Palin's “Exploratory” Campaign: A Nationwide Bus Tour  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — In a move designed to propel her closer to a presidential run, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will set out on a bus tour of the country on Sunday, making stops at symbolic sites along the way.

DNC chairwoman doesn't drive American  —  The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) appears to drive a foreign car, despite criticizing Republican presidential candidates for supposedly favoring foreign auto manufacturers.  —  Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) …

The Dreamer Goes Down For The Count  —  I had never thought there were many similarities between the pleasure-loving Charles II of England and the more upright Barack Obama until this week.  Listening to his speeches on the Middle East at the State Department, US-Israel relations …

Disaster aid under new scrutiny  —  While much of Joplin, Mo., is still under rubble from a devastating tornado, conservatives in Congress are starting to argue for a tougher approach to disaster aid, demanding that any funding be offset by cutting federal money elsewhere.

Mitt Romney Sends Leftover Pizza to Obama Chicago HQ  —  ABC's Emily Friedman (@abcemily) reports: After spending the day in Chicago fundraising, Mitt Romney sat down with small business owners at Gino's East, a pizza joint famous for their deep-dish pizza.  —  Not wanting any of the leftover slices …

GOP forces Senate pro-forma session, blocking Warren recess appointment  —  GOP opposition is preventing the Senate from completely adjourning for the Memorial Day recess.  —  GOP opposition is preventing the Senate from completely adjourning for the Memorial Day recess.

Mark Zuckerberg's new challenge: Eating only what he kills (and yes, we do mean literally...)  —  Last year Mark Zuckerberg set out to learn Chinese.  Now he's determined to get in touch with his food.  If the goats, lobsters and chickens of Silicon Valley aren't trembling, they should be.

Dane County judge strikes down collective bargaining law  —  By Jason Stein and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - A Dane County judge has struck down Gov. Scott Walker's legislation repealing most collective bargaining for public employees.

Electoral Consequences of the Rapture  —  Voters nationally are evenly divided on Barack Obama's job performance at 48% approving and 48% disapproving.  Despite the mixed feelings toward him he leads Mitt Romney by 7 at 49-42, Newt Gingrich by 14 at 51-37, and Sarah Palin by 17 at 54-37 in hypothetical match ups.

$500 Million Obama Administration Program Will Help Kids ‘Sit Still’ in Kindergarten  —  (CNSNews.com) - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told CNSNews.com on Wednesday that the administration's new $500 million early learning initiative is designed to deal with children …

Pakistan shuts down U.S. ‘intelligence fusion’ cells  —  Pakistan also tells the U.S. to cut back its troops in the country, in a move amid deepening mistrust after the U.S. raid to kill Osama bin Laden and a CIA contractor's shooting of two Pakistani men.  Joints Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen heads to Pakistan for talks.

Pawlenty Says If He Were President He Would Sign Paul Ryan's Budget  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe (@JaffeMatt) reports:  —  After facing criticism in recent days for sidestepping the issue, Tim Pawlenty today in New Hampshire said if he were president and Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal came to his desk, he would sign it.

House defeats effort to scale down Afghan war in close 204-215 vote  —  The House on Thursday narrowly shot down an amendment to scale back military operations in Afghanistan.  —  In a close 204-215 vote, the House rejected a bipartisan amendment from Reps. James McGovern (D-Mass.) …

BREAKING: Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin Makes History By Signing Into Law Single Payer Health Care  —  Last month, the Vermont Senate passed legislation, approved earlier by the House, that would establish a single payer health care system in the state.  The legislation would make Vermont …

Allen West Suggests Anti-War Congressmen Should ‘Get Shot At A Few Times’  —  In the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the House came closer than it ever has to voting for an end to the war in Afghanistan today when a bipartisan amendment that would have required President Obama …

John Edwards Meets Privately with Bunny Mellon, Potential Witness in Cover Up Case  —  ABC's James Hill reports: John Edwards, while facing looming criminal indictment, spent the afternoon in Upperville, Virginia, visiting one of the key players in the alleged scheme to cover-up his affair.

The Greatest Achievement of the Settlers  —  The settlers of the West Bank have accomplished a great many things: They have built entire towns on previously-barren hilltops; they have created a network of schools, religious institutions and cultural centers that rival their counterparts in Israel proper.

The Growth And Success Of Post-Jewish Zionism  —  Tanya Somanader has a post about a curious op-ed from Joe Walsh (R-IL) in which he castigates “most American Jews” for our insufficiently hawkish views on Israel.  And over the weekend Dan Webster (R-FL) offered a plausible rebuttal …

Strauss-Kahn's Lawyers Suggest Credibility Issues on Accuser  —  The lawyers for Dominique Strauss-Kahn have suggested that they possess information that would undermine the credibility of the hotel housekeeper who has accused their client of sexual assault.