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Protestors urge a raise in the minimum wage outside the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center April 29 in Washington, DC. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Today in the Morning Line:

GOP cracks on minimum wage, voter ID: Two high-profile Republicans are splitting with the party on the minimum wage and voter identification requirements. Mitt Romney, who proposed tying the minimum wage to inflation during his 2012 presidential run, said, I part company with many of the conservatives in my party on the issue of the minimum wage. I think we ought to raise it, because frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay. And I think communicating that is important to us. Just one Republican Bob Corker, R-Tenn. voted with Democrats to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour last week. Meanwhile, another Republican who is likely to run for president, Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Republicans should back off their voter ID push because it is alienating black voters. Everybodys gone completely crazy on this voter ID thing, Paul told the New York Times. I think its wrong for Republicans to go too crazy on this issue because its offending people. These are always going to be difficult issues for party leaders. Its easy for Romney to speak out; hes not running for anything again (he says). And Paul doesnt exactly swim in the GOP mainstream.

Tight Senate contests in Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky: A trio of NBC News/Marist polls released Monday show Democrats keeping Senate races in Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky competitive despite President Barack Obamas low approval ratings in all three states. In Arkansas, a top Republican target this cycle, Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor holds an 11-point lead, 51 percent to 40 percent, over GOP Rep. Tom Cotton among registered voters. Thats despite just 34 percent of Arkansans approving of the presidents job performance. (Pryor also held a 10-point lead in a New York Times/Kaiser poll released last month.) The results also show Democrats tied, as they hope for upsets, in Georgia, where Michelle Nunn runs close to all five of her potential GOP opponents, and Kentucky, where Alison Lundergan Grimes trails Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell by a single point. The presidents approval rating in Kentucky is at 32 percent, while in Georgia its slightly better at 41 percent. The toughest matchup for Nunn appears to be businessman David Perdue, who leads the GOP primary race set for May 20 with 23 percent support. Hes followed by Rep. Jack Kingston at 18 percent, former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel at 14 percent and Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey each with 11 percent. The bottom line is the surveys, taken together, are a dose of good news for Democrats. For one, the negative feelings toward Mr. Obama in these three states do not appear to be causing a significant drag on the Democratic candidates. Republicans need to gain six seats to take control of the Senate, a goal that becomes much more difficult without Arkansas. And if Democrats can keep Georgia and Kentucky in play, it could force Republicans to spend resources in those states that might be needed elsewhere.

Down in the Bayou: The outlook is not as rosy for Sen. Mary Landrieu, where a new Louisiana poll by Southern Media & Opinion Research has the Democrat up just 36 percent to 35 percent over GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy. But more troubling for Landrieu is that she gets just a 39 percent positive rating and a 58 percent negative. Her negatives have increased 30 points over the course of a year and a half, according to the survey. Two other Republican contenders combined for 11 percent. Since there is no primary in the Bayou State, all of the candidates will be on the ballot in November. If no candidate clears 50 percent on Election Day, then the top two finishers will face off in a December runoff (aka the Louisiana Limbo), which, depending on the outcomes in other states, could also determine control of the Senate.

Rubio denies humans to blame for climate change: Marco Rubio, a possible 2016 contender, said on ABCs This Week that he does not believe humans have contributed to climate change. I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it. I do not believe that the laws that they propose we pass will do anything about it, except it will destroy our economy. The L.A. Times points out, A National Climate Assessment released by the White House last week found that Rubios home state of Florida is one of the most vulnerable to rising sea levels and changes in temperatures and storm patterns. Rubio sees it as hokum. Our climate is always changing, he said. Meanwhile, he said he thinks he has the experience to be president. I do, he said. I mean, but I think thats true for multiple other people that would want to run. Its another piece of evidence of Rubio watching his right flank after his support of immigration reform and that hes still seriously considering running for president.

Benghazi Do Democrats join the select committee? Democrats appear to still be undecided on whether they will join the newly formed select committee on Benghazi, although Xavier Becerras comments on Fox Sunday seem to indicate at least some Democratic participation is likely. Asked if Democrats would join, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House said, If its a fair, open and balanced process then absolutely. But we dont want to see reckless irresponsible handling of an affair that took the lives of four brave Americans. Rep. Trey Gowdy, the former prosecutor leading the new committee, softened his trial remarks. Last week, he said of the Obama administration, I cant end a trial simply because the defense wont cooperate. But asked if he saw himself as the prosecutor and the Obama administration as the defense, Gowdy replied, No sir. For 16 years I spoke in trial metaphors, and perhaps I need to get out of that habit.

Daily Presidential Trivia: On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy sent federal troops into Birmingham, Alabama, following the bombings there and the riots that resulted. What was the name given to the troops mission? Be the first to Tweet us the correct answer using #PoliticsTrivia, and youll get a Morning Line shout-out. Congratulations to EmGusk (@EmGusk) and Graham H. Morris (@GrahamHMorris) for guessing Fridays trivia correctly. The answer was: 2 Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Also a belated congratulations to Timothy Krzywisseau (@tkrzywic) for guessing Thursdays trivia correctly.

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