The bus is about to leave the station.
President Obama today kicks off his first bus tour of the 2012 campaign, making three stops in Ohio before wrapping up Friday in Pittsburgh. The tour, which the campaign calls "Betting on America," is targeted to swing states the President won in 2008, but are now politically vulnerable. Together, Ohio and Pennsylvania constitute 38 electoral votes - a critical combination for the path to 270 for either candidate. It's perhaps no surprise that Governor Mitt Romney took a bus tour last month - covering six states that included Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Tomorrow, the President will speak in the context of the monthly jobs report, which many consider one of the leading indicators of how the election will be decided. We'll discuss the strategy and the stakes with guest host Ari Melber today, noon ET on NOW.
PANEL
Richard Wolffe, msnbc Political Analyst (@richardwolffedc)
Steve Kornacki, Co-host, msnbc's "The Cycle" (@stevekornacki)
Patricia Murphy, Daily Beast Contributor/Citizen Jane Politics (@1patriciamurphy)
Kurt Andersen, Author, “True Believers” (@kbandersen)
GUESTS
Jen Psaki, Obama Campaign Traveling Press Secretary (@jrpsaki)
Peter Shane, Law Professor, Ohio State University
Amna Nawaz, NBC News Pakistan Bureau Chief (@nawazistan)