OBAMA, re Hillary email: ‘There’s classified, and then there’s classified’ – HASTERT ‘committed transgressions for which he is profoundly sorry ... earnestly apologizes’ – PAUL RYAN’s ‘Immaculate Nomination’ Presented by

By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; [email protected]) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; [email protected])

Good Sunday morning. A Playbooker emails us that a senior Commerce Department official describes a brokered convention picking Speaker Ryan as the “Immaculate Nomination.”

SUNDAY BEST – President Obama to Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday,” re Hillary emails: “I’ve got to be careful because, as you know, there have been investigations, there are hearings, Congress is looking at this. And I haven’t been sorting through each and every aspect of this. Here’s what I know: Hillary Clinton was an outstanding Secretary of State. She would never intentionally put America in any kind of jeopardy.

“And what I also know, because I handle a lot of classified information, is that there are -- there’s classified, and then there’s classified. There’s stuff that is really top-secret, top-secret, and there’s stuff that is being presented to the president or the secretary of state, that you might not want on the transom, or going out over the wire, but is basically stuff that you could get in open-source. ...

“I continue to believe that she has not jeopardized America’s national security. Now what I’ve also said is that -- and she has acknowledged -- that there’s a carelessness, in terms of managing e-mails, that she has owned, and she recognizes. But I also think it is important to keep this in perspective. This is somebody who has served her country for four years as secretary of state, and did an outstanding job. And no one has suggested that in some ways, as a consequence of how she’s handled e-mails ... that detracted from her excellent ability to carry out her duties.” ...

WALLACE: “Can you guarantee to the American people, can you direct the Justice Department to say, ‘Hillary Clinton will be treated -- as the evidence goes, she will not be in any way protected.”

OBAMA: “I can guarantee that. And I can guarantee that, not because I give Attorney General Lynch a directive; that is institutionally how we have always operated. I do not talk to the Attorney General about pending investigations. I do not talk to FBI directors about pending investigations. We have a strict line, and always have maintained it. ... I guarantee it. ... I guarantee that there is no political influence in any investigation conducted by the Justice Department, or the FBI, not just in this case, but in any case. ... Full stop. Period. ... Guaranteed. Full stop. Nobody gets treated differently when it comes to the Justice Department. Because nobody is above the law.”

WALLACE: “Even if she ends up as the Democratic nominee – ”

OBAMA: “How many times do I have to say it, Chris? Guaranteed.”

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CLICK DU JOUR -- “Boston Globe [publishes] fake front page on Trump presidency,” by Hadas Gold: “The fake front page [is] the lead of the Globe’s Sunday Ideas section ... The banner headline on the fake page, dated a year from Sunday, [is bannered, ‘DEPORTATIONS TO BEGIN:] President Trump calls for tripling of ICE force; riots continue.’ ... The main story includes mentions of an Attorney General Chris Christie, and Fox News’ Megyn Kelly tweeting from a bar because she’s been placed on a White House black list. ... Another story is about how Trump had offended the Chinese first lady by naming his new dog after her.” http://politi.co/1RZ0xdZ ...

--Below the fold: “New libel law targets ‘absolute scum’ in press: Legislation could supplant state laws.” See the page. http://bit.ly/23mbp0k

WINNING RACES, LOSING MATH – “Sanders wins Wyoming caucuses: It’s his eighth win in his last nine contests against Hillary Clinton,” by Gabe Debenedetti: Sanders defeated “Clinton 56 percent to 44 percent in their final showdown before New York’s pivotal primary [on April 19]. In Wyoming, where only 14 delegates were at stake in, ... Clinton’s better-than-expected showing means Sanders will not make any dent in her lead of over 200 pledged delegates.” http://politi.co/1RMrvc6

“SNL” COLD OPEN -- “Hillary Clinton [played by Kate McKinnon] Addresses Her Losing Streak Cold Open”: “See, New Yorkers, I’m just like all of you. I never sleep, I’m in a hurry to get to work and when I’m running, I really hate it when a slow old Jew gets in my way.” 4-min. YouTube http://bit.ly/1SpHMQf

--The two Al Sharptons meet! -- “Politics Nation: Voter I.D. Disaster”: “Al Sharpton (Kenan Thompson) and statistical analyst Charles Richards (Al Sharpton) rate the presidential candidates’ popularity with black voters.” 5-min. video http://bit.ly/1SXC1fM

N.Y. TIMES QUOTATION OF THE DAY – Thomas Green, a lawyer for J. Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House who federal prosecutors said sexually abused teenage boys while he was a wrestling coach in Yorkville, Ill., in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s: “Mr. Hastert acknowledges that as a young man, he committed transgressions for which he is profoundly sorry. ...

“He earnestly apologizes to his former students, family, friends, previous constituents and all others affected by the harm his actions have caused.” Story on p. 16, “Lawyer for Ex-Speaker Says Hastert Apologizes for Past ‘Transgressions’: Expired statutes of limitations mean no new charges are likely,” by Mitch Smith in Chicago http://nyti.ms/1RYYjez

A message from Google: A jobs program to help support economic recovery. Google is launching a new suite of Google Career Certificates in Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience (UX) Design. Designed and taught by Google employees, these certificates can help job seekers forge paths to high-growth careers. Learn more.

INSIDE THE CAMPAIGNS – WashPost 1-col. lead, “Trump team vows to prevail: RIVALS PREPARE FOR OPEN CONVENTION – Prospect of floor fight delays GOP election pivot,” by Dan Balz, Phil Rucker and Bob Costa: “‘Our target date is June 7, but our goal is in the middle of May to be the presumptive nominee,’ Paul Manafort, Trump’s newly installed convention manager ... To do so, Trump would have to go on a month-long hot streak, starting in New York on April 19 ...

“The earliest Trump could assemble the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination is on the final day of the primary season, June 7, when the big states of California and New Jersey vote. Between now and then, he needs to win nearly 60 percent of the delegates still available — a higher percentage than he has thus far....

“[T]he RNC has begun talks with the three remaining campaigns about entering joint fundraising agreements, RNC chief strategist Sean Spicer said. This arrangement — similar to one Hillary Clinton has with the [DNC] — would enable the candidates to raise money for the national party at far higher levels than the $2,700-per-person legal limit for individual campaigns.” http://wapo.st/1qgvZ0b

--Houston Chronicle, top of p. A1, “Cruz fights to win over delegates on Trump’s turf: In conservative pockets of upstate New York, Texan has a chance to make inroads against GOP front-runner,” by Kevin Diaz in Scotia, N.Y. (homepage: “Cruz looks to beat Trump in his backyard”): “[T]here are ... wide swaths of conservative turf in the north and west that represent a chance to make inroads against the GOP front-runner, who is far ahead in statewide polls. ...

“New York ... awards delegates to the winners of congressional districts, rewarding a granular delegate strategy that puts a premium on scrounging up supporters in the most unlikely places.” http://bit.ly/1XoVdnV

44th ANNIVERSARY today: Robert Barnett and Rita Braver.

THE GOLDEN PRIMARY – “California’s politics, unlike New York’s, are mainly a TV affair,” by L.A. Times’ Cathleen Decker: “The [June 7] Republican and Democratic primaries — the first to really matter in California in, oh, 44 years — will give the state a chance to show off. Let’s not hold our breath. In just the span of 48 hours after Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary thrust the campaign into New York, that state has offered a primo example of how to do a presidential primary. ...

“[In California,] television commercials that are the only real ways to communicate in a state with 17 million-plus voters — topping New York by more than 6 million. All of the presidential candidates will make appearances here, repeatedly, before the June 7 primary. Cruz plans events Monday in Orange County and San Diego. Maybe the competitive nature of the contests will change how the candidates campaign. If not, chances are you’ll only see them on the television screen.” http://lat.ms/1qgrgLT

MONEY HONEYS – “Donors seek to harness Hollywood to boost liberal causes,” by Ken Vogel: “The occasion is the annual spring investment conference of the Democracy Alliance liberal donor club, which officially kicks off [today] at the tony Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica ... An agenda ... shows that the four-day gathering ... features at least two sessions focused partly on harnessing the power of Hollywood and the entertainment industry as a tool in the culture wars. ... On Wednesday, interested donors will be taken to the headquarters of a non-profit production studio called Brave New Films for a discussion with actor Martin Sheen about ‘why this is an important moment for advocacy in media.’” http://politi.co/1USspX2

--“Sheldon Adelson and top GOP donors retreat to the sidelines: Ambivalence about a Trump-Cruz battle pushes many Republican fundraisers away from the presidential contest,” by Alex Isenstadt and Katie Glueck in Las Vegas: “On Friday morning, during a meeting of the group’s board, Arthur Finkelstein, an iconic Republican strategist who has advised numerous politicians over the last four decades, presented polling data that showed Donald Trump sitting at historically low approval numbers among American Jews ... Ted Cruz, despite an aggressive recent push to court Jews, fared little better.” http://politi.co/23mgCFr

2016 PLAYERS – “Changes For Clinton Digital Operation — Including Clinton Family’s Social Media,” by BuzzFeed’s Evan McMorris-Santoro: “The Clinton campaign quietly shuffled top aides in charge of running the Democratic candidate’s digital operation recently, a move that ... will focus on boosting Hillary Clinton’s social persona. Katie Dowd, a longtime digital-focused aide to Clinton has shifted from her job as digital director into a new senior adviser role. Jenna Lowenstein, former vice president of digital at the Clinton-aligned EMILY’s List, has moved from Dowd’s deputy to a new job as the Clinton campaign’s full-time director of digital. Dowd will focus in a concerted way on building the social media presence for Hillary, Bill, and Chelsea Clinton, as well as top campaign surrogates ... Lori Lodes [is also] joining the campaign as the communications department chief of staff.” http://bzfd.it/1VfclPy

SNEAK PEEK -- JILL LEPORE in the New Yorker’s Comment column in Talk of the Town, “The Sovereignty of Women”: “There hasn’t been much discussion yet of the ‘first female President,’ except insofar as Clinton’s campaign and her supporters, most notably Gloria Steinem, have been by turns despairing and outraged that younger Democratic female voters prefer Bernie Sanders, notwithstanding Clinton’s attempts to reach them through Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, and ‘Broad City.’” http://bit.ly/1VgK0I6

BITE OF THE DAY: NYT p. A10, “Britain Mulls an Exit; Enter, London Mayor: Spurning Party on European Union – A strong hint of a desire to be prime minister,” by Steven Erlanger in London: “Petronella Wyatt, [a former mistress of London Mayor Boris Johnson], wrote an article last month praising him as ‘a loner’ who yearns to be loved ... ‘If Boris is a phony, he is a real phony.’” http://nyti.ms/23mkFSa

PANAMA PAPERS – “UK leader Cameron publishes tax returns, aims to defuse row,” by AP’s Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin: “British Prime Minister David Cameron published his income tax returns for the past seven years Sunday in hopes of defusing criticism over his investment in an offshore trust run by his late father. Cameron became the first British leader to document his financial affairs.” http://apne.ws/1VgLulD ... Cameron’s income and tax, 2009-15 (4-page PDF) http://bit.ly/1RMmf8v

HAPPENING TODAY – “At the Nationals’ game, Members of the White House Historical Association Board of Directors will be part of the day’s line up: Ceremonial first pitch – John Dalton, former Secretary of the Navy ... ‘Nationals, let’s play ball’ - Anita McBride, Former Chief of Staff to Mrs Laura Bush, Anita McBride ... Lineup delivery to the umpires – Martha Kumar, White House Scholar and author of ‘Before the Oath: How George W. Bush and Barack Obama Managed a Transfer of Power’ ... Holding the finish line for the Racing Presidents – Mike McCurry, Former White House Press Secretary to President Bill Clinton.”

OUT AND ABOUT – On “Saturday night national Veterans nonprofit Luke’s Wings raised several hundred thousand dollars at the ... 5th annual Heroes Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington ... The event included a cocktail hour, dinner and dessert, several speeches and award presentations, live music, a harmonica performance, and a fashion show. The Mistress of Ceremony was Fox News anchor Elizabeth Prann. ... The Community Impact Award was presented to the Rumsfeld Foundation ... Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his wife Joyce were on hand to accept the award.” http://www.LukesWings.com.

--SPOTTED: Ed Henry and his wife Shirley, Pamela Browne, Chad Pergram and his wife Carrie, Kimberly Schwandt, Lexi Swearingen, Miss DC Haely Jardas, Audrey Jones (whose client 8VC financially supports Luke’s Wings) and Matt Mackowiak. Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Florent “Flo” Groberg (USA, Ret.) was presented the 2016 Luke’s Wings Hero Award. WWII and Battle of the Bulge Veteran Peter “Harmonica Pete” DuPre performed “Amazing Grace” and “America the Beautiful.”

ENGAGED: Dan Gerstein, president of Gotham Ghostwriters and occasional Fox and MSNBC analyst, on Thursday to Simona Siri, a writer/journalist born outside Genoa on the Ligurian coast. She moved to NYC two years ago and is a freelancer who contributes regularly to Vanity Fair Italy and La Stampa, writing mostly about film, television, music and fashion. “We met online, but the place we really came together was at the dog run in Madison Square Park near my apartment, where I got introduced to her wonderful Jack Russell Ugo -- and where we have spent hundreds of hours together since. So I thought it was only fitting to propose that that dog park. ... Our wedding will be on Columbus Day weekend at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Ugo will be serving as Beast of Honor.” Pic http://bit.ly/1RYn6zo

WEEKEND WEDDINGS – Nu Wexler, in Greenville, S.C. on Saturday night to Christina Henderson. The couple met in 2010, while working on Capitol Hill, went on their first date in August 2011, and got engaged in The Bahamas in 2015. The bride is the staff director for the DC Council’s Education Committee, and the groom is the head of policy communications for Twitter. Bridesmaids were the bride sisters Tracey Henderson and Audrey Dawson, Breanna Zwart and Tracey Ross. Groomsmen were Seth Wexler, Brian Nagle, David Morgenstern and AJ Lenar. Pics http://bit.ly/1RYfBsf ... http://bit.ly/1XobUjt

SPORTS BLINK -- “Herbert Hoover named new Nationals racing president,” by WashPost’s Nick Martin: “The mystery surrounding the newest racing president has been solved — Herbert Hoover will become the latest president to lace ’em up at Nationals Park. The 31st President of the United States will race alongside George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft at [today’s] contest against the Miami Marlins. The official announcement is set to take place [this] morning on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press.’” http://wapo.st/1XoR03D ... Release out at 10 a.m. from the White House Historical Association http://bit.ly/1MnJLbL

HOT CLICK -- Pic of John Coale’s and Greta Van Susteren’s three golden doodles: Audrey, Olive and Dottie http://bit.ly/1Q1cBJm

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker, the pride of Homestead, Fla., is 51 ... Ariz. Gov. Doug Ducey

BIRTHDAYS: Roll Call editor Melinda Henneberger, the pride of Mount Carmel, Ill. ... Juan Williams, celebrating with a family dinner at his favorite restaurant Oceanaire (h/t son Raffi) ... Slate’s Hanna Rosin ... Ann Klenk ... Carter Yang, consultant for Dewey Square Group and Hill+Knowlton Strategies and a CBS alum ... Politico’s Adam Behsudi, Bridget Mulcahy, Chris Holden, and Mitchell Murray ... Mark Tavlarides, principal at the Podesta Group and former NSC staffer for President Clinton (h/t Ben Chang) ... Lisa Belkin, chief national correspondent at Yahoo News and an NYT alum ... two Biden alums: Amy Dudley, comms. director for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Elizabeth Alexander (we jumped the gun yesterday) (h/t Ben) ... Max Clermont, engagement manager at 270 Strategies ...

... Ann Marie Hauser, deputy staff director for Senate GOP conference … Josh Shultz of FamousDC and NJI Media ... Samantha Dravis, policy director and general counsel at Republican Attorneys General Association and president of the Rule of Law Defense Fund, who is a Freedom Partners, Bush 43 and Romney alum ... Daniel Wolman, an international policy analyst at Podesta Group ... David Endicott, press secretary to former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton and now runs the Seattle-based Music4Life.org ... Mike Cody ... Chris Lydon, research assistant for Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) (h/ts Nihal Krishan and Denis Sgorous) ... Ella Spektor McManus ... Jen Judson, land warfare reporter at Defense News and a Politico alum ... Katie Cline Malloy, an ABC News alum ... Kim Smith Hicks … Dave Parker ... Mia Salvemini … Gabriel Arana, senior editor at Mic, a Salon contributing writer and a HuffPost alum, is 33 ... Jeffrey Frank, former senior editor at The New Yorker and a WashPost alum ... Melissa Carson Thomas ... Donusha Zgutowicz ...

... Howard Gantman, VP of global strategic comms. at MPAA ... Tom Kohn ... Lauren Appelbaum, director of comms. at RespectAbility ... Joseph Heaps is 52 ... Josue Pinto is 32 ... Chris Bauer … Rachel Weiser ... Marisa McNee, Democratic consultant and president of Middle Coast LLC … Triada Stampas ... Ella Spektor McManus … Mia Salvemini … Matt McCarthy ... Dave Parker ... Mike Cody, Wisconsin’s official Trout Fishing Czar ... Amy Bodette (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... actor Max von Sydow is 87 ... sportscaster John Madden is 80 ... Steven Seagal is 65 ... Orlando Jones is 48 ... Q-Tip (Kamaal) is 46 ... Daisy Ridley ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens") is 24 ... actress Ruby Jerins is 18 (h/ts AP)

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Jake Sherman @JakeSherman