The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News' Jayce Henderson, Carrie Halperin, and Ben Waldron

PRESIDENT OBAMA: The New York Times' Jeremy Peters: " Aggressive Ads for Obama, at the Ready" After months of planning, President Obama's media team has prepared an aggressive strategy to portray Mitt Romney as insensitive to the plight of working people and beholden to powerful interests. They have researched possible lines of attack and drafted language that can be dropped into an advertisement at a moment's notice. LINK

USA Today's  Aamer Madhani: " Obama campaign helps supporters with new election laws" New voter ID and registration rules are on the books in 17 states and more are in the pipeline, so the Obama campaign is giving volunteer organizers and voters a crash course on the new election laws. Experts say these new rules could diminish participation among young and minority voters - two groups that are key to President Obama's re-election strategy. LINK

The Hill's Mike Lillis : " Pressure grows from Democrats for Obama to back same-sex marriage" The pressure on President Obama to support gay marriage increased this week, as the head of the Democratic Caucus said an overwhelming majority of House Democrats support Vice President Biden's view that same-gender couples should have the legal right to wed.  LINK

MITT ROMNEY: ABC News' Elizabeth Hartfield: " Mitt Romney's 3-State Win Edges Toward Delegate Clinch" The Associated Press has called the presidential primaries in Indiana, West Virginia and North Carolina for Mitt Romney. With three more victories under his belt, Romney moves closer to reaching the 1,144 delegates he needs to officially clinch the Republican Party's nomination for president. LINK

The Washington Post's Melinda Henneberger: " Mitt's Mormon moment - when asked about Obama's 'treason'" When I am afraid, like that time I was the only passenger in a prop plane circling Logan in a thunderstorm, I tend to pray the 'Hail Mary' like my life depends on it. ("You can fly with me any time," the pilot said when the airport reopened and we finally landed, because I hadn't uttered a sound. You have the BVM to thank, pal.) Could be that Mitt Romney looks to his faith under duress, too. Which seems to be how he came to have his first "Mormon moment" on the campaign trail on Monday. LINK

The Washington Times' Seth McLaughlin: " 'Still deciding' does damage to Romney's Hispanic reach" The difficulties Mitt Romney faces in wooing Hispanic voters this year were underscored Tuesday when the Republicans' top Hispanic outreach official said the former Massachusetts governor is "still deciding" his position on immigration. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Maeve Reston: " Romney says Obama campaign showed weakness with 'cartoon'" For the Obama campaign, the creation of "The Life of Julia" was the latest campaign gimmick - drawing in female voters through social media to an infographic showing what a young woman's life might look like under the policies of a White House run by Mitt Romney, rather than by President Obama. LINK

The NY Daily News' Aliyah Shahid " Cher rips Mitt Romney and his 'right wing racist  homophobic women hating tea bagger masters'" Don't expect Mitt Romney to use a Cher song as his campaign anthem. The legendary singer took to Twitter on Tuesday to rant against the presumed Republican presidential candidate, insisting she wouldn't know what to do with herself if Romney beats President Obama this fall." LINK

OTHER: The Wall Street Journal's Andrew Grossman: " Chris Christe Scores High Approval Ratings." Two Republican governors at the center of vice presidential speculation are well-liked by voters in their home states, according to two polls released this week. Fifty-six percent of registered voters in New Jersey approve of the job that the blunt, garrulous Gov. Chris Christie is doing, a poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University found. That's the highest approval rating he has garnered since taking office. A year ago, only 44% of voters said they approved of Mr. Christie's job performance. LINK

Politico's Byron Tau: " Felon beats Obama in several West Virginia counties" A Texas felon is currently giving President Obama a run for his money in the West Virginia Democratic primary, beating Obama in several counties and winning enough of the vote to be eligible for at least one delegate at the convention, according to the Associated Press. LINK

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