Sorry for the tardiness in getting this week's ScuttleButton puzzle up. Our trusty StateImpact reporters and news directors from around the country were in D.C. this week for an incredibly productive several day fly-in. You should check out the StateImpact web sites of our participating partners to see the kind of collaborative work we are doing. The states are Idaho, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Florida.

OK, back to the button puzzle. ScuttleButton, as you know, is the once a week waste of time exercise in which each Monday or Tuesday (wait, what day is this?) I put up a vertical display of buttons on this site. Your job is to simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)

For years, a correct answer chosen at random would get his or her name posted in this column, an incredible honor in itself. Now the stakes are even higher. Thanks to the efforts of the folks at Talk of the Nation, that person also hears their name mentioned on the Wednesday show (by me) and receives a Political Junkie t-shirt in the bargain. Is this a great country or what?

You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state — you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.

And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be among the first on your block to receive notice about the column and the puzzle. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.

Good luck!

By the way, I announce the winner on Wednesday's Junkie segment on TOTN. But with a new puzzle up every Monday or Tuesday, depending on my mood, you should get your answer in as soon as possible.

Here are the buttons used and the answer to last week's puzzle:

Historic Peace Mission/1977/Israel's Prime Minister Menahem Begin/Egypt's President Anwar el-Sadat — The beginning of the historic peace treaty between two longtime adversaries (and which led to the assassination of Sadat).

Let Us Continue/Young Citizens for Johnson — President Lyndon Johnson ran in 1964 promising to continue the work of the late John F. Kennedy.

D'Amato U.S. Senate — A local official from Long Island, D'Amato upset veteran Sen. Jacob Javits in the 1980 Republican primary and went on to win three terms before being ousted by Democrat Chuck Schumer in 1998.

So, when you combine Begin + Let Us + D'Amato, you may just very well end up with ...

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. And yes, we're still trying to figure out how we got to bacon from the head of the Jewish state.

This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is ... Joan Walker of Bloomington, Ind. Joan gets a TOTN Junkie t-shirt.

Don't forget to check out this week's Political Junkie column, which focuses on what Ron Paul really wants (hint: it's not about the 2012 nomination). You can read the column here.

NOTE: There will not be a Political Junkie column or ScuttleButton puzzle next week. All that good stuff returns on Monday, June 4. But if it gets too severe, you can come hear me gab about politics on May 31 in Syracuse, N.Y., courtesy member station WRVO. Click here for info.

Ron Paul is not going to be the Republican nominee for president in 2012. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. Even Ron Paul knows it. His acknowledgement that Mitt Romney will be the nominee is just stating the obvious.

But what exactly did he mean when he said last week that he will "no longer spend resources campaigning in primaries in states that have not voted"? Was he telling us that he was dropping out of the race?

Not quite.

There was a time, early in this year's cycle, where the guess was that Paul was going to perform far better in 2012 than he did in 2008, when he also sought the GOP nomination. He was better known, his iconoclastic views were thought to be more popular, and his supporters had a better understanding of the system. But after all was said and done, he failed to win a single primary or caucus. Yes, he finished a strong second in New Hampshire, barely lost in Maine, and took 40 percent in Virginia (in a one-on-one with Romney). But first place? Didn't happen.

And so, as Romney's competitors slowly dropped out, Paul was the last challenger left standing.

But for what purpose? He wasn't going to win in Tampa. It wasn't about a prime-time speaking slot at the convention. It's probably not about influencing the party platform, though he will certainly try to get his views about monetary policy and foreign policy represented. And for all the talk about well, maybe he can win on the second ballot ... that is a fantasy that's just not going to happen. No Republican nomination has gone past a first ballot since 1948. He undoubtedly knows that as well.

And it wasn't just to get enough delegates to disrupt the convention. Paul seems quite cognizant that any confrontations at or outside the convention hall would be counter-productive. (Paul supporters have reportedly been booing Romney backers at other party conventions, such as in Arizona and Oklahoma.)

For most of the past year, nearly every journalist who interviewed Paul felt compelled to ask him if his ultimate goal was to run as the Libertarian Party nominee (as he did once before, in 1988). Paul kept saying he had no "intention" to do so, but few believed him.

Everyone seemed to miss the obvious: It is all about the future of the Republican Party.

Paul says his campaign will not spend any money in the 11 states that haven't yet voted, and he won't. For one thing, he doesn't have the money. But he will be — and has been — packing county and state conventions with his supporters and electing Paul-friendly activists as delegates ... even if they are committed to voting for Romney in Tampa. "I hope all supporters of liberty will remain deeply involved," Paul wrote. "Become delegates, win office and take leadership positions." In Nevada, for example, 22 of the 25 at-large delegates selected at the recent state convention were all Ron Paul backers — even though Romney easily won the state in the February caucuses. (Former Gov. Bob List, a Romney delegate who lost his Republican national committeeman post to a Paul supporter, talked about the situation during last week's Junkie segment on TOTN. See below for link.) On Saturday in Minnesota, Paul supporters took 12 of the 13 national delegate positions that were at stake; he now has 32 of the state's 40 delegates pledged to him. Paul supporters have performed similarly in Maine. In Alaska, a Paul backer was elected state GOP chair.

Unless lightning strikes — and it won't — Romney will easily win the Republican nomination in Tampa on the first ballot. But many of those delegates in the hall will be Paul supporters, even if they are bound by party law to vote for Romney.

The convention, however, is only four days long. And November is right around the corner. Pretty soon, we'll be talking about 2014. And the presidential campaign of 2016. That's what is happening with the party conventions right now. It's not about 2012. It's about the future. And these "champions of liberty" may find themselves with a far bigger role than they do today.

James Abdnor dies. Former Sen. Jim Abdnor, a South Dakota Republican who ended George McGovern's Senate tenure in 1980, only to lose his seat six years later to Tom Daschle, died May 16 at the age of 89.

A longtime elected official — first as a member of the Legislature and later as lt. gov. — Abdnor won an open House seat in 1972, the same year McGovern challenged Richard Nixon for the presidency. Eight years later he took on McGovern himself, who was seeking a fourth Senate term. Riding a huge anti-liberal tide, with Ronald Reagan recapturing the White House for the GOP, Abdnor won by a 58-39 percent margin. A low-key lawmaker not known for his great oratory, he was challenged for renomination in 1986 by Gov. Bill Janklow, who called Abdnor too weak to hold the seat in November. Abdnor won the primary but narrowly lost to Rep. Thomas Daschle in the general election.

Political Updates. I post periodic political updates during the week on Twitter. You can follow me at @kenrudin. Time for some questions from readers. The first two are in response to comments I made during the TOTN Junkie segment last Wednesday:

Q: Your position on recalls, specifically of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, kinda surprised me. The discussion — prompted by callers — seemed to turn on "did Walker change positions from his campaign?" (Also, did Walker even mention reversing decades-old bargaining rights in his campaign?). Your cavalier "so what? every candidate does it" response is neither helpful nor insightful. And your example of Obama's "close Guantanamo" position-reversal is instructive. While Gitmo certainly affects the lives and rights of detainees, Obama's reversal affects the lives and rights of very few Americans. Scott Walker's "reversal" (or unmentioned position) is a statewide issue with a very large constituency. His reversed (or brand-new — I would argue "hidden until after the election" agenda) impacts the working lives of many, even perhaps most Wisconsinites. Recall is an instrument — albeit blunt — at their disposal, and they should use it. — Bill Wilson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Similarly ...

Q: I understand being squeamish about recalls — I'm a California Democrat, after all! But consider this: Walker's failure to describe his policy on collective bargaining was a major deception on his part. It was not a conscientious change of heart come to after wrestling with unexpected issues in office, but rather an immediate line of attack, taken within weeks of his swearing in. One protection against frivolous recalls is having a very high bar for how many signatures are required to initiate one. Wisconsin certainly met this test. — Phyllis Meshulam, Sebastopol, Calif.

A: Both of you make valid points. My point was not that Wisconsin voters don't have the right to recall their elected officials, and I certainly wasn't judging their recourse or defending Walker's actions. But for Walker opponents to say the reason they are going ahead with the recall because the governor never talked about taking away the collective bargaining rights of public employees during the campaign just seemed specious to me. Attempt to recall anyone you want, if the laws of that state allow it. There are many people in the Badger State absolutely furious with Walker's policies. But, at least in my way of looking at it, using "well, he never said he would do that during the campaign" as a justification just feels disingenuous.

And you know that if Walker is recalled on June 5, his supporters will attempt to recall Tom Barrett (D) at the next opportunity. That was the tit-for-tat mentality I fear the most, something we've watched on Capitol Hill for decades. (You voted to bring down Robert Bork? OK, we'll bring down Jim Wright. Or, you blocked Clinton's judges? OK, we'll block Bush's judges. You filibustered Bush's appointees? We'll filibuster Obama's appointees. Ad nauseum.)

Still, having said all that, in listening back to the program, it sounded as if I were dismissing the arguments for the Walker recall outright. That wasn't what I meant to do and I apologize if it came off that way.

Q: It is entirely possible that Mitt Romney might not win his state of Massachusetts in the general election. I believe Al Gore failed to win Tennessee when he ran in 2000. Who was the most recent presidential candidate from a major party who failed to win his own state in a general election? — Matt Potter, Ardmore, Pa.

A: For the purposes of your question, we'll count Massachusetts as Romney's home state, even though he was born in Michigan. (I'm using the same criteria for making Texas the home states of George Bush Sr. and Jr., even though they were born in Massachusetts and Connecticut, respectively.) Thus, Gore would be the most recent example of a candidate who failed to win his home state. And, for the record, had he done so, he would have won the presidency.

Other examples in the past half-century: George McGovern (lost South Dakota in 1972), Richard Nixon (a resident of New York when he ran in 1968), and Adlai Stevenson (lost Illinois in both 1952 and '56).

Q: If Willard Mitt Romney is elected President, would he be the second President, along with Stephen Grover Cleveland, that would be primarily known by his middle name? Or have their been others? — James McKinstra, Aurora, Minn.

A: Here are three more since Cleveland: David Dwight Eisenhower, John Calvin Coolidge and Thomas Woodrow Wilson. And Gerald Ford, who was adopted, was born Leslie King Jr.

Q: How can I listen to Political Junkie on the internet? I live in San Diego, and I can't get the political junkie through my NPR local station. — Ernesto Mendoza, San Diego, Calif.

A: I assume you're talking about the Wednesday Political Junkie segment on Talk of the Nation. It's usually available by 6 pm Eastern time the day of the show at http://www.npr.org/programs/talk-of-the-nation. The Junkie segment also can be heard on iTunes as a separate podcast. You can just go to the iTunes web site and subscribe to it there. But I also post the links on Twitter and my Facebook page.

Q: I so wish Jon Huntsman would become the presidential candidate for the Americans Elect movement. He is a Republican who makes sense. I was furious when I read that he was uninvited from attending a Republican fundraiser in Florida recently because of his views. Agree? — Roberta Brown, Santa Fe, N.M.

A: Huntsman made headlines when his invitation to speak before a GOP fundraiser in Florida was rescinded. His response: "This is what they do in China on party matters if you talk off script." That's a nice soundbyte, but there's more to the story than just speaking off script. Huntsman has been a bit critical of Mitt Romney as of late, which is fine, but he also said encouraging things about a third party. It's difficult, in my mind at least, to consider inviting someone to appear at a Republican fundraiser when he has been going around the country calling for a third party.

As for the Americans Elect movement, it is no longer. The group, which has spent some $35 million thus far with the goal of getting on all 51 ballots with an online convention-chosen centrist independent presidential candidate (and a VP candidate of the opposite party), was doing well with ballot access — they made it to 28 as of this week. But this week was also the group's deadline for coming up with a candidate, and it couldn't. The criteria: 10,000 online signatures. No one reached that number (former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer got 6,000), and the group says it is shutting down.

Edition 300 of the podcast. Well, we made it. The drug-induced experiment that began in 2006 — the weekly podcast entitled "It's All Politics" — had its 300th episode this week. To celebrate the occasion, Ron Elving, NPR's Senior Washington editor and my co-conspirator in the podcast, made a cake that had an outline of the state of Arizona on it, with the locale of Yuma singled out; what better way to acknowledge one of the six jokes I constantly use on the podcast?

As always, this week's episode discussed the current political events. But we also brought back some great moments of the past. And we read some of the wonderful tributes sent in from The Listener.

And speaking of The Listener, here are some more of the lovely notes that filled my in-box this week:

Ming Diaz:

Your formula keeps me glued to my work computer every week. In our facility there are co-workers who also listen and bring their "Did you get the one where Ken/Ron said...." into my lab or meetings. Thank you. No other media source comes close to the rapier wit, the direct and sharp poke, the dismissal and move on to the next target.

Emma Hollister:

What I love most about the podcast are all of the dorky political puns and jokes. They are usually the kind of terrible jokes my dad would make (I really mean that in a good way) and they make me chuckle and groan in turns. Thank you for all the chuckles and groans, the occasional stunned silence and full-on belly laugh. It's been a good first 300 episodes.

Laurie Larson:

Congratulations on the 300th podcast! I thought it was a lot more ... but I think that's because I listen twice to make sure I savor all the puns.

Ryan Cecil Smith:

You guys provide my favorite political conversation and bad humor every week. I hope you'll keep it up for 300 more.

Sean Walbeck:

My favorite moment is a selfish one — I pointed out in an e-mail Orrin Hatch's previous presidential run when Ron & Ken had forgotten it during a discussion of Mitt Romney's unique position of being a Mormon presidential candidate. My correction was not only noted in the next Podcast, but I was identified as The Listener! ... Meanwhile, about a month later, somebody else was named The Listener. How could you that to me, guys? I thought we had something beautiful here. I'm not enough Listener for you? Well, you're not losing me that easy, misters. I care enough about this relationship enough for the three of us, and if you stumble trying to find joy with other ears out there, you just know I'm here to take you back and listen, no judgment, until you realize the good thing you've got going here. We'll get through this rough patch together.

Ceara:

My favorite moment? The Eric Massa tickle scandal.

Simon Cheng:

I'm writing from Hangzhou, China. Believe it or not, I started to follow It's All Politics podcast from episode 5. Congratulations for making it this far and thank you guys for providing me with analysis and jokes about U.S. politics ... though, coming from a Chinese background, some of the jokes I never understood.

Maura Spiegelman:

Ken made a throw-away joke in a 2006 podcast that I still laugh when I think about it. I believe Ron was listing newly-elected Democratic senators, and Ken interrupted to add "Amy Keloheinu" to the list. There was no pause for laughter or even any acknowledgement of it, but I've thought about this joke every time I've heard a reference to Senator Amy Klobuchar in the past five and a half years. Well done.

Taylor Henninger:

My favorite thing about the podcast is that it always catches me up on the latest thing, so I don't have to subject myself to the cable news networks to find out about the most recent gaffe or engineered scandal. I can still be in-the-know around the water cooler without having to watch another purposeless hologram on CNN.

Barry Murphy:

Writing from Dublin, Ireland. I've been listening to the podcast for about 4 years now. Your style is about right - informative, erudite, irreverent and doesn't outstay its welcome. Keep up the good work.

Charles St. Onge:

I can't tell you how many times I get in the car, smile, and think: "there's a new episode of 'It's All Politics' on the iPod today!"

Janine Blaeloch:

It was when you hummed "Hurdy Gurdy Man" in mock-Donovan Leitch heavy vibrato. Hilarious! I have come to love your puns.

Jack Goodman:

I'm writing to let you know that I am The Listener, at least as far as Australia goes. I've been listening since podcast #1. I was so impressed with Ken's call predicting Ned Lamont would defeat Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary for Senate in Connecticut. I had to wait for another 290 or so podcasts until Ron figured out the exact date when Rick Santorum would throw in the towel. At this rate, I'm guessing you guys will nail the 2018 mid-term elections. Looking forward to that one. P.S. My wife hates your podcast. She says it makes politics sound like a game or sport. Then again, she's Australian, and politics generally involves public blood-letting here.

Sam Blatt:

My favorite moment was when Ron said with absolute certainty that Rick Santorum would drop out at the beginning of the next week. I didn't think he would do it so soon, and I really thought Ron was wrong. When I heard the announcement, the first thing that I thought was, "Ron was right!" You guys are a great combination, and I've enjoyed listening to your podcast for the last couple of years. Keep it up!

Nathan Leitner:

Although I have only been religiously listening to your podcast since January of this year, I already have many fond memories of listening to It's All Politics — usually during slow Friday afternoons in the office or driving home for the weekend. Either way I'm generally left in stitches (harder to explain in the office than alone in a car) and a healthy dose of topical, political knowledge. But honestly, I probably would have been a much better student of political science had I had you two as professors and had I been such a NPR addict as an undergrad.

Paula Fitzgerald:

As for my favorite moment - that has to go back to the 2008 election, and the coverage of Sarah Palin. The Saturday Night Live coverage got all of the attention, as Tina Fey was so dead on. But the It's All Politics coverage was so much more incisive. I retired five years ago to San Diego, and happily have all the time in the world to indulge my obsession with politics. It's All Politics is so essential to that. Ron and Ken are so well versed, and so entertaining.

Tim O'Connor:

I've learned more about the political system listening to you for the last three or four years then I did in the proceeding 28. Keep up the great work. I promise to keep listening.

Once again, thanks to all who wrote. Thanks to NPR, for allowing Ron and me to blabber on each week for these past six years. Thanks to our long-suffering editor, Cathy Shaw, as well as the podcast producer, Brakkton Booker, as well as a shoutout to our podcast producers of the past: Evie Stone, Muthoni Muturi, Gisele Grayson, Tom Dreisbach and Kimberly Adams — who have made each episode a memorable one.

Political Junkie segment on Talk of the Nation. Each Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET, the Political Junkie segment appears on Talk of the Nation (NPR's call-in program), hosted by Neal Conan with me adding color commentary, where you can, sometimes, hear interesting conversation, useless trivia questions, and sparkling jokes. Last week focused on the issue of civil unions in Colorado, with special guest Gov. John Hickenlooper, and Ron Paul's delegate success in Nevada, with special guest former Gov. Bob List.

In addition, we did a segment on Monday about opposition research, which you can listen to here.

And Don't Forget ScuttleButton. ScuttleButton, America's favorite waste-of-time button puzzle, can be found in this spot every Monday. A randomly-selected winner will be announced every Wednesday during the Political Junkie segment on NPR's Talk of the Nation. You still have time to submit your answer to last week's contest, which you can see here. Not only is there incredible joy in deciphering the answer, but the winner gets a TOTN t-shirt!

Previous winner: Kevin Cross of Baltimore, Md.

ON THE CALENDAR:

May 22 — Primaries in Arkansas and Kentucky.

May 29 — Texas primary.

June 5 —Wisconsin gov. recall election. Also: primaries in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.

June 12 — Special election in Arizona's 8th CD to succeed Gabrielle Giffords (D), who resigned. Also: congressional primaries in Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia.

June 26 — Congressional primaries in Colorado, New York, Oklahoma and Utah.

Mailing list. To receive a weekly email alert about the new column and ScuttleButton puzzle, contact me at politicaljunkie@npr.org.

******* Don't Forget: If you are sending in a question to be used in this column, please include your city and state. *********

This day in campaign history: In the most expensive election in state history, former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell wins the Democratic primary for governor of Pennsylvania, easily defeating state Auditor General Robert Casey Jr., whose late father had served as governor. The two spent a combined $30 million on the race.

Rendell, who beat Casey 56-44 percent, will face state Attorney General Mike Fisher (R) in November. Incumbent two-term Republican Tom Ridge is barred from running again. In a matchup between two sitting House Democrats thrown together because of redistricting, John Murtha clobbers Frank Mascara (May 21, 2002).

Got a question? Ask Ken Rudin: politicaljunkie@npr.org

I'm less concerned about why JPMorgan lost $2 billion on ScuttleButton futures than I am about you solving this week's puzzle.

ScuttleButton, as you know, is the once a week waste of time exercise in which each Monday or Tuesday (whatever) I put up a vertical display of buttons on this site. Your job is to simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)

For years, a correct answer chosen at random would get his or her name posted in this column, an incredible honor in itself. Now the stakes are even higher. Thanks to the efforts of the folks at Talk of the Nation, that person also hears their name mentioned on the Wednesday show (by me) and receives a Political Junkie t-shirt in the bargain. Is this a great country or what?

You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state — you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.

And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be among the first on your block to receive notice about the column and the puzzle. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.

Good luck!

By the way, I announce the winner on Wednesday's Junkie segment on TOTN. But with a new puzzle up every Monday or Tuesday, depending on my mood, you should get your answer in as soon as possible.

Here are the buttons used and the answer to last week's puzzle:

Change the Scene with Gene — Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy, a strong opponent of the Vietnam War, challenged President Lyndon Johnson for renomination in 1968.

Coe for Governor — Earl Coe lost the 1956 Democratic gubernatorial primary in Washington.

Senator D Huddleston — Where would ScuttleButton be without the perennial use of this button? Huddleston, a Kentucky Democrat, served two terms before losing to Mitch McConnell in 1984.

Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise — An essential condiment.

So, when you combine Scene + Coe + D + Mayo, you may just very well end up with ...

Cinco de Mayo. The Mexican holiday, celebrated on, well, May 5th, that dates back to 1862.

This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is ... Kevin Cross of Baltimore, Md. Kevin gets a TOTN Junkie t-shirt.

Don't forget to check out this week's Political Junkie column, which focuses on President Obama's decision to embrace same-sex marriage. You can read the column here.

The issue of same-sex marriage will long continue to fascinate and infuriate politics watchers everywhere, but this past week was especially impossible to ignore, starting last Sunday, with Vice President Biden's candid statement on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he is "absolutely comfortable" with it, through the Administration's torturous couple of days of attempting to "clarify" Biden's remarks, and culminating on Wednesday's interview for ABC's "Good Morning America, where President Obama "evolved" into embracing gay marriage once and for all.

A dizzying week, to be sure.

But the most head-spinning part of it all was the conclusion by his defenders that Obama made a courageous, breathtaking and historic decision, coming to his position through conscience and not politics. And certainly not because his vice president boxed him into a corner.

To be sure, there is the element of history here; he is the first president to support gay marriage, and that is important in the scheme of things. It comes as a majority of the American people, according to some polls, have already reached that view. But with the president saying that this reflected only his own personal views, and that he supports individual states making their own decisions, what changes? Little, if anything.

Further, to profess surprise about Obama's announcement is silly, given the fact that the administration has made its position long known, repealing the "don't ask/don't tell" policy about gays in the military and ending its support of the Defense of Marriage Act (or, as Obama called it during the GMA interview, "Defense Against Marriage Act"). The surprise is less that he came out for gay marriage than the fact he continued to stick to his position when so many others in his party had long ago abandoned that viewpoint.

And so, after years of watching his position "evolve" but not move, what shall we call his new announcement? Courageous? Or was he put into a no-win position? How about a flip-flop? We always love to point out the discrepancies between Mitt Romney's positions of today, compared to when he was running in Massachusetts for the Senate in 1994 or even governor in 2002. With Obama, we only have to go back to 2008, when he told us he was opposed to same-sex marriage (something he also told us when he was running for the Senate in 2004). Is this not a flip-flop? Is Obama getting away with something that no one seems to let Romney get away with?

In the long run, the three days it took Obama to get from Biden's "absolutely comfortable" to his own "it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married" is not likely to be of consequence, let alone be remembered.

But let's not call Obama's path to his announcement an example of profiles in courage, considering it only came when Biden forced his hand. Media reports indicate Obama was furious with his vice president in getting ahead of the White House on the issue. It's easy to conclude that the president would have been very happy to not have to deal with his "evolving" position until after the November election.

But such a "hiding the ball" strategy would have been dishonest, wrote Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post. The day before the president announced the change in his position, Marcus said the "continued presidential equivocation makes Obama look weak and evasive":

"The longer Obama waits, the worse he looks.

The president's first stall tactic, that he is "evolving" on the issue, doesn't cut it anymore. Even Darwin would have lost patience by now.

His second approach, the not-gonna-make-news-for-you-today cop-out, has also worn thin. ...

At this point, Obama's reticence is looking cowardly."

Similarly, Frank Bruni of the New York Times wrote:

"On this issue, the president isn't leading. He's following. And the gap by which he trails others in his party grows broader and sadder."

But already that's old news. Obama, after expressing his displeasure with Biden's candidness, has come on board. And the political community has gone on to other topics, such as whether Obama's declaration will invigorate the gay community for November or hurt him in swing states or with independents and moderates and African-Americans and Hispanics. Or whether it will force social conservatives to ignore Romney's imperfect record and embrace the Republican's candidacy. Will Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decide to bring a vote to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act to the floor? And what about those Democrats in tough Senate races this year, such as Tim Kaine in Virginia? Will Obama's announcement affect their chances?

For all the evolving the nation seems to be doing on same-sex marriage, let's not forget that every time the issue has been on the ballot, it has gone down to defeat. (As recently as last week, voters in North Carolina — home to the 2012 Democratic convention — overwhelmingly supported a ban on both gay marriage and civil unions). Thirty-eight states now are on record opposing same-sex marriage, either by constitutional amendment or statute. The six states (and the District of Columbia) that do have gay marriage on the books — Iowa, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut — arrived at that conclusion via state legislatures or the courts. Not by the voters.

In any event, the national debate over the issue is certain to continue. It's important to understand where our country is going and how it gets there. But it's also important to know how the president of the United States got there as well.

Sixty years ago. The defeat of Sen. Dick Lugar in last week's Indiana Republican primary was not a surprise, but the margin sure was; state Treasurer Richard Mourdock clobbered him 60-39 percent. (See May 7 Political Junkie column.) The last time a six-term senator was denied renomination in the primaries was in 1952, when Tennessee Democrat Kenneth McKellar was ousted by Congressman Albert Gore Sr.

And speaking of history, flabbergasted may be the best word to explain the 41 percent of the vote a Texas prison inmate, Keith Judd, received last week against President Obama in the West Virginia Democratic primary. No one disputes the fact that Obama has never been popular in the Mountain State. Hillary Clinton defeated him by 41 points in the 2008 primary, and he lost the state in November that year to John McCain by 13. And it's true, incumbent presidents have done worse in the past — Jimmy Carter lost ten primaries to Ted Kennedy in 1980. But never before has an incumbent running essentially "unopposed," as Obama is this year, performed so poorly in a presidential primary.

Anticipating this week's 300th podcast. Back in 2006, Ron Elving, NPR's Senior Washington editor, and I started recording a weekly podcast, called "It's All Politics." We do this every Thursday, and thousands and thousands of people — whom we call "The Listener" — download it each week. This Thursday, we are recording our 300th episode. In terms of numbers, it doesn't approach Herman Cain's 999, but it certainly beats out Rick Perry's three, I mean two, departments he would eliminate.

Last week we asked you to tell us about some of your favorite moments. Here's a brief sampling of what arrived in my in-box.

Andrew Azab:

My favorite opening to the podcast was your intro on one of the weeks where Blago [Rod Blagojevich] was in the news and you and Ron had an expletive- ridden exchange. Bleeping on NPR ... priceless.

Kevin White:

My favorite moment by far of the last year was the comment about Newt Gingrich not being able to win the election one woman at a time. I found that moment to be particularly hilarious. The most entertaining political moment of the last year was Rick Perry's debate gaffe. The most interesting was the congressional deadlock over the Social Security tax cuts.

Alex Zwagerman:

I am a devoted listener to the podcast. I live in the People's Republic of China, where politics is much more opaque. It may surprise you that the It's All Politics Podcast is almost never blocked in China. I say almost... Apart from the times that NPR is blocked as a whole domain, it happened only ONCE on the past five years that the specific podcast was blocked. This was in 2009. I don't remember the exact week, but I was first irritated and then fascinated by the specific and short-lived block. I used a proxy to 'jump over the Great Chinese Firewall' and had to listen to the podcast twice to find the reason of the block. It turned out that Ken (I think) used the verb 'to shanghai' to express how a certain Senator was forced to tow some party line. I know it's not really a moment that you guys brought me, and the fact that I enjoyed that podcast has more to do with the ridiculous behavior of the Chinese Censors, but it was MY moment. Keep up the good work! I spend so much time explaining your puns to my Chinese girlfriend, our life would be so boring if you guys ever quit. Kind regards from Changchun, China.

Joseph Bowler:

My favorite moments of your podcast is the overall theme of neutrality, because it really is all politics. I'm a center right American (how cliche, I know) and the most legitimate news that I find in American politics, outside BBC, comes from your podcast! Keep it up, if one of you passes away, we better have a weekly seance or at least haunt the studio.

Mary Miller:

Ron and Ken (if I may be so informal, since I am The Listener and you may call me "The"): Congratulations on this milestone; gosh, I thought it was at least 600 or so. Time flies. I can't name a particular moment that stood out above all others, but I do find each week's podcast reassuring. No matter how many problems we have as a country and how deep the political dross, as long as we can laugh at ourselves while sorting out what's important, we'll be OK. And every week, you two reaffirm that principle. Keep it up, and thanks from Greenwood, Miss.

Andrea Sahlin:

I liked the "leave of abscess" pun in the 5/10/2012 podcast. I have had a toothache for about a week now, and that made me laugh!

Aaron Page:

Congratulations on 300 podcasts! I'm a 26 year old Democrat living in Chicago and I'm from the great swing state of Virginia. I truly look forward to your podcast each week and greatly enjoy your insightful analyses. I listen to a lot of political commentary and I think you guys are the best out there. I also feel the podcast is as funny as it is informative. Your ending song choices always crack me up, and my favorite moment was when you played "Love Potion #9" and added Herman Cain's voice saying "9-9-9."

Sarah Soebbing:

It is I, the listener, writing to congratulate you on your upcoming 300th episode! Just wanted you to know how much I love your podcast, and to thank you for always helping me see how laughable our political system truly is.

Tristan Acker:

I think Ken and Ron make the best jokes about John Boehner crying. And Ken's puns are oddly endearing and I've been listening long enough that I often find them hilarious. Congrats on 300 episodes.

Chris Ryan:

My favorite It's All Politics moment was a joke Ken made on the show one time. He had borrowed it from someone else, and I believe the year was 1973.

Kim England:

I am a 22 year old restaurant assistant manager in Alameda, Calif. My favorite moments from It's All Politics happens every week when I'm listening to the podcast episode on Friday and laughing out loud while riding my bike to work. This happens more often than once a week, more like once every 4-5 minutes an episode, but it's a great feeling and I love that Ken & Ron can release such endorphins with such finesse. Thanks IAP team! You guys are great!

Robert Hirschman:

I love your program, your so-so-well articulated descriptions of events and points of view, and insights.

Tim O'Connor:

I humbly submit that I must be "The Listener" because I never miss an episode of the It's All Politics Podcast. My favorite podcast moment was Ken nicknaming Buddy Roemer "Nature Boy." We professional wrestling / politics fans (both of us) really got a kick out of this. Much legitimate LOLing.

Kim Wright:

I find it very annoying when people say, "It's impossible to choose my favorite because it's like asking to choose my favorite child." That excuse is used to the point it's lost all its meaning. So, when Ken and Ron asked their listener to choose a favorite podcast as they celebrate their upcoming 300th "It's All Politics" podcast, I can say, in all honesty, it's almost impossible to choose because it's like choosing my favorite child. With that said, my choice is the Sept. 18, 2008 podcast, because it's the first after Wall Street took a tremendous free fall, marking the beginning of what turned out to be the global economic recession, and attention was taken from Sarah Palin as John McCain's presidential running mate. It's also where we heard John McCain change from "The economy is fundamentally sound.", to "...greed on Wall Street has put our economy at risk.", almost exactly two hours later.

Eric Vanhove:

The time that Ken told the joke about Abe Lincoln being Jewish... because he got shot in the temple! Ba dum dum. And Ken, Ron, and I laughed hysterically! I'm sure it was just the 3 of us. I still laugh about that... and can't count the number of times I've retold that joke! Love your podcast!

Kelly Pierce:

Happy 300th podcast! I'm a 27 year old History teacher currently living and working at an international school in Tanzania. I've been reliant on various podcasts to keep up on my current events, including It's All Politics, and while I don't have a specific moment that springs to mind to commemorate your 300th episode, I will share an incident that I think is indicative of the enjoyment, entertainment, and inherent risk that I find in each one of your podcasts. One day, I went out running while listening to your podcast and my route takes me over a very bumpy, uneven road. There was something that both of you were talking about that elicited a guffaw of laughter from me, and unfortunately it was so distracting that I forgot to look down at my feet and bam, fell flat on my ass. I thought you should know that your podcast has at least one laughter casualty. I thank both of you for your witty banter, keen political observations, and entertaining delivery. Congratulations on 300.

Valerie Wayne:

Congrats on 300 podcasts! I'm obsessed with politics, a habit I can't truly indulge because I'm home with three young children. I eagerly await and then listen to your podcast a few times each week. As for a favorite moment, even just last week you showed your humble humor in discussing the Judd 41% in West Virginia, my home state. Rather than being righteously indignant about the racism we so painfully clearly suffer, you were insightful and funny. Thanks from one of your MANY grateful listeners!!

Jonathan Blau:

I love every Firesign Theatre reference!

David Meiklejohn:

I am the Australian listener. Have been listening for the past 5 years from here in Melbourne. Great weekly wrap of US politics apart from Ken's jokes, obviously. My favorite moment was way back in early 2008, you guys were discussing potential veep picks for McCain and you brought up the name of "Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin", who I'd never heard of until that moment. I like to think this was a butterfly fluttering its wings moment which led to the tumult of November for McCain and his campaign.

Taskin Sehitoglu:

I wish to congratulate you on your 300th episode. As probably the only high school senior who enjoys Thad McCotter jokes, I think your show is both hilarious and informative. I especially enjoyed your most recent coverage of the Republican primary. I hope you continue the show, even as you lose relevancy like an aging Newt Gingrich. Jokes aside, please keep up the great reporting and commentary.

Neil Gussman:

I discovered your podcast while I was deployed to Iraq with the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, PA National Guard in 2009/10. We had a dial-up-speed connection so it took 45 minutes to download. We deployed shortly after President Obama was elected. Sometimes I was sure I was the only white male Obama voter on our Air base, named Camp Adder. You helped me stay informed in a place where most of the news was from FOX.

Thanks to all who wrote. And thanks for being The Listener.

Political Junkie segment on Talk of the Nation. Each Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET, the Political Junkie segment appears on Talk of the Nation (NPR's call-in program), hosted by Neal Conan with me adding color commentary, where you can, sometimes, hear interesting conversation, useless trivia questions, and sparkling jokes. Last week focused on same-sex marriage, starting with the unexpected Joe Biden conversation on the topic and ending with President Obama's dilemma. Plus, a review of Tuesday's primaries, focusing on Dick Lugar's defeat in Indiana and the Democratic primary in Wisconsin to find a challenger to a recall-imperiled Scott Walker.

Shortly after the program ended, Obama evolved into an interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts. And so we interrupted TOTN in the second hour with this update.

Podcast. There's also a new episode of our weekly podcast, "It's All Politics," up every Thursday. It's hosted by my partner-in-crime, Ron Elving, and me.

And Don't Forget ScuttleButton. ScuttleButton, America's favorite waste-of-time button puzzle, can be found in this spot every Monday. A randomly-selected winner will be announced every Wednesday during the Political Junkie segment on NPR's Talk of the Nation. You still have time to submit your answer to last week's contest, which you can see here. Not only is there incredible joy in deciphering the answer, but the winner gets a TOTN t-shirt!

Previous winner: Joe Berendt of St. Louis, Mo.

ON THE CALENDAR:

May 15 — Primaries in Idaho, Nebraska and Oregon.

May 18 — Filing deadline in Washington State. Just in case lame duck Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is thinking about it.

May 22 — Primaries in Arkansas and Kentucky.

May 29 — Texas primary.

June 5 —Wisconsin gov. recall election. Also: primaries in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.

June 12 — Special election in Arizona's 8th CD to succeed Gabrielle Giffords (D), who resigned. Also: congressional primaries in Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia.

June 26 — Congressional primaries in Colorado, New York, Oklahoma and Utah.

Mailing list. To receive a weekly email alert about the new column and ScuttleButton puzzle, contact me at politicaljunkie@npr.org.

******* Don't Forget: If you are sending in a question to be used in this column, please include your city and state. *********

This day in campaign history: Making his first bid for public office, investment banker Chuck Hagel easily wins the Republican nomination for the Senate from Nebraska, defeating state Attorney General Don Stenberg by a 62-38 percent margin. It is for the seat Democrat Jim Exon is giving up after three terms. On the Democratic side, Gov. Ben Nelson ran unopposed. Also, in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in West Virginia, former state Sen. Charlotte Pritt wins an 11-candidate contest, narrowly defeating her closest challenger, state Sen. Joe Manchin. The Republican nomination goes to Cecil Underwood, who was the state's youngest governor (34 years old) when he was elected in 1956 and would be the state's oldest (74) if he wins this year (May 14, 1996). Both Hagel (R-Neb.) and Underwood (R-W.Va.) will win in November.

Got a question? Ask Ken Rudin: politicaljunkie@npr.org

Unlike President Obama, who says his views about ScuttleButton are "evolving," I'm hoping you are fully committed to these weekly puzzles.

Don't forget how to play. ScuttleButton, as you know, is the once a week waste of time exercise in which each Monday or Tuesday (whatever) I put up a vertical display of buttons on this site. Your job is to simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)

For years, a correct answer chosen at random would get his or her name posted in this column, an incredible honor in itself. Now the stakes are even higher. Thanks to the efforts of the folks at Talk of the Nation, that person also hears their name mentioned on the Wednesday show (by me) and receives a Political Junkie t-shirt in the bargain. Is this a great country or what?

You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state — you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.

And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be among the first on your block to receive notice about the column and the puzzle. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.

Good luck!

By the way, I announce the winner on Wednesday's Junkie segment on TOTN. But with a new puzzle up every Monday or Tuesday, depending on my mood, you should get your answer in as soon as possible.

Here are the buttons used and the answer to last week's puzzle:

The Pope in Poland — ABC News button commemorating the 1979 visit by Pope John Paul II to the country of his birth.

Stand Up for America / Wallace for President — Former Alabama Gov. George Wallace ran four times for the White House; this one, his most influential bid, was as an independent in 1968.

Ringo Starr / STOP and Smell the Roses — A 1981 album release from the former Beatle.

So, when you combine John Paul + George + Ringo, you may just very well end up with ...

John, Paul, George and Ringo. Some obscure rock band from the '60s, according to Wikipedia.

This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is ... Joe Berendt of St. Louis, Mo. Joe gets a TOTN Junkie t-shirt.

Don't forget to check out this week's Political Junkie column, which focuses on Dick Lugar's fight for survival in the May 8 Indiana primary. You can read the column here.