What a relief for President Obama and his staggering political fortunes!

Donald Trump, the shy, retiring developer who forced the 44th president to finally release his long-form Hawaii birth certificate after nearly four years of stonewalling other less wealthy birthers, will not be announcing his political candidacy on the season finale of "The Celebrity Apprentice."

Does this mean the finale of Trump's trumped-up presidential candidacy?.

Who knows?

Who cares?

A while back, the Queens native who would be commander-in-chief let it slip that: "I am thinking of saying on the live finale of The Apprentice on May 22 that in a few days I will be making an announcement about my decision.”

Millions of frustrated Americans, who regularly talk back at their television screens in a plaintive attempt to be heard among the special interests, got very excited.

That's because with the current crowd of pols reciting their stale lines on Washington's national political stage, Elmer Fudd would look fresh and intriguing as a candidate.

Blah-blah-blah delighted to be here. Blah-blah-blah spending. Blah-blah-blah middle ....

Well, that didn't take long.

A few hours after President Obama's latest immigration reform speech, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer responded sharply, saying she hoped the Democrat's trip to El Paso, Texas was not just "about locking down votes in 2012."

Knowing full well that's exactly what the long trip and speech were about.

Earlier Tuesday within a cartel shot of the Mexican border, Obama called for comprehensive immigration reform to show impatient Hispanic supporters that he's trying to deliver on all those past promises of a path to citizenship.

Even though the Democrat has no intention of introducing such legislation and knows full well that if he did, it would never pass this Congress.

Obama claimed the porous border with Mexico has never been safer, thanks to additional agents.

(UPDATE: No wonder the president's El Paso remarks sounded like a campaign speech. They were. By evening a video of the complete 24-minute speech from MSNBC's broadcast had been distributed to millions of Obama supporters via email. Along with, of course, the opportunity to donate in U.S. funds.)

As Obama went into his second Democratic fundraiser of the night in Austin (dinner only $35,800 per plate), Brewer's office launched her short salvo (full text below).

Brewer said the president should have accepted her numerous invitations to visit Arizona, where she said nearly half the country's border apprehensions occur.

And where, the Republican state chief executive added, he could have met with frightened ranchers and law enforcement officers "who are frequently outgunned by the heavily-armed cartels."

"Everyone can agree our immigration system is broken," Brewer stated, adding:

Any reasonable fix will require the good-faith efforts of state leaders, members of Congress, local officials, the business community and the White House. But the people of America won’t be fooled again. They know that any talk of a path to citizenship is simply amnesty by another name. And they’re smart enough to recognize a political ploy when they see it.

Brewer said she suspected the president's trip was just more of the familiar "promise something, do nothing, blame someone’ strategy of this White House.

Brewer and the Obama administration are also facing off in court over an injunction to halt enforcement of parts of the state's 2010 illegal immigration law, SB 1070. Scroll down for Brewer's full statement.

Obama aides said the president was expected to collect about $2 million from the two Austin fundraisers, before retreating back to Washington aboard Air Force One in time for Wednesday night's poetry party.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Response to the president's immigration speech by Arizona Gov. Jan  Brewer, as provided by her office

After two years of waiting, I am glad the White House has chosen to focus on immigration. But I remain skeptical. It would be a shame if this effort is more about locking down votes in 2012 than securing our nation’s border today.

First, the President should have come to the Arizona border, where I have invited him repeatedly. He should have spoken to our ranchers, who live with drug-runners and human-smugglers crossing their lands. He should have met with our law enforcement officers, who are frequently outgunned by the heavily-armed cartels.

Nearly half of our nation’s border apprehensions occur in Arizona. Our state remains America’s gateway for illegal immigration, and we continue to bear the brunt of the federal government’s failure on this issue. If the President felt confident in declaring the border secure, he should have come to tell the people of Arizona face-to-face.

Everyone can agree our immigration system is broken. Any reasonable fix will require the good-faith efforts of state leaders, members of Congress, local officials, the business community and the White House. But the people of America won’t be fooled again. They know that any talk of a path to citizenship is simply amnesty by another name. And they’re smart enough to recognize a political ploy when they see it.

I’m afraid today’s announcement is simply more of the ‘promise something, do nothing, blame someone’ political spin we’ve become accustomed to hearing from Washington. That would be a shame.    ####

Photo: Michael Schennum / Associated Press (Brewer); Bob Pearson / EPA (Obama speaking at one of two Austin party fundraisers).

Sarah Palin expressed displeasure at the White House for inviting hip-hop star and actor Common to participate in a poetry reading hosted by the first lady.

"Oh lovely, White House..," the former Alaska governor tweeted Monday while providing a link to a story on the conservative blog The Daily Caller.

The blog post describes the well-dressed Chicago native, who was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., as "controversial" while printing out the lyrics to one of his songs, "A Letter to the Law," which protested the war in Iraq.

At issue, it appears, are the lines: "Burn a Bush cos’ for peace he no push no button/ Killing over oil and grease/ no weapons of destruction".

To some it could be construed that Common, a former Gap model, would literally want to set the former president on fire. That, of course, would be a silly assumption because the narrator of the tune, as is common in rap and other forms of public speaking, is far more interested in expressing the joys of gun ownership than pyromania.

"I hold up a peace sign, but I carry a gun," the song concludes.

If the love of sidearms isn't enough to bond Common with the hockey mom, the pair also share this similarity: They both express displeasure toward what  Palin calls "the lamestream media".

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer proposes no-ride lists for U.S. domestic trains, similar to the no-fly lists used in aviation, in the wake of intelligence discovered at Osama bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan.

"Circumstances demand we make adjustments by increasing funding to enhance rail safety and monitoring on commuter rail transit and screening who gets on Amtrak passenger trains, so that we can provide a greater level of security to the public," the New York Democrat explained at a news conference.

During the raid this month at Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, members of the Navy SEALS found information that Al Qaeda was considering sabotaging a U.S. passenger train on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 as it travelled over a valley or a bridge.

"We have no information of any imminent terrorist threat to the U.S. rail sector, but wanted to make sure our partners were aware of the alleged plotting," Matt Chandler, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said last week when the intelligence was discovered amid the DVDs, flash drives, and hard drives discovered at Bin Laden's home.

Even though the 2004 bipartisan  Sept. 11 commission recommended that the government check passengers' names against terror watch lists before they board passenger trains or cruise ships, that procedure has yet to be implemented. Schumer wants Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to increase the Secure Flight Program so as to include rail travel.

On Monday, John O'Connor, Amtrak's vice president and chief of police, addressed Schumer's proposal, noting that he would be open to it under certain terms.

"All countermeasures add value in creating an overall security posture in protecting a rail system that operates in an open environment. The creation of a 'do not ride' list is no exception," O'Connor said in a statement.

"It would, however, have to be developed in close coordination with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and implemented in a way that respects civil rights and allows for the rapid flow of persons and trains, necessary for effective mass transit," he wrote.

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Al Qaeda had U.S. trains in its sights, U.S. officials say

In wake of Osama bin Laden's death, Taliban may be considering options

 -- Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), left, is joined by U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), left, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, second left, and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), at an announcement in New York's Pennsylvania Station, Monday, May 9, 2011. Credit: Richard Drew / Associated Press

Osama bin Laden's son Omar says he always disagreed with his father about violence, and is now disagreeing with the violence purportedly used against his father.

In a statement written by the Bin Laden family but signed only by Omar, 30, the United States is accused of breaking international law by killing the unarmed terrorist leader without a trial. That is, they said, if the mission was indeed successful.

Omar bin Laden began the statement by saying that he and the family do not believe that the Al Qaeda leader is dead and, like the so-called deathers in this country, want to see photographs and/or video evidence as proof.

"We are not convinced on the available evidence in the absence of dead body, photographs, and video evidence that our natural father is dead," Omar bin Laden wrote in a statement that was released to the New York Times. "Therefore, with this press statement, we seek such conclusive evidence to believe the stories published in relation to 2 May 2011 operation Geronimo as declared by the President of United States Barrack Hussein Obama in his speech that he authorized the said operation and killing of OBL and later confirmed his death."

If his father were "executed," Omar said, he wonders why people such as Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic were given a chance in front of a judge while his father "was not arrested and tried in a court of law."

In the statement, Omar bin Laden identified himself as "the fourth-born son of our father," and said he "always disagreed with our father regarding any violence and always sent messages to our father, that he must change his ways and that no civilians should be attacked under any circumstances."

When it was announced earlier this month that the elder Bin Laden was dead, U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. maintained that the mission was indeed legal.

"Let me make something very clear," Holder said. "The operation in which Osama bin Laden was killed was lawful. He was the head of Al Qaeda, an organization that conducted the attacks of September the 11th [2001]. He admitted his involvement."

ALSO:

Rush Limbaugh on Osama bin Laden's death: 'Thank God for Obama'

Osama bin Laden's $50-million bounty should go to Sept. 11 victims, lawmakers say

Geronimo: A century after his death, mysteriously tied to Bin Laden, the CIA and Skull and Bones

-- Tony Pierce
Twitter.com/busblog

Photo: Omar bin Laden talks during an interview in a Cairo suburb on Jan. 23, 2008. Credit: Asmaa Waguih / Reuters

More than a week after the White House unearthed President Obama's original, long-form, Hawaii birth certificate, only 48% of Republicans polled said they believe he was born in the United States.

In a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling from May 5-8 of 610 Americans who usually support Republicans in primaries, 34% said they did not believe Obama was born in the U.S. while 18% said they still aren't sure.

Of those surveyed, 77% considered themselves either somewhat or very conservative while only 7% identified themselves as either somewhat or very liberal.

Despite the majority of those polled agreeing with other birthers, Donald Trump, who most loudly demanded that the president release his birth certificate, fell significantly in the PPP poll.

The billionaire last month led other would-be GOP presidential hopefuls with 26% support from those surveyed, but this month Trump slid below former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (19%), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (18%), former Speaker Newt Gingrich (13%), and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (12%), and is now tied with Texas Congressman Ron Paul with 8%.

"As Trump got more and more exposure over the last month, Republicans didn't just decide they weren't interested in having him as their nominee, they also decided they flat don't like him," PPP wrote in their blog post titled "Trump collapses."

"Only 34% of GOP voters now have a favorable opinion of Trump, to 53% who view him in a negative light," the North Carolina pollsters blogged.

RELATED:

Obama birth certificate: Donald Trump takes credit

Obama on his birth certificate: 'We do not have time for this kind of silliness'

Obama birth certificate released by the president: What's really behind his inevitable decision

-- Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: President Barack Obama laughs in the White House briefing room on Wednesday as he speaks to reporters about his birth certificate. Credit: J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

The peripatetic President Obama is off to El Paso, Texas, today for another speech calling on someone to do something about the nation's broken immigration system. He'll also squeeze in a pair of Democratic Party fundraisers in Austin.

Joe Biden will stay behind to put in another day of useless bipartisan negotiations on comprehensive deficit reduction, which polls indicate will be a hot debate topic in next year's campaigns.

Speaking of growing the nation's deficits, the Obama team has plans to spend $53 billion on high-speed rail infrastructure in the next 72 months, assuming they're around that long -- and they can railroad the Republican House to go along on that fiscal ride.

Biden was in on the big announcement Monday about spending  $2 billion of that fortune on high-speed trains that a few people want in parts of the country.

You'll remember newly-installed Florida Gov. Rick Scott turned down that $2 billion federal train money, citing likely cost overruns and long-term operating expenses on a proposed 84-mile rail link between Tampa and Orlando.

But the Obama administration's Department of Transportation was determined to spend that money on union jobs one way or another.

So it found 22 projects in 15 other states to throw the money at. A large bundle went to the Northeast, of course, where JB used to commute by train from Delaware to the U.S. Capitol, while he was waiting for Obama to grow up.

California's Gov. Jerry Brown, who was just getting into politics when the first trains reached California, intends to use his money to speed up rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles because his state's citizens are famous for their love of trains over cars.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will invest his state's money on part of the rail line to Chicago. That way, someday people in Dearborn and Kalamzaoo will  be able to escape those cities at speeds up to 110 miles an hour.

This will be several more busy weeks of travel for both Obama and Biden, although they leave trains for other people to ride. Obama is flying off to Poland, France and Great Britain later this month and also Ireland to track down some very distant relatives for the cameras.

The Bidens, it was announced Monday, have been assigned to visit Italy in early June to join the important 150th anniversary celebration of that country's unification. That should make up for his trip to Finland and Moldova last winter.

The weather should be gorgeous in Italy by then.

 -- Andrew Malcolm

Follow The Ticket for free via Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or click this: @latimestot. Our Facebook Like page is over here. We're also available on Kindle.Use the ReTweet buttons above to share any item with family and friends.

Photo: Getty Images (Biden doesn't take the train somewhere); Roberto Gonzalez / Associated Press (another delayed Amtrak train).

President Obama's national security advisor Tom Donilon emerged from within the White House compound's high walls this past week, as part of the administration's PR victory lap over the removal from the ranks of the living of Osama bin Laden a week before.

He appeared on several Sunday talk shows (Donilon, not Bin Laden).

On "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace," Donilon ran into the son of one of TV's most intrepid interrogators, Mike Wallace. Turns out, as many already knew, Chris is no slouch. In fact, he asked the question that many Americans hadn't realized they really wanted to hear answered.

As The Ticket likes to do, here is that complete exchange. The interview's entire transcript is available over here.

Let us know in the Comments below if you understood, buy or reject Donilon's response.

-- Andrew Malcolm

WALLACE: We'll all stipulate that bin Laden was a monster. But why is shooting....

Another blow to bipartisanship.

The 25-year celebrity marriage of movie star-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger and star TV correspondent Maria Shriver of the Kennedy clan appears on the rocks.

In answer to a Los Angeles Times query Monday, the couple issued a joint statement saying:

After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship.

The 55-year-old Shriver has moved out of their Brentwood mansion, but the statement stressed they continue to raise their four children -- ages 21, 20, 18 and 14 -- together, calling them "the light and the center of both of our lives." And the pair appealed for privacy.

The Times website has published a photo gallery of their 25-year marriage right here. The romance began after the couple met at a celebrity tennis tournament 34 years ago. It appeared to endure some rough patches, including accusations of groping women against Schwarzenegger during his 2003 campaign for governor. At the time the actor apologized for inappropriate behavior and Shriver defended him.

The 63-year-old Republican left office in January, politically bruised from confrontations with legislators and with members of his own party over his lack of conservative convictions. His hints of an interest in working on environmental issues, possibly for the Obama administration, were not picked up. Shriver drew widespread praise for her roles as the state's first lady and activist in women's causes and health issues.

This spring, Schwarzenegger said he hoped for a cinematic comeback and he has since signed for three films, including another Terminator chapter.

A comment that he had not discussed a new show business venture with his wife combined with other hints of a split. Husband and wife have been traveling widely -- and separately. She has appeared publicly without her wedding ring, as our colleague Mark Barabak notes here, and has spoken of stressful transitions in her life. And their anniversary last month went unnoted by them on social media.

Word of the split swept widely across Twitter on Monday evening with common comments such as "How sad!" and "I didn't see that coming."

-- Andrew Malcolm

Follow The Ticket via Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or click this: @latimestot. Our Facebook Like page is over here. We're also available on Kindle.Use the ReTweet buttons above to share any item with family and friends.

Photo: Harpo Productions (2003).

Donald Trump, who for a while deftly dazzled the press while demanding to see President Obama's birth certificate, is struggling to deny the unfortunate and impossible question: "Are you a racist?"

On Monday morning, the boisterous billionaire defended himself on "Fox & Friends" by saying that he couldn't be a racist because six years ago Randal Pinkett, an African American, won the honor of being Trump's apprentice on the NBC show.

"I am the least racist person there is," Trump said. "And I think most people who know me would tell you that. I am the least racist; I’ve had great relationships."

The real estate mogul continued: "In fact, Randal Pinkett won, as you know, on 'The Apprentice' a little while ago, a couple of years ago," he said. "And Randal’s been outstanding in every way. So I am the least racist person."

Pinkett has indeed been outstanding. His five degrees from Oxford, MIT and Rutgers, along with his victory on Trump's show, helped his success with BCT Partners, a multimillion-dollar New Jersey corporation that he helped found 15 years ago and continues to run today as its chairman and CEO.

Sixty-three years ago, when Israel declared its independence, the dream of a state for the Jewish people in their historic homeland was finally realized.

On that same day, the United States became the first country in the world to recognize the State of Israel.  As Israelis celebrate their hard-won independence, it gives me great pleasure to extend the best wishes of the American people to the people of Israel and to honor their remarkable achievements over the past six decades. 

Our two nations share a unique and unbreakable bond of friendship that is anchored in common interests and shared values, and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.  I have every confidence that the strong relationship between our countries will grow deeper with each passing year. 

This is a period of profound change in the Middle East and North Africa, as people across the region courageously pursue the path of dignity and self-governance.

Just as I know that Israel will always be one of our closest allies, I believe that the region can be more peaceful and prosperous when its people are able to fulfill their legitimate aspirations.  

We will continue our efforts with Israel and others in the region to achieve a comprehensive peace, including a two-state solution, and to working together toward a future of peace, security and dignity for the people of Israel and all the people of the region.  
 
I offer my best wishes to President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the people of Israel as they celebrate their 63rd Independence Day.     ####

Photo: Jason reed / Reuters (Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Obama, September 2010).

Newt Gingrich updated his Facebook profile Monday by announcing that he will appear on Fox News' Sean Hannity show on Wednesday evening to "talk about" his "run for President of the United States."  This lines up with news Gingrich's spokesman told The Times last week that the former speaker of the House will officially be a candidate shortly.

Although the 10-term former member of Congress writes that he is "humbled by all the encouragement" he has received during the exploratory phase, it's hard to ignore the first three comments his statement received on his Facebook wall and speculate how the veteran politician will handle the scrutiny.

The first commenter demands that Gingrich name former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate while the third commenter rebutted that idea with an all-caps "NOT" accented with not one but two exclamation marks.

But it's the second comment that not only bashed the forum on which the Georgia Republican is choosing to speak, but one of the sensitive skeletons in the former congressman's past. Gingrich has admitted to two affairs that he had during his first two failed marriages.