By Michael O'Brien, Political Reporter, NBC NewsFollow @mpoindc !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');

 

Ken Cuccinelli, Republicans’ candidate for governor in Virginia, unveiled a major new tax plan on Tuesday, and it very much resembles proposals by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans from over the past year.

Cuccinelli debuted a new plan that would cut about $1.4 billion in taxes, namely by making major reductions to the state’s personal income and corporate tax rates. The Virginia attorney general’s plan would cut the personal income tax rate to 5 percent (down from 5.75 percent) and reduce the corporate tax rate to 4 percent (from 6 percent).

Cuccinelli sold his “Economic Growth and Virginia Jobs Plan” as a way to not only cap government spending in Virginia, but to also ease the burden on Virginia taxpayers and encourage new business investment.

Of course, it’s hardly unusual to hear a high-profile Republican candidate for office call for a regimen of tax cuts during the height of campaigns. But Cuccinelli’s similarities to many contemporary Republicans extends to the way in which he would finance the cost of the tax cuts, as well.

Per the website for Cuccinelli’s plan, the attorney general would help offset the $1.4 billion price tag for his tax cuts by indentifying and eliminating “outdated exemptions and loopholes that promote crony capitalism.”

Steve Helber / Steve Helber / AP file photo

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli gestures as he talks about the Supreme Court decision on the Health Care law during a press conference Thursday, June 28, 2012 in Richmond, Va.

That’s an approach remarkably similar to the kind preferred by Romney during his presidential campaign last year, and subsequently by congressional Republicans during their negotiations with President Barack Obama over the automatic tax hikes that almost took effect this year as part of the “fiscal cliff.”

Romney and the GOP lawmakers each largely declined to specify the exact loopholes and deductions they would target as part of their reforms. Because of the few details about the specifics of their plans, it made it difficult for analysts to account for the exact price tag of their tax proposals. Moreover, in the case of Romney, he was left vulnerable to charges that his plan would actually result in higher taxes for many middle class Americans, since if some of the costliest tax deductions – for instance, the home mortgage interest deduction – were eliminated, it would disproportionately affect middle class households.

A spokeswoman for Cuccinelli said that a task force called for by the plan would be put in charge of adding greater detail about which exemptions the gubernatorial candidate would eliminate to meet his target.

But in a campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe that has already become a murky battle of volleying characterizations about the other candidate and his proposals, it’s not hard to imagine the Cuccinelli plan becoming a ripe target for McAuliffe, unless more meat is added to the plan’s bones.

This story was originally published on Tue May 7, 2013 3:27 PM EDT

By Kasie Hunt, Political Reporter, NBC News

After expanded background checks failed in the Senate, gun control advocates are refocusing their efforts, while the NRA is thanking the support of one key Senator, New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte. NBC's Kasie Hunt reports.

HOUSTON -- At this weekend's National Rifle Association Convention, Carrie Bradshaw met Annie Oakley.

On display in the 9-acre firearms expo alongside Civil War-era antique guns, black AR-15 rifles and camouflage-patterned hunting gear? Pink rifles and hand guns, "Concealed Carrie" purses with hidden handgun pockets, and "Flashbang" holsters that attach to the front or side of a bra.

"We kinda started this because we didn't want women to have to dress like a man to be able to carry a gun," said Taylor Johnston, a Flashbang Holsters sales representative. "We want them to look feminine, look good, and still feel safe.

Leslie Deets modeled her concealed carry purses on high-end designers.

"It looks like a Coach bag," she said, adding that she named her "Concealed Carrie" company after the leading character in HBO’s "Sex and the City" because "Leslie just didn't have the same ring to it."

Retail options aside, the NRA is stepping up its outreach to women after facing criticism in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings that killed 20 elementary school children and 6 adults in December. At the convention, they offered a luncheon, cocktail hour and pistol shooting course just for women.

In February, they hired Natalie Foster -- who founded the blog "Girls Guide to Guns" -- to assist with NRAWomen.tv, a website promoting ways to “explore, connect, celebrate and unite with the women of the NRA.” Sections include “Armed & Fabulous,” and “Refuse to be a Victim.”

"The NRA is definitely making an effort to really let our voices be heard," Foster said.

Adrees Latif / Reuters

A pink assault rifle hangs among others at an exhibit booth at the George R. Brown convention center, the site for the NRA annual meeting in Houston on May 5, 2013.

There's a political motive: The GOP is concerned about wooing female voters, and women overwhelmingly favor stricter gun laws. An April NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed that 65 percent of women favor more restrictions, compared to just 44 percent of men. Among women with children living at home, support runs even higher.

That's an overwhelming gender gap that could cause a problem for the NRA. The group claims 5 million members, but just a fraction of them are women. Foster said the NRA has a goal of reaching 500,000 women members by 2014 -- so right now, women make up less than 10 percent of the organization. More than half of the electorate, of course, are women.

The gun lobby helped defeat a Senate gun bill that would have expanded background checks to cover all commercial gun sales -- a less aggressive measure than banning assault weapons and a policy that polls show most Americans support.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre drove the convention with aggressive rhetoric on that issue -- he said that President Barack Obama's background check bill "ordered the law-abiding to participate in a maze of regulation that could criminalize lawful firearms transactions and potentially create a massive government list of every gun-owning citizen in the country."

But Foster took a notably softer tone in her interview with NBC News.

"When it comes to expanding background checks, we all want people to be safer. These laws that have been proposed recently have not been effective to that end, unfortunately," Foster said. "We all want people to be safer, we all want to protect our children. That is absolutely critical in our society."

From the beginning of the post-Newtown focus on gun control, Republicans -- with behind-the-scenes advice from groups like the NRA -- have put women front and center in their fight against new restrictions. At the first major hearing on gun control after Newtown, Republicans invited Gayle Trotter of the Independent Women's Forum to testify -- and she told the committee stories about women who used guns to protect themselves.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., underscored the point, arguing that women need high capacity magazines to appropriately defend themselves.

"My basic premise is that one bullet in the hand of a mentally unstable person or a convicted felon is one too many. Six bullets in the hands of a mother protecting her twin 9-year-olds may not be enough," he said.

That, in turn, drew a response from Vice President Joe Biden, who told a Google hangout he would advise his wife to use a shotgun, instead.

"You don't need an AR-15," he said. "Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun."

Biden is continuing to push for new gun control laws. Supporting him are groups like Moms Demand Action, which had members protesting the NRA Convention. They argue that women want more restrictions, and are planning a week of activism surrounding the upcoming Mother's Day holiday.

"I think every mother knows where she was when she heard about Newtown," said Michelle Green, who heads the Houston chapter. "It resonated so much and mothers want to take care of their children."

Related stories:

• 'Stand and fight': NRA convention gets call to arms for 2014 election
• Republican politicians pay tribute to NRA clout at annual meeting

This story was originally published on Tue May 7, 2013 12:27 PM EDT

Republican former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Democrat (and sister of comedian Stephen Colbert) Elizabeth Colbert Busch square off in the special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant by Republican Tim Scott, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has weight surgery, NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro report.

*** Tuesday’s “The Daily Rundown” line-up: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on Syria… NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell live from South Carolina… A Deep Dive with Charlie Cook into why both parties have such a hard time finding top tier Senate candidates… Plus Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and former CBC Executive Director Angela Rye join the Gaggle.

*** Tuesday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), Reid Wilson from The National Journal’s Hotline, Politico’s Lois Romano, SC Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian, SC Republican Party Chair Chad Connelly, Anu Bhagwati from the Service Women’s Action Network, Amb. Marc Ginsberg.

*** Tuesday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts interviews LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on gun control… Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joins to discuss the Air Force Sex Assault Czar arrested for sexual assault and the Every Child Deserves a Family Act that she is co-sponsoring…  MSNBC Contributor Jimmy Williams joins from South Carolina to discuss the special election…  And today’s Agenda Panel includes:  Voto Latino’s Maria Teresa Kumar, Talking Points Memo Sahil Kapur and Mother Jones’ David Corn

*** Tuesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews NBC’s Kristen Dahlgren, Kelly O’Donnell, and Kasie Hunt; Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT); Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY); and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.

“Vice President Joe Biden wants pastors, rabbis and nuns to tell their flocks that enacting gun control is the moral thing to do. But another vote may have to wait until Congress wraps up work on an immigration overhaul,” the AP reports.

“Maybe health care won’t bankrupt the country after all,” Politico notes. A dramatic slowdown in the growth of health care spending in recent years could be here to stay, according to two studies published Monday by Health Affairs. … A study led by Harvard economist David Cutler found that if the recent trend holds up, projections of government spending on health care would plummet by $770 billion over the next 10 years, a figure large enough to have ‘an enormous impact on the U.S. economy and on government and household finances,’ the study notes. The researchers found that only about a third of the reduction in growth of health spending could be attributed to the 2007 to 2009 recession and that fully 55 percent is unexplained. That unexplained portion could be the result of more lasting changes, such as a slower introduction of medical device technology and new pharmaceuticals and a trend toward higher cost-sharing that forces people to be more careful about how health care dollars are spent, the researchers say.”

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) for FBI director? The FBI Agents Association is encouraging President Obama to pick the House Intelligence chairman for the post when Robert Mueller’s term runs out this week.

Reuters: “Delaware lawmakers will take up a gay marriage bill on Tuesday in a bid to make the state the 11th to allow same-sex couples to wed. The scheduled vote in the state's Democrat-controlled Senate follows the General Assembly's passage of the bill several weeks ago. Governor Jack Markell, an outspoken supporter of gay marriage, has vowed to sign the bill into law if it clears the Senate.”

Saxby Chambliss sank a hole-in-one during his golf outing with President Obama and Sens. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Bob Corker (R-TN). Later, Chambliss joked, “I told him since I made the hole-in-one, he ought to give us everything we want on entitlement reform.”

Obama was the weakest golfer of the group. In fact, “All three of the senators were ranked among the top 40 on Golf Digest’s 2011 list of ‘Washington’s Top 150 Golfers.’”

Is Mayors Against Illegal Guns turning into the Club for Growth, or as First Read called it back in 2009, The Club for (Democratic) Growth? Politico reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s staff has tried to persuade the Bloomberg-backed group not to target vulnerable Democrats in red states on guns because it could lead to a shrinking majority or make it easier for a Republican takeover of the Senate. “It didn’t work,” Politico notes. “Ads from the Bloomberg-funded Mayors Against Illegal Guns are going up soon in Alaska, Arkansas and North Dakota — three states with Democratic senators who broke with the White House on last month’s background checks vote.”

“Two Republican members of the Senate Gang of Eight on immigration said Monday that they won’t support including provisions that would allow the bill to cover same-sex couples,” Politico notes. “Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters that they oppose the amendment, which would allow gay Americans to sponsor their foreign-born partners for green cards.”

“‘Gang of eight’ immigration negotiators purposely didn’t include provisions for immigrants in same-sex relationships in their bipartisan bill, but the issue they so carefully avoided may rear its head this week,” Roll Call writes. “As the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares for its Thursday markup of the group’s comprehensive immigration bill, it remains unclear whether Chairman Patrick J. Leahy will offer an amendment to allow same-sex partners of American citizens and permanent residents to gain legal status.”

(However, if the Supreme Court strikes down the Defense of Marriage Act, it could potentially render this whole issue moot.)

Reid derided Ted Cruz as nothing more than a “schoolyard bully.” Politico: “Reid was referring to the fact that Senate Democrats would like to go to conference over the two chambers’ budget resolutions. But Republicans have refused. A week ago, the Nevada Democrat tried to move a resolution to create the conference anyway — over GOP objections.”

Bill Richardson, the former governor from New Mexico, also took aim at Cruz, saying he shouldn’t be “defined as a Hispanic.” “He’s anti-immigration. Almost every Hispanic in the country wants to see immigration reform,” Richardson told ABC. “No, I don’t think he should be defined as a Hispanic. He’s a politician from Texas.”

Richardson tried to clarify later that he did not mean to say Cruz wasn’t Hispanic, but that he shouldn’t be defined simply by that single term. Cruz responded, calling Richardson’s attack “mudslinging.” He said, “In my experience, if people are insulting you, if they’re attacking your ethnicity, the tends to indicate that they don’t actually want to engage in the substantive merits of the argument. I certainly have no interest in getting into any sort of mudslinging battle on that front.”

Maybe it’s not so good to be King. Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine still doesn’t have a Senate office.

The New York Post reports that Chris Christie had lap band surgery Feb. 16 and checked into a facility for the procedure under a false name. Christie told the Post: “I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years. For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”

And Christie says this has nothing to do with running for president. “It’s so much more important than that,” he said. Because of the operation, Christie can’t eat as much, and he says he’s lost about 40 pounds already. “A week or two ago, I went to a steakhouse and ordered a steak and ate about a third of it and I was full,” he said.

“Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio are facing a big obstacle if they seek the White House in 2016 — and it’s not each other,” Politico writes. “State laws could force the two GOP senators into a difficult choice: run for president or run for reelection to the Senate that same year. Because in their home states of Kentucky and Florida, neither Republican can be on the ballot for both offices at the same time.”

HAWAII: EMILY’s List endorsed Colleen Hanabusa in her Senate race against appointed Sen. Brian Schatz (D).

IOWA: Can a Ron Paul Republican win statewide in Iowa? The Des Moines Register: “Former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker is taking steps to run for the U.S. Senate, saying he would vote only for legislation that’s constitutional and would pattern himself after tea party favorite U.S. Sen. Rand Paul.”

Other Republicans, like state Sen. Joni Ernst, are still considering bids. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds is encouraging Ernst to run. Reynolds passed on a bid.

MASSACHUSETTS: The AFL-CIO endorsed Rep. Ed Markey.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Sanford could win Tuesday, Roll Call notes. But political observers are shrugging their shoulders and giving a collective, “So what?”

Charlie Cook: “If not on Tuesday night, then certainly by Wednesday and maybe even through Thursday or beyond, one party will be crowing that its victory in the special election for now-Sen. Tim Scott’s former seat in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District is a sign that it is doing great and will have a successful 2014 midterm election. The other party will be downplaying the national significance of the special election, declaring that the results have nothing whatsoever to do with what happens next year. Mark me down as agreeing with the latter. The voting in South Carolina means nothing other than which side can lay claim to that seat for the rest of this year and next.”

Stu Rothenberg: “When the results are in Tuesday night, the spinning will begin. But while the contest has received plenty of national attention, it now appears that the outcome will be largely devoid of significance."

The State on today’s special election in SC-1: “More than former S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s chance at political redemption is riding on the outcome of Tuesday’s special election for the state’s 1st District congressional seat, political observers say. A win for Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch could ignite hopes that S.C. Democrats again can compete against Republicans for congressional seats and statewide offices, and help them lay the groundwork for picking up support among Lowcountry voters in 2014. A loss, some say, could emphasize just how difficult a statewide win for a Democrat will be.”

NBC’s Michael O’Brien: “Voters in South Carolina’s first congressional district head to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to offer former Gov. Mark Sanford a chance at political redemption, or instead send the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert to Congress.”

Polls are open from 7:00 am ET to 7:00 pm ET. Results will be posted here on the South Carolina State Election Commission site.

Sanford was on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and was defensive about his personal failings. “I guarantee you’ve made some mistake in your life,” Sanford said to Mika. He said everyone on that set has had some personal failings. But “one offense does not define your life.”

He defended paying the ethics fine. “I think we explain it because it’s explainable,” he contended. He said that half of the fines were because he used business class tickets for legitimate Department of Commerce trips, something he said “was not an anomaly. There was more to the story than met the eye.”

He said he would have voted against the Toomey-Manchin gun background check bill. “I’m a big Second Amendment guy,” he said, adding that what the gun-show loophole is should be defined more clearly. He said a “couple of guys trading guns in the back of a pickup truck” does not qualify in his view.

On immigration, he said he would vote against the Gang of Eight bill: “We can learn from history,” he said, noting that the “last big immigration bill offered amnesty.” He was referring to the 1980s legislation. He added that any immigration reform should “begin with enforcement first before you get to amnesty. I would not support the bill in the present form.”

The bill in its “present form,” however, does not offer amnesty first, as he claims.

TEXAS: Rick Perry says opposing a ban on gay scouts is like supporting slavery? The Dallas Morning News via Political Wire: "Perry, speaking from the library in the Governor's Mansion, referred to a portrait of Sam Houston, whom he called Texas' greatest governor. He told how Houston's principled stand against slavery and Texas' joining the Confederacy cost him his governorship." Said Perry: "That's the type of principled leadership, that's the type of courage that I hope people across this country on this issue of Scouts and keeping the Boy Scouts the kind of organization that it is today. If we change and become more like pop culture, young men will be not as well served, America will not be as well served and Boy Scouts will start on a decline that I don't think will serve this country well as we go into the future."

VIRGINIA: Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) gets a 64% approval in the latest Washington Post poll.

The “Seinfeld” special election in SC… Sanford vs. Colbert Busch is entertaining, but it means absolutely nothing for 2014 or 2016… What will decide the close race: GOP and African-American turnout… Polls close at 7:00 pm ET… A sign for 2016? Chris Christie has weight surgery… When will the budget negotiations truly begin?... Republicans vs. Republicans on immigration… Democrats vs. Democrats on guns… And Benghazi surfaces again.

By Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Brooke Brower

The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports on the latest in the race between Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Mark Sanford. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell joins the conversation.

*** The “Seinfeld” special election: On the one hand, you couldn’t dream of a more entertaining and colorful special congressional election featuring a disgraced politician (Republican former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford) and the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert (Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch). On the other hand, it’s a race that appears to signify, well, nothing, especially as it relates to 2014 and 2016. If Sanford wins -- in a district where Mitt Romney beat President Obama by 18 percentage points, 58%-40% -- it will be due simply to the district’s GOP tilt. And if Colbert Bush wins, it will be due simply to Sanford’s flaws and past baggage. As political observer Charlie Cook writes, “If Sanford wins by any kind of margin, it means that Republican voters simply held their noses and voted for him anyway. If Colbert Busch wins, it most likely means that a lot of Republicans chose to stay home rather than vote for either a candidate whom they thoroughly disapprove of or one with whom they thoroughly disagree.” Folks, this is the “Seinfeld” special election: It’s entertaining as heck, but it means absolutely nothing.

*** The two factors to watch: That said, the toss-up election hinges on two things. One, do Republicans and conservative voters turn out? If they do, Sanford is going to win; if they don’t, he’ll lose. Two, do African-American voters show up? “In the 2010 general election, African-American participation was about 18%. If it's that strong Tuesday, Colbert-Bush may win,” longtime GOP political consultant Richard Quinn told MSNBC’s Jessica Taylor. Polls close at 7:00 pm ET, and the congressional contest is to replace Republican Tim Scott, whom Gov. Nikki Haley (R) appointed to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Randall Hill / Reuters

Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford makes a point to the moderators during a debate with Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in Charleston, S.C. April 29, 2013.

*** Sanford’s ups and downs: As MSNBC’s Taylor points out, Sanford’s political career “has had more ups and downs than the mountains of the Appalachian Trail.” Just consider: He was a one-time conservative star (and potential 2012 presidential candidate) bucking the Obama administration on the stimulus. Then he disappeared from the state in 2009, telling his staff he was hiking the Appalachian Trail -- only to be discovered that he was in Argentina with his mistress, whom he later called his “soul mate.” Sanford left office after paying an ethics fine for state travel. But a year later, his protégé -- Nikki Haley -- became governor. Then this year in 2013, he ran for his old House seat, winning the GOP run-off for the nomination. Afterwards, more adversity surfaced: An AP report showed that his ex-wife, Jenny Sanford, accused him of trespassing. Now? He finds himself in a toss-up contest. Later tonight, we’ll find out if Sanford truly revived his political career or if it’s officially over.

*** Christie weighing his options? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who’s  up for re-election this year, told the New York Post that he secretly had "lap-band stomach surgery" to lose weight. From the article: "He told The Post he was thinking of his four kids and how it was time to start improving his health when he decided to have the procedure. 'I've struggled with this issue for 20 years,' he said. 'For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.'  He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid. 'It's so much more important than that,' he said." The Post adds that Christie checked into a surgery center on Feb. 16 -- under a false name -- to undergo the procedure.  If this isn’t a sign he’s thinking about running for president, we don’t know what is. Remember, Christie had previously said that his health was pretty good… In fact, he called himself one of the healthiest fat guys in the country. So if this is for health reasons, then he wasn’t totally forthright before. For what it’s worth, we know the issue of his weight has been discussed with him by supporters and consultants as a political issue, and that it’s something he needed to deal with in some form if he ever did decide to run for national office.

*** When will the budget negotiations truly begin? Yesterday, there were two interesting moving parts as it relates to budget debate. The first: President Obama golfed with two Senate Republicans (retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Sen. Bob Corker) who are viewed as POTENTIAL partners on a possible budget deal. The second development: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, frustrated by Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) objection to go to a House-Senate conference on the budget, called the freshman senator “a schoolyard bully,” Politico reports. “‘My friend from Texas is like the schoolyard bully,’ Reid said. ‘He pushes everybody around and is losing, and instead of playing the game according to the rules, he not only takes the ball home with him but changes the rules. That way no one wins except the bully who tries to indicate to people he has won. We’re asking Republicans to play by the rules and let us go to conference.’” And these two moving parts raise this question: When do the budget negotiations, if they’re ever going to happen, begin? At a conference committee? (Republicans, despite their demand for regular order, appear to be resisting that. Not only on the Senate side, but House Republicans haven’t exactly been aggressive in trying to get the conference started.) So does that mean there will be formal talks outside of GOP leadership? That’s the White House hope. They have targeted the Georgia and Tennessee GOP senators (Isakson, Chambliss, Corker and Alexander) as credible negotiating partners. If the negotiations are going to occur, they need to start taking place soon. It’s now May.  

*** Republicans vs. Republicans on immigration: Immigration has become a political battle … solely on the right. NBC’s Carrie Dann: “A new study from the conservative Heritage Foundation estimates that granting a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants will cost US taxpayers at least $6.3 trillion. Heritage Foundation scholar Robert Rector co-authored the long-anticipated study, which is sure to be cited frequently by foes of the immigration reform effort as lawmakers take up legislation to overhaul the nation’s system. But the study also drew swift criticism from Republicans supporting the reform effort, who called the Heritage Foundation's estimate politicized, exaggerated and flawed in its methodology.” In fact, check out this comment from former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R): “The Heritage Foundation document is a political document; it’s not a very serious analysis… This study is designed to try to scare conservative Republicans into thinking the cost here is going to be so gigantic that you can’t possibly be for it.”

*** Democrats vs. Democrats on guns: Is Mayors Against Illegal Guns turning into the Club for Growth, or as First Read called them back in 2009, The Club for (Democratic) Growth? Politico reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s staff has tried to persuade the Bloomberg-backed group not to target vulnerable Democrats in red states on guns because it could lead to a shrinking majority or make it easier for a Republican takeover of the Senate. “It didn’t work,” Politico notes. “Ads from the Bloomberg-funded Mayors Against Illegal Guns are going up soon in Alaska, Arkansas and North Dakota — three states with Democratic senators who broke with the White House on last month’s background checks vote.”

*** Benghazi surfaces again: And speaking of political battles, the GOP-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will be holding a hearing on the Benghazi attack on Wednesday. And here’s the news that has already leaked out: “A small team of Special Forces operatives was ready to fly from Tripoli to Benghazi last year after Libyan insurgents attacked the U.S. mission there, but was told it was not authorized to board the flight by regional military commanders, according to a career State Department official scheduled to testify before Congress on Wednesday,” per NBC’s Lisa Myers. This career State Department official -- Gregory Hicks -- seems like a credible witness (though he’s represented by high-powered GOP lawyers Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing). The thing to watch on Wednesday is whether Hicks’ testimony reveals that all the attention on Benghazi is MORE than a politically motivated investigation into not only the Obama White House but also the Hillary Clinton-led State Department. At a minimum, one thing this investigation has revealed is that there was an attempt to change the initial talking points regarding what happened. Question now is who was pushing for this change at the time? Was it the White House or was it State? Seems like there is more evidence that this was a bigger issue for State than for the White House. Of course, within a few days, the talking points became out of date and moot.

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By Michael O’Brien , Political Reporter, NBC News

Voters in South Carolina’s first congressional district head to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to offer former Gov. Mark Sanford a chance at political redemption, or instead send the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert to Congress.

Sanford, the Republican former governor whose time in office ended in a scandal triggered by a nationally-publicized extramarital affair and subsequent divorce, is seeking to once again win the district that elected him to Congress for three terms. A special election was called for this solidly Republican seat following GOP Rep. Tim Scott’s resignation to become the state’s next senator.

Randall Hill / Reuters

Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Mark Sanford shake hands after the South Carolina 1st Congresional debate in Charleston on April 29, 2013.

But while Sanford entered the special election as a modest favorite, he’s run into stiff opposition from Elizabeth Colbert Busch, a Clemson University administrator whose famous sibling has helped elevate what might otherwise be a mundane congressional race into a national media spectacle.

Democrats have rallied behind Colbert Busch, who has leaned on her relationships with members of the Charleston-area district during the campaign, and stressed her interest in partnering with businesses. Her experience, combined with Sanford’s personal baggage, has transformed the campaign into a competitive contest in a district where a Democrat hasn’t won since the early 1980s.

Sanford, in turn, has cast his Democratic challenger as a handmaiden of national Democrats, particularly House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a cardboard cutout of whom Sanford staged a debate with several weeks ago.

But the biggest unspoken variable in the campaign has undeniably been the affair that practically torpedoed Sanford’s political career, which, at the time, included presidential aspirations.

Sanford launched his campaign by acknowledging the mistakes he’d made in conducting an extramarital affair with Argentine woman Maria Belen Chapur (who is now Sanford’s fiancée). The affair was an undercurrent for much of this spring’s campaign until Jenny Sanford, the governor’s former wife, filed a lawsuit alleging Sanford of having trespassed on her property.

For his part, Sanford’s betting that stage of the campaign is behind him.

NBC News' Chuck Todd joins Morning Joe to discuss the latest developments in Syria, the White House's response to Israel's alleged airstrike in Syria, GOP criticism of the White House's "red line" comment and the latest developments in the South Carolina congressional race between Mark Sanford and Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

"I think that [voters] had largely moved past my personal life at the end of the runoff, because I would have never won that runoff if that was still the focus," Sanford told the Huffington Post. "I think that the whole trespassing, October surprise thing brought that all back into the forefront."

Nonetheless, the revelation shook up the campaign, prompting the National Republican Congressional Committee – the group charged with electing GOP-ers to the House – to withdraw its resources from the campaign. And Democrats, along with supportive super PACs, stepped forward to launch their own advertising blitz in support of Colbert Busch.

Those moves prompted speculation that Sanford’s bid at political redemption might come up short following today’s special election. But the former governor has sought to battle back in recent days by stampeding throughout the district (with a handful of national media members in tow) and hosting multiple events.

But Colbert Busch has also tried to sustain her momentum with the benefit of national Democrats working on her behalf, who are eager to peel a vote away from Republicans’ majority in the House.

This story was originally published on Tue May 7, 2013 5:09 AM EDT

By Michael O'Brien, Political Reporter, NBC News

President Barack Obama extended his recent effort to broaden outreach to Congress with a round of golf on Monday – two Republicans, and one Democrat.

Obama hit the links with Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Mark Udall, D-Colo.at Andrews Air Force Base, the site of the president’s occasional weekend rounds of golf.

The foursome comes amid a broader attempt by the White House to reach out to members of Congress, particularly Republican senators. The president has hosted several private dinners with senators, Democratic and Republican alike, in hopes of building a better relationship with Congress.

While Obama typically golfs with a group of White House aides considered to be friends of the president, he’s been known to mix business with pleasure before. He’s golfed with former President Bill Clinton, and hit the links with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, during the height of a summer 2011 showdown between the two men regarding the debt ceiling. 

Coincidentally, two of the invitees to today’s matchup are considered some of the best golfers in Congress. Udall has a handicap of 2, according to Golf Digest, while Corker has a handicap of 2.1.

Obama’s weekend golf excursions, though, have also made him the butt of Republicans’ jokes about the frequency with which the president golfs. 

Monday’s outing was a rare weekday foray for Obama; the weather in Washington was hardly inviting, either, with overcast crowds and evening showers in the forecast.

And the event showed Lady Luck to be a Republican or the day: Chambliss hit a hole-in-one.

"It was number 11 on the South Course, and 156 yards, and I hit a choked down five iron," he said later. "It was pretty special. the ball actually flew the route I wanted it to go. I didn't skull it."

 

 

This story was originally published on Mon May 6, 2013 12:33 PM EDT

NBC's Mark Murray reports on the political headlines of the day including the situation in Syria, the latest poll in the Virginia governor's race, and on Capitol Hill the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin to mark-up the bipartisan immigration bill.

Edited by NBC's Natalie Cucchiara.

By Carrie Dann, Political reporter

A new study from the conservative Heritage Foundation estimates that granting a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants will cost US taxpayers at least $6.3 trillion. 

Heritage Foundation scholar Robert Rector co-authored the long-anticipated study, which is sure to be cited frequently by foes of the immigration reform effort as lawmakers take up legislation to overhaul the nation’s system. 

But the study also drew swift criticism from Republicans supporting the reform effort, who called the Heritage Foundation's estimate politicized, exaggerated and flawed in its methodology. 

The $6.3 trillion calculation derives from the federal benefits Rector and co-author Jason Richwine believe an estimated 11 million newly legalized immigrants will receive over their lifetimes versus the taxes they will pay.

A summary of the report, for example, states that "former unlawful immigrants together would receive $9.4 trillion in government benefits and services and pay $3.1 trillion in taxes, for a lifetime 'fiscal deficit' - at minimum -- of $6.3 trillion (total benefits minus total taxes.)" 

Those benefits, the study states, will eventually include means-tested welfare benefits and health care as well as Social Security payments. 

The report's authors acknowledge that their estimated price tag concentrates only on the citizenship piece of proposed immigration reform legislation rather than estimating the costs of the massive bill as a whole. But they argue that the economic benefits of a comprehensive reform that includes a path to citizenship would still be minimal compared to cost of "amnesty."

"No sensible thinking person could read this study and conclude that over 50 years that this could possibly have a positive economic impact," said Heritage president and former senator Jim DeMint at a press conference unveiling the study. 

Under the Gang of Eight proposal that was introduced in the Senate last month, qualified undocumented workers could pay fines and back taxes to become eligible to apply for a probationary legal status that -- after 10 years, more fines and a clean criminal record – can be adjusted to legal permanent residency and ultimately citizenship.

During that probationary status, previously undocumented immigrants would not be eligible to receive federal benefits like welfare.

But Rector states that, because the average age of an undocumented immigrant is just 34 years old, the accumulated benefits after these individual become citizens will far outweigh their contributions to the economy. 

That’s a calculation that others in conservative community dismiss, including economists like Doug Holtz-Eakin and policy analysts at the Cato Institute who dispute the Heritage Foundation’s methodology and say that the estimate fails to take into account the cumulative effects of immigration reform on America’s economy. 

In a conference call sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center, former Mississippi governor and onetime RNC head Haley Barbour slammed Heritage's report as a "political document" designed to scare off Republicans inclined to support comprehensive reform. 

"That Heritage is trying to kill this in the crib now, I think, is a political statement that they know that this is going to be a movement for reform that’s going to get stronger and stronger because it’s truly good policy," he said. 

And Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican member of the Senate's Gang of Eight, took to Twitter to blast the study shortly after its release. 

"Here we go again," he wrote. "New Heritage study claims huge cost for Immigration Reform. Ignores economic benefits. No dynamic scoring."

This story was originally published on Mon May 6, 2013 11:37 AM EDT

Will Israel’s strikes in Syria spur U.S. involvement?... On that “red line” and how Libya (and other conflicts) has shaped the administration’s thinking on Syria… Recapping Obama’s Ohio State commencement speech… Mark-up time for the “Gang of Eight” immigration legislation… Wrapping up the NRA conference… WaPo poll: Cuccinelli leads McAuliffe… Remember, candidates matter… Does Sanford’s GOP base show up tomorrow?… Steve King passes on IA SEN bid… And Jessica Taylor’s early look at the Top 10 House races to flip in 2014.

By Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Brooke Brower, NBC News

Uriel Sinai / Getty Images

Israeli Merkava tanks participate in a drill near the border with Syria at the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on May 6, 2013.

*** Will Israel’s strikes in Syria spur U.S. involvement? The Washington Post on the weekend’s biggest news: “Israel’s reported airstrikes in Syria — and the threat of a retaliatory strike by the Syrian government — are likely to accelerate the decision-making of the Obama administration, which was already moving toward a sharp escalation of U.S. involvement in the two-year-old crisis. Senior officials said the deployment of U.S. troops to Syria remains unlikely, but they have indicated that a decision will come within weeks on options ranging from the supply of weapons to the Syrian rebels to the use of U.S. aircraft and missiles to ground President Bashar al-Assad’s air power by destroying planes, runways and missile sites inside Syria.” As NBC’s Andrea Mitchell noted on NBC’s “Weekend Nightly News,” Israel used American-made weapons and most likely had U.S. intelligence support to strike those Syrian targets. And, in an interview with Telemundo while the president was in Latin American, President Obama made it clear that the U.S. supports what he sees as Israel’s right to defend itself from what could be game-changing weapons. But remember, Israel is focused on what is essentially a side conflict with Syria, and that is Assad’s support of Hezbollah.

Israel's reported attack on Syria adds another layer of complexity to the Obama administration's decision on how to handle the crisis, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

*** Red lines (don’t, don’t do it): On Sunday, the New York Times reported that administration officials realize the president’s previous “red line” comment on Syria -- which he made to one of your authors during an Aug. 2012 press conference -- was a mistake. That’s something we’ve reported on, but the Times goes into more detail: “‘The idea was to put a chill into the Assad regime without actually trapping the president into any predetermined action,’ said one senior official, who, like others, discussed the internal debate on the condition of anonymity. But ‘what the president said in August was unscripted,’ another official said. Mr. Obama was thinking of a chemical attack that would cause mass fatalities, not relatively small-scale episodes like those now being investigated, except the ‘nuance got completely dropped.’” Georgetown’s Daniel Byman argues that presidents should draw “red lines” that the U.S. will tolerate. “The muddle over the red line on Syria’s chemical weapons should make the Obama administration and its successors think twice before issuing similar public threats without considering what happens if the red line is breached or if an adversary continues committing atrocities that fall short of the line.

*** How Libya (and other conflicts) has shaped the administration’s thinking on Syria: The administration is leery of being pushed into doing something big in Syria too soon. Look for incremental ramping up, including direct arming of the rebels and continued diplomatic efforts to get Putin off of Assad’s side. One thing that colors the Obama administration’s decision-making in all of this is Libya. As “clean” of an operation and intervention as it was, the instability there is very much on the forefront of the Obama administration’s mind. Who fills the vacuum? Watching this administration manage the Arab Spring, don’t overlook how each event has impacted a later decision (from Iran to Egypt to Libya to Yemen and Syria). The experience in one country has colored the decision making going forward.

*** Recapping Obama’s Ohio State commencement speech: President Obama’s commencement addresses are always interesting to watch/read, because they offer additional examples of how he views U.S. government and society. They become the windows to his core ideological beliefs which, believe it or not, he rarely actually talks about in public. And his commencement address at Ohio State University yesterday was no exception -- he talked about the importance of community (over individualism) and an engaged citizenry.  “In the aftermath of darkest tragedy [in Boston, Texas, and Connecticut], we have seen the American spirit at its brightest. We’ve seen the petty divisions of color, class, and creed replaced by a united urge to help… That’s what citizenship is. It’s the idea at the heart of our founding—that as Americans, we are blessed with God-given and inalienable rights, but with those rights come responsibilities—to ourselves, to one another, and to future generations.” More Obama: “I will ask you for two things: to participate, and to persevere. After all, your democracy does not function without your active participation. At a bare minimum, that means voting, eagerly and often. It means knowing who’s been elected to make decisions on your behalf, what they believe in, and whether or not they deliver.”  

*** Mark-up time: The Senate Judiciary Committee this week is slated to mark up -- that is, add amendments at the committee level -- to the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” immigration-reform legislation. Politico: “Foes and friends of reform are set to offer a slew of amendments to the mammoth immigration bill this week as the Senate Judiciary Committee begins to mark it up. But observers believe that between Democrats, who hold the majority on the committee, and the two Gang of Eight Republicans who wrote the bill, it will emerge from committee largely unscathed. ‘I suspect it’ll come back [from committee] with a 13-5 margin, and that’ll be a tremendous momentum going to the Senate floor,’ said Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-reform group America’s Voice.” On “Meet the Press” yesterday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy said, “I think the so-called ‘Gang of Eight,’ four Democrats, four Republicans, across the political spectrum, deserve an enormous amongst of credit for the work they've done. I met with them many times. And I think we can get it passed.

As the NRA wraps up its annual convention, the group is setting its sights on the 2014 midterms and telling members not to give up the fight for gun rights. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

*** Wrapping up the NRA conference: NBC’s Tom Curry wrapped up Friday’s speeches at the National Rifle Association conference in Houston. Republicans -- including Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry -- “addressed the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Houston Friday, celebrating the defeat of gun legislation in the Senate, assailing the media, and offering a strong defense of the powerful lobbying organization,” Curry wrote. By the way, Politico reports how not a single Democrat spoke at last week’s NRA conference in Houston. The NRA -- the National Republican Association? It’s a concern some inside the organization have, and it’s why there have been so many mixed signals when it comes to where the NRA stood on certain issues, including expanded background checks. Some inside the NRA did want to work with their Democratic allies and forge some compromise (even if the NRA didn’t OFFICIALLY support it). These are folks who want the “R” in NRA to stand for “Rifle” and not “Republican.” But those folks have lost out as the NRA -- internally -- has become more partisan.

*** WaPo poll: Cuccinelli leads McAuliffe: As we and others have pointed out, this year’s Virginia gubernatorial race is a contest between two flawed candidates. But Ken Cuccinelli (R) has always had one advantage over Terry McAuliffe (D): He has a base, while his Democratic opponent doesn’t -- at least not yet. And that edge is evident in a new Washington Post poll, which has Cuccinelli ahead by five points, 46%-41%. “Among all registered voters, [Cuccinelli is] backed by 95 percent of Republicans, 73 percent of conservatives and 62 percent among white men. By contrast, compared with Obama’s win seven months ago, McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, is badly underperforming among key Democratic constituencies he would need to prevail — young voters, women, African Americans and those in the vote-rich areas of Northern Virginia.” The good news for McAuliffe? The poll found that barely 10 percent say they are following the campaign ‘very closely’ and that nearly half of the electorate says they’re either undecided or could change their minds.” Neither party is happy about its standard-bearer, but Cuccinelli is giving the GOP establishment a reason to believe since he’s executing a smart campaign so far. McAuliffe has work to do to get the Democratic establishment comfortable again

*** Another VA GOV poll coming out on Wednesday: By the way, there will be another poll coming out on the Cuccinelli-McAuliffe -- NBC/Marist surveys on Virginia and New Jersey, which we’ll unveil on Wednesday morning on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown.”

*** Remember, candidates matter: Given the Washington Post poll, tomorrow’s special election in South Carolina, and the tighter-than-expected special Senate race in Massachusetts, it’s always important to remember this political truism: Candidates and campaigns matter. In Virginia, both Cuccinelli and McAuliffe are flawed, but which one has bigger flaws and which one is running a better campaign? In South Carolina, the only reason why the contest in this GOP-leaning district is competitive is due to Republican Mark Sanford’s past baggage. And in Massachusetts, one candidate right now is getting the buzz (Republican Gabriel Gomez), while the other hasn’t run a competitive race in a LONG, LONG time (Ed Markey).

*** Does Sanford’s GOP base show up tomorrow? Speaking of tomorrow’s special election in South Carolina, the Washington Post’s Cillizza sees Mark Sanford as the candidate with the momentum. “In conversations with Democratic and Republican strategists closely following the special election set for Tuesday in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, the consensus is that the former governor, not businesswoman (and sister of Stephen Colbert) Elizabeth Colbert Busch, is the candidate gaining momentum in the race’s final 48 hours.” The question we have is whether base Republicans show up for Sanford. That’s going to be the difference between him winning and losing.

*** King passes on IA SEN race: On Friday, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) became the latest Republican to say “no” to running for Iowa’s open Senate seat. “The best tool we have now is the majority in the U.S. House which functions mostly to keep the Leftist genie in the bottle. I cannot, in good conscience, turn my back on the destiny decisions of Congress today in order to direct all my efforts to a Senate race for next year, while hoping to gain the leverage to put the genie back in the bottle in 2015,” he said in a statement. And that raises the question: Just who will Republicans get to run in a contest that’s VERY IMPORTANT to their chances of winning a Senate majority in 2014?

*** Ten House races to watch for ’14: Finally, don’t miss Jessica Taylor’s very early look at the 10-top House seats likely to flip in 2014.

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*** Monday’s “The Daily Rundown” line-up: NBC’s Richard Engel on the escalating crisis in Syria... Why demographics aren’t always destiny… Former Reps. Tom Davis & Tom Perriello on Virginia’s gubernatorial race… Plus, the Washington Post's Dan Balz, AP's Liz Sidoti & Politico's Manu Raju join the Gaggle.

*** Monday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA), National Journal’s Elahe Izadi, the Huffington Post’s Amada Terkel, NBC Terrorism Analyst Roger Cressey, Democratic consultant Jason Stanford, Republican strategist John Brabender and MSNBC military analyst & Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Jack Jacobs.

*** Monday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’s Thomas  interviews former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson and NBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin on Syria and the U.S. “red line”…  Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joins to discuss the NRA clinging to its guns and rhetoric…  LGBT Activist and New Yorker Columnist Richard Socarides will talk about the one-year anniversary of Biden coming out in support of same-sex marriage… Today’s Agenda Panel includes: Salon.Com’s Joan Walsh, Political Wire’s Taegan Goddard and Think Progress Editor-in-Chief Judd Legum. 

*** Monday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner interviews the Huffington Post’s Ryan Grim, theGrio’s Joy Reid, the New Yorker’s John Cassidy, former Clinton State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin, and the New York Times’ Annie Lowrey.

*** Monday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews NBC’s Richard Engel, NBC’s Chuck Todd, NBC’s Pete Williams, Aaron David Miller, Gillian Tett, and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.

*** Monday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews Gen. (ret.) Barry McCaffrey and Time International Senior Editor Bryan Walsh joins us to discuss the Israeli airstrikes on Iranian weapons. She’ll also talk to American Urban Radio’s April Ryan and MSNBC Political Analyst Jonathan Alter about the politics of Syria and the “lame duck” questions regarding President Obama.

“Immigration, guns and national security are dominating the discussion on Capitol Hill, but Americans by and large are still focused on their bottom line. So President Barack Obama is launching a series of quick jaunts around the country to remind Americans he’s still got jobs and the economy on his mind,” the AP writes. “Obama will kick off the effort Thursday with a trip to Austin, Texas, the White House said. While in Texas, the president will visit a technical high school and meet with entrepreneurs. He'll also drop in on a tech company and talk with blue-collar workers.”

USA Today says Obama will be visiting “growing areas.”

Politico on Obama’s commencement speech at Ohio State: “President Barack Obama is the most powerful man in the world, but he still laments that there is so much still out of his control. Obama told Ohio State University graduates Sunday that it will be their responsibility to make the world a better place, because forces aligned against them still hold substantial power. The dour commencement address touched on Obama’s familiar we’re-all-together theme and included shots at his regular bogeymen: Wall Street, an obstinate Congress and, of course, the press.”

Said Obama: “As you’ve studied and worked and served to become good citizens, the fact is that all too often the institutions that give structure to our society have, at times, betrayed your trust. In the run-up to the financial crisis, too many on Wall Street forgot that their obligations don’t end with what’s happening with their shares. In entertainment and in the media, ratings and shock value often trumped news and storytelling. In Washington – well, this is a joyous occasion, so let me put it charitably: I think it’s fair to say our democracy isn’t working as well as we know it can. It could do better. And so those of us fortunate enough to serve in these institutions owe it to you to do better, every single day.”

USA Today: “President Obama urged Ohio State graduates Sunday to practice citizenship and perseverance in confronting a society in which the only constant is change. ‘If there's one certainty about the decade ahead, it's that things will be uncertain,’ Obama told more than 10,000 newly minted Buckeye graduates.”

Wayne LaPierre over the weekend at the NRA convention to applause: “Frightened citizens, sheltered in place, with no means to defend themselves or their families from whatever might come crashing through their door. How many Bostonians wished they had a gun two weeks ago?”

USA Today looks at Jim Porter, the new president of the NRA. From the story: “The election of James Porter — ensured after the endorsement of outgoing President David Keene last week — is one of many defiant signals to come out of the NRA's annual meeting in Houston over the weekend. The organization vowed to continue to fight any compromise on gun-control legislation in Congress.” Porter said Obama wants “revenge” on gun owners.

Porter said this in a 2012 speech: “The NRA was started in 1871 right here in New York state. It was started by some Yankee generals who didn’t like the way my southern boys had the ability to shoot in what we call ‘the War of Northern Aggression.’ Now y’all might call it the Civil War, but we call it the War of Northern Aggression.”

First Lady Michelle Obama was interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning.

“Immigration, guns and national security are dominating the discussion on Capitol Hill, but Americans by and large are still focused on their bottom line. So President Barack Obama is launching a series of quick jaunts around the country to remind Americans he’s still got jobs and the economy on his mind,” the AP writes. “Obama will kick off the effort Thursday with a trip to Austin, Texas, the White House said. While in Texas, the president will visit a technical high school and meet with entrepreneurs. He'll also drop in on a tech company and talk with blue-collar workers.”

USA Today says Obama will be visiting “growing areas.”

Politico on Obama’s commencement speech at Ohio State: “President Barack Obama is the most powerful man in the world, but he still laments that there is so much still out of his control. Obama told Ohio State University graduates Sunday that it will be their responsibility to make the world a better place, because forces aligned against them still hold substantial power. The dour commencement address touched on Obama’s familiar we’re-all-together theme and included shots at his regular bogeymen: Wall Street, an obstinate Congress and, of course, the press.”

Said Obama: “As you’ve studied and worked and served to become good citizens, the fact is that all too often the institutions that give structure to our society have, at times, betrayed your trust. In the run-up to the financial crisis, too many on Wall Street forgot that their obligations don’t end with what’s happening with their shares. In entertainment and in the media, ratings and shock value often trumped news and storytelling. In Washington – well, this is a joyous occasion, so let me put it charitably: I think it’s fair to say our democracy isn’t working as well as we know it can. It could do better. And so those of us fortunate enough to serve in these institutions owe it to you to do better, every single day.”

USA Today: “President Obama urged Ohio State graduates Sunday to practice citizenship and perseverance in confronting a society in which the only constant is change. ‘If there's one certainty about the decade ahead, it's that things will be uncertain,’ Obama told more than 10,000 newly minted Buckeye graduates.”

Wayne LaPierre over the weekend at the NRA convention to applause: “Frightened citizens, sheltered in place, with no means to defend themselves or their families from whatever might come crashing through their door. How many Bostonians wished they had a gun two weeks ago?”

USA Today looks at Jim Porter, the new president of the NRA. From the story: “The election of James Porter — ensured after the endorsement of outgoing President David Keene last week — is one of many defiant signals to come out of the NRA's annual meeting in Houston over the weekend. The organization vowed to continue to fight any compromise on gun-control legislation in Congress.” Porter said Obama wants “revenge” on gun owners.

Porter said this in a 2012 speech: “The NRA was started in 1871 right here in New York state. It was started by some Yankee generals who didn’t like the way my southern boys had the ability to shoot in what we call ‘the War of Northern Aggression.’ Now y’all might call it the Civil War, but we call it the War of Northern Aggression.”

First Lady Michelle Obama was interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning.

Attention turns in Congress to immigration. The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin its mark up Thursday of the Gang of Eight’s bill.

“A Republican group that backs an immigration overhaul is shifting its advertising strategy as it prepares for the Senate to take up the debate when it returns from recess this week. The American Action Network, an issue-advocacy organization aligned with a super PAC and a Hispanic outreach arm, increased its current cable television ad buy from $300,000 to $500,000, the group confirmed to CQ Roll Call.”

“Senate immigration negotiators are targeting as many as two dozen Republicans for a show-of-force majority — which they believe may be the only way a reform bill will have the momentum to force the House to act,” Politico writes. “Reform proponents are looking for votes far beyond the usual moderate suspects to senators in conservative bastions such as Utah, Georgia and Wyoming. The senators landed on the list because they’re retiring, representing agricultural states, anxious to get the issue behind the party, important to persuading skittish House Republicans or all of the above.”

Roll Call: “The Keystone XL oil pipeline, Securities and Exchange Commission regulation, student loan rates and pediatric medical research will be among the first orders of legislative business in the House when Congress returns from a weeklong recess. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., issued a memo on Friday laying out the Republicans’ legislative agenda for May. Congress is expected to be busy during the three weeks it will be in session before members take another short recess the week of Memorial Day. Cantor also promised another vote to repeal Obamacare. Though Cantor doesn’t mention it in his memo, an immigration overhaul will no doubt dominate lawmakers’ attention as it moves forward in both the House and Senate.”

More debt-ceiling shenanigans: Politico: “Now, momentum is building to tie a rewrite of the Tax Code to hiking the debt cap, which will need to be raised by the fall because the limit will technically be hit this month.”