Morning Must Reads: May 13

Good morning from Washington. President Obama will host Gulf leaders at Camp David today—or at least those who showed up. The White House is struggling to manage the snub of some area leaders who have doubts about U.S. efforts to combat the Islamic State and to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. In the political realm, the White House is dealing with a revolt from the president’s own party which at least temporarily blocked his free trade agenda Tuesday.

On the campaign trail, it’s now clear that both parties are testing the limits of campaign finance rules this cycle. Correct the Record, the Clinton-allied subsidiary of Democratic super PAC American Bridge, announced Tuesday it is becoming a stand-alone group to directly coordinate with the Clinton campaign. The move exploits a loophole that only prohibits coordination between campaigns and outside groups on direct expenditures—not the army of researchers the group will employ. This follows efforts by Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and others to outsource the early stages of their presidential campaigns to super PACs on the technicality that they haven’t formally announced their candidacies

Must Reads

Marco Rubio Shifts Rightward on Foreign Policy (TIME)
The birth of a hawk

Jeb Bush Will Skip the Iowa Straw Poll (Des Moines Register)
Despite reform, Bush will skip pre-caucus event that boosted father, brother

White House Baby Boom Highlights Obama Policy Agenda (TIME)
Paid family leave gets a bump

Did Senate Democrats Just Kill Obama’s Free Trade Deal? (TIME)
Obama faces embarrassing setback

How a Super PAC Plans to Coordinate Directly with the Clinton Campaign (Washington Post)
The next step in the evolution of super PACs

Sound Off

“To put all your eggs in the first two or three states doesn’t really make a lot of sense from our prospective. So we are looking at opportunities where we think we can do well.” — Former Sen. Rick Santorum, telling the Boston Globe he doesn’t intend to spend much time in New Hampshire, where he is an afterthought in the state’s first in the nation primary

“I don’t think you can honestly say that if knew then that there was no WMD that the country should have gone to war. So, my answer would be no.” — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on CNN Tuesday criticizing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s comments on the Iraq War this weekend

Bits and Bites

Obama Foundation walks fine line in efforts to raise $500 million

February primary election could replace Nevada presidential caucus

A tiny New Hampshire town gets its chance to vote early

How Bill Clinton’s library promotes Hillary too

Obama pressed on how he talks to the black community

Judge sets September deadline on Clinton records