Morning Road Map

By Michelle Levi and Steve Chaggaris

OBAMA spends today focusing on women voters, beginning with a fund-raising breakfast in New York City with Hillary Clinton and Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng. According to prepared remarks, he's expected to aim his comments about the economy toward working women as well as touch on equal pay and abortion. At 1:30pm, Obama will speak to women about economic security at a town hall meeting in Fairfax, Virginia. Michelle Obama will speak to Missouri women during an 11am discussion in Kansas City.

McCAIN continues his week-long focus on the economy with a town hall meeting at noon at Bayloff Stamped Products, a small business in Belleville, Michigan. He'll later swing by his campaign's Minnesota headquarters at 5:30pm. At 7pm, McCAIN participates in a town hall meeting via telephone with voters in Washington, D.C.

NEW OVERNIGHT: OBAMA hit McCain for being a Washington insider, saying his opponent criticizes Washington for doing nothing for 30 years, except "he's been there for 25." At a fund-raiser in midtown Manhattan last night with Caroline Kennedy, he called on his supporters to help relieve Hillary Clinton's campaign debt (after almost forgetting to ask his donors) explaining that "I could have had some debt if I hadn't won so I know the drill." He also addressed concerns that he has switched his position on Iraq: "I understand why people were skeptical. Despite the fact that I hadn't said anything that would suggest that I had changed my position. But what happens is that people are used to seeing promises broken. They are used to us taking the easy way out. But not this time." He later added, "don't be confused, I will end this war." Later, at a closed fund-raiser, Obama was joined by Clinton where the former rivals stressed "unity." "Our coming together tonight," said Clinton "sends a very clear message that we are united and that we come together with a commitment to this election that is going to consume us between now and November."

OBAMA AND CLINTON TOGETHER AGAIN
CBSNews.com, "At Last Minute, Obama Makes Pitch To Help Clear Clinton Debt"

Bloomberg News, "Hillary Clinton Helps Obama, Democrats Raise Money in Manhattan"

NY Times, "Obama Urges Backers to Address Clinton Debt"

JESSE JACKSON'S "CRUDE" COMMENTS
Rev. Jesse Jackson held a press conference Wednesday evening to apologize for comments he accidentally made into an open microphone while taping an interview on "Fox and Friends." The civil rights leader and Obama supporter used a slang term to for wanting to cut off Obama's testicles in reference to a question. Fox's "The O'Reilly Factor" aired the comments last night, bleeping out offensive words yet leaving little to the imagination. In response to Jackson's apology the Obama campaign released a statement which read, "As someone who grew up without a father in the home, Senator Obama has spoken and written for many years about the issue of parental responsibility, including the importance of fathers participating in their children's lives… He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology."

Bloomberg News, "Jackson's 'Crude' Remarks May Be Boon for Obama Campaign": "The Reverend Jesse Jackson's derogatory comments about Barack Obama could provide a boost for the presumptive Democratic nominee, giving him an opportunity to appeal to voters who have supported Republicans."

NY Sun, "Jackson's Jibe at Obama Signals Rift"

NY Times, "Jesse Jackson Apologizes for Remarks on Obama"

Washington Post, "Rev. Jackson Apologizes to Obama"

SENATE FISA VOTE
Denver Post, "Obama backs broader wiretap powers"

Washington Post, "Obama Joins Fellow Senators in Passing New Wiretapping Measure"

IRAN MISSILE TESTS
NY Times, "U.S. Candidates Use Iran's Missile Tests as a Chance for a Foreign Policy Debate"

OBAMA'S FOREIGN TRIP
NY Times, "Prospect of Obama at Brandenburg Gate Divides German Politicians"

CANDIDATES' SHIFTING POSITIONS
LA Times, "Democrats take Obama shift in stride"

Washington Post, "Obama's Ideology Proving Difficult to Pinpoint"

The Hill, "Dems follow Obama down centrist path"

NY Times' Collins, "The Audacity of Listening"

VEEPSTAKES
Associated Press, "Obama stokes veep speculation with Hillary flight"

Palm Beach Post, "Crist's engagement boosts VP chances, image, analysts say"

LA Times, "Carly Fiorina's fuzzy McCain-speak"

Bob Novak ranks the potential veeps

OBAMA'S FAMILY ON "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD"
Chicago Sun-Times, "Obama says kids won't be doing anymore interviews"

Boston Herald's Eagan, "Perfect family portrait ruined by Obama's duplicity"

ALSO:
McCain spoke with reporters aboard the Straight Talk Express Wednesday evening where he advocated caution in sending more American troops to Afghanistan. "I would like to have our allies make a bigger commitment, both in personnel and other ways," he said. "I'd like to hear from our military leaders, our chairman of the joint chiefs, as well as the military commanders there."

Bloomberg News, "McCain's Adviser Salter Writes, Speaks and Fights for Candidate": "No president or potential president has had such a close relationship with an aide since John F. Kennedy relied on the counsel of his brother Robert Kennedy and speechwriter Theodore Sorensen, said Fred I. Greenstein, a historian at Princeton University in New Jersey. Salter can read McCain's moods -- and anticipate his reactions and needs -- more keenly than anyone, allowing him to survive two shakeups of the campaign staff within a year."

USA Today, "Candidates' Senate votes fall by wayside on campaign trail": "Barack Obama's vote Wednesday for a controversial warrantless surveillance bill marked a rare event: the 12th day this year that the Illinois Democrat turned up for a roll call vote in the Senate. His Republican presidential rival, Arizona Sen. John McCain, has an even worse attendance record: six days. McCain, who skipped votes Wednesday on Medicare and surveillance so he could campaign in Pennsylvania and Ohio, last cast a Senate vote on April 8."

NY Times, "As America Learns About Obama, He Returns the Favor": " The presidential campaign has not only given the country a chance to meet Mr. Obama. It has also given Mr. Obama a chance to meet the country, taking him to large swaths of the United States that he has never seen before."

USA Today writes about their poll w/Gallup that shows there are "6 types of voters" that will decide this year's presidential election. Those types are based on enthusiasm and whether a voter has already decided, ranging from "True believers" to "Decided but dissatisfied."

Politico, "What about Bob? GOP mum on Barr"

CQPolitics, "Minnesota's Ventura May Bid to Pin Down Senate Seat"