So How’d the Donald Do in School?

President doesn't shy away from would-be birther candidate

(NEWSER) - Don't go to Vegas with Donald Trump these days: The would-be presidential candidate was betting last night that "I wouldn't think [Obama] would address me" in his speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. No such luck, reports Politico:

• Trump's "taken some flak lately but no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald," said Obama. "And that's because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, 'Did we fake the moon landing?' 'What really happened in Roswell?' And 'Where are Biggie and Tupac?'"
• Obama moved on to other rivals, including Michele Bachmann, who's "thinking about running for president, which is weird because I hear she was born in Canada. Yes, Michele, this is how it starts."

President was terrible student, Trump claims

(NEWSER) - Move over birthers, here come the "graders." President Obama was a "terrible" student who didn't deserve to get into the Ivy League universities he attended, Donald Trump suggests in an interview with AP . "I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?" Trump asked. "I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records." More»

He's putting a crew together as he mulls endorsement

(NEWSER) - Donald Trump's fresh talk of a White House bid is more than just bluster, according to his top political adviser. "I have spoken to many high-level political operatives, campaign managers, finance directors" over the last couple of weeks, Trump's special counsel tells ABC News. Until Trump decides to either run or endorse a candidate, "I am exploring on his behalf the possibilities of ensuring Mr. Trump appears on the ballot in all states, and to develop a team of professionals who could ensure a potential victory," he added. More»

Hopes he doesn't have to, but would 'after the show ends'

(NEWSER) - Donald Trump is making noises about a run for the Oval Office again, today telling Face the Nation that "the right independent could win," and that "if I don't see a person that is going to win—that's tantamount—I would certainly think about doing it," but only, of course, "after the show ends. Our country is in a lot of trouble. So I may. I hope I don't have to." Trump noted his previous surge, Politico notes, saying, “If I didn’t have the show, I probably would have maybe just kept going because I was doing well, as you know. I was leading in the polls." Elsewhere on your Sunday dial, as per Politico : More»

Switches voter registration to 'independent'

(NEWSER) - Donald Trump hasn't just pulled out of the Newsmax debate—he has pulled out of the Republican Party. The Donald, who was registered as a Democrat in a former life, changed his voter registration from Republican to "independent" yesterday, and his special counsel tells Politico that Trump made the switch "in order to preserve his right to run as an independent if he is (not pleased) with the GOP nominee." New York City's Board of Elections says its 2012 cutoff date was Oct. 14, meaning his new status won't be official until 2013. But Maggie Haberman considers that fact fairly inconsequential: "The point Trump is clearly trying to make is that he is looking at a third-party candidacy." More»