Here are 10 things you need to know today.
- Wisconsin recall election set for June 5, court strikes down key parts of anti-union law: The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board announced on Friday that the recall election for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will take place June 5, and a federal judge struck down key components of Walker’s anti-union law, which restricts collective bargaining rights in an attempt to curtail the state budget. Judge William N. Conley, an Obama appointee to the federal bench, struck down the portions of that cut into collective bargaining rights and disallow mandatory dues collections for most public employees because they do not equally affect police and firefighters, also public employees.
- Obama campaign asks for 30 years of Romney tax returns: The National Journal reports that the Obama campaign has asked for the last 30 years of tax returns from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the likely Republican nominee. The Obama team says it’s necessary to look at the history of personal investments Romney has made in conjunction with the company he used to run, Bain Capital. Romney’s team responded by referencing the president’s recent “hot mic” moment with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. “Obama should release the notes and transcripts of all his meetings with world leaders so the American people can be satisfied that he’s not promising to sell out the country’s interests after the election is over,” Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul wrote in an email to the Journal.
- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett enters recall race against Walker: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the 2010 Democratic candidate against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), will run in the recall races officially triggered on Friday. Walker won 52 percent to 47 percent against Barrett in 2010. Polls have shown the rematch a statistical dead heat.
- Romney goes after Obama on taxes: Romney hit President Obama on taxes Friday, part of the former governor’s pivot away from the Republican race the last few days to focus squarely on Obama. “Instead of promoting pro-growth tax policies that provide businesses with the economic freedom to grow and prosper, he is backing a ‘global tax’ that would harm American competitiveness. My plan to reform the tax code by cutting rates and encouraging reinvestment here in America is the right way to jumpstart an economic recovery and create new American jobs,” Romney said.
- Santorum plays the underdog: Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, despite having been the last Republican to win a primary (last Saturday’s contest in Louisiana), is embracing his role as underdog in the GOP race. Santorum’s camp released a web video of the candidate speaking about his grassroots campaigning in Iowa, asking supporters to pitch in financially. Watch it here.
- Santorum records a robocall for Walker: Santorum also recorded a robocall supporting Walker in his recall election. The Santorum campaign also told The Hill that the candidate did some phone-banking on Walker’s behalf as well.
- Wisconsin looking good for Romney: Romney looks strong in Wisconsin’s winner-take-all GOP primary Tuesday, as a Rasmussen poll out Friday showed him up by 10 points points; a NBC/Marist survey showed him with a 7-point lead. Romney is also ahead in Maryland, which also holds its primary Tuesday.
- Warren hits Brown on gas prices: Republicans are giving President Obama flak nationally for high gas prices, but Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren is using the issue to attack incumbent Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA). Warren chided Brown for a recent Senate vote that would have stripped federal tax breaks for oil companies, which add up to about $4 billion a year. The AP reported that Brown said lifting the subsidies wouldn’t bring down prices.
- Santorum — Romney will get “destroyed” on health care by Obama: Santorum pushed back against the idea that he’s less electable than Romney in an interview with CNN’s John King. “This is a major problem when the huge Achilles heel of this president, where three-quarters of the American public disagree with this mandate, and that yet Gov. Romney started the ball rolling in Massachusetts and then advocated for this mandate at the federal level. Frankly, I think he’ll be destroyed by President Obama on this issue come the fall,” Santorum told King.
- Romney, Santorum, Gingrich campaign in Wisconsin today: Romney, Santorum and Gingrich will all attend a presidential forum in Waukesha County, Wis., at 10 a.m. today, the state’s reddest county. Both Romney and Santorum will stick to the more populated section of southern Wisconsin afterward, where Santorum will hold a rally in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, and then the Lincoln Day dinners in neighboring Milwaukee and Waukesha counties tonight. Romney will host a town hall in Pewaukee, Wis., visit a phone-bank for Walker and will also speak at the Waukesha County Lincoln Day Dinner.
