**President Obama
*Cabinet and administration officials are fanning out for yet another tour - this time a rural tour. States on the itinerary include Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.

*New York Times: "Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, joined hands with a major labor union Tuesday to endorse the idea of requiring large companies to provide health insurance to their workers, a move that gives a boost to President Obama as he is pushing for health legislation on Capitol Hill."

*Obama put in a call to centrist Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe on health care, CNN reports.

*The Times believes Obama's comments on the Iraq milestone were subdued considering it was what spurred his candidacy to a large extent. "The withdrawal did not command its own presidential appearance; instead, Mr. Obama offered a brief and somewhat muted assessment of the day's events at the outset of a ceremony intended to honor entrepreneurs who are committed to social justice."

*There's legislation now in the House to repeal the 22nd amendment, which limits presidents to two terms. Robert Gibbs weighed in yesterday with a thanks-but-no-thanks: "I think the president is firmly in support of an amendment that would limit his time in the presidency to eight years if he's given that awesome responsibility by the American people."

*Politics Daily: "...how well Obama performed in responding to the dual crises in Iran and Honduras remains an open question. But this much is certain: Responding sure-footedly to just such events is one of a commander-in-chief's most important functions...The world is now judging him based on his reactions to each nation's crucible, and considering whether his low-key, establishment approach to foreign policy is truly change you can believe in."

**Minnesota
*Local Headlines:
Minneapolis Star Tribune: "At Last, A Second Senator for Minnesota"
Duluth News Tribune: "State Supreme Court Unanimous: Franken's a Senator"

*Politico: "Republican Norm Coleman has conceded to Democrat Al Franken in the Minnesota Senate race, ending one of the longest Senate races in American history and clearing the way for Democrats to hold a 60-seat supermajority in the Senate."

*Roll Call: "On the one hand, 60 is the magic number to beat back a GOP-led filibuster. On the other, Democrats will have no one but themselves to blame if they can't pass President Barack Obama's ambitious plans to rewrite health care, overhaul banking regulations and tackle global warming. And Democratic infighting will likely be the predominant media storyline rather than the partisan gridlock that has characterized the chamber over the past several years. 'We have 60 votes on paper only,' said one senior Senate Democratic aide."

*The Star Tribune wonders whether Coleman isn't already thinking ahead to the next race: a potential gubernatorial bid.

*Oh, and hockey becomes the official state sport today, AP reports.

**Sanford Saga
*The State reports that Gov. Mark Sanford's (R-S.C.) revelations of additional romantic liaisons has prompted more calls for his resignation. Six of 27 members of the Senate Republican Caucus signed a letter calling for him to step down, and two more senators "considered among Sanford's staunchest allies" said they want the same. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Vincent Sheheen also called for Sanford's resignation.

*S.C. Atty. Gen. (and 2010 governor candidate) Henry McMaster is going to review Sanford's travel records, CNN reports.

*The Greenville News, which had said Sanford should stay in office, now thinks he should resign. From its editorial: "The two-term governor has destroyed any shred of credibility with his lies unnecessarily added on top of other lies. His ability to govern this state has been compromised so severely that he cannot fulfill the duties required of this state's governor until a successor takes the oath of office in January 2011."

**2012
*Tim Pawlenty talks to Hotline and states the obvious: Mark Sanford probably isn't the best standard bearer in 2012. "I don't think any party would want to knowingly nominate somebody with that kind of baggage," Pawlenty said when asked if adultery should disqualify a WH candidate. But he added: "I think that's up to the voters, ultimately."

*Mitt Romney was honored at the Massachusetts State House last night as they unveiled his official portrait. And Gov. Deval Patrick (D) had high praise, the Globe reports. "You should be remembered as one of the principal architects of the greatest experiment in healthcare reform that this country has yet to see, and we in the Commonwealth are grateful to you for that.''

*JMart: "A hard-hitting piece on Sarah Palin in the new Vanity Fair has touched off a blistering exchange of insults among high-profile Republicans over last year's GOP ticket - tearing open fresh wounds about leaks surrounding Palin and revealing for the first time some of the internal wars that paralyzed the campaign in its final days." Check out Steve Schmidt reacting to Bill Kristol: "I'm sure John McCain would be president today if only Bill Kristol had been in charge of the campaign. After all, his management of [former Vice President] Dan Quayle's public image as his chief of staff is still something that takes your breath away. His attack on me is categorically false."

**Campaign Stuff
*NY Sen: A senior adviser to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) tells the New York Daily News: "She's definitely decided to run. She's in it." An official announcement that she'll challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) will come in two weeks.

*NY Sen: "Rep. Peter King said Tuesday the odds of him challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010 are now "less than 50-50" after he was appointed to the House intelligence committee," Newsday reports.

*Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) promises more high profile support for Marco Rubio (R) in the Florida Senate primary, both from senators and major fundraisers, The Hill reports.

*A Club For Growth-sponsored poll of the race shows Gov. Charlie Crist (R) leading Rubio 51-21, Roll Call reports.

*Yet another NJ Gov poll has Corzine down, but this time just 6 points.

*Yesterday, New Jersey Democrats called on gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie to renounce the support of the RGA, once lead by Mark Sanford. So why then is DSCC chair Bob Menendez allowing former Sen. Bob Torricelli, who bailed on his 2002 re-election campaign amid scandal, host a fundraiser? Menendez: "But the bottom line is [Torricelli] is a private citizen who in fact will be assisting Democrats in a legal and lawful fashion," Menendez told the Bergen Record.

*The Hill cites internal polling from Peter Schiff (R) that has him within the margin of error against Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), 42-38. Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) leads Dodd 47-38 in the poll.

*Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) says he plans to run for re-election, but: "If the Senate job came open, I would probably give it a hard look." He tells the Austin American Statesman Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) has not made it official.

*Frank Guinta, mayor of Manchester, N.H., and a candidate for Congress, faces allegations that he failed to call for help when a man suffered a broken leg during a bar fight last month, the Union Leader reports. The incident "has become fodder for the state Democratic Party, which put out a statement yesterday saying Guinta's behavior 'raises questions about his leadership and character.'"

**Congress In Action: What the Senate is doing on its summer vacation? Holding yet another BCS hearing. AP: "Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the subcommittee's top Republican and the lawmaker who sought the hearing, did not return telephone and e-mail messages left at his office Tuesday. [But] in an essay for Sports Illustrated being released Wednesday, Hatch wrote that the Sherman Antitrust Act prohibits contracts, combinations or conspiracies designed to reduce competition."
--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad