Eric Kleefeld May 3, 2011, 9:24 AM

Obama Hopes Unifying Pride Carries Over To Political Debate
CNN reports: “The national unity that emerged in reaction to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has frayed in recent years, but some of it reappeared with the news that U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama told a dinner for congressional leaders Monday night. At the mention of the successful mission to eliminate bin Laden, Obama received a prolonged standing ovation from his dozens of White House guests who included Cabinet members and top senators and U.S. representatives from both parties.”

Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET, and Obama will meet at 10:15 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 11:45 a.m. ET, Obama will honor the 2011 National Teacher of the Year and State Teachers of the Year. Obama will hold a cabinet meeting at 12:45 p.m. ET, which Biden will also attend. Obama will meet at 2:35 p.m. ET with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden held a breakfast meeting at 7:45 a.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Afterwards, he will attend President Obama’s daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET

Bin Laden’s Death May Give Obama New Authority On Afghan War
The Washington Post reports: “Osama bin Laden was why the United States went to war in Afghanistan. His death, coming at a moment when President Obama is considering the size and speed of his promised troop drawdown in the increasingly unpopular conflict, seems likely to change the calculation surrounding any exit strategy. The question is: Will it accelerate or put the brakes on that withdrawal?…At the heart of the debate is the question of what the real goal is in Afghanistan: Rooting out al Qaeda, or the trickier, more ambitious aim of counterinsurgency, which requires a prolonged engagement aimed at bolstering and legitimizing its government.”

Parties Assess Post-bin Laden Politics
Roll Call reports: “Elected officials and campaign operatives were careful Monday to avoid any suggestion that Osama bin Laden’s death would have political consequences. It was clear, however, that the Obama administration’s successful hunting of the world’s top terrorist shifted the 2012 electoral landscape, giving the president and his party new credibility on a potent issue as violence rages across the Middle East. But it also became evident that the road to politicize bin Laden’s death is lined with peril.”

2012 Republican Race Gets Wake-Up Call
Politico reports: “Donald Trump and birtherism won’t disappear. There will still be talk about the creeping threat of Sharia law. But the dramatic killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden by American commandos will immediately reorder a Republican presidential contest that until now had been colored by provocative voices and marginal issues. The long-awaited death of the 9/11 mastermind offered a jarring reminder to GOP activists of the challenge they’ll face in trying to unseat the commander-in-chief. And, for some in the party, it will prompt a round of soul-searching about what candidate is up for such a task.”

Obama’s ‘Bin Laden Bump’ Might Not Dash Hopes Of 2012 GOPers
The Hill reports: “Republicans say candidates on the fence about a 2012 presidential bid won’t be dissuaded by a bump in the polls for President Obama, whose approval ratings are expected to spike in the aftermath of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. ‘He had a good weekend and he’s the commander in chief. So he’ll have short-term gain from this,’ GOP pollster Jim McLaughlin conceded. ‘But the overriding issue is still the economy, and he’s no less vulnerable on that.’”

2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Osama Bin Laden, Pres '12, Roundup