Here are ten things you need to know today.
- Obama explains ‘hot mic’ moment: The president tried to explain what he meant when he told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more “flexibility” on missile defense after the election. He told reporters that arms control issues are technical and difficult to work through, and that an election year — and a partisan Washington — are not conducive to getting that work done. I wasn’t “hiding the ball,” the president said, emphasizing that his stance in favor of scaling back nuclear stockpiles is well-known.
- Romney attacks Obama anyway: The Romney campaign continued to hammer on President Obama’s ‘hot mic’ comments. On Monday, he suggested Obama’s foreign policy, particularly toward Russia, would change. Tuesday, the campaign is pushing the idea that Obama, no longer having to face voters, could do a number of more radical things like “pursue job-killing tax increases.”
- Wes Clark defends Obama: Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and former Democratic presidential candidate, criticized Mitt Romney’s assertion that Russia is “without question, our number one geopolitical foe” in a statement, saying the comment felt like “a rehash of Cold War fears” and that “The next president is going to have to take America forward, out of war, and into other challenges. The rekindling of old antagonisms hardly seems the way to do it.”
- Romney has 4 to 1 advantage on Wisconsin airwaves: Mitt Romney used to have the airwaves all to himself and his supporting super PAC, but in the final week before the April 3 primary, Rick Santorum is also hitting the airwaves,reports Politico. Pro-Romney forces will spend $1,917,764 this week, and Santorum’s will spend $513,000. Overall, Romney’s side will spend $3.2 million in Wisconsin, Santorum’s $568,000.
- Most Americans don’t want health care reform overturned: As we head into the second day of oral arguments before the Supreme Court, a new CNN International poll shows support for the law improving, but still a majority don’t support it. From CNN: “43% of Americans approve of the law, up five points from last November, with 50% saying they disapprove, down six points from last autumn.” On the bright side for Democrats, the law is increasingly popular with independents and most Americans don’t want the whole thing overturned.
- Tea Party rally planned outside Supreme Court: As the Supreme Court tackles the individual mandate, Tea Party and conservative groups and leaders including Reps. Michele Bachmann and Steve King will host a rally outside the Court. They are predicting thousands will turn out.
- Ron Paul wants the media to stop asking him about dropping out: On Piers Morgan’s CNN show Monday night, Ron Paul responded to the question of why he doesn’t “do the decent thing and pull out” with the retort: “Why don’t you do the decent thing and not pester me with silly questions like that? That would be decent of you.”
- Scott Brown writes another check as part of outside spending pledge: Sen. Scott Brown’s campaign wrote another check to uphold a pledge between his campaign and Elizabeth Warren’s that they will donate to charity half the cost of an outside spending campaign that benefits them. This second time was due to an ad from the American Petroleum Institute urging Brown to oppose legislation, reports the AP.
- Santorum campaigns in Wisconsin: Rick Santorum will be campaigning in Wisconsin Tuesday, with events in Janesville, Hartford, Jefferson, and Beaver Dam.
- Romney heads to Texas: Wednesday, Mitt Romney will leave the fundraising-rich state of California and head to another state filled with potential donors as well as lots of electoral votes: Texas. He’ll spend Wednesday and Thursday raising money and campaigning in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston. Romney will be on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Tuesday.
