The Early Word: In or Out

By ASHLEY SOUTHALL

Today?s Times

• Though the Republican establishment is not eager for Sarah Palin to run for the White House, evidence suggests she may be preparing to seek the Republican nomination, Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny write. However, the reporters caution that ?it is by no means clear that she would be willing to give up her lucrative speaking career and her perch as an analyst on Fox News to face the scrutiny and combat that would come with her entrance into the race.?

• The League of Women Voters recently flexed some political muscle with a million-dollar ad campaign against two high-profile senators who face re-election next year. Carl Hulse explains that the group, known for its sober candidate debates and studious voter guides, sponsored ads in April attacking Senators Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, and Scott P. Brown, Republican of Massachusetts, over their positions on environmental regulation. The ads got the attention of lawmakers and have politicians looking at the group in a new, more critical light.

• Restructuring Medicare is proving a bit trickier than House Republicans had imagined when they approved overhauling the program in their budget plan for the fiscal year 2012. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, forced a vote on the overhaul Wednesday, to expose Republican divisions on the the issue and create a record that Democrats could use in the 2012 elections, Jennifer Steinhauer writes.

• Helene Cooper and Jackie Calmes take stock of Republican efforts to exploit questions about how solidly President Obama supports Israel to chip away at Jewish-Americans? overwhelming support for Democrats.

• In Britain on Wednesday, Mr. Obama told Parliament that the British-American alliance was ?indispensable,? Mark Landler writes. Mr. Obama is headed to France today for G-8 summit meetings.

• Former Senator John Edwards is expected to face charges that he violated campaign finance laws by using donors? money to cover up his extramarital affair during the 2008 presidential campaign, Katherine Q. Seelye reports. Mr. Edwards, a trial attorney, indicated through his lawyer that he would fight the charges.

Happening in Washington

• Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will convene a bipartisan group of lawmakers again today for more discussion on how to reduce the budget deficit.

• The batch of economic news on tap today includes the preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the gross domestic product for January through March of this year. The data is expected at 8:30 a.m.

• Ron Phipps, the president of the National Association of Realtors, is among the witnesses testifying before the Senate Banking Committee on the future of the housing finance system. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. Before that, the panel will vote on Timothy Massad?s nomination to become the assistant Treasury secretary in charge of overseeing the federal bailout program.

• At 2 p.m., Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady, will appear before the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

The ?Mediscare? Revolving Door

How quickly the rhetoric on Medicare turns upside down in Washington.

Angle Pulls Out of Nevada House Race

Sharron Angle pulls out of the Nevada special election for Congress after a judge ruled against an open ballot.

The ?Mediscare? Revolving Door

How quickly the rhetoric on Medicare turns upside down in Washington.

Angle Pulls Out of Nevada House Race

Sharron Angle pulls out of the Nevada special election for Congress after a judge ruled against an open ballot.

The ?Mediscare? Revolving Door

How quickly the rhetoric on Medicare turns upside down in Washington.

Refighting the Auto Industry Bailout Battle

Mitt Romney opposed bailing out the auto industry in 2008 and 2009. But now that General Motors and Chrysler have returned to profitability, he says the president?s plan was based on his own.

Signs Grow That Palin May Run

By JIM RUTENBERG and JEFF ZELENY

Sarah Palin is fortifying her staff of advisers, buying an Arizona home and adding public appearances.

Democrats Put G.O.P. on Spot as Medicare Plan Fails

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

The plan advanced by House Republicans to reshape Medicare was defeated, with five Republicans opposing it.

Edwards to Face Criminal Charges

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

The Justice Department reportedly plans to accuse John Edwards of misusing presidential campaign funds to cover up an affair.

Suspect in Shooting of Giffords Ruled Unfit for Trial

By MARC LACEY

A federal judge ruled Jared L. Loughner not mentally competent to stand trial on charges that he opened fire at a constituent event for an Arizona congresswoman in January, killing six.

Voter Group Flexes Muscle in Ads Aimed at Senators

By CARL HULSE

The League of Women Voters, known for candidate debates and voter guides, took a more activist approach in ads aimed at two senators facing elections next year.

Source: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/the-early-word-in-or-out/

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