Presidential races

State lawmakers in Ohio approved a measure Wednesday limiting the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

The bill, which bans Ohio's public-sector unions from striking, is expected to be quickly signed into law by Gov. John Kasich (R).

The timing of the bill's passage means that labor organizers will have to prepare a referendum on it for November of this year, precluding it from being on the ballot in 2012, which will likely be a more favorable year for Democrats.  

Some labor groups in the state have privately admitted they'd rather vote on a referendum in November of 2012 to take advantage of a more Democratic-leaning electorate and potentially even aid the reelection prospects of President Obama. But Republicans in Ohio's State Legislature moved the bill through quickly, eliminating that possibility.

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Some say all the contenders would be best served by hitting the trail with gripes about a White House-GOP deal.

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Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Tom Donohue said Wednesday that Gov. Chris Christie would be an exciting candidate if he decided to run for president, further stoking the buzz about the New Jersey Republican’s future.

In an interview with the Fox Business Network, Donohue called Christie an "exciting" candidate but cautioned that the Chamber of Commerce does not endorse candidates or get involved in presidential races.

“The Chamber doesn’t do presidential politics," Donohue said. "We do House and Senate and other things, but I would say Chris Christie is exciting.”

Christie, despite encouragement from supporters and a regular place on shortlists of potential candidates, has repeatedly said he is not running for president in 2012.

Christie has not avoided the national spotlight, however. Donohue's comments come the same day that Christie is set to host a fundraiser for the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is reportedly raising $10 million.

In the same interview Donohue weighed in on the potential candidacy of real estate mogul Donald Trump, who is mulling a presidential run.

"Mr. Trump is a great real estate magnet and a lot of other things, but he wouldn’t be my choice to be president," Donohue said.

Donald Trump said Monday that the rebels in Libya are tied to al Qaeda and Iran.

During an interview with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News, the possible 2012 White House hopeful ripped President Obama's handling of the conflict in Libya, questioning why the U.S. is backing the rebels, who are trying to oust Moammar Gadhafi.

Trump said, "What are we fighting for? They talk about the rebels. But I hear, on fairly good information, that the rebels are closely associated with Iran. And they're closely associated with al Qaeda.

"So what are we going to do? Put Iran into Libya?"

Trump also said the U.S. is paying far too much for the operation in Libya, calling on other countries to commit more resources to the effort.

Mike Huckabee has cited the cost and toll of a presidential campaign, but been encouraged by polls showing him ahead.

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President Obama's decision Monday to speak at a town-hall forum broadcast by a Spanish-language network highlights the increasing importance of the Hispanic community in American politics, particularly at the national level.  

Univision, which aired the event, is now one of the top five networks in the country and is increasingly an outlet for lawmakers of both parties to address the growing Hispanic community. Its version of "Meet The Press," called "Al Punto," attracts almost 1 million viewers each Sunday and has hosted everyone from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and first lady Michelle Obama, to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

As the 2012 campaign begins, Cesar Conde, president of Univision Network, said lawmakers from both parties are "waking up" to the need to address Hispanics directly or risk electoral defeat. In an interview, he talked about the role Univision will play in the next campaign, the growing influence of Hispanics and what issues will be important to them heading into the next election.

Ballot Box: Are Democratic leaders more eager than Republicans to appear on Univision?

Cesar Conde: We've got a tremendous amount of interest from both parties and all spectrums. I think people are really realizing, [because of] the census, how fundamental the Hispanic demographic is going to be in the future growth of our country. People are really waking up to that.

Candidates who want to win election fully understand that they cannot do it on a national, and certain state level, unless they have the opportunity to speak directly to the Hispanic community.

I think both parties are continuing to hone their skills when it comes to speaking directly to the Hispanic community in Spanish language. Certainly in this last cycle, all the Hispanic candidates that were elected to federal office were Republicans. In the past, it was Democrats. What it really shows is that the Hispanic community's vote is up for grabs. Hispanics are the swing vote in this country right now. And any candidate from either party that wants to be able to win consistently is going to have to be able to speak effectively to that community on the issues that matter to Hispanics.

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The new chairman of the Republican National Committee is spending the majority of his workday courting donors as he seeks to rebuild the organization's credibility.

"I am spending 5-6 hours a day on the phone raising money and we have gotten our mail program back up and running the way it should be," Reince Priebus, chairman of the RNC, told The Political Insider, a conservative publication. "We have work to do but we have taken great steps in the right direction with both mail and rebuilding relationships with major donors."

Many in the Republican donor community soured on the committee during former chairman Michael Steele's reign because of a perceived misuse of funds. 

Priebus, who has been on the job for about three months, said raising money was his main focus and predicted President Obama will "run the first billion dollar campaign" in 2012.

"We need to match him dollar for dollar," he said. "If he can spend $750 million to $1 billion dollars in messaging to try and mask and undo the fiscal realities of where we are in this country, that’s why the money issue is going to be our biggest challenge."

All eyes will be on Iowa this weekend as half a dozen potential Republican presidential candidates gather for the state's latest "cattle call" hosted by outspoken conservative Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).

In attendance for Saturday's Conservative Principles Conference in Des Moines will be Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and businessman Herman Cain. Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)had been on the docket but on Friday cancelled his appearance because of a family emergency.

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With Pawlenty in the race and Bachmann getting national attention, the pressure is on the other possible GOP candidates.

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The first lady will make her first commencement speech of the 2011 graduation season in Iowa.

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