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WaPo: Dems Map Out Midterm Campaign Strategy For Obama
The Washington Post reports that Democrats are debating how President Obama’s campaign presence could help or hurt them in this year’s election, with Obama unlikely to visit certain states: “In the anti-establishment climate, some Democrats are saying that it’s smart for Obama to keep his distance from candidates in difficult races, allowing them to run against Washington and avoid the downward pull of his approval ratings. Others say he should heed the lessons of last year’s Democratic losses and begin campaigning early enough to make a difference with the Democratic base.”

Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9:45 a.m. ET, arriving at 11:05 a.m. ET in Charlotte, North Carolina. He will tour the Celgard manufacturing facilities at 11:45 a.m. ET. He will deliver remarks at 11:55 a.m. ET, on jobs and the economy, and host a discussion with workers. He will depart from Charlotte at 1:40 p.m. ET, arriving back at Andrews Air Force Base at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Obama: ‘This Country Was Going To Go Bankrupt’ Without Health Care Changes
In an interview with CBS’s The Early Show, President Obama said that “this country was going to go bankrupt” without health care reform. He also added that “if you have a good policy and you’re trying to do the right thing, over time the politics works out.”

Obama: President Needs to Have ‘Pretty Thick Skin’
Also during his interview on The Early Show, President Obama said that a president needs to have a “pretty thick skin,” and worried about a climate in which “the other side is demonized.”

Obama To Dems: November Elections ‘Will Be Hard’
Speaking last night at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Boston, President Obama said: “These November elections, as Tim [DNC Chairman Tim Kaine] said, will be hard – partly because this country is still divided, and after 2006 and 2008 we hit a very high watermark in terms of Democratic representation in Congress and governorships and we’re in the midst of what is still a very difficult time.”

McHugh: Gays Can Still Be Discharged From Army For Speaking Up
Secretary of the Army John McHugh has walked back statements that suggested a suspension of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, saying that soldiers would still be discharged if they acknowledge that they are gay. “Until Congress repeals ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ it remains the law of the land and the Department of the Army and I will fulfill our obligation to uphold it,” said McHugh.

U.S. Sues Contractor KBR Over Iraq Bills
The federal government is suing KBR, the largest contractor in Iraq, over what prosecutors allege were improper charges to the Army. The lawsuit says that KBR and its subcontractors used private armed security in Iraq between 2003 and 2006, and billed the U.S. for these services even though they were not allowed to do so under the terms of their contract.

DNC Sells Out ‘BFD’ Shirts
The Democratic National Committee has sold out its first shipment of T-shirts celebrating the health care bill as a “BFD,” in honor of Vice President Biden’s hot-microphone comment at the bill signing. The DNC is selling the shirts for $25, fundraising off Biden’s comment that the bill was a “big f—— deal.”

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