservative movement, Senator Ensign will offer conservative solutions to the challenges we face."

The ad will run in Sioux City, "tilted to the leading news talker that carries Rush, Hannity, Beck, etc.," writes Tim Albrecht, AFF's communications director.

Ensign will appear 6/1 in Sioux City at the Wilbur Aalfs (Main) Library. As On Call reported last week, he added two more stops to his schedule, Le Mars and Sioux Center.

Full script available after the jump.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with Pres. Obama's new fuel efficiency standards.

Obama's meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was dissected during last night's TV coverage.

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "There were two new, important elements. One was overt and one was implied. The new element ... was that, for the first time, Obama stated that his negotiations with Iran are not open-ended. He set not a deadline, but a timeline. ... Secondly, they both implied that the negotiations will not be just between Israel and Palestinians. A two-way will become a three-way. The premise here is that the Palestinians are too weak. ... So what is going to happen is you will see Israel start to make small concessions" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/18).

Int'l Crisis Group's Robert Malley: "This is not a marriage made in heaven. There are serious differences between the two sides. ... And it's as if each one spent those 30 minutes, [with Obama] saying, 'Well, Netanyahu agrees with me,' and then Netanyahu saying, 'No, no, no, Obama agrees with me,' trying to paper over differences that are not really germane today, but are likely to become more relevant in the months to come" ("NewsHour," PBS, 5/18).

CNN's Zakaria, on Netanyahu not endorsing a two-state solution: "That seemed, to me, the one place where if the Obama administration had been hoping for some kind of a conversion or an attempt to be nice to the Americans, Netanyahu did not come through. He clearly understood what the Obama administration wanted him to say at that moment and he did not say it. ... To my mind, it was, in a sense, a rejection of the two states" ("Situation Room," 5/18).

More after the jump, including Obama's Notre Dame speech and Bush admin. secrets revealed.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

VP Joe Biden had kind words for the late Tim Russert yesterday as he delivered the Wake Forest commencement address in place of the one-time host of NBC's "Meet the Press." Biden said he and Russert came from equally humble beginnings and that each felt at times they didn't belong in Washington company.

Tim and I came to Washington four years apart, but from similar backgrounds -- he came from a blue collar neighborhood in Buffalo, and I came from a working-class neighborhood in Scranton, Pennsylvania. But we shared something in common -- even though we didn't know each other at the time -- we grew up in neighborhoods where we never had to wonder whether or not we were loved.

We were both raised by parents who had an absolute conviction, an absolute belief in the promise of this country, and that even two kids from similar backgrounds could do anything they wanted. We grew up in a time when our parents told us, and meant it and believed it, even though they were of modest means, that if we worked hard, played by the rules, did what we were supposed to, loved our country, there wasn't a single thing we couldn't do.

Full remarks available after the jump.

Dem Terry McAuliffe has this to say today in response to VA gov rival Brian Moran's new radio ad, which seeks to hang Hillary Clinton's controversial 3 a.m. presidential spot around McAuliffe's neck:

Ex-Senate Maj. Leader Tom Daschle, who served as a nat'l co-chair for Barack Obama's WH campaign, endorsed Me, Me, Me, McAuliffe announced in an email.

Per the McAuliffe camp release, here's Daschle:

"As the national co-chair of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and one of his earliest supporters, I was impressed by the time and energy Terry put into traveling across Virginia and the country on Barack Obama's behalf during the general election.

"From the day Hillary Clinton ended her historic bid for president, Terry worked tirelessly to unify our party around Barack Obama and get him elected President. His energy and enthusiasm were tremendous assets on the campaign trail and we were grateful to have him on our side.

"Terry has decades of experience creating jobs and turning around struggling businesses, including bringing the Democratic National Committee out of debt for the first time in modern history. I believe this experience makes him uniquely qualified to be the next governor of Virginia and I support his candidacy."

The Daschle endorsement marks the latest effort by McAuliffe to blur lines between his longtime Clinton loyalties and Obamaland. The state backed Obama over Clinton during the Dem primary by 29 points. McAuliffe needs Obama voters to turn out for him during the 6/9 party primary.

Daschle's son, Nathan, is exec. dir. of the DGA, so we asked spokeswoman Emily DeRose if the senior Daschle's endorsement indicated the group's preference for McAuliffe in the three-way battle for the Dem nom in VA.

She said the DGA is staying neutral.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) has been hospitalized with an infection, the AP is reporting.

The longest-serving senator in history, Byrd was admitted 5/15 "with a temperature spike evidently caused by a minor infection," his office announced this a.m. He "is being treated with antibiotics, responding well and is expected to be released from the hospital in a few days," the senator's office said in a statement.

Treas. Sec. Timothy Geithner will speak with Jon Meacham, Newsweek's editor and recent Pulitzer Prize winner, today at the National Press Club. 1 p.m. ET.

Watch it live here.

FL AG Bill McCollum made it official today that he'll run for gov.

"The hallmark of my administration will be access and inclusion," McCollum said in a statement. "It will be an administration that does not focus on partisan labels but brings the brightest minds from every walk of life together - every race, creed, religion - to solve problems and move this state forward."

He held an event in Orlando during which he outlined his priorities, which the campaign emailed to reporters:

Fostering a better climate for growing jobs and our economy by luring businesses to the state and growing our own.

Creating an elementary, secondary, and higher education system that is second to none.

Improving affordable, accessible quality of healthcare - especially for our children, our veterans and our elderly.

Renewing the state's commitment to protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources.

Promoting intelligent, responsible growth by tackling the tough issues of property insurance, taxes, and water usage.

Making public safety the top priority it should be.

Solving Florida's transportation needs for the 21st century.

Establishing Florida as the leader in solar energy, clean energy, and nuclear power.

"Together we can meet all these challenges," McCollum added. "As your governor I will work hard every day to turn obstacles into opportunities."

His announcement comes days after Dem Alex Sink, FL's CFO, announced her candidacy.

Dem Brian Moran is airing a new radio ad in VA, hitting rival Terry McAuliffe, who chaired Hillary Clinton's presidential team, for being part of the effort to craft the 3 a.m. ad that asserted Barack Obama was not ready to be elected to the WH. The ad was, of course, one of the most talked about of the heated Dem primary campaign. McAuliffe, meanwhile, has worked to embrace the Obama "change" mantle in VA, despite his ties to Clinton, who was defeated in the state's primary by 29 points.

Listen to the Moran ad, titled "Turn the Page," and here's the script:

"Terry McAuliffe may have a lot of big money for his campaign, but don't let that hide the truth. The truth is, Terry McAuliffe led the campaign that ran the '3 a.m.' attack ad against Barack Obama. McAuliffe worked to put up the ads that questioned Obama's ability to be President. The fact is, if Terry McAuliffe had his way, Barack Obama wouldn't be our President today. McAuliffe even went on national TV and joked Barack Obama could, quote, 'kiss my ass.' The New York Times put it best, saying '[Barack] Obama ran against exactly the kind of big-money 1990s politics that McAuliffe has come to represent.' We need to stand against McAuliffe's big-money politics today. Brian Moran has been fighting for our community for decades. Brian Moran will take on big- money Wall Street politics and fight for our streets as Governor."

In the Hampton Roads version: "Locally, Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus Kelly Alexander urges you to vote for Brian Moran for Governor. We can count on Brian Moran."

In the Richmond version: "Locally, Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones urges you to vote for Brian Moran for Governor. We can count on Brian Moran.

Pres. Obama nominated UT Gov. John Huntsman (R) as ambassador to China this morning, effectively pulling one of his most formidable potential '12 GOP rivals out of the running.

It's a savvy move for the administration, but also for Huntsman, who could use the international experience and bipartisan cooperation to launch a bid down the line in the post Obama era.

Huntsman speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, according to a a WH release, and he and his wife have seven children, two of whom were adopted from China and India.

From the pool report, provided by Deb Price of the Detroit News:

"China will have a crucial role in confronting all the major challenges" of the world, underscoring the importance of this post, Obama said during this morning's announcement event. "I believe there is much to be gained from a closer working relationship with China."

Huntsman said he "never expected" as national co-chair of Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign to be standing there. But when the president asks for service, he said, "that to me is the end of the conversation." He thanked his family and the president.

Huntsman said first in Mandarin, then English, a Chinese saying: "Together we work. Together we progress."

Diane Wood, a possibility to fill the SCOTUS vacancy created by Justice David Souter's departure, is attending the annual meeting of the 7th Circuit Bar Association and 7th Circuit Judicial Conference 5/17 at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Pres. Obama will be attending two Democratic fundraisers at the Westin the same day.

Coincidence? Perhaps. Still, one couldn't help but notice.

The WH has included Wood, an appellate judge for the 7th Circuit, on its short list of candidates. National Journal's Stuart Taylor Jr. ranks Wood third in his list of potential candidates.

(NJ.com's AMY HARDER)

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the new ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Cmte., told C-SPAN during an inteview to air Sunday as part of its "Newsmakers" series that he won't make abortion a litmus test in assessing Pres. Obama's first pick for the high court.

"Could I support a pro-abortion nominee? The answer is yes," Sessions said, courtesy of an advance clip provided to On Call by C-SPAN. "I think it's a great country. I don't expect nominees to come to the bench who do not have views on issues, and I don't expect them to not to have been engaged in the great issues of the day," but "...they shouldn't allow their personal view on abortion to shape how they define the law."

Sessions also told C-SPAN that if nominated for the upcoming vacancy on the court, Solicitor Gen. Elena Kagan -- whom he did not support for the job -- should be allowed to come forward with a clean slate. He said he does not favor a "filibuster" as a tactic to block appointments but would not rule it out in the future.

"Newsmakers" airs at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm (ET).

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Terry McAuliffe's sixth television ad began airing today in VA. It pushes his business background and is faithfully titled, "Saved." The ad suggests that McAuliffe, one of three Dems running for VA governor, was elected chairman of a bank, FCNB, in 1988 that he helped turn around.

"As governor," McAuliffe says in the ad, "I'll make it my job to protect your job."

It will run in the Richmond, Roanoke and Norfolk media markets. Script is available after the jump.

In its final legal brief before the state Supreme Court, filed today in advance of 6/1 oral arguments, ex-Sen. Norm Coleman's (R) team pushed back on entertainer Al Franken's (D) assertion that errors in counting ballots were "minor," arguing that the trial court should review 4.4K ballots that "affected the final outcome" and are "still wrongly excluded from the count."

"What we're asking for is uniformity," Coleman atty Ben Ginsberg told reporters on a conference call. "We believe that the way to do that is to presume the presumptions that were presumed on Election Day." Ginsberg insisted that Coleman was not advocating that voters who are ineligible to vote should take part in the process, but rather that all ballots be handled "with the same degree of certainty."

Ginsberg, on which ballots should be counted: "That's for the Supreme Court to tell us, but they need to tell us in the context of consistency."

He noted that in the spirit of enfranchising voters, any uncounted ballots assembled by the Franken team "could be counted," but that it would ultimately be up to the Supreme Court. Ginsberg: "We wouldn't be opposed to that."

Ginsberg also said that his team "didn't address" in its brief the issue of when Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) should sign an election certificate. "The court will do what the court does," Ginsberg said.

Asked why the campaign's advisory request to the FEC on campaign funds wasn't released publicly in April, Ginsberg replied that it is the FEC, not the campaign, that decides when such requests are made public.

On what Coleman spoke about with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA 07) yesterday and if he or Coleman has spoken to other nat'l party leaders about what happens next: "I'm just a humble lawyer and really don't know the answer to either."

(FELICIA SONMEZ)

House Race Hotline editor Tim Sahd takes a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week. Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning.

5. FL-13: House Sweet House

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) said goodbye to his statewide ambitions 5/12, just hours after Gov. Charlie Crist (R) announced his SEN bid. The upshot is that this race basically gets moved to the backburner for Dems.

An open seat would've given Dems a big break here, as several strong recruits were poised to enter. But with the deep-pocketed Buchanan back, Dems don't look to be able to land a tier-one candidate. It's still doable, but this race just moved down the list of pickup opportunities for Dems.

4. SC-02 And IL-13: We've Seen These Shows Before

They're baaaack! In SC-02, '08 nominee/Iraq vet Rob Miller (D) has decided to take on Rep. Joe Wilson (R), while in IL-13, '08 nominee/businessman Scott Harper (D) has opted to challenge Rep. Judy Biggert (R).

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts DNC Chair Tim Kaine and RNC Chair Michael Steele, and features a roundtable with Council on Foreign Relations pres. Richard Haass, Newsweek's Jon Meacham, Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan and Atlantic's Ron Brownstein.

Face the Nation hosts Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and ACLU exec. dir. Anthony Romero, and features a roundtable with Slate's John Dickerson and USA Today's Joan Biskupic.

This Week hosts Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and features a roundtable with Liz Cheney, Dem strategist James Carville, ex-McCain sr. adviser Steve Schmidt, Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts Univ. of Notre Dame prof. Rev. Richard McBrien, Nat'l Dir. of Priests for Life Rev. Frank Pavone, Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell, and features a roundtable with FNC's Brit Hume, Fortune's Nina Easton, Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol and AP's Jennifer Loven. The "Power Player" is Smithsonian Board of Regents chair Patty Stonesifer.

State of the Union hosts OMB dir. Peter Orszag, House Min. Leader John Boehner and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Earlier this afternoon, Cindy McCain showed us that everyone's a reporter in the age of Twitter.

5/15, 9:46 AM: "Weather is nice. Just kicking back on a nice train and watching a video with ML who is with me."

9:59 AM: "ML and I are laughing wildly at this movie we are watching!!"

12:20 PM: "Our Amtrak train hit someone on the track just outside of Baltimore. We are stopped waiting to transfer to another train."

12:26 PM: "The person evidently did not make it. The coroner just arrived. This is dreadful."

12:44 PM: "We have just transferred from an Amtrak train to a MARC commuter train. What a dreadful mess. Say a prayer for the victim on the track."

12:46 PM: "This is standing room only too."

On Call Aside: all tweets are reproduced exactly as they appeared.

WOTT provides a carefully selected slice of tweets written by political leaders, ex-politicians and candidates for office nationwide. Hotline subscribers can read the best overnight tweets in our AM edition.

Do you have a favorite political tweep you think should be added to our list? Email us at hotlinetwitter@nationaljournal.com.

Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

With $24.3M in the bank, the RNC took in $5.7M in April, $5.4M of it was from donations, according to a party release. In March, the RNC raised $6.7M in contributions and $5.1M the month prior.

"The Republican National Committee again had a strong month of fundraising, which will be vital as we prepare for the important races later this fall and next year," RNC chair Michael S. Steele said in a statement.

No word yet about the DNC's April numbers. The Dems trailed the GOP for the first quarter of the year.

WH sr. adviser David Axelrod was the headliner on last night's live taping of NPR's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" In front of a sold-out audience at GW's Lisner Auditorium, Axelrod played "Not My Job," the segment where "famous people are quizzed on subjects about which they know absolutely nothing."

Although his boss, Pres. Obama, "sat in the hot seat" in '05 (when he was asked about superstitious baseball player Wade Boggs -- and got all three questions right), Axelrod was the first Obama admin. official to appear on the program. Based in Chicago, "Wait Wait" hits the road seven or eight times a year.

Prior to the quiz, Axelrod mused about what makes a good political consultant. "Good taste," he said, seeming to imply that picking solid candidates is key.

But host Peter Sagal noted one resume line item Axelrod would probably like to forget. "That's why you worked for Eliot Spitzer," he said, a reference to Axelrod's work on Spitzer's '06 NY GOV bid.

The key difference between the Obama campaign and the WH, Axelrod said, is that governing is "intimidating."

"You don't have to wear a tie as a consultant," Axelrod added, noting that he didn't wear a tie to the show so he would look "hip."

Panelist Roxanne Roberts of the Washington Post later mentioned the criticism Obama received for being more lax about the Oval Office dress code. But Axelrod had an easy explanation.

"We noticed they wore coats in the office, and we saw how that went," he said of the prior administration.

Speaking of the Bush team, Axelrod also rejected Sagal's suggestion that he is viewed as Obama's Karl Rove, who essentially ran the GOP from the WH. "I'd like to think we're better than that," Axelrod said.

Meanwhile, comedian Paula Poundstone, another panelist, said she was curious if Axelrod ever tired of the word "change" during the campaign. "I can't even ask people to break a dollar," she joked.

"We thought about changing 'change,'" Axelrod answered.

As for his normal work routine, Axelrod said he arrives to work at 7am; he quipped that his first task is walking First Dog Bo. Joking aside, Axelrod was asked if his experience thus far has mirrored the hit TV show "The West Wing." Axelrod, whose day primarily consists of meetings, recalled a recent day that involved issues with North Korea, the auto industry and Afghanistan. To top it off, WH CoS Rahm Emanuel informed him Fargo, ND, was being evacuated.

"I slumped in my chair and thought, 'This is The West Wing,'" he said.

Still, Axelrod said Obama is "very much the same guy I met years ago." Sometimes, when the two men are alone, Axelrod lapses into calling him "Barack" instead of "Mr. President."

Sagal pressed Axelrod for information about if and where Obama smokes, but Axelrod avoided the trap. "I have no knowledge," he said. On whether he smells smoke on Obama's breath, Axelrod: "The president and I are close -- not that close."

During the quiz portion, which included esoteric topics like French philosophy, Axelrod looked to to the audience for help. Sagal: "You're going to go with these people? They elected George Bush twice!" Roberts: "Not these people."

Earlier, Sagal, joined by judge/scorekeeper Carl Kasell, greeted the audience with some general observations, noting that DC is full of bright people who "look like they dressed up like their parents." Asking the audience to turn off all cell phones and pagers, Sagal: "I don't care whose assistant you are."

To find how Axelrod performed on the quiz, tune into WAMU 88.5 at 11am on 5/16. If you are not in DC, check local listings.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate Republican Conference, released this statement today endorsing FL Gov. Charlie Crist for SEN:

"The thought of Governor Crist becoming Senator Crist is welcome news. Three years into his first term as Governor, he's the most popular elected official in Florida's history because of his outstanding career as a no-nonsense attorney general, a progressive education commissioner, and a fiscally conservative chief executive who last year led Florida to its largest property-tax decrease ever. The U.S. Senate needs Charlie Crist, and I'll do all I can to help him get there."

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) endorsed Dem Brian Moran today for VA GOV.

Not sure how much sway the young Kennedy, a New Englander, will have in the Commonwealth. But as members of VA's cong. delegation have remained largely mum about their favorites in the party's primary (save Rep. Rick Boucher (D), who endorsed state Sen. Creigh Deeds) the Kennedy nod could at least help produce a few headlines as the three contenders, Terry McAuliffe rounds out the bunch, head into the waning weeks of the race.

Kennedy's statement:

"Last November, families in Virginia and across the nation helped usher in a new generation of leadership. However, the need for this new generation of leaders is not confined to Washington and the White House. I believe there is only one candidate in the race for Governor of Virginia who represents the same values, the same principles, and the same ideals that I have stood and fought for throughout my career in public service.

Today, I want to add my voice to the growing number of people who believe that Brian Moran is the right man to lead Virginia into the next decade. For 20 years Brian Moran has proven himself to be a dedicated public servant who will fight for the people of Virginia. As Governor, he will continue to battle for the hard working people of Virginia each and every day.

When I was young, my family instilled in me an appreciation for the challenges of public service. Brian Moran also comes from such a family. As Governor, I know he will represent the values that have made Virginia strong throughout our nation's history.

We live in a difficult time. We continue to face economic uncertainty at home and instability abroad. Virginia's next Governor will need the empathy to understand the hardships working families face every day and the strength to fight for those families. For two decades, Brian Moran has built his career on compassion and strength. He has fought to preserve our environment, to raise the minimum wage, to expand healthcare, and to pay our teachers better. Despite often facing daunting odds, he has embraced each challenge and never faltered in his commitment to the people of Virginia.

Brian is a man who believes in the inherent strength that exists in one's commitment to family and community. His dedication to public service and steadfastness to improve the lives of his fellow citizens is unwavering. He understands that we face tough times ahead, but has no doubt that with ingenuity, resolve, and our indomitable spirit as Americans we can once again make this country the land of opportunity and success. I know he will be a strong partner for President Obama in bringing long-term prosperity to our country and Virginia.

I am proud to stand beside Brian as the candidate for Governor who will represent the hardworking families of Virginia and who embodies the next generation of leadership our country has ushered in."

Meanwhile, the Moran camp announced today, too, that Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, will host a fundraiser for Moran 5/27 at her home, the historic Hickory Hill, in McLean.

"World News" and "Nightly News" both led with Chrysler shutting down 789 dealerships. "Evening News" led with NASA's Hubble mission.

CNBC's Harwood spoke with Speaker Nancy Pelosi after her press conference in which she accused the CIA of misleading Congress about waterboarding.

Harwood: "Karl Rove wrote in the Wall Street Journal today that you weren't telling the truth. ... But it's not just coming from conservatives. Jon Stewart the other night on the 'Daily Show' had a segment that raised questions about your account in April said that you hadn't known about waterboarding. Do you understand why some people feel misled by your previous statement?"

Pelosi: "No."

Harwood: "And is it hurting your leadership?"

Pelosi: "Absolutely not. Karl Rove is going to say what Karl Rove has said, so why even go there? Jon Stewart, I'm a big fan, I watch him every night and mocking Congress is just stock and trade of what many of those shows do. But the fact is is that the CIA misled the Congress in how it briefed us. ... They specifically said waterboarding wasn't being used when they knew that it was."

After the jump, more Pelosi, military tribunals and detainee photos.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Well, not all of the National Journal's GOP Political Insiders were that tough on Dick Cheney, who has assumed a higher-than-normal profile in battling the Obama admin. on terrorism issues, but a solid 57% said he has "hurt the Republican Party since leaving office" in this week's Political Insiders Poll.

The general sense among these GOP Insiders is that while Cheney might even be right on the substance of his message, he's the wrong messenger because he reminds people of an unpopular presidency and conveys a gruff image that is not very attractive to swing voters.

At the same time, 33% of the GOP Insiders said Cheney has "helped the party since leaving office." Their argument is that Cheney has the stature and smarts to challenge Obama and the cong. Dems on terrorism and nat'l security issues, and he's actually put them a bit on the defense, especially on the issue of methods used to interrogate captured terrorists.

Five percent of the GOP Insiders said they didn't think Cheney was having much effect on the party one way or the other and the remaining 5% said that he had helped and hurt the party since leaving office.

Not surprisingly, a whopping 92% of the Dem Insiders said the ex-VP had hurt the GOP since leaving office while 6% said he had helped and 3% said he had done both, neither or that it was too soon to tell.

Cheney's office had no comments on the results.

For the complete results of the poll and the verbatim comments of the GOP and Dem Insiders click through.

(National Journal's JIM BARNES)

Civic leader Joe Torsella will not challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) in next year's primary, clearing the path for the newly-minted Dem. Torsella's video message is above.

Per CongressDaily:

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) said today the "prospects are pretty good" for a compromise on legislation making it easier for workers to form unions.

Specter had come out against the card-check bill in March, disappointing labor leaders who had hoped he would be the crucial 60th vote needed to overcome an expected GOP filibuster of the Employee Free Choice Act. But Specter has since switched to the Democratic Party, and told the AP today he has been meeting with labor leaders and fellow senators in hopes of coming up with a compromise he could support. Specter would not elaborate on the negotiations, but said he is "hard at work trying to find some way to find an answer."

Pro-union groups have placed intense pressure on Specter to support the card-check bill -- their top priority this year -- as they consider whether to endorse his 2010 re-election bid; a pro-labor group went on the air in PA yesterday seeking to prod Specter to back the measure.

NJ.com's Amy Harder reports that Pres. Obama met this week not just with Senate leaders to discuss the SCOTUS vacancy but also with seven progressive groups, including People for the American Way and the National Council of La Raza.

Read on via NJ's new blog, The Ninth Justice.

Gov. John Lynch (D) weighed in this afternoon on the bill that will soon cross his desk sanctioning same sex marriage. He said in a statement that he would like it expanded to include broader protections for religious organizations that refuse to perform marriage ceremonies:

"The gay marriage debate in New Hampshire has been filled with passion and emotion on all sides.

"My personal views on the subject of marriage have been shaped by my own experience, tradition and upbringing. But as Governor of New Hampshire, I recognize that I have a responsibility to consider this issue through a broader lens.

"In the past weeks and months, I have spoken with lawmakers, religious leaders and citizens. My office has received thousands of phone calls, letters and emails. I have studied our current marriage and civil union laws, the laws of other states, the bills recently passed by the legislature and our history and traditions.

"Two years ago, we passed civil unions legislation here in New Hampshire. That law gave same-sex couples in civil unions the same rights and protections as marriage. And in typical New Hampshire fashion, the people of this state embraced civil unions and agreed we needed to continue our tradition of opposing discrimination.

"At its core, HB 436 simply changes the term 'civil union' to 'civil marriage.' Given the cultural, historical and religious significance of the word marriage, this is a meaningful change.

"I have heard, and I understand, the very real feelings of same-sex couples that a separate system is not an equal system. That a civil law that differentiates between their committed relationships and those of heterosexual couples undermines both their dignity and the legitimacy of their families.

"I have also heard, and I understand, the concerns of our citizens who have equally deep feelings and genuine religious beliefs about marriage. They fear that this legislation would interfere with the ability of religious groups to freely practice their faiths.

"Throughout history, our society's views of civil rights have constantly evolved and expanded. New Hampshire's great tradition has always been to come down on the side of individual liberties and protections.

"That is what I believe we must do today.

"But following that tradition means we must act to protect both the liberty of same-sex couples and religious liberty. In their current form, I do not believe these bills accomplish those goals.

"The Legislature took an important step by clearly differentiating between civil and religious marriage, and protecting religious groups from having to participate in marriage ceremonies that violate their fundamental religious beliefs.

"But the role of marriage in many faiths extends beyond the actual marriage ceremony.

"I have examined the laws of other states, including Vermont and Connecticut, which have recently passed same-sex marriage laws. Both go further in protecting religious institutions than the current New Hampshire legislation.

"This morning, I met with House and Senate leaders, and the sponsors of this legislation, and gave them language that will provide additional protections to religious institutions.

"This new language will provide the strongest and clearest protections for religious institutions and associations, and for the individuals working with such institutions.
It will make clear that they cannot be forced to act in ways that violate their deeply held religious principles.

"If the legislature passes this language, I will sign the same-sex marriage bill into law. If the legislature doesn't pass these provisions, I will veto it.

"We can and must treat both same-sex couples and people of certain religious traditions with respect and dignity.

"I believe this proposed language will accomplish both of these goals and I urge the legislature to pass it."

NH would be the sixth state to allow gay marriage. Lynch's proposed amendment is available after the jump.

Conservative bloggers usually don't have a lot of nice things to say about Pres. Obama, but several of the President's recent national security decisions have been warmly received by the right.

Earlier this week, conservative bloggers praised Obama for replacing Gen. David D. McKiernan with Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The next day, Weekly Standard blogger (and ex-John McCain spokesperson) Michael Goldfarb commended Obama for threatening to curtail intelligence sharing with Great Britain if it disclosed new details about the interrogation of ex-Guantanamo detainee Binyam Mohamed. And now Obama is winning plaudits from the right for his decision to come out against the release of the detainee abuse photos.

To be sure, conservative bloggers aren't all heaping praise on Obama for reversing his stance on the photos, as they attribute his shift to political calculation rather than principle. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey argues: "With the CIA already battling the White House after the release of the OLC memos, the last thing Obama needed was a war with the Pentagon." Still, righty bloggers are pleased that Obama is willing to back away from "the ideological promises he made during the campaign," even if it means angering the left.

And boy, is the left angry. Obama's efforts to conceal information about the interrogation of Mohamed have already been criticized by civil libertarians in the blogosphere, but his reversal on the issue of the detainee photos produced an even greater furor. Cenk Uygur calls the move a "terrible mistake" while Digby warns: "Once you capitulate to the idea that transparency about what our government did in the GWOT is dangerous to our troops and our national security, you have lost the argument."

This isn't the first time that Obama has disappointed civil libertarians, and it probably won't be the last. As Goldfarb notes, "Obama's made a habit of reversing himself on key national security issues when the politics shift." You can expect conservative bloggers to continue to (mildly) praise Obama each time this happens. Just don't expect them to vote for him in 2012.

(IAN FAERSTEIN)

MT Cong. challenger Tyler Gernant (D) raised the bar just a bit higher for technologically savvy campaigning this week when he became (his camp says) the first candidate to offer campaign materials on the Amazon Kindle.

The Kindle, often billed as the "iPod of books," is the wireless e-book reader tasked with saving the American newspaper and destroying the American publishing industry. And now, according to Gernant, it could make its mark on American politics as well.

"A lot of people have asked me, you know, 'why are you doing this?'" he said in an interview. "But then again, a lot of people said that about websites, too. Our thought was, if we do this, we have a chance at people engaging."

For 99 cents, Kindle users can download Gernant's policy position papers to their devices the same way they would any other book. The price is "the lowest Amazon would let us charge," said campaign media consultant Daren Berringer. The vast majority of the price goes to the web retailer, and the 34 cents the campaign gets for each copy sold will be used by the camapaign to plant trees in Montana.

"We've got a separate account just for this," Berringer said. "The money's not going to the campaign."

That's assuming there's some money to worry about, of course. Both men agreed asking people to pay a dollar for campaign literature could be something of a barrier to the strategy's wild success.

"We totally understood we're asking people to buy Tyler's position papers," Berringer said. "We had to really work through the steps to make people feel good about this. That's where we came up with idea of planting trees."

"We're saying 'thanks for downloading the paper and paying the 99 cents'," he added. "[When you know what the money is for planting trees,] we're hoping you're going to feel good about that."

Like any modern campaign, Gernant's has a website, a blog, a Twitter feed and a Facebook account. And, of course, the position papers are available for free online, too. Gernant says adding Kindle to the mix isn't meant to replace those digital grassroots tools, but rather create yet another way of accessing the campaign.

"This is not the end all and be all of campaigning," he said. "We're just looking for new ways to engage people."

There are unique qualities to the Kindle that could make this idea stick, though. Berringer said he first got the idea to make the campaign materials available for the device when he saw "a woman like my mother's age" reading one on an airplane. "It dawned on me that it wasn't just the kids using it," he said. "This allows us to aim our outreach through technology to a whole new age group."

One group has already heralded the decision to offer the e-book, Gernant said. "The association of the blind encourages people to use the Kindle because of it's text-to-speech feature," he said, referring to an option on the device that will read aloud what's on the page. "That wasn't in our initial factoring."

There's a potential for more traditional grassroots benefits to the Kindle, too. Down the line, Gernant said, the campaign is considering equiping field staff with the devices to make it easier for them to have the policy positions available at grassroots events. Plus, the gee-whiz factor may be enough to turn a few heads, Berringer said. "I think it puts more of an emphasis on looking at our policy papers," he said. "Because we're using this as a tool, we've piqued interest in reading them."

Gernant's policy papers have only been available for the Kindle since 5/11 -- and Amazon is notoriously stingy with hard data about Kindle sales -- so it's impossible to know at this point to know how many, if any, of Gernant's ebooks have sold or even how many people in MT have the device necessary to read one. But Gernant said he's confident Kindles will become yet another virtual platform for campaigning in the future.

"They're definitely moving in the iPod direction," he said. "Pretty soon, they're going to be everywhere."

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Michael S. Steele, who was the only candidate for RNC chair of the six who ran this year not to own a gun, will address the NRA's 'Celebration of American Values' Leadership Forum on Friday in Phoenix at the US Airways Center.

The gun lobby was noticeably absent from last year's presidential contest, as support for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who supports closing the gun show loophole, was tepid. The group waited until early October to officially endorse the GOP nom and even then its campaign turned on painting then Sen. Barack Obama (D) as an enemy of Second Amendment rights. Support for McCain, who the NRA noted in 2001 was "one of the premier flag carriers for the enemies of the Second Amendment," was secondary.

Bringing the powerful lobby back into the fold and rekindling its financial and political help could be valuable for the GOP moving forward. Still, it's interesting -- ironic even -- that it falls to Steele to make that happen.

As his Democratic rivals face off in the final weeks of their 6/9 primary contest, GOPer Bob McDonnell is airing his first two television ads in the critical state battleground of Northern Virginia.

The ads, per their titles, emphasize his "Experience" and "Family." They're running on broadcast and cable, according to a campaign spokesman, who would not release the cost of the buy. He called it "significant."

McDonnell has already aired the "Experience" ad in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville. Scripts available after the jump.

Gov. John Lynch (D) has boffo approval ratings, hasn't a political rival of any strength on the horizon and isn't seeking NH's likely open Senate seat in '10. So why is he fence-sitting on the gay marriage bill recently approved by the state Legislature?

Though the region has trended solidly in favor of gay marriage, with VT, MA and ME leading the way, Lynch faces a dilemma unlike any he's tackled since his election in '04. His state, after decades as a GOP stronghold, has trended solidly Dem since his election. But on the campaign trail, Lynch, winning his third term last year by more than 40 points, hasn't hedged in stating his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.

So does he stick with his principles or bend to the will of lawmakers?

"I think this may be the first significant test that he has faced," said Claire Ebel, exec. dir. of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union. "This is clearly an issue where there is very strong vocal opposition, even though I think it is minimal."

In the state's Dem-dominated House and Senate, votes for the bill were largely along party lines. But in the most recent UNH Survey Center poll, more than half - 55% - of state residents were in favor of gay marriage, while 39% opposed it.

Lynch's approval ratings have crested 70% since Oct. '05, according to Andy Smith, dir. of the UNH Survey Center. So the gov has the popularity to back the measure or buck his party.

"He's got more political capital to spare than almost any governor in the country," Smith said. "So he's in an excellent position based on what he thinks are the merits of the legislation, and he doesn't have to worry about the political considerations."

But some argue that there's something even more critical than politics at stake in Lynch's determination. His word is on the line. They say that inherent in Lynch's personal declaration was his vow to veto a proposal like the one headed to his desk.

"If the governor signs it there will be some who will argue he has changed his position," said GOP atty Tom Rath, who hasn't taken a public position on the bill.

Lynch, a soft-spoken former furniture company CEO, has been lobbied feverishly by groups and individuals on both sides of the initiative. Freedom to Marry has aired a television ad playing off the state's beloved motto, "Live free or die." It advises, "Live and let live, New Hampshire."

"We thank our Legislature for working to protect jobs, strengthen our economy and protect our civil rights," a female narrator says. "Now Governor Lynch has an opportunity to protect all New Hampshire families and treat every committed couple equally.

Meanwhile, Cornerstone Policy Research, a conservative group, has circulated a Web video suggesting: "It's time for the governor to keep his word."

Lynch has three options. He could sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature. The proposal is sitting in state House Speaker Terie Norelli's (D) office, waiting for her to sign off; she backed the bill during the vote. From there it will go to state Senate Pres. Sylvia Larsen (D), another supporter, and then to Sec/State Bill Gardner (D). Gardner will deliver it to Lynch, and the gov. will have five days from the day after he receives it (including a Saturday but not a Sunday) to make up his mind.

Put simply, with the Legislative session in its waning weeks, Lynch's colleagues have bought him some extra time as he weighs perhaps the most potentially polarizing decision of his tenure. He risks alienating his base, but are those supporters likely to defect over one disagreement? And where would they go? To a primary challenger? Possibly, but not likely. Social conservatives aren't necessarily with Lynch anyway, though he could win friends on the right by breaking with his party.

If Lynch signs the bill, NH would become the sixth state to make gay marriage legal, following CT, MA, ME, VT and IA. The NY assembly passed a bill to legalize gay marriage 5/12, but reports indicate it will face a tough battle in the state Senate.

Lynch certainly didn't run on the issue. As the state has moved left, however, there's a groundswell of support for new social measures - lawmakers are also considering a medical marijuana bill - that would be divisive in any State House debate in the country, but that might garner more public support in the libertarian Granite State.

For Lynch, the matter has sparked a test of his will and philosophy. And he risks being viewed as weak if he chooses not to take a stand.

"I think it would benefit the governor were he to sign the bill," Ebel said, "because I think he would then be seen as a governor with the courage to say, even though this is not my religious belief or not my philosophical belief, I also understand the wisdom, the rightness of not discriminating against a segment of the populace, people I serve as well."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News" and "Evening News" both led with Pres. Obama's reversal on detainee photos. "Nightly News" led with the hearings on the Buffalo plane crash.

Obama announced 5/13 that he will not release hundreds of photos potentially showing U.S. military members abusing prisoners.

ABC's Stephanopoulos, on what changed: "The White House argues that first of all, the president did realize he could make new legal arguments. The second is, these commanders came in hard on the president. ... They said, you are harming our troops. The president was convinced by this argument."

More Stephanopoulos: "But what I think you see here is that there has been a tension between the president's desire for a clean break from the past and his continuing responsibilities as commander in chief. He's siding increasingly with his responsibilities as commander in chief" ("World News," 5/13).

CBS' Plante: "Candidate Obama pushed for full disclosure. President Obama has decided that there are times when transparency is a tough call" ("Evening News," 5/13).

GW prof. Jonathan Turley: "What President Obama is saying today is diametrically against the federal law. And if he succeeds, instead of having a transparent government, he would create this opaque government. ... It's an incredibly dark moment for civil libertarians. It's just more evidence that this administration is becoming the greatest bait and switch in history. Then, you know, he's morphing into his predecessor" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 5/13).

CNN's Henry: "You know something really strange is happening here at the White House when Republicans like Mitch McConnell are praising the president and liberal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union is ripping him apart" ("Situation Room," 5/13).

More after the jump, including interrogation hearings.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

A new Web site that debuts today features 47 award-winning actors touting the merits of the Employee Free Choice Act. The site -- artists4workerschoice.org -- includes a video of the performers, all union members, explaining their support for the bill, known as "card check."

"This is not a red state issue. Or a blue state issue," the actors say in the video. "It's a workers' issue. ... Please join me, and working people everywhere in supporting a real change in labor law because it's time the economy worked for everyone."

The video was developed by Actors' Equity Association; the American Federation of Musicians; the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA); the Directors Guild of America (DGA); International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE); Screen Actors Guild (SAG); Writers Guild of America, East; Writers Guild of America, West; and the AFL-CIO.

The full list of participants is available after the jump.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

The WH announced today that Capricia Penavic Marshall is a nominee for Chief of Protocol, with the rank of ambassador during her tenure of service at the Department of State. In '98, at 33, Marshall became social secretary during Pres. Clinton's second term. This marks a further melding of the Obama and Clinton camps.

Her bio is available after the jump.

Hey, ladies, on the Hill tomorrow a.m. and wondering how the economy is affecting women and families? Check out a bipartisan breakfast panel featuring Labor Sec. Hilda L. Solis, members of the Cong. Caucus for Women's Issues and leading experts.

The forum is hosted in cooperation with Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Mary Fallin (R-OK), co-chairs of the caucus, Reps. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Kay Granger (R-TX), vice-chairs, and Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), chair, Women and the Economy/Business Task Force.

The event, sponsored by Women's Policy, Inc., and made possible through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, runs from 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168.

Courtesy of C-SPAN, during his briefing today, WH Press. Sec. Robert Gibbs absconds with one unlucky reporter's ringing phone.

FL CFO Alex Sink is running for GOV in '10, she announced today in an emailed statement. Sink waited a whole day after Gov. Charlie Crist (R) formalized his SEN bid. Her most formidable contender is AG Bill McCollum (R).

Sink today:

"Floridians from Pensacola over to Jacksonville and all the way down to Key West are facing enormous challenges. Each and every day, the global financial crisis tests our families, our economy and our resolve.

In unique and challenging times like these, our state needs a new and different kind of leadership.

Thousands of Floridians have told me they need leaders committed to protecting the middle class, strengthening our economy and giving our families a fighting chance. As a businesswoman and working mom, I couldn't agree more.

Before the people of Florida elected me their CFO, I spent nearly three decades in business - creating jobs and economic opportunity in communities all across our state.

During my short time in state government, a couple of things have become crystal clear: Tallahassee's tired old ways of doing business just aren't enough to answer the urgent new challenges we face. And a state government influenced by narrow special interests cannot put the best interests of everyday Floridians first.

Today, I'm announcing I will be a candidate for Governor of Florida in the November 2010 election, and put my business experience and know-how to work restoring our economy.

And, as Florida's CFO, I'll continue using my business experience to cut wasteful spending, crack down on financial fraud and reform state contracts.

For too long, we've had to tolerate a state government that puts playing politics ahead of helping families. Together, we can change all that, and give our state a fresh start."

RNC Chair Michael Steele has selected Robert Bickhart, who served as finance chair to ex-Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), to be the party's finance dir.

"I am extremely pleased that Rob is joining the RNC's senior staff as Finance Director. Rob's political savvy, extensive campaign experience and rock solid reputation as a fundraiser will be indispensable assets to the RNC," Steele said in a statement. "Rob's hire is yet another top addition to the RNC's senior staff and we are well-positioned to improve on our already strong fundraising to support our candidates and state parties, and win elections this fall and in 2010."

In addition to his work for Santorum from '04 to '06, Bickhart was the NRCC's dep. finance dir. in the mid '80s, according to the RNC statement. Most recently, Bickhart was chairman and CEO of the Capitol Resource Group, a PA business consulting firm.

Steele, whose public gaffes have prompted many in his own party to question his fitness for the job, has been criticized for taking too long to fill key party positions. But perhaps his saving grace is the GOP's relatively solid first fundraising quarter. The RNC has $23.9M in the bank, compared with $9.7M for the DNC. Birkhart will have to build on that advantage.

Reinforcing talk of his WH aspirations, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) will deliver the latest installment in the American Future Fund's Conservative Lecture Series 6/1 in Sioux City, IA, the AFF announced today in a release. The event will be held at the Wilbur Aalfs (Main) Library in downtown Sioux City.

Ensign, the recent past chairman of the NRSC, is also scheduled to make stops in Sioux Center, where he will tour Trans Ova Genetics, and Le Mars, for a visit to the Wells Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor.

Nothing like a pol having an ice cream cone on a spring day in the nation's first caucus state to get the chattering class buzzing.

A Las Vegas veterinarian, Ensign is the latest GOPer to make a pilgrimage to IA. LA Gov. Bobby Jindal visited in November for a speech at the Family Policy Center's "Celebrating the Family" banquet. Expect the early state visits to continue. With the GOP struggling to find an effective message -- and messenger -- the jockeying for position in the '12 hierarchy will play out in tandem with the party's soul searching.

UPDATE: For more on Ensign's trip and other signs that the 2012 campaign is already under way in the Hawkeye State, check out this NJ.com story from CongressDaily's Erin McPike and National Journal's James A. Barnes.

The Daily Show explores the flap over Arizona State University's decision not to give Pres. Obama an honorary degree this evening when he addresses students, faculty and family members at the school's commencement.

Apparently, ASU -- the first of three schools at which Obama will speak this graduation season -- gave an honorary degree to Kim Campbell, the former prime minister of Canada who served 142 days before being voted out of office. She was the first female to hold the job. But c'mon!

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with the hearings on the Buffalo plane crash.

FNC's Cavuto's wide-ranging interview with ex-VP Cheney received a lot of attention from the TV world.

Cheney, on the WH planning to release pictures showing various interrogation methods: "What I think is important is that there be some balance to what is being released. The fact of the matter is, the administration appears to be committed to putting out information that sort of favors their point of view, in terms of being opposed to, for example, enhanced interrogation techniques. But, so far, they have refused to put out memos that were done by the CIA that I requested be declassified that show the positive results of the detainee program."

Cheney, on daughter Liz Cheney saying the WH should have called him about reversing the policy: "I didn't discuss it with anybody in the administration, but I'm not offended by that. I mean, they campaigned all across the country, from one end of the country to the other, against enhanced interrogation techniques. ... They called it torture. I don't believe it was torture."

More after the jump, including FL SEN, Afghanistan and health care reform.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

American Rights at Work is launching a statewide ad today in PA asking if Sen. Arlen Specter (D) will stand with America's workers to support the Employee Free Choice Act or with the corporate interests that the group asserts are responsible for the country's economic malaise.

"Pennsylvania backed Specter when he was the deciding vote for President Obama's stimulus package," the ad says. "It's already bringing new jobs. Specter usually does the right thing. Two years ago; he supported the Employee Free Choice Act, to help working people join together for fair pay and benefits. So now, where will Specter stand? With Obama, Biden, and the working families of Pennsylvania... Or with greedy CEOs, and Big Business lobbyists?"

The ad will run on cable and broadcast at least through the congressional recess and longer if need be, according to a spokesman. This is the first spot targeting Specter since he flipped parties a few weeks ago.

"This new ad makes it clear that the debate on the Employee Free Choice is really a choice between helping the corporations who drove this economy out of balance or helping working people who are losing their homes and their jobs," said Kimberly Freeman, American Rights at Work acting executive director. "We hope Senator Specter will join the President and the majority of Congress who understand that if we truly wish to restore our middle class, workers must be able to bargain, not borrow their way to a better life."

Specter has said "card check" is a bad bill.

"I will not be an automatic sixtieth vote," he said in April of the proposal, which would make it easier for unions to organize.

"I think it is a bad bill, and I'm opposed to it and would not vote to invoke cloture," Specter added during a press conference announcing his decision to leave the GOP.

Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO is also vowing to make 10K calls to Specter's office. The group will field an endorsement event with 100 PA small business owners and launch labor walks across the state.

Pres. Obama has offered his support for card check, but Republicans assert that the legislation, if approved by the Democratic Congress, will serve as a key campaign issue during the 2010 midterms, as evidence that the party in power is beholden to big labor at the expense of the nation's economic interests.

A vote will be an early test of how flexible Specter, who faces a challenging re-elect next year in a state that backed Obama in 2008, will be in the name of loyalty to his new party.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Mayor Cory Booker (D) has tweeted since Nov '08, but it wasn't until recently -- the last week or so -- that Booker has become a Twitter phenomenon on par with the most entertaining folks in the political twitterscape.

How dramatic is the change?

Just take a look at his first three tweets:

11/6/08, 1:11 PM: "Check out my interview on The Rachel Maddow Show available on my YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user..."

11/14/08, 1:33 PM: "Tonight's CNN panel is unfortunately cancelled. For other event updates check out www.facebook.com/corybooker and www.corybooker.com"

11/17/08, 10:47 AM: "I'll be on the Rachel Maddow Show tonight on MSNBC. Be sure to watch! Check out www.facebook.com/corybooker for more updates."

Now compare them with three from today:

9:11 AM: "Just finished 2nd long call of the day. If cell phones actually do cause some kind of brain damage, my grey matter will be fried by 2012"

11:45 AM: "My original observation ofthe day"Magic Johnson is tall!"(He's also doin gr8 thins 4 urban jobs.a gud meetin I'm hopeful 4 a nwk prtnership)"

12:15 PM: "RT@jackstah Mad respect for you, but your tweets are illegible :( -hav patience wit me,1 wk of tweeting.I'm learning Suggestions appreciated"

What does changing things up and getting personal on Twitter do for the Newark mayor? Well, for one thing he's getting hundreds of replies every day (just search "@corybooker" to see the chatter with and about him). And each of his posts is getting retweeted, every tweeter's goal in life.

Will the Twitter action raise his national profile? Remains to be seen. But if Booker keeps it up, his feed could be an interesting insight into Twitter's ability to build buzz for a politician.

On Call Aside: all tweets are reproduced exactly as they appeared.

WOTT provides a carefully selected slice of tweets written by political leaders, ex-politicians and candidates for office nationwide. Hotline subscribers can read the best overnight tweets in our AM edition.

Do you have a favorite political tweep you think should be added to our list? Email us at hotlinetwitter@nationaljournal.com.

Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Dick Cheney continues his public campaign in support of the Bush admin.'s use of interrogation tactics with a speech next week titled, "Keeping America Safe."

The event, held 5/21 at the American Enterprise Institute, is by invitation only, and invitations are nontransferable, according to an AEI release.

Here's how the event has been billed:

In April 2009, almost eight years after the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, the Obama administration released four memos from the Bush administration's Office of Legal Counsel. These memos, which justified the use of harsh interrogation techniques against high-level al Qaeda detainees such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, have reignited a fierce debate about the United States' counterterrorism strategy.

Amid claims that the interrogation methods amount to torture and that those who approved them should be prosecuted or censured, it is clear that we know surprisingly little about the scope and efficacy of the Bush administration's national security policy. Many questions linger: What type of information did enhanced interrogation methods yield? Were lives saved as a result? Could that intelligence have been effectively collected by other means? How effective was the terrorist surveillance program in detecting the threat of al Qaeda and its operatives in the post-9/11 period? Will inhibiting these procedures cost more American lives?

On May 21, former vice president Dick Cheney will speak at AEI to address these critical issues and provide a blueprint for keeping America safe in the future.

The event, scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., is sure to spark additional gnashing about the appropriateness of Cheney's remarks at the outset of a new Democratic administration. Still Cheney believes, as he said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation," that the efficacy of interrogation methods used by the administration must be touted. But politically, his presence on the airwaves is further polarizing a GOP already in disarray and struggling to regain its footing after the 2008 campaign. Cheney, who said last weekend that he prefers a purely conservative GOP to a big tent party, doesn't help Republicans expand their appeal to moderate voters. Nor does his focus on explaining the actions of the Bush administration allow the party to look forward, to tweak its message or to offer a policy agenda to rival Pres. Obama's.

It's hard not to wonder how Bush, who has remained mum about the actions of his successor as he settles into the post presidency in Dallas, feels about Cheney's public reflections on the admin.'s record.

A local chapter of the labor organization SEIU today endorsed Terry McAuliffe for VA GOV, citing the strength of his jobs plan in a release issued by McAuliffe's campaign.

The chapter -- 32BJ of the SEIU, which has over 3,500 members in VA -- also stressed McAuliffe's proposals to improve VA's health care, education and the state's transportation systems.

"Terry McAuliffe will be a strong advocate for working families that make our economy run but struggle to make ends meet," said Mike Fishman, 32BJ president. "He understands that improving wage and benefit standards is a top priority for workers and key to jump-starting our economy."

McAuliffe: "I am proud to have the support of the men and women who keep Virginia running. As Governor, I will help ensure that workers' rights are protected and that everyone has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. If we all work together, I know we can get Virginia's economy back on track and continue to improve the quality of life for all Virginians."

This marks the fourth key labor endorsement for McAuliffe, who is vying with state Sen. Creigh Deeds and ex-Del. Brian Moran for the party's nomination. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Int'l Brotherhood of Boilermakers and the Virginia Professional Firefighters have each announced support for McAuliffe.

Check out National Journal's new blog, The Ninth Justice, chronicling Pres. Obama's search for Justice David Souter's replacement.

Among other features on the site, NJ's Stuart Taylor ranks the candidates:

1. Elena Kagan, Solicitor General; Dean, Harvard Law School

2. Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security secretary

3. Diane Wood, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

4. Leah Ward Sears, Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court

5. Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit

6. Jennifer Granholm, Michigan governor

7. Vanessa Ruiz, D.C. Court of Appeals

8. Valerie Jarrett, senior White House adviser

9. Pam Karlan, Stanford Law professor

10. Merrick Garland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Click through to browse the blog, which features ongoing news and analysis.

More establishment GOPers are lining up behind newly minted U.S. Senate candidate Gov. Charlie Crist (R). Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement endorsing Crist in FL over Marco Rubio, the ex-state House Speaker:

"I am pleased to endorse Governor Charlie Crist and provide my full support for his candidacy for the United States Senate.

"Charlie Crist has been a tireless advocate for the citizens of Florida by fighting to lower taxes, reduce government spending and enhance the quality of life for all Floridians.

"Decisions are being made every day in Washington that have a direct impact upon the lives of all Americans and we need Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate to ensure that those decisions will benefit the citizens of Florida."

Meanwhile, DSCC spokesman Eric Schultz cast Crist's decision to run as an abandonment of his state responsibilities during a time of economic crisis:

"Charlie Crist's record in Florida is not one to be proud of. His administration has created an economic mess with record deficits, staggering unemployment, and a mortgage crisis that has hit nearly every Florida community. Too many in Florida are hurting because Governor Crist has failed to provide leadership and a way out of this mess. He's jumping ship when he's needed the most. That isn't leadership - it is an abdication of responsibility."

Per the Minnesota Post, a new billboard in St. Paul is targeting Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) as he weighs whether to certify Dem Al Franken as the winner of the state's U.S. Senate contest.

Part of an ongoing campaign by the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, MN AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 5, Working America, SEIU MN State Council and Americans United for Change, the billboard asks which Pawlenty will choose:

"The People of Minnesota or His Own National Political Ambitions?"

The Washington Post's priceless video of will.i.am and Terry McAuliffe. The musician/activist, whose 'Yes We Can' video backing Barack Obama's WH bid went viral last year, credits McAuliffe as a political mentor. In VA yesterday, McAuliffe worked to seize the Obama change mantle; the state voted for the Dem over WH rival Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), marking the first time in 44 years the Commonwealth went blue.

McAuliffe yesterday: "Barack Obama needs a partner in Virginia. I'll be that partner."

Fl Gov. Charlie Crist (R) issued a statement today explaining his decision to run for Senate:

"Over the last several months I have spoken with many Floridians about the challenges that we face together and the issues affecting our daily lives.

"Our country is facing the most profound public policy questions in our lifetime - questions relating to the economy, taxes, healthcare, the environment and national security. The answers to these questions will have a lasting impact on the country we love and the nation we will leave to our children and grandchildren.

"As I have previously said, my decision whether to seek the office of U.S. Senator or re-election as Governor would not be made until after the important work of the Legislature was completed at which time I could reflect on how to best serve the people of this great state.

"Here in Florida, we've shown that when we put people first and work together much can be accomplished, and I intend to bring that same approach to Washington. That is why, after thoughtful consideration with my wife Carole, I have decided to run for the U.S. Senate.

"As Governor, each day I will continue to focus on fighting for all Floridians. And if I am given the honor of serving as their Senator, I will take that fight for the people of this state I love so dearly to the halls of Congress.

"Thank you and God bless the great state of Florida and the United States of America."

FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R) joined the FL SEN race this a.m. in a Tweet. Crist: "After thoughtful consideration with my wife Carole, I have decided to run for the U.S. Senate."

Minutes later, NRSC Chair John Cornyn endorsed him over ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R), a conservative who says he'll stay in the race. Cornyn: "While I believe Marco Rubio has a very bright future within the Republican Party, Charlie Crist is the best candidate in 2010 to ensure that we maintain the checks and balances that Floridians deserve in the United States Senate."

For his part, Rubio released this statement welcoming Crist to the race. "Our primary will offer Republicans a front row seat to a debate about the future of the Republican Party here in Florida and across the nation. My campaign will offer GOP voters a clear alternative to the direction some want to take our party. Let the debate begin."

Also ... Rubio, who previously said he'd run a "positive" campaign against Crist, released this web ad attacking Crist for supporting Pres. Obama's economic stimulus package.

The Florida fun is just beginning, folks!

"World News" led with a U.S. soldier opening fire at a Baghdad base. "Evening News" led with the Baghdad base shootings and featured a taped interview with Gen. David McKiernan. "Nightly News" led with NASA launching its last Hubble mission.

McKiernan sat down with CBS' Couric for his last interview before resigning. Highlights from the interview were aired on last night's "Evening News."

Couric: "It turns out telling McKiernan face-to-face he was being relieved of his duties was the primary reason Secretary Gates traveled to Afghanistan last week. Sources close to the defense secretary say McKiernan showed extraordinary class when he heard the news and did this interview shortly thereafter. He gave no indication his time in this troubled country might be coming to a close and expressed optimism about the mission."

McKiernan: "Every day that I'm here in Afghanistan, I understand the people of this country a little better, and they're very, very big-hearted people that want peace. They are friends of the United States of America. So I don't lose hope."

More after the jump, including health care reform.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

In a legal brief today responding to ex-Sen. Norm Coleman's (R) appeal, entertainer Al Franken's (D) team asked the MN Supreme Court "to affirm the three judge panel" and "direct" Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) and Sec/State Mark Ritchie (D) "to issue Al Franken a certificate of election" once the case has made its way through the state courts.

Franken atty Marc Elias, in a conference call with reporters, said that Franken "will be entitled" to an election certificate "at the conclusion of the" state Supreme Court process and "will be the next" Senator from MN.

Asked about RNC Chair Michael Steele's comments 5/9 that Coleman keep fighting "whatever the outcome" of the Supreme Court, Elias said, the case "is right now before the Minnesota Supreme Court" and "it's going to be decided" by the MN courts.

Elias declined to offer his thoughts on when the winner might be seated.

"That would require me to predict the actions of the state Supreme Court," Elias said. "I will leave that to others smarter than I."

(FELICIA SONMEZ)

The oddest of foursomes -- ex.-Sens. Tom Daschle (D) and Bill Frist (R), recent past DNC chief Howard Dean and Karl Rove -- will discuss together (!) this week the challenges inherent in reforming the nation's health care system. They'll address the 2009 BIO International Convention in Atlanta. But the conversation will be available via a Web broadcast, too. Click here to watch the event, held 5/13 between 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. ET.

After the jump, Pres. Obama's remarks from the White House today about his push for reform.

Embattled RNC Chair Michael Steele let his 100th day at the GOP helm slip by with little fanfare amid last weekend's White House Correspondents Dinner festivites. But in an interview after the gala, Steele said that if the state Supreme Court doesn't rule ex-Sen. Norm Coleman the winner, "then it's going to the federal courts."

Asked if Coleman should concede if entertainer Al Franken (D) is deemed the winner, Steele said, "No, hell no. Whatever the outcome, it's going to get bumped to the next level. This does not end until there's a final ruling that speaks to whether or not those votes that have not been counted should be counted. And Norm Coleman will not, will not jump out of this race before that."

While Steele had a clear feeling about the MN contest, he said that he had "no personal view" on the GOP contenders in the PA Senate race, which remains in flux following Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-PA) departure 4/28 from the party. On whether the GOP will endorse the current frontrunner, ex-Rep. Pat Toomey (R), Steele said, "Well, that's up to the local party."

Steele called Toomey a "strong candidate" who was "clearly strong the last time he ran" against Specter in '04. "I think the party is going to be prepared to run hard with him if he is the nominee," he said.

But Steele added, "It's not about what I think personally. It's about, number one, what the chairman of the [state] party and the party officials want to do. Number two, if there is a legitimate primary, then Pat Toomey will go through that primary like every other candidate will. And number three, we will support whoever the nominee of the Republican Party is for the Senate seat for Pennsylvania at the appropriate time."

Steele said that he had not talked with PA GOP Chair Rob Gleason at "any great length since Specter stepped down."

(FELICIA SONMEZ)

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in partnership with blogs like Daily Kos, The Pennsylvania Progressive and others has conducted a straw poll asking members if they'd like to draft Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) to run against new Dem Sen. Arlen Specter.

The answer? Not surprisingly, given the left leaning bent of the groups, an overwhelming 'yes' -- 85% in PA and 86% nationally want Sestak to primary Specter, who after 29 years as a GOP senator acknowledged he wouldn't likely win his party's primary.

With less than a month until the Dem primary for VA governor, GOP nom Bob McDonnell is airing his first TV ad. The spot -- dubbed "Experience" -- will run on broadcast and cable in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, according to the campaign.

The 30-second ad emphasizes his service in the Army, work at a health care company and touts his "middle class roots." Blink and you'll miss the tag that references McDonnell as "a jobs governor." Features video of him walking on the beach with his wife and a shot of the McDonnells with their five children perched on a front porch.

The buy is more than $200K.

McDonnell has been quietly raising money while the three Dem candidates -- Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds -- duke it out for the party's nomination. McDonnell, who resigned in February as state AG, is the only candidate in the pack to have won a statewide race. He defeated Deeds by fewer than 400 votes.

Terry McAuliffe's newest TV spot features his wife, Dorothy. Ran on Mother's Day in Norfolk and Richmond. This is the Dem's fifth TV ad.

House Race Hotline editor Tim Sahd takes a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week. Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning.

5. AR-01: Whoooo, Pig, Sooey

The NRCC has been hitting several Blue Dogs hard on spending, but haven't been able to recruit many candidates against many of these seemingly-entrenched Dems.

But in AR, businessman/Ag broadcaster Rick Crawford (R) has jumped into the race against Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR 01). Although Berry isn't vulnerable, at least on the surface, his CD went for John McCain by 20%, and he hasn't had a difficult race in a long time. If everything falls into place for GOPers, this sleeper could develop into something more interesting next fall.

4. MN-06: We Need A Doctor

Democrats may have gotten their best chance to knock off Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN 06) last year, after Bachmann made her controversial comments on MSNBC's "Hardball" in mid-Oct. Indeed, nominee El Tinklenberg (D) raised nearly $2M in the three weeks between the time she made those comments and before the election.

Here are some of the nets' announced guests for 5/9's WH Corr. Dinner:

• ABC: WH CoS Rahm Emanuel, WH sr. adviser David Axelrod and wife Susan, WH sr. adviser Valerie Jarrett, Michelle Obama CoS Jackie Norris and her husband John, UN Amb. Susan Rice, OMB dir. Peter Orszag, "Private Practice" stars Kate Walsh and Taye Diggs, "Enchanted" actress Idina Menzel, and Jon and Dorothea Bongiovi.

• CBS: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife Michelle, ex-Sec/State Colin Powell, Education Sec. Arne Duncan, NJ Gov. Jon Corzine (D), EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, Treasury Dept. comm. dir. Stephanie Cutter, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), WH advisors Tom Donilon and David Jacobson, M. Obama press sec. Katie McCormick, Obama personal secretary Katie Johnson, Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

• CNN: Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Kyra Sedgwick, Tyra Banks (with boyfriend John Utendahl), DHS Sec. Janet Napolitano, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Val Kilmer, and Bradley Cooper.

• FNC: Sr. adviser to Sec/State Hillary Clinton Philippe Reines, "Gossip Girl" star Chace Crawford, Todd Palin, and actor Matthew Modine. Note: AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) can no longer attend.

• MSNBC/NBC: Jason Bateman, Natasha Bedingfeld, Connie Britton, Warren Buffett, Kyle Chandler, Ari Emanuel, Dr. Zeke Emanuel, Colin Firth, Whoopi Goldberg, Mariska Hargitay, Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), Felicity Huffman, Samuel L. Jackson, Carole King, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Denis Leary, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), William H. Macy, atty Cheryl Mills, Mike Myers, B.J. Novak, PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D), and Wilbur Ross.

Here are some of the print publications' guests:

• Fortune: Glenn Close, George Lucas, and Mellody Hobson.

• Time: Kal Penn, Steven Spielberg, and Kate Capshaw.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Pres. Asif Ali Zardari.

Face the Nation hosts ex-VP Cheney.

This Week hosts Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and features a roundtable with ex-Labor Sec. Robert Reich, Cokie Roberts, Sam Donaldson and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R).

State of the Union hosts Gen. David Petraeus (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Thanks to all who made last night's 1st annual Hotline Political Pursuit a rousing success. Here's what we learned: Politicians actually know what they're talking about. Our Members Only team -- consisting of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and ex-Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) -- eeked out a narrow victory over the guys and gals who cover them on TV, NBC's Chuck Todd, CNN's Dana Bash, ABC's Jonathan Karl and Fox's Molly Henneberg.

To our friends in the print media -- Al Hunt (Bloomberg), Chris Cillizza (Washington Post), Christina Bellantoni (Washington Times), and Sue Davis (Wall Street Journal) -- better luck next year! Buzzer troubles be damned, your come-from-behind rally in the Lightning Round was a sight to behold.

All we can say is, study up for next year, folks. Quizmaster/Managing Editor Quinn McCord is already hard at work on a new set of stumpers...

UPDATED photos from the event:

(Photos by Atlantic Media's CHRISTOPHER DONOVAN)

"World News" and "Nightly News" both led with the bank stress test results. "Evening News" led with the CA wildfire.

Ex-PA Gov./ex-DHS Sec. Tom Ridge (R) appeared on "Hardball" to discuss why he will not seek the GOP nod in the '10 PA SEN race.

Ridge: "I've been a congressman 12 years and governor for 6 years, 9 months and 5 days, toughest personal and political decision I ever had to make. And at this time in my life, I decided that I can do what I want to do for my party, which I enthusiastically joined almost 40 years ago. I prefer to do it as a private citizen, in addition to promoting other causes that are important to me. Pure and simple."

Ridge, on Sen. Arlen Specter (D): "I worked for him and literally thousands and thousands of Republican committee people in Pennsylvania worked very, very hard for him for 30 years. So we accepted him and his views as a Republican."

MSNBC's Matthews: "And you didn't believe he was a Democrat all these years pretending to be a Republican?"

Ridge: "No, we accepted him. He ran as a Republican, we supported him as a Republican, and he was a Republican."

More after the jump, including budget cuts and bank stress test results.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Making a plain play for the VA's African American voters, Dem Terry McAuliffe released a new radio ad today asserting that he'll ban predatory lending.

"Every day Virginia families struggle to make ends meet and sometimes they need a small loan to get by. But some loans come at too high [of] a price because legislation that was passed in Richmond in 2002 allowed predatory payday lenders to do business in Virginia," says a female announcer in the ad. "For Terry McAuliffe the solution is simple. He is the only candidate for Governor who proposed doing the right thing - ban all predatory lending in Virginia."

The spot will run on adult urban contemporary, gospel and religious radio stations in the Norfolk and Richmond media markets. The campaign notes that the ad was produced by Potomac Waves, a minority-owned and operated media consulting firm based in DC.

Listen here.

It's worth noting, though it's not surprising, that Barack Obama trounced Hillary Clinton in the state's Dem primary, wooing black Dems (90% to 10%) and black Independents (88% to 12%). According to the Census, 20% of Virginians are African American, compared with 13% of America. Their votes in a Dem gubernatorial primary are critical.

Ex-Rep. Pat Toomey, GOP candidate for PA Sen, breathes his own sigh of relief as Tom Ridge opts not to seek the party's nomination.

"Tom Ridge is a true patriot and a leader," Toomey said in a release. "In his eloquent statement today, he said: 'My belief is that those in my home state can best be served by the principles of limited government, less taxes, competent governance and shared responsibility.' I agree with Governor Ridge's statement 100%. That is exactly the message I will carry to the people of Pennsylvania in my campaign for the U.S. Senate. It is a message that will not only unite the Republican Party, but more importantly, it is one that a majority of our fellow citizens can rally around, regardless of their party affiliation."

Toomey's team says that since he announced his intention to run, the campaign has raised more than $500K from over 4K contributors, "signed up thousands more grassroots supporters, and brought on board many leading Republican elected officials and state party leaders."

Now, we wait to see which Dems sign on to primary Sen. Arlen Specter (D).

Oprah Winfrey's interview with Elizabeth Edwards airs today. In the meantime, browse the family's sprawling NC home, photographed by Oprah's team.

Ex-Gov./ex-DHS Sec. Tom Ridge (R) today said he won't seek the GOP nod for SEN in PA.

His full statement:

"After careful consideration and many conversations with friends and family and the leadership of my party, I have decided not to seek the Republican nomination for Senate.

"I am enormously grateful for the confidence my party expressed in me, the encouragement and kindness of my fellow citizens in Pennsylvania and the valuable counsel I received from so many of my party colleagues. The 2010 race has significant implications for my party, and that required thoughtful reflection. All of the above made my decision a difficult and deeply personal conclusion to reach. However, this process also impressed upon me how fortunate I am to have so many friends who volunteered to support my journey if I chose to take it and continue to offer their support after I conveyed to them this morning how I believe I can best serve my commonwealth, my party and my country.

"Public service has long played a significant role in my life. That service does not end here. There are causes to which I remain intensely committed, including my work on behalf of the disability community, our nation's veterans, our national security and the GOP -- the party I enthusiastically joined more than four decades ago.

"To those who believe that the Republican Party is facing challenges, they are right. To those who believe the Democratic Party is without its own difficulties, they are wrong. No one party has a monopoly on all of the answers. The more important view, in my mind, is that we remember, whether Republican or Democrat, we are foremost Americans. And as Americans, we have always overcome challenges when we put partisanship aside and solutions first.

"And so my desire and intention is to help my party craft solutions that both sides of the aisle can embrace. My hope is to raise the level of civility in public debate and raise the bar on outcomes that serve our citizens fully, fairly and equally. My belief is that those in my home state can best be served by the principles of limited government, less taxes, competent governance and shared responsibility. So I stand ready and excited to help my party and my country prevail as we continue to work to preserve and protect our strong, storied and much beloved nation."

After Sen. Arlen Specter switched parties last week to run in '10 as a Dem, rumblings increased about the possibility that Ridge would battle the vulnerable incumbent. Polls show Specter vulnerable, but defeating Pat Toomey, who left his job as head of the conservative Club for Growth, to primary Specter.

Specter could still face serious Dem primary challenges; Rep. Joe Sestak, a former Navy vice admiral, said today that he's seriously considering challenging Specter. Sestak could cause early headaches, but with his most formidable GOP rival out of the contest, Specter can breathe at least one sigh of relief for now.

So the general outlook looks better but the primary could get gnarly.

In other Specter-related developments, he scored a key Judiciary subcmte chairmanship today, after asserting that he didn't want to lose his seniority with the party switch. The AP reports: "Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said he would give up his chairmanship of the Crime and Drugs subcmte in exchange for becoming chair of a panel on human rights. The move, he said, would ''best utilize Senator Specter's talents and experience in our caucus.''"

Apparently, DNC chief Tim Kaine jams. The VA governor will be joined 5/21 by Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band for a spring reception and jam session to benefit Moving Virginia Forward. Held at the Maymont Nature & Visitor Center in Richmond tickets are $100 and $25 for the "young/young at heart."

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with Pres. Obama's meeting with Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Pres. Asif Ali Zardari. "Evening News" also hosted Gen. David McKiernan.

Did Obama's first face-to-face meeting with the two leaders accomplish anything?

Karl Rove: "There are a couple of good things that did come out of today. First of all, I was very interested in the language by both Karzai and Zardari in the news conference today. ... Karzai talked about Pakistan and Afghanistan being conjoined twins in the battle against terrorism. ... Zardari replied in the same kind of language, referred to Karzai as his dear brother. ... This is the kind of language we need to hear from these two men and language that needs to be acted upon."

More Rove: "I think their big question is going to be, and they have every reason to ask it, is will the United States be a resolute ally in this battle? The reason they've got some concern about this is because of the language of President Obama during the campaign about getting out of Iraq. If he was willing to flee Iraq when America's strategic interests were so apparent and the world's interests were so apparent, what they're worried about is will he leave us out to dry?" ("Hannity," FNC, 5/6).

Washington Post's Chandrasekaran: "The Pakistan problem, which had been seen until recently as simply a necessary part of trying to stabilize Afghanistan, has now turned into its own challenge, and that was underscored by the fact that Secretary Hillary Clinton actually engaged in a bit of unscheduled diplomacy. She drove out with her special envoy, Dick Holbrooke, to President Zardari's hotel for an hour's worth of meeting before the formal program actually began today. That reflects the grave concern on the part of this administration about the situation in Pakistan" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 5/6).

Washington Post's Constable: "There's a great deal of enmity and suspicion between Afghan and Pakistani leaders. That's going to be a very difficult thing to overcome. Certainly, a meeting in Washington will not suffice" ("NewsHour," PBS, 5/6).

More after the jump, including Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) being stripped of his seniority and more GOP infighting.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

The White House. With VP Joe Biden. Today.

Al Franken (D) "updated the Vice President on the state of Minnesota's second U.S. Senate seat, and discussed the administration's agenda and its potential benefits for the people of Minnesota," according to a release. He was joined by his wife, Franni.

"I deeply appreciate the administration's ongoing support and the opportunity to meet with Vice President Biden today," Franken said. "Minnesotans are eager to see Congress make progress on the administration's agenda - and I'm eager to do my part in that effort. From investments in alternative energy to the expansion of high-speed rail to the Twin Cities, we have a lot to do to help Minnesota's working families, and I was pleased to discuss these important issues with the Vice President."

No word yet from Norm Coleman's crew.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi today told reporters that federal rights for gay couples is not a topline priority for Democratic lawmakers. Their focus? "Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs," she said.

Here's an excerpt of the conversation, per the Detroit News' Deb Price:

Question: "On the issue of same sex marriage, four states now have allowed their same sex couples to marry; and yet under federal law, as you know, those marriages are not recognized. Does Congress need to repeal that part of DOMA? And if so, when?"

Pelosi: "(A) number of states have passed laws. We in California are waiting for the Supreme Court decision on the initiative that tried to overturn a law in California.

"The District of Columbia has said it would recognize marriages in states where they are legal. I don't think the Congress should intervene there in terms of their recognition of marriages in the states that allow them, any more than we did when New York made a similar declaration that they would recognize marriages."

Question: "In terms of federal benefits and that part of DOMA? I mean, these are four states that have --"

Pelosi: "Right now on our agenda we're talking about turning the economy around, dealing with an energy policy, health care for all Americans; education is the third pillar. We have an economic crisis of a magnitude that none of us has seen in our lifetime that we have to deal with.

"At the same time, we have a human rights, civil rights agenda of course. We passed the hate crimes bill last week. We were very proud of the big, strong numbers. It was a 74 vote margin; actually it was 249 to 175. I watched that bill very closely; it was very important to me. And, again, it was all inclusive in terms of hate crimes.

"Members will make a priority of issues like gays in the military, and where we have prospects of success, we always want to expand to a place of more opportunity and more freedom for all Americans.

"But right now our agenda is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, and as we move on that front, concurrently, we have to make some decisions about what is possible in our values based initiatives as well."

Former MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R), who is writing a book on the direction of the country and has signed on to be one of the national spokesmen for the upstart National Council for a New America, which aims to revive the GOP, appears to be taking a third step in possibly positioning for another run for the White House--making his primary residence at the family home in New Hampshire, the site of the first-in-the-nation presidential contest.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said that the former governor is in the process of opening up the Lake Winnipesaukee house this month and "will be spending more time on the East Coast." Since last year's election, Romney has been busy selling houses in Utah and Belmont, MA.

Asked where Romney will establish a primary residence for the purposes of paying taxes and voting, Fehrnstrom demurred. "I have no announcements to make on residency," he said. "He just recently closed on selling his Belmont house and, as of now, he's still registered to vote in Massachusetts."

But sources familiar with Romney's activities say the Republican, whose 2008 presidential campaign fizzled, intends to make his primary residence at the family vacation home in Wolfeboro, NH, which is also a favorite vacation spot of Romney's children and grandchildren.

Romney is also maintaining a new home in the San Diego area, where his second eldest son, Matt, lives with his wife and four children; and his wife, Ann, enjoys the warm weather and riding, which is therapeutic for her multiple sclerosis, diagnosed in 1998. She is also recovering from a pre-invasive condition of breast cancer that was treated in December 2008.

Romney has already established a beachhead in the Granite State; in March, his Free and Strong America PAC registered with the NH Secretary of State's office. The PAC made a $1,000 contribution to former GOP congressman Jeb Bradley, who won a special election for a state Senate seat that includes Wolfeboro on April 21. Bradley did not endorse in the 2008 GOP presidential primary.

Meanwhile, Romney supporters from the 2008 New Hampshire primary--which he narrowly lost to eventual GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)--continue to stay in touch with each other. His state campaign manager, Jim Merrill, keeps up a busy e-mail communication with Romney supporters in the state and occasionally meets with them. "We stay in close contact," said Merrill, who added that he performs this task "on my own" and not in coordination with Romney's PAC.

"No doubt in my mind that they are doing the necessary maintenance to keep their network in New Hampshire together," noted veteran Granite State GOP operative Mike Dennehy, who was a senior adviser to McCain's 2008 campaign.

Establishing residency in NH could raise expectations for Romney's performance in the state's 2012 primary, but the state is also flush with important contests in the upcoming 2010 midterm elections, where Romney could lend a hand. First and foremost for Republicans, NH will host a critical Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Judd Gregg (R). At this point in the cycle, Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes is the only announced candidate, and with recent trends in the state, the seat is a top target for Democratic pick up. What's more, Romney's Wolfeboro home is in the 1st Congressional District, represented by Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, who is likely to face a strong Republican challenge by Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta. In both races Romney's help--and even his vote--could matter.

At the same time, a case could be made for Romney to establish residency in CA instead. Romney's loss to McCain in the Golden State on Super Tuesday last year was the death knell for his candidacy, given the state's large share of delegates. Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is a strong GOP contender for the open gubernatorial contest to replace outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), while Democrats barrel toward a competitive primary. Whitman originally endorsed Romney and assisted him in his primary campaign before he ended his bid, and former Romney campaign staffers are flocking to Whitman's effort. And former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, a top McCain surrogate, is looking seriously at a challenge to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

(ERIN McPIKE and JAMES A. BARNES)

The VA League of Conservation Voters announced their endorsement of Dem Terry McAuliffe for governor, citing his emphasis on renewable energy and efficiency proposals.

"We feel that the dynamics of government in Virginia need to change dramatically in order to safeguard our environment; our Board is convinced that Terry McAuliffe has the broad vision and the contacts and requisite skills to meet challenges directly," said Lisa Guthrie, the group's executive director, in a statement. "McAuliffe has a clear and complete understanding of the interconnections between land use, transportation, and energy generation and transmission."

McAuliffe is vying with state Sen. Creigh Deeds and fmr. Del. Brian Moran for the party's nomination. Voters go to the polls 6/9.

McAuliffe on the enviro group's nod: "I am thrilled to have the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters. Virginia has incredible natural resources and natural beauty. The next governor needs to ensure that we are preserving those assets while increasing the quality of life for all Virginians by introducing new green jobs and attracting innovative renewable energy companies to the Commonwealth. I look forward to working with the LCV to make Virginia the greenest state in the union."

WH CoS Rahm Emanuel has invited a group of 13 House GOP moderates to a WH meeting on 5/7 . The topic is unclear, since the group (members of the Tuesday Group) doesn't appear to be focused on one major policy issue. "It might just be relationship building," one source said.

The invite list includes Reps. Fred Upton (MI), Steve LaTourrette (OH), Pat Tiberi (OH), Charlie Dent (PA), Jim Gerlach (PA), Mike Castle (DE), Candace Miller (MI), Vern Ehlers (MI), Jo Ann Emerson (MO), Leonard Lance (NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Tom Petri (WI), Mary Bono-Mack (CA) and Tim Murphy (PA).

(JOHN MERCURIO)

"World News" led with swine flu. "Evening News" and "Nightly News" both led with Fed Chair Ben Bernanke seeing signs of economic recovery.

Bernanke's assessment was met with some skepticism.

CNN's Dobbs: "This is the Federal Reserve chairman's most optimistic assessment of the economy since this recession began almost a year and a half ago" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 5/5).

Wall Street Journal's Moore: "Ben Bernanke does not have a crystal ball. He is not the oracle. In fact, I would make the case that Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan -- those two were probably more responsible for the financial meltdown than any two human beings on the planet. ... So when Ben Bernanke says everything is just going to be fine, I'm not so sure. I mean, after all, he was caught with his pants down when the financial crisis hit back in September" ("On the Record," FNC, 5/5).

Johnson Illington Advisors' Hugh Johnson: "It's hard to make the case that the economy is going to expand, an economy which essentially grows on money and credit, when bank lending is slowing. It's still not the case. ... And unless we start to see bank lending start to improve, it's going to be very hard to make the case for an expanding economy. I think we're a long way from that point, and that's the number-one thing that worries me."

More Johnson: "There's nothing worse than raising expectations too high and then having to deal with the disappointment if the economy isn't as good as you've led those expectations to believe. I think they're doing a pretty good job. Both the president and Chairman Bernanke, especially Chairman Bernanke, is really kind of telling it like it is" ("NewsHour," PBS, 5/5).

More after the jump, including an interview with Pakistani Pres. Asif Ali Zardari.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Oprah offers a snippet today of her interview with Elizabeth Edwards. The full exchange will air 5/7. Edwards sits for her first one-on-one since news broke of her husband's affair with a campaign videographer -- and the videographer, Rielle Hunter, gave birth to a baby.

Oprah asked if Elizabeth Edwards was still in love with her husband.

"You know, that's a complicated question," she said, per the NY Daily News.

Asked about the paternity of Hunter's child, Edwards said:

"I've seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children but I don't have any idea."

She was joined by her husband, however, when giving Oprah a tour of the couple's almost 28K-sq.-ft. NC manse. Elizabeth Edwards is pitching her new book, "Resilience," to be released next week.

DNC chief Tim Kaine ribs Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) for suggesting his wife should start withdrawing family money from the bank. Kaine's comments came during a 5/2 NC Dems dinner.

The Dems in FL SEN have been patiently waiting for someone to run against for quite some time. They got their wish this morning when ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) announced his candidacy with an early morning tweet. The big unknown in the contest is if Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will join the battle to replace retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (R).

One Dem SEN candidate, state Sen. Dan Gelber, says he's ready for a punishing GOP primary fight to unfold:

@DanGelber: "Rubio announced. I was the Dem Leader when he was Speaker. An unapologetic ultra conservative, he will make the R primary worth watching." 5/5, 2:57 PM

On Call Aside: all tweets are reproduced exactly as they appeared.

WOTT provides a carefully selected slice of tweets written by political leaders, ex-politicians and candidates for office nationwide. Hotline subscribers can read the best overnight tweets in our AM edition.

Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Pres. Obama and VP Biden were just a couple guys hankering for a pound of meat. They took their weekly lunch today to battleground VA, grabbing chow at Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington. Per the Christian Science Monitor's Linda Feldmann, here's the entertaining pool report:

Forget about "12:30 lunch in Oval Office, closed press" per daily guidance. POTUS and VPOTUS hit the road -- to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, VA (Wilson Blvd).

Pool was called last minute for an OTR, extra-large motorcade departed White House at 12:26 p.m. Arrived at Ray's at 12:31. POTUS and VPOTUS entered thru the front door, pool entered thru the back. Obama and Biden waited their turn in line. After a few moments, Obama looked toward pool and said, "Who's taking orders here? My treat to the pool."

"Who wants a burger?" Obama said.

Then, to Caren Bohan of Reuters: "You're in charge of taking everybody's orders."

Some declined, but others of us (your pooler included) didn't want to seem ungracious, so we ordered burgers. Note: The five of us who did order are making a donation to charity, in lieu of attempting to reimburse POTUS. Caren noted that Obama has fed the press before, such as during campaign, when he bought ice cream.

While Obama and Biden waited in line, the lunch crowd stood and gawked, some took pix with cell phones. The two guys in line ahead of them studied their menus, oblivious to who was behind them.

When Obama and Biden reached the front, Obama greeted the two order-takers. The guy who took Obama's order and money was Tim Murray. There's still some debate among press on exactly what Obama ordered, since it was hard to hear. He definitely had a burger. I heard him say "basic cheeseburger, medium well." But someone else heard him say "Swiss mushroom burger." He definitely asked Mr. Murray for "spicy mustard, if you have it." There may have also been talk of tater tots.

Then Obama took an order for Reggie Love, and relayed the press's order as well. "These are to go, cuz you guys aren't gonna have tables."

Then: "We're paying, or these people [the pool] are gonna write about how we're free-loading."

Obama pulled out some bills and paid, putting a $5 bill in the tip jar.

Biden ordered a swiss cheese burger with jalapeno peppers.

Biden paid for his order separately, with cash. He also got some food to go.

Then Obama said to the pool: "You guys are cheap dates. I can't believe I couldn't get more of you to order a burger."

Obama and Biden sat at a table and had their lunch, while the pool waited outside. At 1:05, they emerged. Crowds cheered as Obama stood on the running board of his limo and waved.

Both men wore dark suits and white shirts. Obama's tie was maroon with black stripes, Biden wore blue tie.

Motorcade back at White House at 1:14 pm. Obama and BIden emerged from the same limo.

I'm still waiting for my burger.

Common Sense VA -- the Dem group attacking GOPer Bob McDonnell, who is running for GOV -- has a new ad up criticizing the GOPer for saying he would not accept a portion of the $787B stimulus package that would have enabled the state to expand unemployment benefits.

A spokesman indicates that the buy is $550,000 for the week on broadcast and cable - in NoVA, Richmond, Norfolk and Roanoke. "Empty" -- as the ad is dubbed -- is the group's first. Common Sense VA is working to hit McDonnell while the party's three potential Dem noms -- Terry McAuliffe, Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran -- compete in the run-up to the 6/9 primary.

"World News" led with the economy rallying. "Evening News" led with Pres. Obama's plan for the tax code. "Nightly News" led with the swine flu.

Much of last night's TV focused on Obama's new tax code plan.

CNN's Todd: "President Obama acknowledged a lot of these tax havens are legal, but he says the tax code, of course, in his mind, should be rewritten so that these companies can stop sheltering some of this revenue overseas and start paying more tax in the U.S" ("Situation Room," 5/4).

VP Biden chief economist Jared Bernstein: "It's going to be a fight, but it's going to be a good fight. Remember, the president was engaged in this type of legislation when he was a senator. This was very much a campaign promise. Senator Baucus, Senator Levin, very powerful Chairman of Ways and Means Congressman Rangel, they are all behind the president. ... Now, will there be lobbyists out in force to try to protect some of these ill-gotten gains? Of course there will be. There always are. But this is a good fight" ("Ed Show," MSNBC, 5/4).

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "The economics of it are bad. ... The politics, however, are wonderful. ... Obama is sort of living out the Bill Clinton idea that he wakes up every morning finding a new way to help the American people. Every day you turn on your television, and there's Obama with a new idea that he's presenting, always himself, that is going to help America. So he looks energetic and always out there acting on your behalf" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/4).

More after the jump, including the GOP's rebranding effort.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

In late Dec. '02, while a reporter for the Concord Monitor in NH, I was assigned to write a profile of Dudley Orr, a prominent local atty who had co-founded one of the state's most well-respected law firms, Orr & Reno.

Orr, who five days before Christmas died at 95, was born in Concord and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. He was a fixture in the legal community, having served as assistant AG, among other positions. He also helped establish the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and under his guidance as head of Dartmouth College's board of trustees, officials decided to admit women. Despite his stature and bonafides, he thought nothing of engaging in a public letter writing campaign with Concord's mayor about local leash laws, an effort he waged on behalf of his dog, Sam.

Orr was also mentor to many attys, including David Souter, who worked for his firm in the late '60s.

I requested an interview with the notoriously press averse Souter via his SCOTUS office. Expecting full well that he wouldn't want to talk, I continued with my reporting. Orr, I discovered, was a character. He wore three piece suits routinely, and sports jackets as a more casual look on weekends. He played gin and cribbage regularly with his wife; the loser would deposit $20 in each of the grandchildren's bank accounts. He was beloved across political lines.

And then came the call. I was told Souter would phone me at a particular time on Christmas Eve. It snowed the day of our planned interview. As I drove up Mountain Road en route to the Monitor, leaving enough time to journey carefully through the weather, I marveled that a year out of graduate school, I would have the opportunity to interview a sitting SCOTUS justice. It was -- and is -- one of the miracles of the Monitor. Access to wonderful people and politicians and newsmakers -- even for a neophyte journalist.

Souter called at the agreed upon time. I cradled the phone against my ear and tried not to tremble. His remarks seemed to be reflective not only of Orr's values but, I surmised, of Souter's as well.

"He was a man who, in my experience, never allowed his emotions to cloud his judgement in the service of prudence," Souter said of Orr in our telephone interview.

Souter on his discussions with Orr about life: "His father used to sum up the universal obligation. Your obligation is to give the other fella a hand. I think Dudley would like to be remembered as somebody who gave the other fella a hand."

Two months later, I headed into the newsroom, stopping at my mailbox, as I often did, at the start of the day. In it, I found a small white envelope. The notecard inside was inscribed "Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D.C. 20543, Chambers of Justice David H. Souter."

His longform writing was almost indecipherable. But as I read the scrawl once, twice, a third time, I found these kind words:

Dear Ms. Skalka,

Ron Snow sent me a copy of your Monitor essay on Dudley Orr, on which we spoke when I was home at Christmas. It must have been hard to write, since you hadn't known Dudley, but you did a very fine job, and I enjoyed reading it.

Yours sincerely,

David Souter

After 19 years on the high court, Souter heads home to Weare, NH, this summer to hike and read and enjoy the quieter life -- and the blessed anonymity -- that the Granite State provides. I have his framed note on my desk at home. I read it often as a reminder of the many reasons I entered journalism as well as of the gentleness and generosity that many of my sources and interviewees -- public and private -- have shown me. I know Souter phoned as tribute to Orr, but it marked a moment of growth for me. And I remain grateful.

For those of us lucky enough to spend time in Souter's state, it's not hard to imagine why he'd be willing to relinquish his historic post to resume life in a place where such gestures are valued.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Rep. Paul Hodes, the likely Dem nom for NH SEN, would fall to either Sen. Judd Gregg (R) or ex-Sen. John Sununu (R) in a '10 contest, according to a UNH Survey Center poll released today.

Gregg has said he won't run again, but if he were to change his mind, he'd best Hodes, who represents the state's Second CD. Fifty-two percent of likely NH voters said that if the election were held today, they would vote for Gregg, 36% said they would vote for Hodes, 2% would vote for some other candidate, and 10% were not sure. Gregg had a strong lead among Independents, 54% to 37%.

Sununu, defeated last year in a rematch against Dem Jeanne Shaheen, would win 46% of the vote, compared with 41% for Hodes, 2% for some other candidate and 11% were not sure. Both candidates have support of their party's voters, and Sununu holds a 38% to 31% lead among indies. Sununu, who served one term in the Senate, has not said if he'll run.

Meanwhile, the poll indicates that Hodes, who is serving his second term, has not yet built a solid statewide reputation: 34% of NH adults say they have a favorable opinion of him, 22% had an unfavorable opinion of him, 8% were neutral and 35% said they don't know enough about him to say. Hodes' net favorability rating statewide is +12%.

The poll surveyed 503 randomly selected NH adults via telephone between 4/13 and
4/22. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/-4.4 percent.

Click through for more on Shaheen's slightly diminished favorability ratings.