**President Obama
*AP: "During his stop in Mexico City on Thursday, Obama will emphasize cross-border cooperation and probably put a focus on clean energy, but the economic crisis and the bloody drug trade have set the tone. Among the other touchy points are disagreement over a lapsed U.S. assault weapons ban, a standoff over cross-border trucking and immigration."

*The Washington Times follows up on Homeland Security's controversial report on the threat of right-wing extremists. Secretary Janet Napolitano defended the report "as merely one among several threat assessments." In a statement, she said: "Let me be very clear: We monitor the risks of violent extremism taking root here in the United States. We don't have the luxury of focusing our efforts on one group."

*Biden will tout the promise of wind energy during a visit to Missouri today.

**Palin Watch
*The Alaska Governor returns to the Lower 48 today to attend "what's billed as the country's largest annual banquet for anti-abortion activists" in Indiana today, McClatchy reports. "Thursday's event doesn't carry quite the same weight for potential presidential candidates as, say, eating midway food at the Iowa State Fair or a sit-down with the Union-Leader newspaper editorial board in Manchester, N.H." But it's her first major foray outside Alaska since the RGA Meeting in November, and "sends a laser-like message to the conservative potential voters who Palin must court if her political future includes a bid for the presidency in 2012."

*NYT takes a look at Palin's tough transition back to her regular day job.

**Campaign Stuff
*A new Quinnipiac Poll asks Floridians if they'd rather see Gov. Charlie Crist (R) run for re-election as governor, or the U.S. Senate. The result: 42 percent say he should run for governor, compared to 26 percent for the Senate. We'll have more on the poll, including primary matchups on both sides in the Senate race, later.

*Also in Florida, Democrats are touting the recruiting of state Sen. Charlie Justice to challenge Rep. Bill Young (R) in the 10th CD, which Obama won last November. Young is 78. "If he decides to retire after 40 years in Washington, we'll thank him for his service, and if he decides to run again, we'll have a healthy debate,'' Justice told the St. Pete Times

*Former Lt. Gov. Jack Carney (D) will run for Delaware's at large Congressional seat, perhaps giving Rep. Mike Castle (R) a run for his money. But Castle, a former two-term governor, is also considering the Senate race, where he might face Atty. Gen. Beau Biden. "He is the strongest Democratic congressional candidate that our state has seen in many years," Sen. Tom Carper told the Wilmington News Journal of Carney. Castle said in a statement: "My record as an independent voice and voter has been proven over time, and I remain as dedicated to bringing people together as I have ever been."

*VA-Gov: "The diminished importance of the Shad Planking, noticeable even from four years ago, when every candidate for governor attended, is stark evidence of the political decline of rural Virginia," WaPo reports.

*Our take on Shad Planking: It's great for voters/junkies to rub shoulders with the candidates. Most of the people there already know who they're voting for. The down-ticket candidates, whom most people have never heard of, probably benefited the most.

**Fundraising roundup
*Arlen Specter raised $1.3 million in Q1, and has $6.7 million in the bank, Politico reports.

*In the Ohio Senate primary, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher far outraises Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. He raised $1 million, compared to just $207,000 for Brunner. Neither released cash on hand totals. Republican Rob Portman, running unopposed at the moment, raised $1.7 million and has $3 million cash on hand.

*In Florida, Miami Herald rounds up Senate numbers: Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) raised $1.5 million and has $1.6 million on hand. State Sen. Dan Gelber (D) raised $360,000 and has $296,000 on hand. Republican Marco Rubio raised $254,000 and has $211,000 on hand.

*MO-Gov: Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) doubled Rep. Roy Blunt's (R) 1stQ fundraising total, The Hill reports.

*PA-Sen: "In the fundraising battle of the three Pennsylvania House Democrats considering running for the Senate, we have a clear fundraising winner: Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.)," Politico reports.

*Remember Hillary Clinton? She's paid off all but $2.3 million of her debts. CNN: "The nation's top diplomat has been steadily chipping away at unpaid campaign bills since suspending her White House bid in June 2008, when her debt peaked at $25.2 million. That amount covered $12 million owed to vendors, as well as the $13.2 million she loaned her campaign from personal funds."

--Kyle Trygstad and Mike Memoli