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By Scott Wilson
President Obama on Saturday culminated a week of lobbying for new Wall Street rules by sharply criticizing the financial sector for damaging the economy and Republican lawmakers for opposing legislation to more closely regulate the financial system.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said "special interests have waged a relentless campaign to thwart even basic, common-sense rules" that he contended would prevent the kind of financial speculation that helped cause the recession.

"The consequences of this failure of responsibility - from Wall Street to Washington - are all around us: 8 million jobs lost, trillions in savings erased, countless dreams diminished or denied," he said. "I believe we have to do everything we can to ensure that no crisis like this ever happens again."

The Senate Banking Committee endorsed a financial regulatory overhaul bill last month on a party-line vote, and the Senate's 41 Republicans expressed blanket opposition to the measure Friday in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

Updated 10:39 a.m.
By Ben Pershing
High-profile Obama administration judicial nominee Goodwin Liu faces a grilling from Senate Republicans Friday in a session that both parties see as a warm-up for the coming fight to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court.

Liu -- an associate dean at the University of California at Berkeley law school -- is being vetted by the Senate Judiciary Committee Friday morning for a slot on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers nine Western states. Groups on the left strongly support him and many on the right oppose him for the same reason: Liu is an outspoken liberal whose writings have promoted the idea that interpreting the Constitution requires much more than just divining the intent of the founding fathers who wrote it.

In their interrogation of Liu, Senate Republicans are likely to test arguments they will use when President Obama nominates a successor to Stevens, who has declared his intention to step down from the high court in the coming months. Many Democrats hope Obama will name an outspoken liberal in the mold of Liu, and plan to mount a vigorous defense of the 9th Circuit nominee to demonstrate that such a candidate can clear the Senate gauntlet.

Liu himself is seen in some quarters as a potential future candidate for the Supreme Court. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Liu was a Rhodes Scholar and Supreme Court clerk before assuming his current position at Berkeley. No Asian-American has ever served on the Supreme Court, nor are there any Asian-Americans currently serving as U.S. Circuit Court judges.

By Ben Pershing
With all the issues on President Obama's plate recently -- implementing the health-care bill, passing financial regulatory reform, filling a Supreme Court seat and changing the nation's nuclear policy -- gay rights seemed an unlikely subject to lead the news coming from the White House Thursday. But that's what happened.

"President Obama late Thursday ordered most hospitals in the country to grant the same visitation rights to gay and lesbian partners that they do to married heterosexual couples," the Los Angeles Times writes, adding: "In a memo to his Health and Human Services agency, Obama ordered the secretary to ensure that all hospitals getting Medicare and Medicaid money honor all patients' advance directives, including those designating who gets family visitation privileges. The order also requires that documents granting power of attorney and healthcare proxies be honored, regardless of sexual orientation. The language could apply to unmarried heterosexual couples too." The New York Times reports: "Several states have tried to put an end to discrimination against same-sex couples, and Mr. Obama said he intended to build on those efforts. He said the new rules would make clear that designated visitors should enjoy visiting privileges that are no more restrictive than those enjoyed by immediate family members. The rules will take time to draft and put in place, and so Mr. Obama's order will have no immediate effect. Even so, gay rights groups called it a major advance for the families of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender individuals."

By Shailagh Murray
The Senate voted to restore jobless benefits through early June on Thursday, ending a partisan showdown that had temporarily stopped the flow of unemployment checks to more than 200,000 Americans.

The standoff ended when three Republicans joined Democrats to pass the bill on a 59-38 vote. The House was expected to quickly approve the package, possibly as soon as Thursday night.

The $18 billion package also would resume Medicare payments to doctors and extend health coverage for unemployed individuals through the COBRA program. Unemployment checks will now flow through June 2, giving lawmakers time to negotiate a broader bill that could provide support to the unemployed for up to 99 weeks.

Republicans had unanimously opposed the latest extension because it lacks budget cuts to offset the cost. But Democrats countered that jobless benefits count as emergency economic assistance and should be treated as an exception.

"We should not balance the budget on the backs of unemployed Americans," said Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

The three Republicans who broke ranks were Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and George Voinovich of Ohio. All cited dire economic straits back home to explain their reversal. The most recent reports pegged the nation's unemployment rate at 9.7 percent.

Republicans failed to pass measures that would have paid for the bill, including through spending cuts and tax increases, and remained resolute in their conviction that voters are fed up with profligate federal spending habits.

"The American people are disgusted with Congress because we refuse to make the hard choices struggling families make every day," said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who led the Republican opposition. "Our debt and deficits are as much of an emergency as unemployment, yet Congress continues to pretend it can spend and borrow without restraint."

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says President Obama and his wife Michelle made $5.5 million last year and paid nearly $1.8 million in federal income tax.

The Obamas gave $329,000 to charities. That included $50,000 each to CARE and the United Negro College Fund.

The president also donated his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize award to 10 charities.

The White House said the vast majority of the Obamas' income was from sales of the president's books. The president released his 2009 tax return Thursday.

WEST WING A.M. BRIEFING
By Michael D. Shear
Some somber news about mine safety, a bit of personal revelation and a (theoretical) trip to outer space will fill up the president's day today. Check back on our site throughout the day for complete White House coverage, but here's an early morning look at the news -- that we know of -- that's likely to emerge from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

* Mine Safety - On a day when all West Virginia coal mines will halt production for a one-day safety review, President Obama plans to meet with his secretary of labor and his top mine safety official to discuss the aftermath of last week's mine tragedy in West Virginia. He will make public remarks after the meeting, and aides are already signaling that the tenor of those remarks will not be upbeat.

Obama will hear from his advisers that the safety record at the Massey Upper Big Branch mine was "deeply troubling," a White House official said Wednesday night. They will tell the president that there are plenty of other mines where safety also seems to be inadequate.

"Among other steps going forward...the President will order MSHA to go back and take another look at those mines with troubling safety records," the official said. "MSHA will deploy inspectors and enforcement officials immediately to those mines to ensure the
conditions that led to this disaster are not present."

* Midway through the day, we will get a peek into the personal finances of the president and the first lady when the White House posts the couple's taxes online. Last year, the president's taxes showed a healthy income from his books, which sold like hotcakes
during the height of the campaign and provided millions for his personal coffers.

This year, his income is likely to be down, thanks to his government salary. But perhaps his books have kept selling pretty well? The latest edition of "Dreams From My Father," his first book, was listed as #1,524,647 on Amazon.com -- not too great, considering he's the president. The paperback version of "Audacity of Hope" is at #1,728.

* Later in the day, Obama flies off to the Cape Canaveral Space Center, where he will talk about his new approach to space travel. No,he's not leaving the planet, despite the urgings of the GOP. But he is shifting the priorities of the space agency, creating controversy along the way.

Neil Armstrong, the nation's most famous astronaut, has criticized the president for canceling the mission to the moon, and later to Mars, ordered by former president George W. Bush. Armstrong accuses Obama of bailing out on manned space flight. Obama and the White House counter that the president is increasing the budget for NASA by $6 billion, though much of that money would go to finance private space flights.

In their guidance for the president's day, White House officials said that Obama will tour a commercial rocket facility and then give remarks at the Kennedy Space Center on what they called "the bold new course the Administration is charting for NASA and the future of U.S. leadership in human space flight."

* In the evening, Obama will raise money for the DNC in Miami at a private fundraiser at the home of singer Gloria Estefan, then attend an event at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Air Force 1 is scheduled to return to Andrews Air Force Base at just before 10 p.m.

Sarah Palin's says she's planning an aggressive fundraising push for her political action committee -- but this quarter they spent more on staff and expenses than actual candidates. SarahPAC raised $400,000 and spent $409,000. National Journal reports on some of the spending:

The filings show Palin's political wing, Sarah PAC, paid a FL-based airplane service company $14K to de-ice a private jet. The PAC spent more than $16K -- twice as much as it donated to individual candidates -- on hotels from New Orleans to New York City to Richland, WA.

And it's good to work on Palin's behalf. Consultants for the PAC made more than $233K through their contracts, the report shows. Ex-spokeswoman Meg Stapleton, who left the PAC last month, had a $10K per month contract. Randy Scheunemann, one of Palin's top advisors during the WH'08 campaign, also makes $10K a month; during the last 3 months, Jason Recher, another aide on the '08 campaign, made $50K.

Palin spent $9,500 on donations to candidates and $31,000 on a direct mail fundraising campaign. "We had a large chunk of upfront costs that we had not realized any benefits from" by the end of the reporting period, the PAC treasurer told Politico.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, meanwhile, raised $1.5 million for his PAC this quarter. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty brought in $556,000.

You can read Palin's entire FEC filing here.

Updated 6:05 p.m.
By Peter Slevin
CHICAGO -- Illinois businessman and Democratic fundraiser Antoin Rezko was so anxious to help his friend, then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), that he funneled tens of thousands of dollars in payments to Blagojevich's wife, federal prosecutors contend in a document unsealed Wednesday.

Patti Blagojevich did no work for the payments, which were allegedly disguised as real estate commissions and other payments from one of Rezko's Chicago companies. To make it appear that she had earned them, prosecutors allege, she showed up from time to time at Rezko's offices - usually carrying her infant daughter and soon leaving.

"Rezko was willing to do whatever it took to get her money, whether it was from a monthly retainer or through hiring her to work on his development at Roosevelt and Clark," the prosecutors wrote in a 91-page document. The document was made public by U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel, who is due to preside over Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial starting June 3.

"Rezko did not seem to care if she actually did anything to earn the money," prosecutors continued. "Rezko was only concerned about ensuring that Blagojevich did not have to worry about his finances."

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin says tax day should be a reminder that the government works for the people, not the other way around. At a "tea party" rally in Boston, Palin said Obama administration initiatives can only be paid with higher taxes and more debt. (Credit: The Associated Press)

For the full story, read: "Palin rallies tea partiers with anti-tax message."

Updated 2:09 p.m.
By Robin Givhan and Debbi Wilgoren
MEXICO CITY -- First lady Michelle Obama visited Mexico's presidential compound and the national anthropological museum Wednesday morning as part of a two-day trip to the United States's southern neighbor.

After making an unannounced stop in earthquake-ravaged Haiti on Tuesday, Obama arrived in Mexico's capital Tuesday night. She was greeted by a crowd of exuberant, flag-waving children and a line of diplomats.

Wednesday morning, security was tight and the streets of the usually traffic-choked capital were eerily quiet as Obama and her entourage headed to the presidential compound for a meeting with Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala.

The women spoke for about 45 minutes, and according to a White House account "discussed a series of issues of importance to young people in both the United States and Mexico, including drug addiction treatment and early prevention programs and the importance of the humane treatment of unaccompanied migrant children."

The White House statement said the first ladies "underscored the importance of engaging families and communities in tackling the challenges facing young people in both countries as a key to helping build a better future for the United States and Mexico."

Obama also visited a public elementary school and is scheduled to give a speech to area high school and college students and lead a round-table discussion with youth leaders.

The visit is Obama's first solo, official foreign trip since her husband was elected president in 2008. "Mexico is really a natural first step for me," Obama said on her plane Tuesday night, according to a video released by the White House. "The relationships that our countries have with one another are so deep and broad. So many U.S. citizens trace their roots back to Mexico."

Pool reports on the visits to the museum and school follow.

By Michael D. Shear
John McCain has decided to see what his supporters think about a new Supreme Court justice.

In a fundraising e-mail sent Tuesday, the senator who was Barack Obama's GOP rival for the White House invites readers to take a three-question survey about how their judicial philosophy matches up with the commander-in-chief's.

The questions are, well, a bit skewed. As in number two, when McCain asks whether Obama's nominee -- whoever he or she may be -- deserves a swift confirmation.

The possible answers:

1. No, I believe our elected leaders in the Senate have a responsibility to make a careful and educated decision based on a vigorous and thorough examination of the nominee's qualifications and philosophy.

or

2. Yes, I agree with President Obama that Senators should confirm his nominee as quickly as possible, without proper scrutiny of a nominee's qualifications and philosophy.

But you never know how these Internet surveys will tally up, especially when they are opened to everyone. For a link to the survey, click here.

Perhaps McCain will publish the results -- however they come out?

By Ben Pershing
Since President Obama was elected, only a fraction of the ink expended writing about his tenure has focused on foreign policy, with a much larger share going to health-care reform and Obama's efforts to pull the economy out of recession.

But as George W. Bush learned nine months into his own term, presidents can't always pick the topics that will define their years in office. So whether Obama chooses to emphasize foreign policy and security issues, or is forced to do so by circumstance, there is still plenty of time left for him to make his mark abroad. The New York Times writes: "When he took office last year, President Obama told his foreign policy advisers that he had two baskets of issues to deal with. The first would be the legacy issues left from his predecessor, like Iraq, Afghanistan and America's image in the world. The second would be his own agenda for the future. After 15 months addressing the vexing matters he inherited, Mr. Obama is now aggressively advancing his own vision of foreign policy and defining himself more clearly on the world stage. The 47-nation conference on nuclear security he wrapped up on Tuesday represented a chance to assert proactive leadership rather than simply showing that he is not George W. Bush. ... For most new presidents, foreign policy is a learning experience, and it can take months, if not years, to feel comfortable in the role of world leader. Advisers said Mr. Obama, like his predecessors, had grown more confident in managing international relations over time. But he has learned hard lessons along the way about the limits of his powers of persuasion. "

By Michael D. Shear
President Obama said progress toward Middle East peace will be "halting" and measured "not in days, not in weeks." But he promised that the United States will be "constantly present, and constantly engaged" in the peace effort.

His comments came in a news conference at the end of the nuclear summit he hosted in Washington. Obama took eight questions from reporters.

On the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort, Obama said American leadership will be important, but he quoted former Secretary of State James Baker as saying that "we can't want it more than they do."

President Obama will travel to Krakow, Poland, to attend the state funeral of Polish president Lech Kaczynski and first lady Maria Kaczynska this Sunday, departing from Washington Saturday night.

His visit will "express the depth of our condolences to an important and trusted ally, and our support for the Polish people, on behalf of the American people," the White House said Tuesday.

By Robert Barnes
President Obama will invite Democratic and Republican Senate leaders to the White House next week to discuss the Supreme Court opening created by Justice John Paul Stevens' retirement.

The president will meet on April 21 at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) The top two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking Republican Jeff Sessions (Ala.) have also been invited.

The White House is working from a list of about 10 possible replacements for Stevens, the current court's oldest and longest-serving member, and the leader of the court's liberal wing. He has said he will retire after the court finishes its work, which is usually at the end of June.

The same four met with Obama last year, before he chose Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice David H. Souter.