**President Obama
*AP says that in his speech yesterday, Obama "aimed to juggle his recent glass-half-full takes on the economy with a determination to not be stamped as naive in the face lingering problems. He summarized actions his administration has taken to steady the limping economy and coupled that with a fresh overview of his domestic goals."

*Washington Post adds that "the economy wasn't cooperating" with messages coming from Obama and Fed Chair Ben Bernanke. "Retail sales dropped sharply in March, the government reported, and wholesale prices fell steeply. Both pieces of data underscore the hard slog the nation faces to emerge from its deep recession and the limitations of more optimistic talk from Washington. The stock market fell 2 percent, as measured by the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index."

*Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will name former Justice Department official Alan Bersin as a "border czar" today "to help deal with the drug cartel violence that has exploded along the U.S.-Mexico border," administration officials tell CNN. "The move comes on the eve of President Obama's first visit to Mexico since being sworn into office."

*The Hill's Youngman writes that Obama "will punt on hot-button issues like illegal immigration and trade agreements and will instead focus on the global economic crisis and climate change" during his trips to Mexico and Trinidad. "This administration understands you need to work through these things with Congress," an administration official said. "You can't just do it in a vacuum."

*USA Today says that more Americans are okay with "big government" right now. "Most Americans in a nationwide USA TODAY/Gallup Poll approve of President Obama and the government's latest assertiveness. However, some of the steps he has ordered have made them wary. By 3-to-1, those surveyed say government's expansion should be cut back when the economic crisis is over."

*The White House "has decided to reveal some sensitive details of the stress tests now being completed after concluding that keeping many of the findings secret could send investors fleeing from financial institutions rumored to be weakest." The New York Times says "indicating which banks are most vulnerable still runs some risk of doing what officials hope to avoid."

**Campaign Stuff
*Pat Toomey announced this morning that he will, in fact, run for the Senate against Arlen Specter. From his statement: "For thirty years Senator Specter has consistently voted for increased government spending and a liberal agenda on social, labor, immigration and national security policies. In recent months, Senator Specter voted in favor of the unprecedented Wall Street and auto company bailouts and the massive 'stimulus' spending bill. Senator Specter is on the wrong side of these critical issues and Pennsylvanians will pay the price."

*In Las Vegas, Harry Reid kicked off his re-election campaign yesterday. The Review Journal notes that in Washington, Reid is the powerful Senate Majority Leader, but "in Nevada, however, he's just another politician asking for votes, and his task now is to try to convert the partisan surge that won the state for Obama by 12 percentage points into his own political advantage." About 300 supporters attended a rally and barbecue put on by the state Democratic party.

*New York Times sits down with the players in the Minnesota Senate battle -- including Franken, Coleman and Pawlenty.

*The DNC is running an ad on news talk radio stations in the Twin Cities calling on Coleman to concede. You can listen to the .mp3 here.

*Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) writes an op-ed for the Huffington Post titled "Let my vote and every vote be counted" after it was reported yesterday that the Tedisco campaign had challenged her absentee ballot.

*Politico's politics gurus Mahtesian and Kraushaar take you through the 10 FEC fundraising reports "worth reviewing -- and the reasons why." No. 1? Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning.

*Virginia's annual political gathering, called the "Shad Planking," is being held today in a small town southeast of Richmond. Three of the four candidates for governor will speak. Newport News Daily Press: "Partisan insiders, gubernatorial hopefuls and fans of fish and beer gather in Wakefield today for the 61st annual Shad Planking, a rite of spring in Virginia that doubles as an important barometer of the state's political mood. The outdoor festival and barnstorming pileup always features political intrigue with rising political stars wooing voters and opinion makers over bony fish and free cups of brew." (RCP will be in attendance as well)

*The St. Pete Times reports that former House Speaker Marco Rubio is taking a stronger line on whether he'll stay in the Florida Senate race if Gov. Charlie Crist decided he wants to switch jobs. "My decision, which I'll announce shortly, will not be predicated on what anybody else does," Rubio said. The Times notes that in January, Rubio said any Republican would step aside if Crist runs.

*Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) says he has not decided about seeking a new term. "I'm not playing games," he told the Tulsa World. "I really haven't decided."

*Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio), target of ads tying him to Speaker Pelosi, has raised more than $400,000 in the first quarter, per the Columbus Dispatch.

** Tax Day
*Carl Cannon lists "six cool places your tax dollars go."

*Check the National Tax Day Tea Party website for more info on what's happening today. The Hill has the deets on where some Republican lawmakers will be attending one of the 750 tea parties being held around the country today.

** You can't make it up: Rod Blagojevich will appear on NBC's upcoming reality show, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here."

--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad