Washington News

Obama: Overturning Of Healthcare Law Would Be "Unprecedented" According to Jake Tapper, on ABC World News, the President "fired a warning shot" because "White House officials are concerned" by last week's "barrage of skepticism" from the justices.
The CBS Evening News noted that the President "mentioned...how conservatives for years have blasted unelected judges for such 'judicial activism' and that's why today he said he firmly believes that the court won't take that step."
USA Today in an article titled, "Obama Warns Against 'Judicial Activism' On Health Care Law," also reports that Obama "said a decision to reverse the actions of Congress would be 'judicial activism,'" which, according to USA Today, "conservatives usually oppose."
The New York Times notes that the President "rejected the idea that the individual mandate could be struck down without crippling the whole law."
The AP reports that the president said "there's not only an economic element to this, and a legal element to this, but there's a human element to this. And I hope that is not forgotten in this political debate."
The Washington Post also reports that the President "emphasized the costs associated with overturning a law that his administration already has begun to implement."
According to the Washington Times "Republicans quickly countered the [President's] remarks, pointing out that he had significantly overstated congressional support for the law and that such matters are constitutionally irrelevant anyway."
More Commentary. Marc Thiessen, in his column for the Washington Post argues that "a decision by the Supreme Court to overturn the law in its entirety could be the best thing that ever happened to Obama's prospects for reelection." According to Thiessen, "We might see a spurt of job creation and capital coming off the sidelines that could be extremely helpful to the president come November. ... A recent Gallup survey found that 48 percent of small businesses said the potential costs of Obamacare were holding them back from hiring new workers."
Adam Liptak, in an analysis for the New York Times quotes USC law professor Lee Epstein as saying, "The teachable moment here isn't for the public. It's for the law professors and elite lawyers who were all predicting a slam-dunk for the Obama administration."
Ruth Marcus, in her column for the Washington Post says, "There was something rather unsettling in President Obama's preemptive strike on the Supreme Court." Marcus continues, "Because, as the former constitutional law professor certainly understands, it is the essence of our governmental system to vest in the court the ultimate power to decide the meaning of the constitution."
The Wall Street Journal in an editorial titled, "Obama Vs. Marbury V. Madison: The President Needs A Remedial Course In Judicial Review," rejects as clearly inaccurate the President's characterization of the potential overturning of the ACA as "unprecedented." The Journal says the President may have been using imprecise language because his remarks were meant to be an appeal to voters to hold the justices accountable if they act contrary to his wishes.

US Manufacturing Expanded In March Bloomberg News reports US manufacturing "expanded at a faster pace in March," as "the Institute for Supply Management's factory index climbed to 53.4 last month from 52.4 in February."
The Wall Street Journal reports that the ISM report marks the 32nd consecutive month of growth in the manufacturing sector.

Obama To Push Buffett Rule, Discuss Ryan Budget During Speech Today President Obama will revive his call for Congress to pass his proposal to raise taxes on millionaires the AP reports, noting that the plan "aims to draw sharp election-year lines between the president and the Republican opposition." The AP notes that while the plan, which the President calls the "Buffett Rule," after billionaire Warren Buffett, "stands little chance of passing," it is "a prominent symbol of the efforts the president and congressional Democrats are making to portray themselves as champions of economic fairness."
Reuters reports that the President sees the issue as a winner going into the fall election and will use a speech today at the Associated Press Luncheon at the American Society of Newspaper Editors convention in Washington to push his message that Republicans favor the rich.
In addition to discussing the Buffett Rule, the President will use the speech to address Rep. Paul Ryan's 2013 budget plan, which passed the House last week. The Hill reports in its "Blog Briefing Room" blog that senior administration officials said the President will "outline his own budget plan, while emphasizing why he disagrees with Ryan's approach and why the country can't afford to go in that direction."

Solar Energy Firm Touted By Obama Files For Chapter 11 Fox News' Special Report reported, "Another solar energy company touted by the Obama administration is seeking bankruptcy protection." Solar Trust of America "did not meet a deadline for an Energy Department loan guarantee last year," though the Energy Department "says no taxpayer money was lost."
The AP says Solar Trust's project "was touted as...a keystone of the Obama administration's efforts to promote solar energy." Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and California Gov. Jerry Brown "were on hand last June when Solar Trust broke ground on a 1,000-megawatt project in California."
The Wall Street Journal in an article titled, "Solar-Project Developer Files For Chapter 11," reports that Solar Trust was supposed to pay $1 million in rent to the Interior Department by Sunday.

Nationwide Sweep Nets 3,100 Illegal Immigrants, Fugitives The Obama Administration announced Monday that it arrested more than 3,100 illegal immigrants "who were convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered fugitives or threats to national security," the AP reports. The arrests were "part of a six-day nationwide sweep that the government described as the largest of its kind." According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), "the sweep included every state and involved more than 1,900 of the agency's officers and agents."
The Washington Times reports, "Arrests occurred in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, three US territories and the District of Columbia."
The Wall Street Journal reports that ICE Director John Morton said the nationwide operation, called "Cross Check" highlighted the "ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation's immigration system."
The Washington Post reports, "Advocates for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants expressed concern about Monday's raids, saying that while they supported the premise of targeting criminal aliens, large roundups tend to sweep in less serious offenders who may have committed only minor violations."

High Court Allows Strip Searches For Any Offense NBC Nightly News reported, "According to the US Supreme Court's ruling today," strip searching everyone who is put in a jail is "now acceptable across the land, and critics are howling it's an unacceptable violation of our privacy." The court ruled that "jailers must be free to check for hidden weapons and drugs on all incoming prisoners even if they're held a short time, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote an opinion for a five to four court split along ideological lines."
In a front-page article, the New York Times reports, "Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, joined by the court's conservative wing, wrote that courts are in no position to second-guess the judgments of correctional officials." Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in his dissent "that there was very little empirical support for the idea that strip-searches detect contraband that would not have been found had jail officials used less intrusive means."
The Washington Post reports that both Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. agreed with Kennedy's conclusion but wrote that "an exception to the rule might apply to those detained on minor charges and kept apart from the rest of the jail population."

Campaign News

Obama Campaign Set To Air Energy Policy Ads In Florida, Nevada Alexander Burns, in a post for Politico reported that the Obama campaign is "poised to go on the air in the swing states of Florida and Nevada. ... The campaign has begun buying broadcast TV time in the Tampa, Las Vegas and Reno media markets, with flights running from April 3 to April 16." According to Burns, the ad that will run is a "defense of the president's record on energy."

Favored In Today's Three Contests, Romney Looks To General Election The Washington Post reports that Mitt Romney has "shifted subtly into general election mode," with "a new slogan: 'Obama's Government-Centered Society,'" and "a potential running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who has developed chemistry with Romney over four straight days together on the campaign trail." Meanwhile, he "doesn't seem to be thinking too much about" Rick Santorum, and "aides now talk openly about the general election campaign while they are beginning to staff up at his Boston headquarters," and "starting to size up possible vice presidential contenders."
The Washington Times reports that Romney is hoping "to land a knockout blow against...Santorum," while Santorum "played up his underdog status at a 'Rally for Rick' in Oshkosh, mocking Mr. Romney's conservative credentials and calling on voters not to bow to the increasing number of Republicans who argue that the race is all but over."
McClatchy reports, "The political world will focus mostly on Wisconsin," but there are 37 delegates in Maryland and 16 in Washington, DC. "Romney's Maryland forces think they could sweep the state," in part because "Santorum's campaign has been virtually invisible," and Gingrich's "campaign is barely alive."
The AP reports, "Mitt Romney is halfway to clinching the Republican nomination" with "572 delegates...exactly half the 1,144 needed," while "Santorum has 272 delegates," Gingrich 135, and Paul 51.
Poll Shows Romney, Santorum Nearly Equal Against Obama In Swing States USA Today reports that a USA Today poll of 933 registered voters conducted March 20-26 shows Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney do about equally well against the President "in the nation's 12 top battleground states," where, "Santorum trails Obama by 11 percentage points, 41%-52%," and Romney "by 9 points, 42%-51%." In a nationwide poll of 901 registered voters conducted March 25-26, "Romney does a bit better than Santorum, trailing Obama by 4 points (45%-49%) while Santorum trails him by 8 (43%-51%)." At the same time, "Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in the swing states say they would prefer" Romney to Santorum, 57%-39%, while "nationwide, that gap widens a bit to 57%-37%."

RNC Invites Presidential Candidates To Joint Fundraising Effort The Wall Street Journal reports that the Romney campaign and the Republican National Committee are launching a common fundraising effort. The effort is focused on raising the funds necessary for the fall campaign and will allow donors a top limit of $75,000 per person, up from the $2,500 limit for contributions to the Romney campaign. The other presidential candidates have also been invited to join the effort. The $75,000 limit is a combination of a $2,500 limit for the presidential campaign, $30,800 for the national committee, and $40,000 total contributions to state level committees with no state-level party receiving more than $10,000.