Walker will headline the Polk County, Iowa Republican Party fundraising event, at the invitation of Iowa's GOP governor, Terry Branstad. Polk County, home to the capital city of Des Moines, is the most populous county in the Hawkeye State.

Walker became a national name and a hero to conservatives two years ago when he pushed through Wisconsin's state legislature a bill that limited the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers. The move sparked massive protests which resulted in a recall election, which Walker won.

In interviews earlier this year, Walker said he was open to the possibility of running for president, but said he loves being Wisconsin governor and is not running for any other office other than re-election as governor in 2014.

"Yeah, I'm going to Iowa, but I get invited to other states that have nothing to do with presidential politics," Walker recently told reporters, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. "Terry Branstad is a good friend and asked me to come on over. I said, 'We'll do that.' I do other surrounding states. It's an easy trip, to still put a good day's work in and get over to Iowa."

But regards of his playing down of the visit to Iowa, there's plenty of speculation by political pundits that Walker is considering a bid for the White House. He's writing a book about his life and political career, he fired up the audience in March outside Washington at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the largest and oldest gathering of conservative leaders and activists from across the country, and he addressed the annual gathering of the National Rifle Association, held in Houston, Texas this year.

CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Lois Lerner, who oversees the IRS division responsible for tax exempt organizations, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Wednesday at a Capitol Hill hearing meant to probe the tax agency's admitted targeting of conservative groups.

But before she clammed up, Lerner declared, "I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws."

Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, initially dismissed Lerner, despite protestations from Republicans on the panel who said she waived her Fifth Amendment rights with her opening statement.

At the end of the session, Issa announced he was not formally adjourning the hearing in order to consider whether to bring Lerner back.

On Thursday, an Oversight Committee spokesman said Lerner would be compelled to re-appear.

"After consulting with counsel, Chairman Issa has concluded that Ms. Lerner's 5th amendment assertion is no longer valid. She remains under subpoena, the Committee is looking at recalling her for testimony," Issa spokesman Ali Ahmad wrote. The exact time when Lerner will be required to come before the committee has yet to be determined.

Issa's office declined to explain what his counsel's legal basis was for deciding that her Fifth Amendment assertion is no longer valid.

In a survey of constitutional lawyers, most disagreed with Issa's conclusion that Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment right by declaring her innocence.

"One can invoke the Fifth Amendment at any time. Giving a preamble or any kind of statement doesn't void that," said Gloria J. Browne-Marshall an associate professor who teaches constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "Now does it look suspicious? Yes. Does it undermine the person's credibility? Yes."

CNN's Halimah Abdullah contributed to this report.

"Shame on us" if New Yorkers elect Weiner to City Hall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the editorial board of the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Previously, Cuomo had been tight-lipped about Weiner's run for mayor, which was made official on Wednesday. Asked in April for his thoughts on the race, the Democrat only offered a "no comment."

Cuomo's remarks were published the day Weiner made his first official stop on the campaign trail, chatting up voters in Harlem at a subway station. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Weiner said many New Yorkers have told him they're ready to offer redemption on Election Day.

Weiner said he was "encouraged by the number of people who say they want to give me a second chance and listen to my ideas."

But, he added, there are also detractors who may not be ready to forgive the mayoral candidate for the lewd messaging scandal that brought his political career to a halt two years ago.

"There may be people who say they're not, and that they'll never vote for me. And I get that, I respect that. They have the right to have that view," he said. "But even those people, I want them to hear me and what I have to say."

After months of speculation, Weiner officially launched his bid for mayor Wednesday in an online video, which also featured a rare appearance by his wife Huma Abedin. He's campaigning as a crusader for the middle class, with a platform that includes education reforms and lowering taxes for struggling New Yorkers.

It's those ideas Weiner says will get him elected in November.

"I think most New Yorkers, particularly those in the middle class in neighborhoods like this, want to talk about the solutions to the challenges that New York faces, that's what they care about," Weiner said, noting the voters he met Thursday were focused on city issues rather than his past.

"People are going to make their determination based on the issues they think is important," he said. "If citizens want to talk to me about my personal failings, that's their right. I'm going to do everything I can to answer them."

"There's a certain level of hypocrisy," said the congressional source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

With net worth estimated at $1.85 billion by Forbes Magazine, Pritizker, a business executive and heiress to the family that founded the Hyatt hotel chain, is poised to become one of the wealthiest cabinet members in U.S. history.

Earlier this week, she amended her financial disclosure reform after initially underreporting her income by nearly $80 million, according to a filing her attorney made with the Office of Government Ethics. The attorney blamed the omission on a "clerical error."

Earlier this month, Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley, who does not sit on the Commerce Committee examining Pritzker's nomination, called for greater scrutiny of her vast family trusts and accused President Obama of a double-standard.

"Every nominee's offshore tax avoidance activities should be examined as part of the nomination process," Grassley said in a statement. "It's hypocritical to overlook tax avoidance when it's convenient."

The president seemed fully aware of the potential for a contentious hearing when he announced Pritzker's nomination on her birthday. "For your birthday present, you get to go through confirmation," Mr. Obama quipped. "It's going to be great."

Republican senators are also expected to ask Pritzker about her time leading Superior Bank which went belly up in 2001. The Chicago area bank was widely considered a pioneer in subprime mortgages and the securitization of those investments, years before the recent housing-driven financial crisis.

"That will be asked almost certainly," the congressional source said. "There's a lot to go through."

On Thursday, a White House official defended Pritzker, saying “Penny is one of the most accomplished and highly respected women in business today."

"With more than 25 years of experience in the real estate, hospitality, senior living, financial services and other industries, Penny knows what it takes to build, grow, and invest in a business, and will be a strong advocate for policies that help grow the economy and create jobs," the official said.

Pritzker, a key fundraiser for both of President Obama's two White House campaigns, was considered a front-runner for Commerce secretary following the 2008 election until questions were raised about her finances.

As a leading figure in the Hyatt hotel empire, Pritzker is also finding her nomination bitterly opposed by many of the chain's union employees who question the company's business practices.

A group of Hyatt workers will be joined by the labor organization, Unite Here, at the Commerce Committee hearing.

"I am here to just to let everybody know the abuse the workers are under at the Hyatt. I wanted to let everybody know the kind of situation Penny Pritzker puts her employees in," said Leslie Newson, a housekeeper at Hyatt Regency Chicago who made the trip to Pritzker's hearing.

Barring an unforeseen bombshell at her hearing, Pritzker's nomination is by no means in any danger. Republicans respect "her business acumen," a congressional source said.

CNN's Dan Merica contributed to this report.

Administration officials tell CNN that Obama will use the National Defense University speech to continue to call on engagement with Congress on aspects of national security, more transparency in the use of drones, and a review of threats facing the United States.

CNN: No more missing: Rescue switches to recovery in Oklahoma

With everyone missing now accounted for from this week's deadly tornado, the long and difficult work of recovery can begin. "We are beginning the recovery operations," Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin told CNN's Piers Morgan late Wednesday. "There's a lot of debris removal going on throughout the public areas of the street," she said. "You see a lot of utility crews that are out here. There's a lot of construction trucks. You're seeing people walking down the street pulling some wagons, going back into their homes to get their prized possessions." At least 24 people, including 10 children, were killed in Monday's monster tornado. Another 353 people were injured.

CNN: Boy Scouts to vote on lifting its ban on gay youths

The eyes of the country will be upon Texas on Thursday. That's where 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of America's national council are expected to vote on whether to end the 103-year-old group's outright ban on gay youths. The outcome, to be announced late afternoon, follows months of intense debate among interest groups and within the ranks of scouting itself. It comes down to a single sentence at the end of a resolution. "No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone." If the policy change is approved, the BSA will maintain its ban on openly gay adult leaders.

CNN: Official: Dead Boston bombings suspect involved in 2011 slayings

Deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in a 2011 gruesome triple homicide outside Boston along with a Chechen killed early Wednesday during a confrontation with the FBI and Massachusetts State Police in Orlando, Florida, a federal law enforcement official told CNN. Ibragim Todashev, who died during the interview with authorities, not only confessed to his direct role in slashing the throats of three people in Waltham, Massachusetts, but also fingered Tsarnaev in the deaths, the official said Wednesday. Todashev was being questioned about the slayings and his acquaintance with Tsarnaev. Todashev attacked an FBI agent, who shot him dead, a federal law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the case told CNN.

Reuters: Special Report: Poor planning left Texas firefighters unprepared

The fertilizer-plant explosion that killed 14 and injured about 200 others in Texas last month highlights the failings of a U.S. federal law intended to save lives during chemical accidents, a Reuters investigation has found. Known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, the law requires companies to tell emergency responders about the hazardous chemicals stored on their properties. But even when companies do so, the law stops there: After the paperwork is filed, it is up to the companies and local firefighters, paramedics and police to plan and train for potential disasters. West Fertilizer Co of West, Texas, had a spotty reporting record. Still, it had alerted a local emergency-planning committee in February 2012 that it stored potentially deadly chemicals at the plant. Firefighters and other emergency responders never acted upon that information to train for the kind of devastating explosion that happened 14 months later, according to interviews with surviving first responders, a failing that likely cost lives.

USA Today: Teen birthrate hits another record low in 2011

The teen birthrate in 2011 set another new record low, according to the latest federal data, released Thursday. The numbers reflect a continued trend downward for teens having babies. The new rate, 31.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19, is about half the 1991 rate of 61.8 births per 1,000 teens, which was an all-time high, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The teen birthrate has been dropping steadily since the 1991 peak, save for blips in 2006 and 2007. The new report shows particularly steep drops, with a 25% decline in the overall teen birthrate just since 2007.

WSJ: Two States Seek Help With Health Exchanges

Two states that had planned to run their own health-insurance exchanges this fall are asking the federal government for help in the first year, a sign of the obstacles states face in carrying out a centerpiece of the health-care overhaul. Idaho and New Mexico had been among a few Republican-led states that had agreed to operate their own health exchanges, which will offer a variety of insurance plans for people who don't have coverage otherwise. But both states' health-insurance board chairmen said this week they can't get their computer systems ready by Oct. 1 and need the federal government to help. Open enrollment for currently uninsured Americans to shop and sign up for health insurance on the new exchanges begins Oct. 1, with coverage effective on Jan. 1. That leaves the federal government responsible for running all or part of the exchanges in at least 36 states. President Barack Obama's health-care law had envisioned all 50 states running their own exchanges but created a federal exchange as a backup.

CNN: Chicago board votes to close 50 schools

The Chicago Board of Education voted Wednesday to close 50 schools, a controversial move that drew sharp criticism from the city's teachers union. The vote comes two months after officials announced plans to shutter the schools. The closures "will consolidate underutilized schools and programs to provide students with the quality, 21st century education they need to succeed in the classroom," Chicago Public Schools said in a statement Wednesday. The Chicago Teachers Union opposed the closures, which it said would disproportionately affect African-American students.

WHITE HOUSE:

CNN: Obama speech to focus on drones, Gitmo

From the targeted killing of Americans overseas to the future of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, President Barack Obama will lay out the framework and legal rationale for his administration's counterterrorism policy in a widely anticipated speech on Thursday. Administration officials tell CNN that Obama will use the National Defense University speech to continue to call on engagement with Congress on aspects of national security, more transparency in the use of drones, and a review of threats facing the United States. He will make the case that the al Qaeda terror network has been weakened, but that new dangers have emerged even as the U.S. winds down operations in Afghanistan after more than a decade of war triggered by the 9/11 attacks.

ALSO SEE: NYT: Obama, in a Shift, to Limit Targets of Drone Strikes

ALSO SEE: WSJ: Obama Restarts Bid to Close Guantanamo

WaPo: On IRS issue, senior White House aides were focused on shielding Obama

As soon as White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler heard about an upcoming inspector general’s report on the Internal Revenue Service, she knew she had a problem. The notice Ruemmler saw on April 24 gave her a thumbnail sketch of a disturbing finding: that the IRS had improperly targeted tea party and other conservative groups. She shared the news with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and other senior White House aides, who all recognized the danger of the findings. But they agreed that it would be best not to share it with President Obama until the independent audit was completed and made public, in part to protect him from even the appearance of trying to influence an investigation. This account of how the White House tried to deal with the IRS inquiry — based on documents, public statements and interviews with multiple senior officials, including one directly involved in the discussions — shows how carefully Obama’s top aides were trying to shield him from any second-term scandal that might swamp his agenda or, worse, jeopardize his presidency.

ALSO SEE: National Journal: Meet the Man Who Set Off the IRS Firestorm

CAPITOL HILL:

WSJ: Senators Show More Caution in Their Personal Finances

Facing new scrutiny of their investments, a number of U.S. senators have changed the way they handle their finances, creating blind trusts, putting their money in mutual funds or trading stocks less frequently, according to new financial-disclosure forms. Wednesday's release represents the first annual disclosure of senators' financial holdings since Congress approved legislation last year banning lawmakers and aides from trading stocks based on information they learn in the course of official duties. A few senators bucked the trend by trading stocks frequently in their own accounts. The disclosure forms also show that several senators had financial interests in companies and industries that they help regulate in the Senate.

BuzzFeed: House May Launch Hearings Over Justice Department Media Spying Scandal

House Republicans are considering holding formal hearings into the Department of Justice’s spying campaign against multiple news organizations as part of a widening probe of what critics call a pattern of intimidation by the Obama administration, BuzzFeed has learned. According to Republicans, at least two committees — the Judiciary and Government Affairs and Oversight panels — are currently discussing holding separate hearings into spying on reporters from the Associated Press and Fox News by the DOJ as part of its efforts to root out leaks. “There are definitive discussions on [holding hearings] right now,” Rep. Trent Franks told BuzzFeed Wednesday. Franks is chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

HuffPo: Too-Big-To-Jail Dogs Obama's Justice Department As Government Documents Raise Questions

The U.S. Department of Justice appears to have neither conducted nor received any analyses that would show whether criminal charges against large financial institutions would harm the economy, potentially undermining a key DOJ argument for why the world’s biggest banks have escaped indictment. Testimony by a top Justice official and fresh documents made public on Wednesday during a House financial services committee hearing revealed that financial regulators and the Treasury Department did not provide warnings to prosecutors weighing the economic consequences or fallout in the financial system of criminal indictments against large financial groups. DOJ also could find no records that would substantiate its previous claims that it weighed potentially negative economic or financial impacts when considering criminal charges, said Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney general for the criminal division.

Politico: Harry Reid mulling filibuster overhaul

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is waging an under-the-radar campaign to get his fellow Democrats to back a summertime fight to overhaul the filibuster for executive branch nominees. Reid is carrying a list of names to target and has met with about two dozen Democrats on the issue thus far, focusing on “Old Bull” senators and skeptics of rules changes, according to senators and aides familiar with the talks. Publicly, Reid has been coy about whether he’ll try to alter the Senate’s hugely controversial rules to help confirm President Barack Obama’s nominees: “I’m not getting into changing the rules,” he said this week.

POLITICAL:

ABC News: Former Miss America May Take On Mitch McConnell

Ashley Judd may not be running for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, but another possible candidate is thinking about taking on Mitch McConnell and she has some local star power of her own: Former Miss America Heather French Henry. French Henry, who was crowned Miss America in 2000 and is married to former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, told ABC News she is being “urged by a number of individuals in political leadership to contemplate the possibility of running for Senate” as a Democrat. “I feel I owe them the time and consideration to listen to their position,” Henry said in an e-mail. ”Is there a political race in my future? Possibly.  Is it this Senate race? I am not sure … Over the past year it has become apparent to me that I may enter politics.  I have become increasingly concerned about the direction and future of our country.  Therefore, I have agreed to meet and discuss all options including a race for U.S. Senate.”

CNN: IRS official in charge of targeting unit takes the 5th

A six-hour congressional hearing Wednesday on Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups lacked one thing - answers from the woman who heads the unit responsible for a scandal dominating Washington politics. Lois Lerner, the IRS director of exempt organizations, invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination after she denied any wrongdoing in a brief statement to the House Oversight Committee. "I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules and regulations and I have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee." Lerner said, adding that she refused to "answer any questions or testify about the subject matter of this committee's meeting." The move set off a procedural debate, with some Republicans contending her statement amounted to testimony that effectively waived her Fifth Amendment protection. Panel Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa dismissed Lerner but later said he might recall her to insist "that she answer questions in light of a waiver." At the end, the California Republican declared the hearing in recess, rather than adjourned.

ALSO SEE: Fox News: IRS official who refused to testify facing more scrutiny over scandal, past

NYT: Joining Race for Mayor, Weiner Finds Few Allies

It may be the loneliest mayoral campaign in memory. Anthony D. Weiner, whose once promising career in government imploded over his lewd private life online, is seeking to lead a city of eight million where close to half the voters are opposed to his running and the leadership of his own political party has written him off. He has virtually no campaign infrastructure, no labor unions leaping to his side, no army of on-the-ground foot soldiers eager to evangelize on his behalf. But, curiously enough, he says it may be better that way.

NATIONAL SECURITY:

AFP: Kerry back in Israel for peace push

US Secretary of State John Kerry flew in to Israel Thursday as he kept up a push to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to peace negotiations amid a growing scepticism over his efforts. Making his fourth trip to Israel since he began his tenure in February, Kerry was to head straight into talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before travelling to Ramallah to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Israel's top negotiator and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday the government is divided on the issue of peace with the Palestinians. "There are ideological differences at the heart of the government," Livni told public radio.

ALSO SEE: NYT: Support for Kerry’s Mideast Peace Efforts on Eve of Visit

CNN: Budget furloughs won't impact military sex assault prevention unit

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey face two crises – an increase in sex assault claims within the military and heavy budget cuts. But they said on Wednesday that military staffing reductions due to forced budget cuts under sequestration would not impact an initiative aimed at combating sex assault. Civilians central to the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention Response Program will be exempt from furloughs that are a consequence of spending cuts.

READ: Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Kelly Ayotte Op-Ed in Politico: A strategy to combat military sexual assaults

CNN: Army sergeant accused of videotaping female cadets at West Point

A U.S. Army sergeant first class stationed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has been charged with allegedly secretly videotaping female cadets in their shower and latrine areas, according to Army officials. Sgt. 1st Class Michael McClendon was charged May 14 with 13 "specifications" or allegations of "indecent conduct" in making videos between July 2009 and May 2012. Army criminal investigators are now contacting more than a dozen women who might have been videotaped, according to Army spokesman George Wright. Wright said the investigation has been going on since May 2012, but charges were not made until last week because the Army was still trying to assemble computer evidence and identify the women involved.

NYT: Iran Is Seen Advancing Nuclear Bid

International nuclear inspectors reported on Wednesday that Iran had increased its nuclear production while negotiations with the West dragged on this spring, but the new information suggested that Tehran had not gone past the “red line” that Israel’s leaders have declared could incite military action. In its last report before Iranian elections next month, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had made progress across the board in its nuclear program, enriching more uranium and installing hundreds of next-generation centrifuges that could speed enrichment. Obama administration officials acknowledged in interviews and public testimony last week that such equipment could significantly reduce the “break out” time required for Iran to produce a crude nuclear device. But they said that despite the new equipment, they remained confident that the United States and Israel would have enough time to act to halt the production of a weapon if Iran decided to build one.

AVIATION, REGULATION and JUSTICE:

CNN: Holder: Drone strikes have killed four Americans since 2009

Counterterrorism drone strikes have killed four Americans overseas since 2009, the U.S. government acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday, one day before President Barack Obama delivers a major speech on related policy. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Attorney General Eric Holder said the United States specifically targeted and killed one American citizen, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, in 2011 in Yemen, alleging he was plotting attacks against the United States. The letter provided new details about al-Awlaki's alleged involvement in bomb plots targeting U.S. aviation.

ALSO SEE: WSJ: Pakistan Is Pressed to Halt U.S. Drone Strikes

CNN: Man, 37, arrested in probe of ricin-laced letters found in Washington state

A 37-year-old man arrested Wednesday in Washington state as part of an investigation of ricin-laced letters threatened in one such letter to injure and kill a federal judge, a grand jury indictment alleges. FBI agents arrested Matthew Ryan Buquet on Wednesday afternoon, and he made his initial court appearance in Spokane later in the day, the federal agency's Washington state office said in a news release. Buquet remained in custody after the appearance, and he'll stay behind bars at least until a bail hearing takes place next Tuesday afternoon, FBI spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich said.

REGIONAL HEADLINES:

LA Times: UnitedHealth, Aetna and Cigna opt out of California insurance exchange

Some prominent health insurers, including industry giant UnitedHealth Group Inc., are not participating in California's new state-run health insurance market, possibly limiting the number of choices for millions of consumers. UnitedHealth, the nation's largest private insurer, Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp. are sitting out the first year of Covered California, the state's insurance exchange and a key testing ground nationally for a massive coverage expansion under the federal healthcare law. Meanwhile, the biggest insurers in the state — Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California — are all expected to participate in the state-run market for individual health coverage.

WaPo: Prosecutor investigating McDonnell’s disclosure of gifts

A Richmond prosecutor is investigating whether Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell violated state gift and disclosure laws — a probe that was initiated by state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II. Cuccinelli (R) confirmed Wednesday that he asked Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Herring to conduct a review of McDonnell’s annual economic disclosure forms last November. Cuccinelli’s office had previously declined to confirm such a probe, but he acknowledged it after Herring released information about the review in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. The state probe is separate from an inquiry by the FBI into whether McDonnell (R) might have violated federal law by promoting a dietary supplement manufacturer in exchange for gifts from its chief executive.

Boston Globe: Mass. tries to retain $250 million for hospitals

The Massachusetts congressional delegation, after holding a rare emergency meeting Wednesday, launched what could be a final effort to preserve more than $250 million in bonus Medicare payments to the state’s hospitals that critics call the “Bay State boondoggle.” But the prospect of holding on to the windfall is dimming. The Democrat-controlled Senate voted earlier this year to end the payments, enacted under President Obama’s health care overhaul law and which come at the expense of most other states. A similar bill was introduced in the Republican-led House this week.

New Orleans Times Picayune: New Orleans Inspector General says he already is looking into NOPD crime stats

New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux told a state lawmaker in a letter this week that his office already has a running start on a probe into crime statistics compiled by the New Orleans Police Department and submitted to the FBI. State Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, filed a resolution Monday that calls for a state audit of the NOPD crime figures, in response to a NOLA.com | Times-Picayune story  Sunday in which criminologists cast suspicion on relatively low violent crime figures for the city, particularly in relation to the city's nation-leading murder rate. Among other remarkable figures that the NOLA.com | Times-Picayune analysis found was an extremely low ratio of gun assaults to murder compared to other cities with murder epidemics. The report also found a steep decline in the number of gun assaults that far overshadows a slide in the number of gun trauma victims that show up to LSU Interim Hospital, where most gunshot and knife victims are taken.

INTERNATIONAL:

CNN: British prime minister huddles with security team after hacking death

Prime Minister David Cameron convened an emergency meeting of Britain's civil emergency committee on Thursday, looking for answers in the aftermath of the daylight hacking death of a man thought to be a British soldier. The meeting comes as security was increased at army bases around London amidst fears that additional attacks could be possible. The calling of the crisis meeting Thursday - the second in less than 24 hours - indicates how seriously the government is taking what it believes is a terrorist incident. Home Secretary Theresa May, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, London Mayor Boris Johnson and senior police and security officials all attended. Chief among the questions was likely who the two attackers are and whether they form part of a wider terror cell.

ALSO SEE: Daily Telegraph: Mum talked down Woolwich terrorists who told her: 'We want to start a war in London tonight'

Reuters: France backs call to put Hezbollah armed wing on EU terror list

France is ready to support a British initiative to put the armed wing of Hezbollah on the European Union's list of terrorist organizations, an official said on Thursday, confirming comments by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. Paris has traditionally been cautious about backing steps to sanction Hezbollah, fearing it could destabilize Lebanon and potentially put U.N. peacekeepers at risk, but in recent weeks it has said it would consider all options. Britain said on Tuesday it asked the EU to put Hezbollah's military arm on the list, citing evidence of the Islamist group's involvement in an attack that killed five Israelis.

CNN: Clashes between al-Assad supporters, opponents leave 16 dead in Lebanon

An uneasy calm prevailed Thursday morning in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli where days of clashes between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left 16 people dead and wounded more than 156. Fear of snipers kept people indoors, reported Lebanon's state news agency said. The streets were empty of cars, and schools and universities closed. The fighting began Sunday, with the deadliest clashes taking place Wednesday night, Lebanon's state news agency said. The clashing sides are residents of the Bab-al-Tibbaneh neighborhood (dominated by Sunnis), and the adjacent Jabal Mohsen neighborhood (which is dominated by Alawites).

NYT: Israel Finding Itself Drawn Into Syria’s Turmoil

For more than two years, Israeli leaders have insisted they had no intention of intervening in the civil war raging in neighboring Syria, but they vowed to stop sophisticated weapons from being transferred to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia group, and to respond to intentional fire into their territory. Now, having followed through with a pair of airstrikes on weapons shipments this month and, on Tuesday, the destruction of a Syrian Army position, Israelis are asking what their options are, as if they feel it has become impossible to avoid deeper involvement. Already, the language has grown more heated on both sides, with Syrian officials declaring they are prepared for a major confrontation with Israel — and Israel’s military chief warning of dire consequences.

Reuters: M23 rebels announce ceasefire for UN chief's Congo visit

Rebels in eastern Congo announced a ceasefire on Thursday in fighting with government troops hours before a visit to the conflict-plagued zone by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. "We've decided to announce this ceasefire to allow His Excellency Ban Ki-moon to visit Goma as he promised," Amani Kabasha, political spokesman for the M23 rebel group, told Reuters following several days of clashes in the east near Goma on the Democratic Republic of Congo's border with Rwanda.

NYT: Hackers Find China Is Land of Opportunity

Name a target anywhere in China, an official at a state-owned company boasted recently, and his crack staff will break into that person’s computer, download the contents of the hard drive, record the keystrokes and monitor cellphone communications, too. Pitches like that, from a salesman for Nanjing Xhunter Software, were not uncommon at a crowded trade show this month that brought together Chinese law enforcement officials and entrepreneurs eager to win government contracts for police equipment and services. …The culture of hacking in China is not confined to top-secret military compounds where hackers carry out orders to pilfer data from foreign governments and corporations. Hacking thrives across official, corporate and criminal worlds. Whether it is used to break into private networks, track online dissent back to its source or steal trade secrets, hacking is openly discussed and even promoted at trade shows, inside university classrooms and on Internet forums.

BUSINESS:

Bloomberg: Wall Street Seeks Dodd-Frank Changes Through Trade Talks

U.S. bankers and insurers are trying to use trade deals, which can trump existing legislation, to weaken parts of the Dodd-Frank Act designed to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. While the companies say they are seeking agreements that preserve strong regulations and encourage economic growth, their effort is drawing fire from groups who argue that Wall Street wants to make the trade negotiations a new front in its three-year campaign to stop or alter the law. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who sits on the Banking Committee, said in a May 7 statement that there are “growing murmurs” about Wall Street’s efforts to “do quietly through trade agreements what they can’t get done in public view with the lights on and people watching.”

CNNMoney: Bernanke warns against hitting the brakes too soon

The U.S. economy is on stronger footing than a year ago, but Ben Bernanke wants to be careful not to squelch the recovery now. "A premature tightening of monetary policy could lead interest rates to rise temporarily, but would also carry a substantial risk of slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further," the Federal Reserve Chairman told the U.S. congressional Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve has kept its key short-term interest rate near zero since December 2008, and expects it to stay there for a "considerable time" as the recovery strengthens, Bernanke said.

BBC: Ford plans to shut all Australian production by 2016

US car giant Ford Motor will shut all its Australian manufacturing plants by October 2016, after more than 85 years of making vehicles in the country. About 1,200 workers are expected to lose their jobs from the Broadmeadows and Geelong plants, in Victoria state. Ford said its Australian operations had lost A$600m ($580m; £385m) over the last five years. The strength of the Australian dollar has made manufacturing more expensive, while sales have been under pressure.

If enacted, the measure will create a 13-year path to citizenship for most of the country's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Holder said the United States specifically targeted and killed one U.S. citizen, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, and knew about three other Americans who had been killed in counter-terror drone strikes.

TAKING THE FIFTH: IRS official says she has ‘not done anything wrong’… The Internal Revenue Service official who headed the division involved in targeting conservative groups invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination Wednesday and refused to answer questions from a congressional committee. “I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules and regulations,” Lerner said. – Tom Cohen

OBAMA TO MOORE: President Barack Obama will travel to tornado ravaged Moore, Oklahoma on Sunday, the White House announced today.

MARKET WATCH: U.S. stocks lose big gains on news of Fed dissent over stimulus. Dow falls 81 points.

TRAIL TRIVIA
(Answer below)
What unique transport invention did future President Abraham Lincoln patent on this day in history?

DAN (@DanMericaCNN) & MARK (@PrestonCNN)
What caught our eye today in politics

Anthony Weiner's odds at winning the 2013 race for New York City mayor – only two years after a sexting scandal sunk his congressional career – are long.

Polling shows that nearly half of New York City voters wish Weiner would have stayed out of the public light and not run for mayor this year (although he places second among a list of candidates). And he is entering into a race with cadre of candidates, including New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, the prohibitive favorite.

Weiner is particularly struggling with women. According to a Quinnipiac University poll released today, 52% of women said Weiner should not run for mayor, compared to 35% who think he should.

Despite the odds, the former congressman announced today that he will run for mayor in a video posted on his website. His announcement, long expected by New York politicos and members of the media, paints the former congressman as a champion for the middle class who acknowledges his past transgressions.

The fact that Weiner's chances of winning are long should not be a surprise. The 2013 race will be the disgraced congressman's first time facing voters since he resigned his seat in 2011.

But perhaps that doesn’t bother Weiner.

Sure he wants to win – anyone who has seen this video of then-Rep. Weiner knows he is passionate. But in terms of elected office, at age 48, Weiner is young and it is safe to say that if he were to lose, the 2013 mayoral election would not be his last run at elected office.

If he runs a disciplined race and doesn't implode, the 2013 campaign can serve two purposes for those future runs.

Firstly, the race can serve as a test balloon for future political endeavors. What worked and what didn't are two questions every campaign look to answer after a race is over. But for Weiner, in particular, how he communicated with voters and the kind of politician he hopes to be post-scandal will be fine-tuned in the 2013 race.

Secondly, and possibly most importantly, Weiner's run will likely blunt future references to the sexting scandal that sunk his congressional career. There is no doubt his lewd pictures will come up in this mayoral run, especially if Weiner becomes a legitimate candidate. But say he loses and decides to run for office again, it is unlikely that scandal references will carry the same weight.

the LEDE
Did you miss it?

Leading CNNPolitics: The investigator: Why Darrell Issa is sounding the alarm on Capitol Hill
He is best known as the Viper car alarm voice that instructs would-be thieves to “Please step away from the vehicle.” But in political circles, Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is a man who, after years of sounding the alarm about perceived Obama administration misdeeds, has struck a chord that is shaking up Washington. – Halimah Abdullah

Leading Drudge: Administration Clams Up
For the second straight day and the third time in one week, IRS officials will testify Wednesday in front of Congress about the agency’s improper targeting of conservative groups. Highlighting today’s House Oversight Committee hearing is IRS official Lois Lerner’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment and not answer questions. Lerner is still under subpoena to testify, meaning she will have to invoke her rights in person — and likely repeatedly. – Aaron Blake

Leading HuffPo: Split: GOP Divide Threatens To Hinder Momentum
A string of unrelated events is highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they'd like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama's latest political problems. – Charles Babington

Leading Politico: 'I have not done anything wrong'
Lois Lerner, the director of the scandal-plagued IRS division that oversees nonprofit groups, struck a defiant tone in her first public appearance since the agency acknowledged that it wrongly targeted conservative groups applying for a tax exemption. – Lauren French and Kelsey Snell

Leading The New York Times: I.R.S. Official Denies Misleading Congress
The Internal Revenue Service official who first disclosed that the agency had targeted conservative groups, and in doing so ignited a controversy that has ensnared the White House, denied on Wednesday that she had ever provided false information to Congress. She then invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to testify. – Jeremy Peters

Leading CNN Money: The U.S. economy is like a horse... and should be playing baseball
As usual, today's congressional hearing featuring Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke didn't disappoint when it comes to tortured metaphors for the U.S. economy. – Annalyn Kurtz

TRAIL MOMENTS
The political bites of the day

– Congressmen use tax standards against tax organization –
REPUBLICAN REP. DARRELL ISSA, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AT A HEARING: “I paid a lot of taxes in my life. Most people on the dais have. We know one thing – you cannot just say you are doing the right thing and expect the IRS to take your word and the check you send in. Documentation and the ability to verify it is essential when dealing with the IRS. We can expect no less when we deal with the IRS.”

– Congressional Democrat warns of special prosecutor for the IRS –
DEMOCRATIC REP. STEPHEN LYNCH OF MASSACHUSETTS AT A COMMITTEE HEARING: “If we don’t get, if this committee is prevented by obstruction or by refusal to answer the questions that we need to get to the bottom of this you will leave us no alternative but to ask for the appointment of a special prosecutor or appointment to special counsel to get to the bottom of this. This is a very serious matter. We would like to handle it in this committee. … I hope that is not the approach of the IRS going forward because there will be hell to pay if that is the route that we chose to go down.”

– E.W. Jackson: Nothing 'to rephrase or apologize for' –
E.W. JACKSON, VIRGINIA'S REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, AT A FREDRICKSBURG CAMPAIGN STOP: “I say the things that I say because I'm a Christian, not because I hate anybody, but because I have religious values that matter to me. Attacking me because I hold to those principles is attacking every church-going person, every family that's living a traditional family life, everybody who believes that we all deserve the right to live. So I don't have anything to rephrase or apologize for. I would just say people should not paint me as one-dimensional.”

– ‘I don’t trust the Republicans. And I don’t trust the Democrats’ –
REPUBLICAN SEN. TED CRUZ OF TEXAS IN A SPEECH ON THE SENATE FLOOR: “Let me be clear, I don't trust the Republicans. And I don't trust the Democrats. And I think a whole lot of Americans likewise don't trust the Republicans and the Democrats because it is leadership in both parties that has gotten us in this mess.”

– Misquoting Wolf –
PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY AT THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING: “Before I take your questions I wanted to mention something that I think is breaking now, as Wolf Blitzer would say, and that is that on Sunday, May 26th the President will travel to the Oklahoma City area to see firsthand the response to the devastating tornados and severe weather that have impacted the area on Sunday night and Monday.”

Gut Check Fact Check: Excuse me Mr. Carney, Wolf’s phrase of choice is “Happening Now.”

TOP TWEETS
What stopped us in 140 characters or less

Any fired IRS worker would have two levels of appeals to make. Those appeals take 338 days, on average: politi.co/11XXzlX—
Kevin Robillard (@PoliticoKevin) May 22, 2013

RNC sends FOIA request to IRS: gop.com/wp-content/upl…—
Jim Acosta (@jimacostacnn) May 22, 2013

Famous 5th amendment takers before Congress: Mark McGwire, Tareq Salahi, Oliver North, and now Lois Lerner.—
Marty Kady (@mkady) May 22, 2013

Scandals have tipped @StuPolitics's Senate rankings in SD, WV, AR, LA, AK, NC more favorable to GOP: bit.ly/14R0xW4—
Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) May 22, 2013

By way of passing description, NYPost refers to @MikeBloomberg as "the revenge-minded billionaire." m.nypost.com/p/news/local/m…—
Matt Apuzzo (@mattapuzzo) May 22, 2013

Woof! Meow! Congressman introduces bill that would allow some pets on #Amtrak. wapo.st/12VDng6—
lori aratani (@loriara) May 22, 2013

On July 1, the three biggest cities in America will have Jewish mayors. What say you @jonathanchait? tabletmag.com/scroll/132827/…—
Adam Chandler (@AllMyChandler) May 22, 2013

TRIVIA ANSWER from @DanMericaCNN

On this day in 1849, Abraham Lincoln, who would become president just 12 years later, filed for a patent on what he called a device for "buoying vessels over shoals."

"I, Abraham Lincoln, of Springfield, in the County of Sangamon, in the State of Illinois, have invented new and improved manner of combining adjustable buoyant air chambers with a steamboat or other vessel for the purpose of enabling their draught of water to be readily lessened to enable them to pass over bars or through shallow water," Lincoln wrote on the patent submitted to the U.S. Patent Office.

Lincoln, who regularly worked with merchandise as a young man in Illinois, had a great deal of experience with ships needed to be moved over shallow water. While traveling by boat on the Great Lakes, a younger Lincoln's ship ran afoul of a sandbar and was stuck. It was experiences like this that led Lincoln to patent his buoying device.

GUT CHECK WINNER’S CIRCLE
(why aren’t you in it)

No winners today. Poor Lincoln.

GOT NEWS?
Tips or comments? Our inbox awaits: gutcheck@cnn.com
Anyone can sign up for Gut Check by emailing gutcheck@cnn.com

WANT TO SIGN UP?
Do you have a friend who wants to sign up for GUT CHECK or our new CNNPolitics Breaking News Alerts? Click here, log on and scroll down.

Gone were Tuesday's repeated expressions of frustration, stern demeanor, and the suggestion that questions about scandals relating to the IRS, Benghazi talking points, and investigations of media outlets had become as frivolous as those that were raised about President Obama's birth certificate.

Instead, a more cheerful Carney on Tuesday went out of his way to praise White House reporters for getting tough, saying that there are a lot of "legitimate questions out there [and] it's part of our democracy and it's a great part of our democracy."

"The approach we take is, we get the information to you that we have as soon as we can, and we try to get that information to you as quickly as possible and as comprehensively as possible," Carney also said. "Now, quickly and comprehensively are not objectives that [we] always meet. And our approach is, we get the information we have to you and, as we get more information, we fill in the details."

Later, Carney declared that "we absolutely understand that some of the reporting on what are apparently criminal investigations are of interest and in particular interest to reporters and [there are] absolutely valid questions about that…so that's an environment that's legitimate, and we understand."

The charm offensive continued when Carney, who turned 48 Wednesday, said he felt "lucky" to be spending his birthday fielding reporters' questions and that he was "sincere" in his respect for a free press.

There was also individual praise to various reporters, declaring that one asked an "excellent" question regarding Syria and another had come up with a "smart way" to phrase a question on the Department of Justice investigation into the Associated Press.

"There are a lot of you, and you're good at your jobs and you're smart," Carney declared at one point to the more than 30 reporters in the White House Press Briefing room.

"When we have a ton of incoming questions, legitimate questions, you guys are doing your job," he also said.

Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, the Texas Republican responded to criticism from members of his party over how to move forward with budget negotiations, taking particular aim at Sen. John McCain.

"The senior senator from Arizona urged this body to trust the Republicans. Let me be clear, I don't trust the Republicans. And I don't trust the Democrats," Cruz said. "And I think a whole lot of Americans likewise don't trust the Republicans and the Democrats because it is leadership in both parties that has gotten us in this mess."

That mess would be the federal debt, which members of both parties agree is too high. The agreement ends when discussing how to reduce it – Republicans favor sharply reducing spending, while Democrats argue for increasing tax revenue.

Under what is termed "regular order" on Capitol Hill, the two chambers each pass annual budgets, which are then negotiated in bicameral discussions. But since the House and Senate haven't both passed budgets in the same year for four years, that process hasn't been followed.

This year, both the GOP-led House and the Democrat-led Senate passed budgets, though they are widely disparate in terms of new tax revenue and government spending.

Some Republicans, like Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul, oppose beginning House and Senate negotiations on the budget until Democrats agree not to demand an increase in the federal debt limit.

McCain, along with moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins, questioned that stipulation on the Senate floor, saying the demands were unreasonable.

"We put requirements on the conferees that are absolutely out of line and unprecedented," McCain said Tuesday.

But Cruz argued that a budget conference where Democrats insisted on raising the debt ceiling would eventually lead to more spending.

"Every Republican who stands against holding the line here is really saying, let's give the Democrats a blank check to borrow any money they want with no reforms, no leadership to fix the problem. I don't think that's consistent with any of our responsibilities," Cruz said.

Republicans, he continued, shared the blame with Democrats for presiding over runaway government spending.

"Unfortunately one of the reasons we got into this mess is because a lot of Republicans were complicit in this spending spree, and that's why so many Americans are disgusted with both sides of this House," he said.

It's not the first time McCain has pitted himself against Cruz and Paul. The 2008 GOP presidential nominee labeled the duo "wacko birds" earlier this year, not long after Paul's almost-13-hour filibuster protesting the use of drones. Cruz had joined Paul in demanding that the Obama administration answer questions about its drone policies.

And McCain similarly rebuked Cruz for some of his questioning during the nomination hearings for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Thomas Pickering, a former ambassador, will voluntarily appear for a transcribed interview conducted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the panel's chairman said Wednesday. It's the latest development in the dispute over how and where to examine the review board's report, which Republicans regard as inadequate.

"I appreciate his decision to cooperate on a voluntary basis with our Committee's investigation of the Benghazi attack," Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican, wrote in a statement. "Our investigation includes an examination of criticisms career State Department officials have made about the [Accountability Review Board] report being 'incomplete' and letting senior officials 'off the hook.'"

Pickering said previously he would prefer to testify in a public hearing of the House Oversight Committee rather than submit to a private interview, but Issa demanded the meeting behind closed doors before any open session. After Pickering refused to be privately interviewed, Issa issued a subpoena for the former ambassador.

Republicans, including Issa, have questioned the Benghazi Accountability Review Board's findings on the attack last September at an American diplomatic post in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead.

The report, issued late last year, found "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies" at the State Department in the lead-up to the attack in Benghazi. As a result, four State Department officials were disciplined immediately after the report's release. One resigned, while three others were placed on administrative leave and relieved of their duties.

But critics say the report did not go far enough, and did not include accounts from key witnesses to the attack who were on the ground as it happened.

The disparagement heated up earlier this month at a House Oversight Committee hearing featuring several witnesses who said they weren't interviewed by the review board.

Neither Pickering nor his co-chair, Admiral Mike Mullen, appeared at that hearing, leading to a bitter back-and-forth over whether they were invited to testify. The following weekend on NBC's "Meet the Press," Issa said he would request a deposition from Pickering and Mullen on how their panel reached its conclusions.

"Ultimately, if they got it right, we can put this issue to rest," Issa said. "We believe it was insufficient. We believe it's likely they did not interview all the people."

But in political circles, Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is a man who, after years of sounding the alarm about perceived Obama administration misdeeds, has struck a chord that is shaking up Washington.

Mark Sanford is living proof.

Heather French Henry, who won the Miss America pageant in 1999, said she's considering a bid but hasn't made a final decision quite yet.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, French Henry said Tuesday she was "not ready to confirm or deny" that she was considering a run against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"I am completely honored that people are talking to me about this but I have made no decision," she said, according to the report.

McConnell isn't up for re-election until November 2014, but the race has drawn early headlines as Democrats consider stepping in. Actress Ashley Judd mulled a bid, eventually deciding against running after attack videos from McConnell started airing.

Privately, some Democrats worried Judd was too liberal a candidate for Kentucky, which hasn't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1992, when Wendell Ford won re-election.

With Judd out of the race, Democratic eyes turned to Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky's Secretary of State. Grimes has not ruled out a bid against McConnell in 2014, and was touted as a top potential candidate during a conference call with Democratic officials earlier this year.

In addition to considering her own bid, French Henry is open to supporting Grimes, according to the Herald-Leader.

On her official website, French Henry is listed as a veterans advocate, author/illustrator, artist/fashion illustrator, fashion designer, and public speaker. Her biography notes she received a bachelor's and master's degree in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati.

Her year as Miss America was spent advocating for veterans' issues around the country, including lobbying Congress to pass the Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Act.

She's married to Steve Henry, the former lieutenant governor of Kentucky, who himself ran for U.S. Senate in 1998. He was embroiled in numerous controversies during his tenure, including using state employees to work at his wedding, and spending state funds to travel to the Miss America pageant.

In 2003, French Henry struck and killed a bicyclist who was crossing the street outside of a sidewalk. Criminal charges were not filed, and French Henry later recounted the accident and spoke of her lingering guilt during an appearance on Oprah.

Murray said that his decision to resign before his term is finished is for personal for reasons.

"In January I made a decision with my wife not seek political office in 2014." Murray said. "The next chapter of my life needs to be focused primarily on family. I wanted to take advantage of this moment in our lives, as childhood passes quickly and this is an important time for my family."

When asked if he was going to rule out running for office again Murray responded, "We'll see." He continued, "I'm not ruling anything in or out. I'm excited about this opportunity.

Murray said he intends to submit his resignation effective at end of day on June 2nd and begin his new role on June 3rd.

The lieutenant governor has taken heat recently over questions about his relationship with the disgraced Chelsea Housing Authority director and campaign funding.

CNN's Sara Fischer contributed to this report.

Lois Lerner read a statement at a House Oversight Committee hearing that declared she did nothing wrong and broke no laws before saying she would not answer any questions.

"I say the things that I say because I'm a Christian, not because I hate anybody, but because I have religious values that matter to me," Jackson told reporters Tuesday at a Fredericksburg campaign stop, according to the Washington Post.

Follow @politicalticker

"Attacking me because I hold to those principles is attacking every church-going person, every family that's living a traditional family life, everybody who believes that we all deserve the right to live," he continued. "So I don't have anything to rephrase or apologize for. I would just say people should not paint me as one-dimensional."

An African-American pastor and attorney from Chesapeake, Jackson has compared Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan and hammered African-Americans for their "slavish devotion" to the Democratic Party.

He has also referred to gays and lesbians as "sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally."

After Republican activists nominated Jackson at their party's convention in Richmond last weekend, Democrats began bringing Jackson's past statements into the limelight, seeking to discredit the conservative ticket, which includes gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, at the top.

Cuccinelli, the state Attorney General, will likely face Democrat Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, in the November election. Democrats will formally decide their nominee in a June 11 primary.

Poll numbers so far show neither party with a sizable lead in the race, less than six months before Election Day. Because Virginia voters elect the governor and lieutenant governor separately, it's possible that the winners could be from different parties.

– CNN's Ashley Killough, Paul Steinhauser and Peter Hamby contributed to this report.