February 2009

KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was tapped today for Secretary of Health and Human Services, the AP is reporting:

Sebelius, 60, was an early Obama supporter. She picked his presidential campaign over that of Hillary Rodham Clinton, now the secretary of state. Sebelius worked tirelessly for Obama's bid and was a top surrogate to women's groups.

Obama's first choice for HHS, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, withdrew after disclosing he had failed to pay $140,000 in taxes and interest.

Sebelius drew praise for the consumer watchdog role she played as Kansas insurance commissioner for eight years before she became governor.

Her name had been floated for several Cabinet posts. She said in December that she had removed herself from consideration from a Cabinet job, citing Kansas' budget problems that needed her attention.

Sebelius is in the middle of her second term as governor and is legally barred from seeking a third term next year. Many Democrats had hoped she would finish her term and run for the U.S. Senate seat that Republican Sam Brownback is giving up in 2010.

For the third year in a row, ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney walked away with a victory in the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll surveying activists' picks for the party's next presidential nomination. Romney, who addressed CPAC yesterday, took 20% of the vote. LA Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose delivery of the GOP response to Pres. Obama's address to Congress last week was widely panned, came in second with 14% of the vote. Jindal was a conference no-show.

AK Gov. Sarah Palin, generally considered to be an early frontrunner for the 2012 nod, tied for third with TX Rep. Ron Paul, another CPAC attendee. Palin, who did not attend the three-day conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, and Paul each received 13% of the vote. Ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee was a distant fifth with 7% behind ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was backed by 10% of those polled.

The field filled out behind those two, with SC Gov. Mark Sanford, ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty all registering in the low single-digits. FL Gov. Charlie Crist, who recently alienated many conservatives by stumping with Obama on behalf of the economic stimulus bill, took 1% of the vote.

With 1,757 votes cast, this year's straw poll had the highest participation of any in CPAC history, according to conference organizers. As usual, the young crowd meant the hightest percentage of the votes were cast by people under the age of 30, which based on recent elections is a disproportionate sample of young voters found in the usual GOP electorate.

The nature of the conference was clear from the results. A full 95% percent of the voters said they were dissatsified with Obama's performance as president.

There were some potentially interesting results found in the crosstabs of the reuslts. Look for a more detailed analysis on On Call tomorrow.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

WASHINGTON - Change is the topic of the weekend at CPAC. Everywhere you look, people are talking about how to return conservatives to political power after a pair of bruising elections. CPACers gathered yesterday to hear from two men who have argued at times in their political careersr for policies outside the mainstream of modern right-wing conservatism.

TX Rep. Ron Paul, led a mini-revolution last year, calling on Republicans to move toward what he says are their libertarian roots. The other, ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney, governed from the center when he was in office -- but during his run for the GOP presidential nomination in '08, abandoned his moderate views to wrap himself in the conservative flag.

The atmosphere before Paul's speech was electric. Fresh-faced CPACers began to fill the Omni Shoreham's Regency ballroom nearly an hour before he took the stage. Young conservatives, after all, were Paul's base back during his bid for the GOP nomination, and it was clear that he still commands their attention.

Paul, of course, has been preaching change for the GOP right along, arguing for a sort of "pure" conservatism that he summed up in his speech as equal parts "economic" and "social" freedom. To Paul, that means nearly no government regulation of the financial system (certainly not position embraced by either party these days) and few if any laws governing social behavior.

"We've chopped our liberty into pieces," he said, adding, "we've certainly got ourselves into a mess."

Paul railed against nearly every economic institution in the country, calling for the abolition of the Federal Reserve and the return to the gold standard for U.S. currency. "We've got to return to honest money," Paul said.

Turning to foreign policy, Paul touched on the isolationist message from the 2008 campaign.

"Foreign policy is part of the reason we lost this election," he told the gathered conservatives. "Generally speaking, the candidate who does the least warmongering will win. Obama took advantage of that, saying he was going to end the war in Iraq, but the truth is the foreign policy hasn't changed."

Paul called for a return to the foreign policy platform George W. Bush espoused during his first run for the White House in 2000 -- an end to "nation building" and an America that, as Paul put it, "is no longer the world's policeman."

Paul is an outcast in the GOP, as well as among "mainstream" conservatives. It's a banner he wears proudly, and one that gained him a lot of fans in the CPAC crowd. Many in attendance were wearing Ron Paul Campaign For Liberty T-shirts under their suit jackets and they greeted him with a standing ovation, waving a smattering of Paul '08 signs and copies of the congressman's book, "The Revolution: A Manifesto."

One couldn't help but notice an irony the scheduling of yesterday's keynotes. Right after Paul preached the outcast message he's been peddling for years, Romney stepped to the podium. At the start of his bid for the nomination last year, conservatives viewed Romney with skepticism -- finding the relatively moderate stances he used to become the Republican governor of one of the nation's bluest states not exactly in keeping with CPAC's ideals. But by the time he arrived at CPAC a year ago, Romney had spent months on the trail arguing that he was as true a conservative as they come. He gave a fiery speech that earned him a permanent spot of many CPACers, as evidenced by the extended standing ovation he received when he took the stage.

Romney did not call for introspection among the increasingly powerless conservatives in his audience. Rather, he said pathway to victory for the right would come through doubling-down on its beliefs.

"Some critics speak as if we need to redefine conservatism," he said. "I think that misses the mark."

"Conservatives don't enter each new political era trying to figure out what we believe," he added. "Conservatives don't claim to know everything, but what we do know is right."

Romney said Pres. Obama's budget, release last week, aims to "pull us in the direction of government-dominated Europe."

"We're going to have to fight as never before to make sure that America stays America," he added.

The country, he said, is a getting the wrong kind of change. "America voted for change," he said. "America did not vote for a boat-load of new government spending programs that would guarantee higher taxes and high deficits as far as the eye can see and that would threaten our currency, our economy and our future ... Today, as much as ever, conservative principles are absolutely essential to keeping America strong and prosperous and free."

The speech was met with raucous applause.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Defense Sec. Robert Gates, DLC Chair/ex-Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN), GOP strategist Mike Murphy, ex-Clinton WH press sec. Dee Dee Myers and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough.

Face the Nation hosts WH CoS Rahm Emanuel.

This Week hosts OMB Dir. Peter Orszag and House Min. Whip Eric Cantor, and a roundtable with George Will, Karl Rove, Dem pollster Stan Greenberg and The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel.

Fox News Sunday hosts JCS Chair Mike Mullen, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

State of the Union hosts Mullen, personal finance expert Suze Orman and Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

House Race Hotline editor Tim Sahd will take a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week. Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning:

5. FL-12: I Think We're Alone Now

When an seat opens up in a relatively safe CD, it's very unusual to see one candidate emerge quickly as the frontrunner (for example, the IL-15 special, with its see the 14-person Dem field). But it looks like ex-state Rep. Dennis Ross (R) may have the GOP field practically to himself in the race to replace retiring Rep. Adam Putnam (R). Several candidates have already sworn off the race, and Ross is touting endorsements from much of the state party's heirarchy, including popular ex-Gov. Bush (R). Bush's endorsement carries a lot of weight, and state Sen. Paula Dockery (R) -- one of the few remaining potential candidates -- must now have to think long and hard before commiting to this race.

4. Accountability Now: This One Not Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

Several liberal-leaning groups announced 2/26 that they were forming "Accountability Now PAC" -- an org whose mission is to "use primaries to hold incumbents to account for voting with corporate interests instead of their constituents." It highlights Rep. Donna Edwards' (D-MD 04) successful challenge of then-Rep. Al Wynn (D-MD) in '06 as an example of what it hopes to accomplish. If this PAC is serious -- and SEIU, MoveOn and DailyKos certainly qualify as serious -- than this group could make quite a splash in Dem primaries. Could it be the Dem version of the Club for Growth? If so, it could cause major headaches for the DCCC.

3. RI-01: Wait, There Are GOPers In RI?

Don't laugh: RI GOPers are actively drafting state Rep. John Loughlin (R) to run against Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI 01). Kennedy is in no immediate danger of losing his seat: since winning election in '94, he's never earned below 60%, and the CD gave Pres. Obama 65% of the vote.

But the fact that the GOP is interested in throwing up a credible challenger there sends a message that they're actually interested in widening the playing field this cycle. If the party has any hope of making major gains, they've got to think outside the box. And this seat would certainly be outside the box. GOPers also have a credible candidate in another unlikely place: HI-01, where Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) may run for GOV. Neither seat is likely to flip parties, but if the GOP can at least make Dems think twice about these races, they've already won.

2. NY-20 Special: Dirty Dozen

The first independent poll in this race was released 2/26, and it showed Assemb. Min. Leader Jim Tedisco (R) holding a 46-34% lead over businessman Scott Murphy (D). Normally, a 12% lead in a Dem-held CD a month before election day would be cause for GOP celebration. Instead, it is Dems who are claiming the big mo'. Why? Because a GOP poll earlier this month showed Tedisco with a larger, 50-29% lead, largely due to his high name ID, and Murphy's nearly non-existent one.

This race was bound to get closer, but the results of this poll enable Dems to claim that their message on the economy and the stimulus (Tedisco won't say whether he supported the bill) is undermining the GOPer. The NRCC this week released a radio ad hitting Murphy for being a Wall Street insider and "wheeler-dealer," and you can expect to see more of those ads as Tedisco and GOPers attempt to fill in the blanks of the still relatively-unknown Dem.

1. IL-05 Special: Who's Got The Mo'?

Murphy can claim the mo' in NY-20, but it's anyone's guess who's got it in IL-05 the weekend before decisive 3/3 primary. State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D) won key union endorsements (and a $250K TV ad pledge from SEIU) this week, while Cook Co. Commis. Mike Quigley (D) -- the early leader -- has just begun airing TV ads. And state Rep. John Fritchey (D), the third member of the top-tier, stumbled late in the race with accusations that protected embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D) at then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) impeachment hearing, but he appears to have rebounded a bit. With 12 candidates and a very small pool of voters (30-50K), it's anyone's game. And it's not even worth venturing a guess.

Sometimes you just have to let Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) speak for herself. This is one of those times:

"Michael Steele! You be da man! You be da man"

-- Rep. Bachmann, at CPAC on 2/26.

"World News" led with Pres. Obama's budget proposal and featured a taped interview with ex-FLOTUS Laura Bush. "Evening News" led with Obama's budget proposal. "Nightly News" led with Obama's budget proposal.

Pres. Obama's budget proposal continued to be the talk of the TV.

Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "The main headline: President proposes dramatic change of course for the United States. Subhead: The cost of popular programs bring sticker shock. ... It's important to remember that President Obama campaigned on these reforms. He did get the country's support. And he's now following through on the reforms. I don't think people quite understood, when they elected him, how much they would cost cumulatively. That was not clear until we really got this budget" ("AC 360," CNN, 2/26).

Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R): "I'm afraid it is actually dangerous. I don't think people in this country generally understand that we face, not just a short-term economic strain right now with a potential of falling into a more severe recession, but also a risk that if we continue to borrow excessively that the world may decide that the dollar isn't worth very much. ... We could have a kind of economic collapse which would wipe out the savings of middle class Americans and put us in a very long-term, depressed situation. ... It's the wrong course for us to take as a nation" ("Hannity," FNC, 2/26).

Ex-Clinton Labor Sec. Robert Reich: "Finally, we have a budget that actually, instead of a top-down supply side economics trickle-down budget, is a bottom-up, grassroots, help-the-actual-public budget for a change" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 2/26).

After the jump, more on the budget, troop withdrawals from Iraq and Laura Bush's first interview since leaving the WH.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Piecing together winning coalitions of 218 votes in the House and 60 votes in the Senate is no easy task, National Journal's annual vote ratings show. Broad bipartisanship is an even tougher puzzle.

NJ released its much-treasured -- and alternately feared -- ratings today in a piece titled, The Congressional Jigsaw. The story ranks members of Congress on a conservative-to-liberal scale based on their 2008 votes. The magazine's staff used 76 key votes in the Senate and 78 in the House to compile the ratings, which have run since 1981 under a system designed by William Schneider, a CNN political analyst and commentator and a contributing editor to the magazine.

The results reflect a critical new reality in both chambers :

In both the House and Senate, defeated and retired GOP members fell disproportionately toward the center of their chambers in NJ's 2008 vote ratings. And numerous Republican moderates also departed after the 2006 election, when Democrats recaptured control of both chambers. The absence of these GOP centrists in 2009 increases Obama's steep challenge in building bipartisanship with the largely conservative Republican conferences that remain.

Here is a peek at the top rankings:

Most Liberal, SENATE

1st Patty Murray, D-Wash.
2nd Jack Reed, D-R.I.
3rd Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
4th Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.
5th Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.

Most Conservative, SENATE

1st (tie) John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
John Ensign, R-Nev.
Micael Enzi, R-Wyo.
Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
5th Jim DeMint, R-S.C.

Most Liberal, HOUSE

1st (tie) Robert Brady, D-Pa.
Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.
Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
George Miller, D-Calif.
Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.
John Olver, D-Mass.
Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.
Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.
Hilda Solis, D-Calif.*
Jackie Speier, D-Calif.
John Tierney, D-Mass.
Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.

*Solis is Secretary of Labor in the Obama administration.

Most Conservative, HOUSE

1st (tie) Paul Broun, R-Ga.
Trent Franks, R-Ariz.
Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas
4th Gresham Barrett, R-S.C.
5th (tie) Todd Akin, R-Mo.
Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.

National Journal's annual ranking of members of Congress on a conservative-to-liberal scale will be available here tomorrow morning. Who is the most liberal member of the House and Senate? The most conservative? Don't forget to check in.

Americans United For Change and AFSCME are launching a new television ad on national cable and in the Washington market tomorrow that links congressional Republicans to Rush Limbaugh, who declared that he wants Pres. Obama to fail.

"Rush Limbaugh is the leader of the Republican party," said Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for Americans United for Change and the incoming communications director for the Democratic National Committee. "He says jump and they say how high. He is better known among Republicans than any of the leaders, and when he speaks they listen and follow, just as they did on the recovery package. If you look at the polls he led them off a political cliff on the recovery package, and now they are - at his instruction - lining up to oppose the Obama budget and the rest of his agenda."

With the GOP without a clear national leader -- and many lawmakers vying for the job -- this is an effort by these progressive groups to make the Republicans own the often divisive and vitriolic Limbaugh. I understand that Paul Begala and James Carville, among other top Democratic strategists, have been involved in crafting this strategy and ad campaign.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

WASHINGTON -- Former AR Gov. Mike Huckabee, the 2008 runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination, told the party faithful today at the start of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that the GOP's future success depends on finding a unity of purpose between its two key factions.

"The fortunes of social conservatives and fiscal conservatives are interwoven," Huckabee said to a full balllroom of activists gathered at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. "Let's not have a divorce. Let's have a reconciliation."

In a speech peppered with his vintage folksiness and storytelling, Huckabee, the first former candidate to speak to attendees of the three-day conference, strongly criticized President Bush, who he said lost touch with the party's small government values. He said voters want to see Republicans return to their free market roots, and he debuted a phrase that sounded like a campaign slogan. The GOP, he said, should be exercising "competent conservatism."

Huckabee said Bush's support for the $700B Troubled Asset Relief Plan, or TARP, was all the proof needed that the party had strayed from its roots.

"The party of Ronald Reagan suddenly became the party of Chicken Little," he said. " ... They pulled the tarp over our eyes."

The party also lost the 2008 election, Huckabee argued, because lawmakers had grown too cozy with business executives at a time when corporate corruption scandals dominated the news. He raised Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain's big spending ways to make his point.

"We didn't lose because we wanted to keep unborn babies from ending up in a wastebasket," he said. "We lost because we were tied to too many people who wanted to spend $1,400 on a waste basket."

Pres. Obama and the Democratic Congress, he said, are growing the size of government at the nation's peril. He joked that the 1,100-page economic stimulus bill signed by the president should be renamed after a movie now in the theaters: Confessions of a Shopaholic.

He added that Tyson Foods, headquartered in Huckabee's homestate, had lost its claim to being the world's largest producer of pork.

"We all find ourselves in a very unfamiliar and a very unwelcome place," said Huckabee, who has a show on the FOX News Channel. "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be dead, but the Union of American Socialist Republics is being born."

Huckabee was warmly welcomed and received several rounds of vigorous applause as he tossed out punchline after punchline. He made no mention of a future career in politics, though none was needed. His presence at the event, a fixture for conservatives, confirmed potential interest.

With much success, however, he did razz the cable network MSNBC for Chris Matthews' on-air slip up this week in which he was heard uttering "Oh God" at the start of LA Gov. Bobby Jindal's televised speech to the nation. CPAC, after all, is a crowd that loves to slam the "liberal" media. He called MSNBC "the Oh God channel."

"The one that finally found religion," he said to enthusiastic laughter.

On a more serious note, he suggested that now is a time for trust in God, not government. He said that the market will return the system to equilibrium. Members of the GOP, he said, should stand by their commitment to limited government and strong families.

"I'm still convinced America wants to like us," Huckabee said. "They want to vote for us. It's when we lose our competence that the American people lose their confidence."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

WASHINGTON -- Lenore Waggoner, a former teacher from Ashburn, VA, could have crafted the unofficial motto of this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual meeting of Republican activists that began today.

"I'm hoping he'll turn this around," Waggoner said, perched on a bench in the hallway of the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

She was talking about former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whom she endorsed for president in 2008 and will likely back again should he run four years from now. But everyone here seemed to hinge his or her hopes for the GOP's revival on any number of different political figures. So the "he" in Waggoner's sentence differed from attendee to attendee, and, of course, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's backers would've preferred "she."

In general, party loyalists expressed uncertainty about who among the next class of political leaders is best suited to rival Pres. Obama and a juiced Democratic Party. The names they mentioned are already familiar -- former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Huckabee, Palin and more -- but the excitement around these officials is tepid.

"I think the party right now is expectant of a great leader," said Adrian Dominguez, a Guam native living in Washington who volunteers for the Young Republicans while he is pursuing a PhD in political science. "It's not leaderless. It's just waiting."

Party members are not only waiting. They're processing November. And many are still stewing. Activists placed blame in different places. Some surprising, some not.

The party's conservative members never embraced Arizona Sen. John McCain -- he was booed during an appearance here last year -- and having lost the White House for them, they're even more displeased. He wasn't really with them on the issues, some crowed privately today. Michelle Malkin, the syndicated Republican columnist, barked during a video dispatch that McCain wasn't free market loving enough, and that he and Huckabee, in particular, have a "shared contempt for people who make profits for a living." Another panelist said with resignation in her voice that McCain "didn't really use the Internet much."

One speaker, Deroy Murdock of National Review, pointed a finger at Karl Rove, the architect of President Bush's two winning campaigns. Murdock said that Rove's "blueprints" left the party in shambles. "Rubble," Murdock said, is what remains of the GOP.

Rove, who is still appearing on television and writing op-eds with advice for the GOP, needs to "clam up, fly back to Texas, crawl inside a cactus and contemplate how he wrecked our party and our movement," Murdock said.

Unthinkable words just four years ago from any member of the party faithful.

Others targeted Palin for hurting the 2008 ticket.

"She's not ready for primetime," said Bill Lynch, a lawyer from Paoli, PA. "She made a bad first impression. It's like Dan Quayle. It's very hard to recover from that."

Still, the conference was packed. Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, wandered the halls in jeans and a flannel shirt, signing autographs, giving interviews. A guy dressed as Ben Franklin browsed the hallways of the trade show segment of the event. There he, or anyone not in colonial garb, could visit booths sponsored by NRA News, the American Council for Immigration Reform, Young Americans for Liberty, something called Regular Folks United and the Poker Players Alliance, among many others.

Despite his roundly panned performance this week giving the Republican response to Obama's address before Congress, Jindal's name was raised in repeated conversations with activists as someone who could hold the future of the party in his hands.

"I think people are hoping Bobby Jindal will be the Republican Barack Obama, if you will," Dominguez said.

And though activists are down, they're banking that they won't be out for long. One reason -- the faces in this year's crowd were young. A sign of hope perhaps, change even, that the demographic that voted overwhelmingly for Obama hasn't completely ditched the GOP.

Zach Briggs and Nick Grady, both 18, flew in from Lafayette, IN, to attend CPAC. Rising freshman at Purdue University, the pals said they're looking for a leader who shares their conservative values but can also communicate well.

"John McCain did not have the conservative views or the speaking skills," said Briggs, a self-described penny pincher who tapped his $1,000 savings to make the trip. "Barack Obama is a great speaker. We really need to counter that."

Briggs said he likes Romney and Jindal, even though the Louisiana governor appeared "anxious" during his nationally televised address. Grady echoed the Romney pick but also mentioned Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL).

At 27, Schock is the youngest member of Congress, and he wouldn't be eligible to run for president for at least two cycles.

But maybe Grady's on to something. Schock is a fresh face. A blue stater. And given the retrospection happening today, it could take the party that long to regroup.

Perhaps at the outset of a panel titled Conservatism 2.0, Bill Whittle of Pajamas Media, offered what should be the motto for this year's CPAC convention -- and, for that matter, the GOP in the short-term. "Let's get this Grand Old Party started," he bellowed.

Or jumpstarted.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Reporters are making a habit of observing Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) so closely that any contact he has or doesn't have with a colleague is notable.

The Hill's Betsy Rothstein reported that Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) "didn't offer his hand" when the senator made his way past him on the House floor during the joint session 2/24. Did that mean that Burris had lost the support of his most staunch advocate? Not so, said Sharon Jenkins, Rush's communications director.

"Technically, he did shake his hand," she said. "Who saw it or didn't, he did shake his hand."

But why not come out and defend a friend so many IL and nat'l pols are calling on to quit?

"He believes the processes that are taking place should just play themselves out," Jenkins said referring to the Senate Ethics Committee's preliminary inquiry and the Sangamon County state's attorney's perjury inquiry. "The friendship is still there."

While Rush is content to keep his support quiet, the Chicago City Council's Black Caucus came out publicly today in support of Burris. The council, composed of eight African-American alderman, held a presser at City Hall and defended Burris' "30-plus year record of loyalty to the Democratic Party." Caucus chair Ald. Carrie Austin: "We say it's time for this to stop. And if it does not, we shall remember this at the next election."

(SEAN J. MILLER)

Welcome to Word On The Tweet, the Hotline's daily roundup of the political world on Twitter. Here you'll find daily slice of tweets by political leaders, ex-politicians and candidates for office nationwide. Got a favorite political tweeter you think should be added to our list? Email us at hotlinetwitter@nationaljournal.com.Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline

After tweeting up a storm worthy of Blackberry-wielding nerds before "The Watchmen" premiere during Pres. Obama's speech 2/24, Cong. tweeters took it down a notch yesterday and this a.m.. Though the tweets were less frequent, they were more meaty -- as Obama prepares to outline his budget and Congress prepares to debate the omnibus spending bill, tweets were full of views from inside the appropriations sausage factory.

Note: all tweets are reproduced exactly as they appeared, grammar/spelling warts and all.

In A Nutshell - The Day On Twitter:

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL): "Another day another $410 Billion. You would hope that this massive spending would eventually end. I see no end in site." - 2/25, 5:11 PM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT): "On my way to the White House for a meeting on improving our financial regulations." - 2/25, 2:59 PM

Dodd: "Meeting was productive, We are starting to lay the groundwork for a financial structure better suited for the 21st century." 2/25, 4:20 PM

Making Policy, 140 Characters At A Time:

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, (R-UT): "I offered amendment saying this will NOT lead to Senate getting 2 Senators for DC. Dems unanimously voted against amendment. Shocking." - 2/25, 9:08 PM

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL): "At state dept. B'fast with sectry of state with other FA Cmtee mbrs. Middle east, Ltn Am, carib, u name it: mess. Lots to fix. + mtng!" - 2/26, 9:46 AM

Have The Intern Do It:

Rep. Eric Paulsen (R-MN): "http://tinyurl.com/dhaq4m Why Paulsen voted against stimulus plan Coon Rapids Herald" - 2/26, 9:49 AM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH): "The Hill's take on my lunch w/reporters today: "Boehner: 'Era of Big Government' Is Back" http://is.gd/kUgg" - 2/25, 9:54 PM

Politicians: They're Just Like Us:

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "steve nash hurt? amare too! what now for the suns!" - 2/25, 5:30 PM

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC): "Reflecting on a jam packed day here in DC. Hearings, votes, meetings, staff discussions. It was flat out. Hope to tweet more tomorrow." - 2/25, 11:28 PM

Live From Claire's Brain

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO): "Ok ok. Mom's upset that I was rude at Pres speech re:tweets.For the record I tweeted bfor,at very begining,& after speech.I wanted to listen" 2/26, 10:12 AM

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

I snagged a copy of the White House's budget talking points given to surrogates and administration officials who will hit the airwaves and op-ed pages in coming days to advocate for Pres. Obama's $4T budget. The message: Obama inherited a mess, and he is going to make the tough decisions necessary to get this country back on track. Deficit spending is required to allow the country to embark on establishing the programs -- energy, health care and education -- that will help create jobs, make America more competitive globally and provide the services that citizens need.

A snippet:

We've inherited a mess - the result of mistaken policies, misplaced priorities, and an era of profound irresponsibility. For too long, we have ignored the tough choices we needed to make and failed to address the big challenges our economy faces.

This lack of responsibility has left us with an economy in recession and an untenable fiscal situation -- $1 trillion a year deficits on average over the coming decade.

This irresponsibility ends right now. In this budget, we are being up-front and honest about the challenges we face - and are making the tough choices necessary to get our country back on track - asking every American to step up in the shared sacrifices we'll need to make.

The full document is available after the jump.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

A new survey suggests that Venture capitalist Scott Murphy (D) has been able to move the needle in his direction in the NY-20 special election to replace Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D). A new Siena College poll shows Assemb. Jim Tedisco (R) leading Murphy by 12% -- an improvement over Tedisco's 50-29% lead in the GOPer's own early-Feb. survey.

The results of the Siena Research Institute poll, which was conducted 2/18-19, surveyed 710 NY-20 LVs and has margin of error +/- 3.7%:

Special Election Matchup

            All Dem GOP Ind
J. Tedisco  46% 16% 63% 45%
S. Murphy   34  70  18  31

Fav/Unfav

J. Tedisco  47%/20%
S. Murphy   29 /10

Despite being able to close the gap from the GOP poll earlier this month, there's a big warning sign for Murphy in this poll. If Tedisco can hold his strong lead among indies, it may be over for Murphy. In a CD that has a GOP registration advantage of 70K voters, it's essential for any Dem to win the indie vote convincingly.

(TIM SAHD/MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

"World News" led with ABC's recent poll on the economy. "Evening News" led with Pres. Obama's economic agenda. "Nightly News" led with Obama's economic agenda.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews was heard saying "Oh, God" as LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) approached the camera to deliver the GOP response to Pres. Obama's speech 2/24. He addressed his comments on last night's "Hardball."

Matthews: "The party coming into power has a leader and is proud to say so. The party that lost power did its best to deny last night it ever had power and put forth a spokesman who spoke as if the main perpetrator during the past eight years of budget deficits, untamed spending, Jack Abramoff and an unpopular war was not the very party he was representing. Add to that the peculiar stagecraft of the opposition party, that seen in the Louisiana governor's mansion, Governor Bobby Jindal walking from somewhere in the back of this narrow hall, this winding staircase looming there, the odd antebellum look of the scene."

More Matthews: "Some people heard my reaction at the time. What was the message in all this? Was this a mimicking of a president walking along the state floor to the East Room? And at the same time, that the Republicans are so far from Washington, they can't be blamed for anything?"

Ex-House Maj. Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), in response: "Listening to your introduction, somebody's going to accuse you of being biased" (MSNBC, 2/25).

After the jump, more Matthews, Jindal's future, Obama's budget and interviews with Geithner and Pelosi.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Politico reports that the NRCC went up today with its first radio ad in the special election race to replace Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D). Listen to the ad here.

Despite the fact that both the DCCC and NRCC have traded daily e-mail accusations about venture capitalist Scott Murphy (D) and Assemb. Min. Leader Jim Tedisco (R), this is the first time the allegations have surfaced in an advertisement. The NRCC ad, echoing earlier accusations that Murphy didn't pay taxes in '97 and '98 on a company he owned, says Murphy "hasn't been honest on his taxes, but wants to go to Washington to vote on yours. Right. Does Upstate New York really need a Wall Street insider, wheeler-dealer representing us in Congress? What do you think?"

The NRCC has also accused Murphy of missing several elections, and has even highlighted a Murphy college column that it says "slanders" Gen. Dwight Eisenhower.

The DCCC has also gone on the offensive, accusing the "career Albany politician" of failing to answer where he stands on the stimulus, and highlighting a letter he wrote on financier David Silipigno's behalf after the financier pleaded guilty to felonies in '03.

An early poll for Tedisco's camp has showed him in a commanding lead, but Murphy was able to hit the TV airwaves first. We'll see in upcoming polling if that has been able to help him close the gap.

UPDATE: DCCC spokesperson Shripal Shah e-mailed us this reaction to the ad: "The NRCC is so desperate to distract from Tedisco's own failure to take a stand on President Obama's economic recovery plan that they are falsely representing Scott Murphy's record. The NRCC's resources would be better spent helping Tedisco get a clue about not accepting campaign contributions from felons."

(TIM SAHD)

The Republican Governors Association is fundraising off of LA Gov. Bobby Jindal's response last night to Pres. Obama's address to Congress.

Here's MS Gov. Haley Barbour in a video available on thegopcomeback.com:

"I know you enjoyed getting to watch Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana tonight and to hear from him about the responsible, prudent, effective solutions that he has for Louisiana and for America. You know, when I was chairman of the Republican Party back in the 1990s, it was Republican governors who led the comeback of our party, of our getting back into the majority. And I believe it will be the same way this time. Republican governors like Bobby Jindal that are implementing the kind of responsible ideas and showing that they work. I hope you'll help us."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition announced the creation of a task force today to help shape energy policy. The group's efforts will be led by Rep. Jim Matheson (UT) and Rep. John Barrow (GA), both of whom serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"My goal is that this task force will propose energy policy that emphasizes the importance of increased domestic production," Matheson said. "It will encourage the participation of all stakeholders to achieve that outcome. Something as complicated as the climate change challenge requires a balanced and comprehensive plan. We have to get this right and the energy task force looks forward to developing policy statements that encourage the debate to move in a balanced direction."

The task force, according to a statement released by the Blue Dogs this afternoon, will aim "to drive viable, comprehensive policy solutions and alternatives" -- with national and economic security as the foremost goals.

"As President Obama said last night, renewable, clean energy is going to drive our economic recovery," Barrow said. "We're going to work hard to make sure that we act quickly, and act smart to break our dependence on foreign oil and come up with solutions that have a lasting impact on our financial security."

Other members of the task force will include: Rep. Joe Baca (CA), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA), Rep. Dan Boren (OK), Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA), Rep. Chris Carney (PA), Rep. Jim Costa (CA), Rep. Lincoln Davis (TN), Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN), Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Rep. Bart Gordon (TN), Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA), Rep. Harry Mitchell (AZ), Rep. Collin Peterson (MN), Rep. John Salazar (CO) and Rep. David Scott (GA).

The group's goal is likely to drill, baby, drill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is strongly against offshore drilling in keeping with the preferences of her left-leaning coastal CA district. But moderate Blue Dogs are gearing up to lobby for the inclusion of a drilling provision in any energy plan approved by Congress and the WH. In the past they've pushed for drilling in the Artic refuge. This should be a key point of difference between Democrats as the debate over an energy package resumes.

The Atlantic hosted a panel this a.m. reflecting on Pres. Obama's first address to Congress. Attending the National Press Club event, moderated by NBC News' Chuck Todd, were: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL).

All agreed that Obama did a fine job. Graham's criticism was limited to the lack of discussion by the president about how he plans to guarantee the solvency of Social Security and how nuclear energy fits into his broader energy plan.

Graham: "I want to be a little bit critical. Is that ok? ... He didn't say a word about nuclear power. ... You cannot have a serious discussion on this topic unless you put nuclear power on the table. There was a reason it wasn't in the speech. Very disappointing."

And Graham on Obama and Social Security: "His silence on that topic was deafening."

But with reviews of Obama's speech glowing and public opinion high, Graham was largely positive.

Graham: "This president's instincts are right. I really do like him."

Todd: "I hear he likes you, too."

Graham: "I think he does. ... I have nothing but admiration. I would like to make him as successful as he wants to be. Within reason."

And what would any public event be without some joshing with the Senate's newest funny lady.

Todd introduced Klobuchar: "She is a senior senator and a junior senator from the state of Minnesota."

Klobuchar: "We have very little conflict in our delegation."

She's here all week.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Pres. Obama nominated former WA Gov. Gary Locke for Secretary of Commerce this morning, a move White House officials expect will end the drama surrounding appointments to lead the agency. Locke is, of course, Obama's third pick for the job. NM Gov. Bill Richardson and NH Sen. Judd Gregg (R) both withdrew their names, Richardson, amid talk of a pay-to-play scandal brewing in his state, and Gregg, upon deciding that he and administration officials had fundamental disagreements about the stimulus and Census management, in particular.

Here's Locke, the nation's first Chinese-American governor, today:

Our nation's economic success is tied directly to America continuing to lead in technology and innovation, and in exporting those products, services and ideas to nations around the globe. The Department of Commerce plays a critical role in nurturing innovation, expanding global markets, protecting and managing our ocean fisheries, and fostering economic growth. The Department of Commerce can and will help create the jobs and the economic vitality our nation needs.

Click through for a transcript of Obama's introduction of Locke and Locke's remarks.

First Lady Michelle Obama tells People magazine in the latest issue that the family will likely adopt a Portuguese Water Dog and that first daughters Malia and Sasha are enamored of two possible names: Frank and Moose.

At the moment, the thing that counts the most for the girls is the First-Dog-to-Come. Mrs. Obama says she favors Portuguese Water Dogs, and the target date is April, after their spring break trip. "So Sasha says 'April 1st.' I said, 'April.' She says, 'April 1st.' It's like, April!" There's also been some back and forth about possible dog names. "Frank was one of them. Moose was another," she says with a laugh and a roll of her eyes. "I'm like, no. Come on. Let's work with the names a little bit."

Click through for additional excerpts from the People piece.

Welcome to Word On The Tweet, the Hotline's daily review of the political world on Twitter. Hotline's Evan McMorris-Santoro will collect the best tweets of the moment written by political leaders, ex-politicians and candidates for office nationwide.

Got a favorite political twitterer you think we should add to our list? Email us at hotlinetwitter@nationaljournal.com. Follow Hotline on Twitter: twitter.com/thehotline.

Last night's speech by Pres. Obama may have been the first in which a president addressed a joint session of Congress while distinguished members of his audience shared their inner ADD/HD with their constituents and the world. Though at least one Cong. twitterer thought better of it, most tweeted a constant stream of reactions to the speech. Apparently part of the job responsibilities of the nation's highest office holders is to tweet the days away.

Generally speaking, Republicans vastly outnumber Democrats when it comes to Twitter, so it's no surprise that the majority of tweeting last night came from the GOP side of the aisle.

On Call Aside: Tweets are reproduced exactly as they were written. Spelling mistakes and all.

We're Everywhere You Want To Be

Congressional tweets before the speech centered around one topic: how awesome it was to be a member of Congress last night. Members were tweeting a kind of stream of conciousness about the social order on Capitol Hill:

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY): "Sitting in my seat on House Floor. Had to arm wrestle for it. Colleagues get very possesive about where they sit. Bruises and welts." - 2/24, 8:24 PM

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR): "Location! Presiding today I delivered message no more reserving seat by taping your name. Have to be there. And they are, early." - 2/24, 8:28 PM

Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-WA): "On the House floor for Pres Obama's historic speech to Congress. I have the honor of escorting him. If you're watching, I'm wearing white." - 2/24, 8:30 PM

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO): "we cant take pics on the floor, and it would be impollite to livetweet" - 2/24, 8:30 PM

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX): "Somehow the best seats are reserved for the Senators." - 2/24, 8:33 PM

Let's Get This Party Started

The view from the inside as pre-speech excitement reached its zenith:

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC): "Speaker just gaveled to order. Senate entering now. It's crowded on Democratic side. Not so much on R side. Something about 255 D to 178R!" - 2/24, 8:51 PM

Rep. John Culberson (R-TX): "Cabinet officers arrive - the applause allows us to visit and kibbitz - a sense of humor is an essential part of this job" - 2/24, 9:08 PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO): "Quite an ovation.The warm greeting between Pres Obama & Sec Clinton makes me proud of our democracy. What a difference a year makes." 2/24, 9:20 PM

Multitasking

GOPers had lots to say during the speech. Unfortunately for them, the 140-character twitter limit left them with little space to say it:

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR): "Strong language. Well crafted. Not so many applause lines. Some in the audience not sure how to react." - 2/24, 9:26 PM

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA): "I agree that all government spending should have accountability an transperency." 2/24, 9:29 PM

Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS): "He had me at cutting the deficit... lost me with all the increased spending...doesn't that leave us only one option???" - 2/24, 9:45 PM

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN): "Pres Obama is moving the "center" to the left. We must stand our ground as conservatives. Liberal leaders in Congress threaten freedom.#tcot" 2/24, 9:48 PM

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL): "Ambitious speech. Missed on nuclear as "green" energy. He's had a strong start. Well received speech in chamber. Has to reject earmarks." 2/24, 10:05 PM

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY): "Great speech by President. Had nice but brief chat with him when he concluded. Message from my daughter: "I just say you on TV!" - 2/24, 10:47 PM

A Little Past Our Bedtime?

Despite all the pre-speech anticipation for LA Gov. Bobby Jindal's GOP response, only one congressional twitterer bothered to twitter. And yet it was a negative review about the man many say could be a contender for the 2012 GOP nom:

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR): "Jindal is weird. I can't believe Jindal. Such a sad contrast with President. Doesn't even look or sound good, to say nothing about content" - 2/24, 11:44 PM

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

"World News" led with Pres. Obama's address to Congress and featured a taped interview with WH sr. adviser David Axelrod. "Evening News" led with Obama's address and featured taped interviews with Axelrod and House Min. Leader John Boehner. "Nightly News" led with Obama's address and featured a taped interview with Axelrod.

The reviews of Pres. Obama's address to Congress and LA Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) rebuttal are in:

Time's Halperin: "I think it's the youngest combined age of a president and the responder from the other party in the history of the United States. Two kids ... addressing the country. ... In the case of both of these guys, if they weren't confident and accomplished, I think being young would be seen as a handicap. In this, I think, for both of them, it shows younger people and older people a sense of action and a sense of newness that given all the promise the country has I think is a pretty positive development for both parties" (CBSNews.com, 2/24).

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields: "Barack Obama, according to polls, is more popular than his policies. He has concluded, obviously from this speech tonight, that political capital is not to be hoarded. It is to be spent. ... That was an ambitious, ambitious proposal" ("NewsHour," PBS, 2/24).

Sen. John Thune (R-SD): "He had been advised that he needs to change his tone and provide some hope and some inspiration for the American people, so in that respect, the speech tonight was good. It was well delivered, and I think he had a right tone and I think probably created some confidence in the American people. It's going to be very hard, however, to deliver on all the things he promised tonight. And he was very short on specifics and details" ("Hannity," FNC, 2/24).

Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "This was the most ambitious we have heard in this chamber in decades. The first half of the speech was FDR fighting for the New Deal. And the second half was Lyndon Johnson fighting for the Great Society. And we have never seen those two presidents rolled together in quite this way before" ("AC 360," CNN, 2/24).

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) gave a partisan, predictable response this evening to Pres. Obama's call for innovative thinking, tough decision making and unity of purpose as the nation confronts a massive economic crisis.

Perhaps Jindal's task tonight was too multifaceted. He had to introduce himself to many voters who haven't yet had reason to know the 37-year-old governor. He had to cast the president -- who gave a speech this evening both stirring at times and plainly practical -- as a political actor working from a traditional Democratic playbook to increase taxes and grow government. And he had to delineate the differences between his party's vision for addressing the country's problems and the Democrats'.

And instead of reaching for something new, Jindal looked to reliable past GOP lines of attack.

"We oppose the national Democratic view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government," he said. "We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, to empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs."

The GOP can't afford to try to define the next four years with traditional political arguments. The crisis facing the nation -- the woes afflicting the housing market and the banks, the auto companies and manufacturers -- will not be solved by doing nothing. Obama is attempting to push lawmakers and citizens to look beyong the next four years. How does the nation aim for energy independence? How do we educate our young people so they can be competitive in a global marketplace? How do we manage the health care needs of an aging boomers and younger Americans? How do we not just prepare for the war on terror but change the perceptions of our nation around the globe?

"Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times," Obama said during a speech that prompted ovations from members on both sides of the aisle. "It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege - one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill. I know that it is easy to lose sight of this truth - to become cynical and doubtful, consumed with the petty and the trivial."

Jindal spoke tonight of the trivial. Obama, while touching on those familiar themes and issues that echoed throughout his 20-month campaign for office, attempted to do something larger. The GOP will have to answer his call -- or find a way to inspire a different but equally proactive course of action. Given the challenges of the day, the party's small government, low taxes mantra seems stale and inadequate.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Pres. Obama's speech before a joint session began a few minutes ago with a declaration that a "day of reckoning has arrived." Obama said his stimulus plan is "just the first step" in addressing the nation's economic crisis.

"I know there are some in this chamber and watching at home who are skeptical of whether this plan will work," Obama said. "I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington, we've all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending. And with a plan of this scale comes enormous responsibility to get it right."

The full embargoed text is available after the jump.

The White House released a snippet this evening of Pres. Obama's address to Congress:

But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don't lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.

A dash of hope with a plea for collective sacrifice. And patience.

Check back for more this evening on On Call.

Dr. Jill Biden, Lilly Ledbetter, OH Gov. Ted Strickland, GOP Gov. Jim Douglas of VT, firefighters, police officers, students and more. Click through for the full list of guests sitting in First Lady Michelle Obama's box during Pres. Obama's address to Congress.

The Senate confirmed Hilda Solis this afternoon as Secretary of Labor.

The final vote: 80-17.

Labor unions, who have backed Solis vigorously even when her nomination was held up by Republicans, rejoiced.

Here's AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in a statement:

The confirmation of Rep. Hilda Solis is a huge victory: finally Americans will have a Secretary of Labor who represents working people, not wealthy CEO's. It is also a historic moment as Rep. Solis becomes the first Hispanic Secretary of Labor.

The delay of Rep. Solis's nomination for partisan and ideological reasons was overcome by the grassroots support of millions of Americans who are struggling and desperately need a secretary of labor who will be their voice.

Rep. Solis is uniquely qualified to help struggling families through these difficult economic times because she knows firsthand what they are going through. She grew up in a working class family and understands what programs our nation's workers need the most. She will fight to improve skills development and job creation programs, including development of "green collar" jobs. She will work to assure that workers get the pay they have earned and that they work in safe, healthy, and fair workplaces. She's ready to address the retirement security crisis and will work hard to protect every worker from job discrimination, regardless of race, sex, veteran status, or disability.

She understands that the Employee Free Choice Act is critical to rebuilding our economy because working men and women deserve the freedom to choose whether to form a union without employer harassment and intimidation.

We look forward to working with Rep. Solis to rebuild our economy so it works for everyone.

And when/if Democrat Al Franken wins the MN Senate recount, expect a full court press on card check -- with an ally for the legislation in Pres. Obama's Cabinet.

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) might still be pondering a bid for re-election, but after he speculated that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could die within a year from pancreatic cancer, at least one GOP consultant is saying Bunning is done and should retire.

Heerrrrrreeeeee's Phil Musser!

Per the Republican National Committee, excerpts from LA Gov. Bobby Jindal's response to Pres. Obama's address this eve to Congress:

"As I grew up, my mom and dad taught me the values that attracted them to this country - and they instilled in me an immigrant's wonder at the greatness of America. As a child, I remember going to the grocery store with my dad. Growing up in India, he had seen extreme poverty. And as we walked through the aisles, looking at the endless variety on the shelves, he would tell me: 'Bobby, Americans can do anything.' I still believe that to this day. ...

"Republicans are ready to work with the new President to provide those solutions. Here in my state of Louisiana, we don't care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nation's capital. All of us want our economy to recover and our nation to prosper. So where we agree, Republicans must be the President's strongest partners. And where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid and offer better ideas for a path forward. ...

"The strength of America is not found in our government. It is found in the compassionate hearts and enterprising spirit of our citizens. ...

"To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you - the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything. ...

"Democratic leaders say their legislation will grow the economy. What it will do is grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt. Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need? That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did. It's irresponsible. And it's no way to strengthen our economy, create jobs, or build a prosperous future for our children. ...

"In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear - because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust - and rightly so. ...

"A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said 'we may not be able to reverse.' Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don't let anyone tell you that we cannot recover - or that America's best days are behind her."

As he prepares to address Congress for the first time, new polls from ABC News/Washington Post and CBS News/New York Times paint a generally positive picture of Pres. Obama five weeks into his term. The surveys show U.S. adults credit the POTUS for his bipartisan efforts, blame GOPers for their lack of cooperation on legislation and favor a Dem agenda moving forward.

Overall, Obama has job approval ratings of 68% and 63% from ABC/WaPo and CBS/NYT, respectively. The latter shows the POTUS basically unchanged since his 62% rating in the previous poll, completed three weeks ago Wed. Meanwhile, the latest Gallup daily tracking poll, completed last p.m., shows 59% approve of the job Obama is doing as POTUS -- 7% off his Feb. high of 66%.

Obama's allies in Congress also test well. ABC/WaPo shows Congressional Dems with a 50% approval rating, up from 35% in 7/08. The same poll reports GOPers in Congress have a job rating of 38% -- low compared to the majority Dems, but up 13% since 7/08. According to CBS/NYT, Congress at large has a 26% job approval rating, the same as on 2/4.

After vowing during the campaign to change the tone in DC and foster bipartisan relations, the POTUS gets high marks for those efforts early in his admin. Three-quarters of adults surveyed by CBS/NYT (74%) say Obama is trying to work with GOPers in Congress to get things done, while 31% say GOPers are trying to work with the POTUS. ABC/WaPo reports a similar disparity between WH and GOP bipartisanship. According to their poll, 73% of adults think Obama is trying to compromise with GOP leaders on important issues, while 34% say GOPers are attempting to compromise with the POTUS.

What's more, adults in the CBS/NYT poll basically give Obama license to pursue unilateral legislation. More than half, 56%, say the WH should stick to policies promised during the campaign, compared to 39% who think the POTUS should still try to forge bipartisan solutions. The public prescribes the opposite for GOPers; 79% say GOPers should work in a bipartisan manner with Obama, while 17% think they should stick to GOP policies.

Looking to the future, more than half of the adults in ABC/WaPo's poll (56%) trust the Dems to do a better job coping with the main problems facing the U.S.; 30% favor the GOP. And asked who they trust to do a better job handling the economy, 61% say Obama and 26% choose Congressional GOPers. Another new poll, from CNN/Opinion Research Corp., reports 75% of adults are confident Obama will make the right decisions to help the U.S. overcome its economic problems, compared to 53% for GOPers in Congress.

The ABC/WaPo poll, conducted 2/19-22, surveyed 1,001 adults and has margin of error +/- 3.1%; the CBS/NYT poll, conducted 2/18-22, surveyed 1,112 adults and has margin of error +/- 2.9%. Meanwhile, the Gallup daily tracking poll, conducted 2/21-23, surveyed 1,553 adults and has margin of error +/- 2.5%. And the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, conducted 2/18-19, surveyed 1,046 adults and has margin of error +/- 3.0%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

The nets are reporting that Sen. Dick Durbin, the senior senator from IL, told Sen. Roland Burris today that he should resign. Burris, Durbin said, declined.

"He's told me clearly that he would not resign," Durbin said.

More soon.

A measure that would give the District of Columbia a voting member of the House of Representatives cleared a critical hurdle this morning, as the Senate opted to send the proposal to the full chamber for consideration. The procedural vote was 62-34, surpassing the 60-vote margin required to prevent a filibuster.

"This vote was an encouraging first step in the passage of the DC Voting Rights Act by the U.S. Senate, and I hope that the vote on final passage will follow suit," Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty said in a statement. "We are extremely pleased that the issue of DC voting rights is finally getting a full and fair hearing by the Congress, and I look forward to the House of Representatives taking up its important companion legislation quickly to bring the District yet another step closer to full representation. I'd like to especially thank Senators Joe Lieberman and Orrin Hatch for championing this bill."

The bill, which would add two seats to the House -- one each from Washington, D.C, and Utah, garnered support from eight Republicans. Utah provides a conservative foil for the heavily Democratic District.

Congress has considered related legislation previously, but the proposal routinely stalls. Republicans charge that the Constitution provides that the House "shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states." The District is not a state, of course.

Almost six in 10 Americans support legislation giving Washington a full voting member in the House, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), serving her 10th term in the House, said yesterday that the House mark-up in the Judiciary Committee will take place tomorrow afternoon. Should the House and Senate pass the bill, Pres. Obama would likely sign it. He was a co-sponsor of similar measure during his time in the Senate.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Republican National Committee chairman Michael S. Steele said on FOX News today that he is open to cutting off funding to the three GOP senators who backed Pres. Obama's economic stimulus plan: Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

NASA and National Science Foundation are unveiling a new rap song and video to encourage public action on climate change. And if you hadn't yet heard, sign up for GOP Sen. Tom Coburn's (OK) Tweets. Ah, the onslaught of useless information ...

Click here for Polar-Palooza's 'Take AIM at Climate Change' ...

We're hearing from sources that Senate Republicans have agreed to an up or down vote this afternoon on the Hilda Solis nomination for Labor secretary.

This will be the final vote. A simple majority is required.

LA Gov. Bobby Jindal, 37, will give the Republican response this evening to Pres. Obama's address before a joint session of Congress.

Despite his youth and relative political newcomer status, Jindal, a Rhodes Scholar who became the nation's first Indian-American governor, has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. So Jindal's exposure this evening will mark a key first early test for the Baton Rouge native. He has already made a pilgrimage to Iowa, the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state, and he debuted on NBC's 'Meet the Press' last weekend to wide acclaim.

With the nation watching how lawmakers are working to manage the country's economic crisis, and with Obama receiving solid public reviews for his quick early action to mitigate the slide, Jindal will have to show that the GOP -- which, save three senators, has opposed the president's efforts thus far -- has a constructive alternative plan. While he has said he won't take all of the stimulus money dedicated to his state, Jindal will have to explain that his position -- and the view of like-minded governors -- is not one of political expedience but of fundamental philosophical disagreement about the role of government. And given his age -- Obama has a decade on him! -- the boyish Jindal will have to show that presence, a gravitas, that voters often look for in their candidates.

Many in the GOP are investing a great deal of hope in the LA governor as a potential national symbol of diversity for a party struggling to recast itself as relevant, forward-looking, energetic and, simply put, broader and more inclusive than its 'old white guys only' image.

So sure, it's early to speculate about 2012. But that's what we do. Here's a primer on the LA governor:

-- Jindal was born in Baton Rouge on June 10, 1971. He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1988 and attended Brown University from which, according to his state bio, he graduated with honors in biology and public policy. He attended Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar, having turned down admissions to medical and law schools at both Harvard and Yale.

-- He was raised a Hindu but converted to Catholicism. His given name is Piyush Jindal.

-- He narrowly lost a 2003 gubernatorial bid before winning a seat in Congress in 2004.

-- Jindal was elected to two terms representing the First District of LA. As a member, he voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposed Constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to between a man and a woman.

-- He won the state's top job in October 2007.

-- He and wife, Supriya, have three children.

-- Jindal was considered for the VP spot on John McCain's ticket. But his youth and inexperience would have negated McCain's chief argument against Obama. (Instead, of course, McCain chose Sarah Palin, also youthful, also new to national politics.)

Jindal has a solidly conservative voting record. Over the last few years, he has received a 0 rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Citizens for Tax Justice, the Human Rights Campaign, National Council of La Raza, the National Education Association, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Children's Defense Fund and AFSCME, among other groups. Conversely, he has gotten high marks from the National Right to Life Committee, Sportsmen and Animal Owner's Voting Alliance, Americans for Tax Reform, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Eagle Forum and Gun Owners of America, and the National Rifle Association has given him an A+, according to Project Vote Smart.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News" led with the Dow's 250-point drop. "Evening News" led with Pres. Obama's fiscal summit. "Nightly News" led with the banks' impact on the market.

During yesterday's fiscal summit, Pres. Obama announced plans to cut the federal deficit in half by '13.

Ex-Clinton Labor Sec. Robert Reich, asked if Obama calling on pols like they were students was effective: "It was enormously effective. ... [It was] as if the president was the professor and everybody else are students. ... I thought Obama maintained not only good humor, even joking with the Republicans, but more importantly, a sense that he was completely and totally in control and in command. And he's not only commander-in-chief of the military, he's commander-in-chief of the economy. And there was no doubt about that today" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 2/23).

Dick Morris: "It's like Mike Tyson heading the nonviolence summit. What he does is pass the most irresponsible piece of legislation in spending in 50 years of American history, and then he convenes a financial responsibility summit so that he can try to put a different face on it. ... Everybody says now we need to cut the deficit, and what that means is a consensus for big, big tax increases" ("Hannity," FNC, 2/23).

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Robert Greenstein, a summit attendee: "Today's session wasn't designed itself to produce some set of agreements in three hours. It was just the beginning of a process. There was a very good bipartisan feel in the room at the end. It was a very good first step. ... The president was completely in command of the room at the end of the day and expressing a real determination to make progress on these problems" ("NewsHour," PBS, 2/23).

CNN's Borger: "On the one hand, it was kind of academic, talking about breakout groups, about these economic problems. On the other hand, it was kind of like a parliamentary Q & A system, where the president called on John McCain, the leader of the opposition, if you will ... and then started having a conversation with Republicans and Democrats about the dire financial situation that we're in, in front of the American public. It was a little stilted at times, but ... on the whole, we haven't seen anything like this in years and years" ("Situation Room," 2/23).

After the jump, pundits weigh in on what Obama should say in tonight's address to Congress.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

SC Gov. Mark Sanford (R) told his fellow Republican governors this evening to be prepared for the "Super Bowl of gubernatorial elections" in 2010, and he noted with optimism for the party's future that governors can exert a "disproportionate amount of influence" on the redistricting process that will occur after the decennial Census is completed.

"This is real gut check time, if you will, for where we go next as American civilization," Sanford, the chairman of the Republican Governor's Association, said during the group's annual gala in DC.

Republicans could be at a disadvantage, however, if Democrats continue their dominance of the nation's governors' mansions, Sanford said, and if they use the 2010 Census to wield political power.

"We've all seen the spaghetti string style districts that don't really represent people; they are designed solely about the process of politics," he added.

It wasn't all somber pronouncements in the opulent Andrew Mellon Auditorum a few blocks east of the White House. Kicking off the night's program, MS Gov. Haley Barbour (R) boasted that the RGA had raised $10.2M dollars from the annual event -- and without the benefit of an appearance from Pres. Bush. The former president never missed an RGA gala, and tonight GOP staffers were quick to mention that Pres. Obama and reporters were absent from the Democratic Governors Association gala, held at Union Station.

At the GOP event, where guests dined on sushi, sliders, steak and chicken fingers, Barbour said there were 15 governors in attendance, including CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). Two possible 2012 notables were no-shows, save for their portraits hanging between the Roman Doric columns: AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R).

Still, Barbour told the crowd that 2009 and 2010, when 36 governorships are up for grabs, are "the only two years of elections that you oughta give one thought to." He added, "2012 will take care of itself."

It was with '09 in mind that Sanford took to the stage to introduce VA AG Bob McDonnell (R), who is running unopposed for his party's gubernatorial nomination and recently resigned his statewide position to focus on the race, and ex-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R), who faces three primary challengers in New Jersey.

During a brief speech, Christie rattled off some stark economic statistics from NJ, including that the state ranks 50th on the "small business survival index."

"Governor (Jon) Corzine is going to tell you this ball is too risky to turn over to a former federal prosecutor," Christie said of the incumbent Democrat. "My question to you is, 'how much worse can I do?'"

While Christie isn't yet his party's nominee, his presence here tonight seemed to indicate that the national party is picking a primary favorite. While Sanford maintained the RGA wouldn't get involved in the contest, he added, "it's a very likely scenario that [Christie] will be the Republican nominee." Sanford said that he was "enthusiastic about the possibility" of a Christie campaign to unseat Corzine.

Christie will need his party's help to raise enough funds to compete against the deep-pocketed former Goldman Sachs executive. But Christie has accepted public matching funds, which binds him to a $5M spending cap for the primary, and $11.5M for the general. (Updated).

"Whatever the additional funds that we think that it will take to knock Corzine out, I think RGA is prepared to step up and do that, if this race remains competitive," said Paul Bennecke, RGA political director. "It's not a specific number."

Christie "is a candidate who can win in the general election," Bennecke said. "We leave all options on the table."

One of those options is to run negative campaign ads against Corzine.

"Corzine's just been disappointing," Bennecke said. "He was supposed to deliver on so much. He was going to stop the bleeding of jobs in New Jersey. He was supposed to know how to manage budgets. He had this Wall Street background and should be able to invest New Jersey's resources prudently. He's failed on all of that."

In a time when average investors are fearful of opening their 401(k) statements, Corzine's Wall Street resume could be a vulnerability, Bennecke said.

Local issues will be the focus of debate in the general election, Christie said. "I think the stimulus package and those kind of decisions will be things that people will examine. But I think local issues will predominate New Jersey."

Christie said he has been in meetings with RGA officials.

"Whatever help we get, we'll be happy to get, but it's really early to be worried about that stuff," he said.

(SEAN J. MILLER)

The Washington Post is reporting that former WA Gov. Gary Locke will be Pres. Obama's third nominee to lead the Commerce Department. Locke, the first Chinese-American governor of a state, follows Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), who withdrew his name from consideration, and NM Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who also withdrew amid rumblings of his involvement in a pay-to-play scandal in his state.

Here is Locke's state bio.

Pres. Obama announced new White House staffers today: Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean, White House Research Director; Daniella Gibbs Leger, Director of Message Events; Macon Phillips, Director of New Media; Christina Reynolds, Director of Media Affairs; Dag Vega, Director of Broadcast Media; Dana E. Singiser, White House Office of Legislative Affairs, Amy Brundage, Regional Communications Director; Cammie Croft, Deputy New Media Director; Jason Djang, Deputy Director for Video; Corey Ealons, Director of African American Media and Coordinator of Special Projects; Shin Inouye, Director of Specialty Media; Jesse Lee, Online Programs Director; Katherine Lyons, Deputy Director of Message Events; Luis Miranda, Director of Hispanic Media; Moira Mack Muntz, Regional Communications Director; Katie Stanton, Director of Citizen Participation; Joelle Terry, Deputy Director of Message Events; Gannet Tseggai, Regional Communications Director; and Samantha Tubman, Assistant Social Secretary.

"Each of these individuals brings deep expertise in their fields, and a strong commitment to public service," Obama said in a statement. "I am confident in their abilities to fill these roles with distinction, and I welcome them to our team as we begin the work of bringing the change that the American people need in these troubled times."

Individual bios, per the WH, available after the jump.

Former MA Gov. Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC today sent $1,000 checks to each of the House Republicans targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for their votes against Pres. Obama's $787B economic stimulus package.

"What Republicans wanted was a bill to strengthen the economy," Romney said in a statement released by his PAC. "What the Democrats passed was a bill to stimulate government. We are committed to helping these courageous Republicans defend their position and fend off political attacks."

Romney, a potential candidate for president in 2012, called the targeted 12 members the
"Undaunted Dozen." He also praised them for "standing up for fiscal responsibility and saying no to spending abuse."

(Take that, SarahPAC.)

Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) has announced he is not running for re-election, so Romney did not send him a check.

The DCCC released the members of its '10 Frontline program -- those whom the cmte believes are the most vulnerable Dem incumbents -- this afternoon. If you're looking for surprises, though, you won't find them here. The majority of the list, not surprisingly, is comprised of freshmen. But 12 of the 40 are veterans, including:

Rep. Harry Mitchell (AZ-05)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08)
Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-11)
Rep. Bill Foster (IL-14)
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09)
Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA-03)
Rep. Travis Childers (MS-01)
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Rep. Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
Rep. Chris Carney (PA-10)
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23)
Rep. Steve Kagen (WI-08)

Of the 12, Hill, Foster, Boswell, Carney, Rodriguez all won over 55% in '08, so they may seem out-of-place on this vulnerable incumbent list. But most of them still sit in GOP-leaning CDs, so an off-year election may benefit the GOP. We'll find out soon enough if GOPers can recruit serious opponents to these 12 members.

The rest of the list, after the jump:

LA Gov. Bobby Jindal, tapped to give the GOP answer tomorrow night to Pres. Obama's first address before Congress, explains his concerns today about the administration's $787B stimulus plan. Jindal also says he is "honored" to be giving the Republican response. The clip was circulated by the Republican National Committee.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a phone, e-mail and text campaign targeting a dozen GOP members who voted against Pres. Obama's stimulus plan, emphasizing the tax cut segment of the proposal. House Republicans voted unanimously against the $787B initiative earlier this month.

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen, who represents Maryland' 8th District, stressed that the nation's economic crisis requires both parties to work for solutions.

"House Republicans can't have it both ways - they can't claim to be in favor of tax cuts and then vote against the largest tax cut in American history," Van Hollen said in a statement. "Americans will hold House Republicans accountable for 'just saying no' to the largest tax cut in American history and saving and creating three to four million jobs. We will hold accountable those Republicans who continue to vote in lockstep against President Obama's economic recovery plan for the American people."

Those targeted by the DCCC include members who won by narrow margins in the last race and/or represent moderate districts.

They are: Reps. Judy Biggert (IL-13); Ken Calvert (CA-44); Michael Castle (DE-AL); Charlie Dent (PA-15); Jim Gerlach (PA-06); Mark Kirk (IL-10); Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09); Dan Lungren (CA-03); Thad McCotter (MI-11); Adam Putnam (FL-12) (who has decided not to run for re-election, which leaves the seat open in 2010); Dave Reichert (WA-08); and Pete Sessions (TX-32), who is chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.

In a recent interview with Hotline editors, Sessions said the GOP should use insurgent tactics to oppose Democratic proposals. He cited the Taliban as a "model" for insurgency.

The text of the automated calls:

Hello, I'm calling on behalf of House Democrats with an important message about the economy.

Did you know Congressman Thad McCotter voted against President Obama's economic recovery plan, endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? McCotter's empty rhetoric can't hide that he voted to raise the AMT tax on 22 million middle class Americans and against the largest tax cut in history.

Call McCotter at 734-632-0314 to ask why he voted to raise taxes on middle class families.

The DCCC has also launched www.recoveryforamerica.org, a site "designed to educate people about the benefits of the economic recovery bill and how it will impact their district." More: The site includes an interactive map that illustrates the job creation and tax cuts by state, information about targeted Republicans; and a petition where people can voice their outrage about Republican opposition. People can also get the economic recovery information on their mobile device by texting the word "recovery" and a state abbreviation to 30644 (For example: "recovery CA").

This effort is a sign of the technology deficit facing the GOP in the wake of the 2008 presidential contest. The White House emailed supporters a letter from the president as soon as he signed the stimulus bill. The DNC and party committees are using email lists and cell phone numbers to push the Democrats' message. Republican lawmakers pitched a unified opposition to the stimulus bill, but where is the complementary grassroots effort affirming for voters their reasons for opting against it?

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

The NGA meeting must be in town because the Sunday shows were packed with govs. debating the economy. LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), who will deliver his party's response to Pres. Obama's 2/24 address to Congress, appeared on "Meet the Press" to talk about why he is considering not accepting stimulus money.

Jindal, asked why he would turn the money down: "Well, let's be clear. The best thing that Washington could do to help Louisiana and all of our states with our budgets is to get this economy moving again. I think we just have a fundamental disagreement here. I don't think the best way to do that is for the government to tax and borrow more money. ... What would be more helpful from Washington is less unnecessary spending."

NBC's Gregory: "Why would you turn down $100 million for federal unemployment assistance for your state?"

Jindal: "Well, let's look at the programs we turned down. You're talking about temporary federal money that would require a permanent change in state law. ... The $100 million we turned down was temporary federal dollars that would require us to change our unemployment laws. That would've actually raised taxes on Louisiana businesses. We as a state would've been responsible for paying for those benefits after the federal money disappeared."

More after the jump, including the housing rescue plan, nationalizing the banks, future political plans and the state of the GOP.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

At the outset of a meeting of the National Governors Association, five Democratic leaders today chided several of their Republican counterparts for threatening to turn down their states' portions of the $787B economic stimulus package signed last week by Pres. Obama.

"If some of the fringe governors don't want to help us do that then they need to step aside and not stand in the way of helping us do this," said Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) during a press conference at the St. Regis hotel in Washington.

Together with O'Malley, Govs. Brian Schweitzer, who is chairman of the NGA, David Paterson (NY), Chet Culver (IA) and Ted Strickland (OH) suggested that to decline federal resources at a time of national economic peril leaves those citizens struggling to make ends meet, and losing jobs, without a net.

"The idea that they don't want to be a part of the solution baffles me," Culver said of the small group of Republican governors who have lobbied against the plan. "They need to provide leadership to enourage Americans to do all they can to benefit from this stimulus. The final question to those that oppose this is, 'what is their plan?'"

Several Republican governors have toyed with rejecting the money, a symbol of their lack of faith in the efficacy of the plan passed by a Democratic Congress. But those individuals are also possible future contenders for national office -- including AK Gov. Sarah Palin, LA Gov. Bobby Jindal, MS Gov. Haley Barbour and TX Gov. Rick Perry -- and their objections have provided Democrats with an opening to say that the GOP is playing politics with the livelihood and welfare of many Americans.

Each Democratic governor on hand today said that they are already putting their state's stimulus dollars to work. Culver, for example, said Iowa will benefit from $1.9B, which will be allocated in several key areas: $360M for 10K new construction jobs, $390M for investments in education, $56M in road and bridge projects, and $550M for health care programs.

"This will have an immediate stimulative effect," he said. "An immediate impact on our economy."

Paterson, meanwhile, blamed former Pres. Bush for turning the nation's surplus, which he inherited, into a $2T deficit. Strickland said the nation is experiencing an "economic Katrina," a reference, of course, to the hurricane that decimated the Gulf region.

"These are not normal circumstances," Strickland said. "We are not experiencing the results of a normal ebb and flow of an economic cycle."

Schweitzer stressed that only a few of the nation's GOP governors are weighing whether to reject the money, and he suggested that, by and large, the members of the NGA are on the same page. "That is hardly even a majority of the Republican governors, let alone the entire Republican group," he said. "You wouldn't expect us all to agree. We come from very different places."

But he said his state is more than happy to partake of other state stimulus money -- should any Republican governor choose to leave it on the table.

"If they are redirected from states that reject them, Montana would be more than happy to receive them," Schweitzer said.

He also said that the governors up for re-election in 2010 shouldn't be affected by their support for the stimulus package, which was not welcomed this week by Wall Street as evidenced by the steep decline of the Dow. "Good fiscal management and good leadership will take care of elections," he said. "This is a plan that gives America moving again."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and his vice chairman, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, will call on their Republican counterparts to use the state funds provided by the $787B economic stimulus package signed this week by Pres. Obama or lose them.

Schweitzer and O'Malley will hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon at the St. Regis Hotel to urge those GOPers who have criticized the stimulus to do what's best for their states and take the money.

So much for a peaceful first meeting of the nation's governors during the Obama era. Financial stress, intra- and cross-party feuding, political jockeying for 2012 and a massive national economic crisis to boot. Drama ahead.

(JS)

Several media orgs are reporting that Sen. Roland Burris' (D-IL) acting chief of staff, Darrel Thompson, a former aide to Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid, has resigned. Thompson's move comes just a few hours after Gov. Pat Quinn (D) added his voice to a growing chorus of top Dems calling for Burris' resignation. Can he survive the weekend?

The National Governors Association meeting in Washington over the next few days provides Pres. Obama with a forum to convince state leaders to not only endorse his $787B stimulus package but to spend the money the federal government is providing.

Though some Republican members have backed the president's effort -- Govs. Charlie Crist of FL and Arnold Schwarzenegger of CA -- others have toyed with not taking the cash. See Govs. Bobby Jindal (LA), Rick Perry (TX), Sarah Palin (AK) and Mark Sanford (SC).

Responding to this latest round of stimulus politics, Democratic Governors Association chairman Brian Schweitzer (MT) issued a tough statement today urging his Republican counterparts to stop playing games with the initiative.

"You can philosophize in D.C. all you want, but we in the states have to get things done," Schweitzer said. "A Governor's job is to deliver for people: to create good jobs, to keep criminals in prison, to educate our children, to make sure we have decent roads. This recovery package does that."

Added Schweitzer: "It's a little late for Republican Governors to get high-minded about accepting federal dollars since this recovery legislation is only a small portion of all the federal money states receive."

Nathan Daschle, executive director of the DGA and son of former Sen. Tom Daschle, said that "opposing the recovery plan but taking the money is like trying to have your cake and eat it, too. Americans who are struggling will remember this failure to lead."

"Republicans were happy to fight for a bailout for Wall Street CEOs, now it's time to stand up for the hardworking families across America who have been shortchanged for years by Wall Street and our government," Daschle said. "I know that if they don't want this money, Democratic Governors will put it to good use."

These are fighting words on the eve of the bipartisan session, which features a Sunday evening gala at the White House. Obama will address the governors Monday.

Already, some GOPers are stepping back their original resistance. Sanford, for one, has said he'll take the cash.

The matter has revealed a fissure in the GOP between the pragmatists willing to do whatever is necessary to keep their states afloat and the governors eyeing presidential bids in 2012 or beyond. Meanwhile, this latest chapter has given Democrats, who were to a degree successfully battered by congressional Republicans during the stimulus debate, to pitch themselves as the responsible bipartisan actors.

The intraparty tensions should underscore all of the NGA's meetings and events. Should make for an interesting few days. Stay tuned.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Al Franken gave his first national media interview since the November election to his alma mater, Air America. The conversation with Mark Green will air tomorrow eve. On Call snagged an advance transcript. Franken says he believes the three-month recount will wrap soon and that he'll be victorious over Republican Norm Coleman:

Frannie and I Iook at each other at night, usually right before we go to bed, and go like: "How long is this gonna go on?" But, it really looks now that it's going to get resolved in my favor, and soon, and so I'm actually excited to get there. So that sort of overcomes the frustration of: "How long can this go on?"

He and Green cover other ground, too, including the stimulus. Franken notes as well that he has started tuning out former conservative adversaries Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly, and when asked to name the next Air America fixture to win a U.S. Senate seat, he mentions a certain MSNBCer.

Read on, and click here to listen tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.

(JS)

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center released a poll today showing that the state's leading Democratic contenders for Senate in 2010 -- Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter -- each have strongsuits; one has better base appeal, while the other garners more favorable Indie and GOP support.

Hodes gets higher overall reviews from his constituents: 46% of adults in the Second CD view him favorably, 13% have an unfavorable opinion of him, and 41% are neutral or don't know enough to say. For Shea-Porter, 38% of adults in the First CD have a favorable opinion of her, 26% have an unfavorable opinion of her, and 37% are neutral or don't know enough to form an opinion of her.

Their statewide favorables are similar -- 37% have a favorable opinion of her and
36% feel the same of Hodes. But Shea-Porter is viewed more unfavorably statewide than Hodes, 23% to 13%.

The poll indicates overall, however, that Shea-Porter is well positioned in a primary battle with Hodes, as 61% of Democrats view Shea-Porter favorably compared to 50% for Hodes. Still, Hodes might have more strength in a general election match-up against a GOP nom as he polls better with Indie voters and even Republicans. He has a six-point favorability advantage over Shea-Porter with Indies and a five-point edge with Republicans.

And Shea-Porter is viewed much more unfavorably by Republicans than Hodes, with 50% of Republicans having an unfavorable opinion of Shea-Porter compared to 28% for Hodes.

The poll shows that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who defeated Sen. John E. Sununu (R) last fall, has seen her favorables rise since her election. The poll shows that 56% of statewide voters view her favorably, compared with 47% in a Sept. 08 poll. Her 32% unfavorable rating in the latest survey marks a drop of eight points since Sept.

The poll was taken after Sen. Judd Gregg was nominated by Pres. Obama to serve as Commerce Sec. but before Gregg withdrew. His Feb. faves are 64%, up 17 percentage points since Sept., a sign that the four-term GOP senator benefited from his association with the Democratic president. Obama bested Sen. John McCain in the Granite State by nine points during the November presidential contest.

UNH polled 619 randomly selected New Hampshire adults by telephone between 2/5 and 2/9. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/-3.9 percent. Included was a subsample of 311 adults in the First CD (margin of sampling error +/- 5.6%) and a subsample of 308 adults in the Second CD (margin of sampling error +/- 5.6%).

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Since the 1980s, Democrats have dramatically gained strength in the nation's best-educated large counties. Atlantic Media Political Editor Ronald Brownstein and National Journal's David Wasserman explore the trend in this week's magazine. A must read:

When L. Brooks Patterson began his career in Republican politics about four decades ago, his home turf, Michigan's Oakland County, tilted so reliably toward the GOP that general elections were almost an afterthought. The real contests were for the party's nomination.

"Back in those days," Patterson recalls, "if you won the Republican primary... you had basically already won. The Republican Party was dominant."

The GOP exercised that dominance up and down the ballot in Oakland, a comfortable, largely white-collar suburb just northwest of Detroit. For decades, no Democrat won countywide office; Patterson served as the county's prosecuting attorney from 1972 until 1988 and, since 1992, he has won five four-year terms as county executive. Oakland routinely generated comfortable margins for Michigan's Republican nominees for the Senate and the Governor's Mansion. And throughout virtually the entire second half of the 20th century, the county boosted Republican presidential nominees -- giving more than three-fifths of its votes to Richard Nixon in 1972, Ronald Reagan in 1984, and George H.W. Bush in 1988. From 1940 through 1992, the only Democratic presidential nominee to win Oakland County was Lyndon Johnson, during his 1964 landslide victory over Republican Barry Goldwater.

Those days are gone. Starting with Bill Clinton's re-election in 1996, Democratic presidential nominees have carried Oakland in four consecutive elections. The first three of those victories were narrow, but Barack Obama won a whopping 57 percent of the county's votes. Dating back to 1920, no Democratic presidential candidate other than Johnson -- not even Franklin D. Roosevelt -- had done so well.

Read on.

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R), a roundtable with Bloomberg's Al Hunt, NPR's Michele Norris and CNBC's Becky Quick.

Face the Nation hosts HUD Sec. Shaun Donovan, NJ Gov. Jon Corzine (D), IN Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) and OH Gov. Ted Strickland (D).

This Week hosts CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and a roundtable with New York Times' Paul Krugman, NYU's Stern School of Business economics professor Nouriel Roubini, Business Week's Suzy Welch and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D), MI Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), SC Gov. Mark Sanford (R) and MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R).

State of the Union hosts MS Gov. Haley Barbour (R), Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell, Schwarzenegger and Donovan (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn called today for Sen. Roland Burris to resign, saying he "should put the interests of the people of Illinois ahead of his own."

Quinn said the cloud over Burris' appointment to the seat has persisted to the detriment of the state and that Illinois lawmakers should move swiftly to pass a law outlining procedures for a special election. Quinn also said Burris, whom he referred to as his "good friend," should never have accepted the nod from embattled former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

During a press conference in Chicago, Quinn said that the state needs a law on the books requiring that within five days of a vacancy occuring, the governor should promptly issue a writ of election. He said that within 72 days of that writ, a primary should be held, and within six weeks of a primary, a general election should be conducted.

He said the governor should be able to appoint a temporary caretaker to the seat while such a contest is held.

"At no time should our state go without full and fair representation," Quinn said, noting that the people, not the governor, should decide who represents them in the Senate.

Quinn is the latest IL lawmaker to call for Burris to step aside. Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL) led the charge earlier this week, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a likely contender for the seat, followed with a statement urging that a special election be held.

When the Blagojevich mess first started to brew late last year, with the fate of Barack Obama's Senate seat inextricably tied to the governor's, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) suggested a special election. But state officials noted that such an election would cost between $30M and $50M, a staggering sum at a time of state budget crunches, and Durbin backed off.

Now, it seems, Democratic lawmakers have concluded there's no fair way to put the matter to rest -- and to get Burris out of the headlines. In the process, however, they open the seat to the GOP, and Republicans could capitalize on the Blagojevich/Burris imbroglio. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), who is serving his fifth term representing the 10th CD, is a strong possible contender waiting in the wings.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

You probably know Danny Diaz for his ability to eat, berry, do tv, spin and raise four children all at the same time. Diaz, 33, the tireless chief spokesman for the Republican National Committee, is moving on from his party perch. He is starting his own firm, Diaz Communications, LLC, via which he'll do a hodgepodge of consulting, media relations, public affairs, campaign management and crisis communication. Diaz will be involved in the Employee Free Choice Act (read: fighting it) and assisting GOP candidates.

The Democratic National Committee is losing a fixture as well. Research Director Mike Gehrke, known for his regular "Flipper" missives skewering the GOP and for using a picture of the Peanuts' intense, piano-playing Schroeder as his profile image on Facebook, is also exiting his party job.

Diaz and Gehrke would probably agree on very little in the way of politics or policy but have in common a decency and general professionalism that stands out in the business.

We wish them well. Gehrke's letter to friends available after the jump.

House Race Hotline editor Tim Sahd will take a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week. Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning:

5. NY-20 Special: DC Invades Saratoga Springs

Don't let either side tell you this special election isn't important, because in the last week, both nat'l parties have gotten themselves involved in the race. On the GOP side, RNC Chair Michael Steele and ex-Gov. George Pataki (R) announced they'll hold a high-dollar fundraiser for Assemb. Jim Tedisco (R). And the RNC gave $80K to Tedisco's camp to help him pay for his first TV ad. But while GOPers are promising to visit the CD, Dems -- including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) and Maj. Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-05) -- have already made the trek to endorse venture capitalist Scott Murphy (D).

4. Rep. Joseph Cao (R): Buyers Remorse?

Nobody said Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-LA 02) would coast to re-election in '10 after winning an improbable victory in '08 in his overwhelmingly Dem CD. But he didn't make it any easier on himself by voting against the stimulus. Because of that vote, organizers are already trying to round up 100K signatures to get a recall election on the ballot and toss him out of office. Despite that high threshold (100K signatures is 30K more than the number of ballots cast in '08), and the constitutionality of the recall, this is not a good start for Cao. He's voted against his party on SCHIP and several other votes, but will that be enough to satisfy his Dem constituents? It's only his second month in office, but the LA vultures are already circling.

3. Rep. Tom Perriello (D): No Rest For The Weary

But the GOP is also looking to use the stimulus vote to go on the offensive, and the NRCC is airing its first TV ad of the cycle against Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA 05). It charges that he's "stretching the truth" on the stimulus by saying it helps localities pay for local services. It then shows that the bill provides funding for the arts and for STD treatment. But regardless of the message, the timing of this ad (we've still got 23 months until the general election) shows that Perriello's a top target for the GOP.

2. IL-05 Special: We've Seen This Movie Before

One of the surprise nominees last cycle was atty Alice Kryzan (D) in NY-26. A key moment in her comeback was when she aired a TV ad attacking the two frontrunners as bickering fools, while she appeared on the screen as the sensible adult. In the end, she came from behind and trounced her opponents. Well, state Rep. John Fritchey (D) is hoping for a Kryzan moment with his new TV ad.

Fritchey's job, though, is tougher than Kryzan's. He's got two very dynamic politicians in front of him -- state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D) (who can raise plenty of cash) and Cook Co. Commis. Mike Quigley (D) (who's got the late mo' thanks to endorsements by the Tribune and Sun-Times). But Fritchey ended the week on a high note when FEC reports were released that showed he topped the field in fundraising for the last month. Will the bickering ad do the trick again?

1. Fritchey: But Wait, There's More...

But all of this week's news wasn't good for Fritchey. Anytime a candidate finds himself in the same story as ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) or Sen. Roland Burris (D), it's not a good week. And Fritchey found himself this week defending charges that he "rushed" to Burris' defense and "discouraged more aggressive questioning" of the Senator at Blagojevich's impeachment hearing last month. In a race where everyone's fighting over the title of "independent reformer," this isn't the turf Fritchey needs to be on less than two weeks before the 3/3 primary.

(TIM SAHD)

The 2010 Missouri Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic contests of the cycle. Two compelling battles for the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond could evolve: one features candidates with big family names of statewide note, and the other would involve two women nominees, both of whom have won statewide contests.

MO Sec. of State Robin Carnahan, daughter of the late governor, declared her candidacy earlier this month. A Democrat, Carnahan won a second term last fall, besting her Republican rival by 26 points. Her father, Mel, was governor. He died during his bid for Senate in 2000 but was elected posthumously. Carnahan's mother, Jean, was appointed to serve until a special election was held in 2002.

Rep. Roy Blunt, a six-term congressman whose son, Matt, was governor, will likely have higher name identification than his potential primary foe. But Sarah Steelman, the other likely GOP contender, is no novice. She's been elected statewide -- as treasurer -- and spent millions last year on statewide TV ads in her unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for governor. She lost to Kenny Hulshof, who was trounced in the general by Democrat Jay Nixon.

Blunt announced his candidacy yesterday. Steelman hasn't jumped in yet, but issued a statement responding to Blunt's decision. She makes clear that in a primary contest, she'll pitch herself as the outsider, the true Missourian, and Blunt as a creature of Washington.

"I am continuing to explore a run for U.S. Senate because hard working men and women who love this country are looking for a better way," Steelman said. "Missourians know we have to hold people accountable for their bad decisions; the bail outs, the earmarks, the self-dealing and the cozy relationships between congressmen and lobbyists. These actions have undermined the trust in our institutions, devastated the American economy, and have shown disrespect for the hard-working people of this state and country. Too many Americans are paying for Washington's failures in the form of lost jobs and shrinking income, but they still stand ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work to create a better future.

"Missouri's next U.S. Senator must stand with them to credibly address our economic problems and demonstrate to Missourians that she has the courage to stand up to Washington's power brokers,"

Blunt, meanwhile, had a tough time articulating Thursday why he, not Steelman, would be a better party nominee. He pitched himself as the candidate best able to hit the ground running in Washington from Day One. (For 2008 Democratic presidential primary watchers, does that argument sound familiar?)

"This is a huge national race as well as a Missouri race," Blunt said. "If I'm fortunate enough to go the Senate, I've dealt with those individuals, I've dealt with the leaders. I understand the process and procedures. I understand the issues."

Blunt also said that over the last 30 years of MO politics, only a dozen or so individuals have been able to win statewide campaigns. Steelman, he noted, was one of them. He urged her to consider a bid.

Another note of interest as this contest starts to take shape. Blunt is certainly plugged into the national Republican money machine and shouldn't have trouble raising cash for the race. But Steelman is married to a trial lawyer, so that powerful lobby could help lift her bid.

The question for the GOP, most especially perhaps Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is if a bruising GOP primary will hurt their chances in a state that voted in 2006 to send Democrat Claire McCaskill to the Senate. Barack Obama, meanwhile, lost MO by just 4K votes in November.

So can the Republicans, should the Republicans, work to keep Steelman from running? Based on her statement, sounds like a decision has already been made.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

National Journal's Jim Barnes and Peter Bell surveyed our insiders to gauge how Pres. Obama is doing one month into his term.

Q: Grade President Obama's job performance so far this year.

Democrats

Average B

A 27 percent
B 63 percent
C 9 percent
D 1 percent
F 0 percent

Republicans

Average C+

A 6 percent
B 35 percent
C 45 percent
D 12 percent
F 2 percent

And click through to learn how our insiders rated congressional Democrats and Republicans.

"World News" led with the Dow closing at a six-year low. "Evening News" led with the FBI finding financier R. Allen Stanford. "Nightly News" led with backlash to the housing rescue plan.

A good majority of last night's TV coverage focused on Pres. Obama's first foreign trip to Canada.

CNN's Henry: "He was here for only a few hours, didn't even stay for dinner. And I'm told by officials who helped organize this trip that that was on purpose, that the president did not want to have a big ostentatious dinner, a lavish party, which would be traditional for a first foreign trip like this, while Americans are back home suffering from a recession. He realized that image would not be good, those pictures going home" ("AC 360," 2/19).

More Henry: "The substance of this trip was trying to stress this is a global financial crisis, so we're not going to get out of it on our own. We're going to have to work with allies like Canada to turn it around, coordinate our stimulus packages. And he was trying to calm Canadian fears about some of those buy-American provisions in the new stimulus law and also try to reassure them that he's not going to be scrapping some of these free trade agreements. That's a far cry from what he was saying during the campaign last year" ("No Bias, No Bull," 2/19).

National Review's Lowry: "I think he did great. And there is something inspiring about seeing a young African-American representing the United States up at that podium with another foreign leader. But I think he owes Austan Goolsbee an apology. When Obama was engaging this demagogic rhetoric during the campaign, Austan Goolsbee goes up there and supposedly tells the Canadians what turns out to be entirely true -- don't believe it. ... And the Obama campaign said no, it never happened. We never would have made such an assurance to the Canadians. And it really goes to a certain cold-bloodedness, admirable in its way, of Obama, where he said exactly what he need to do to secure the Democratic nomination, and now he's going to do what he thinks to do to succeed when he's governing" ("Special Report," FNC, 2/19).

NBC's Yang, on why Obama didn't ask Canadian PM Stephen Harper about troops in Afghanistan: "It's hard for the president to make a request now, to ask someone, the leader of another country, to send more troops, or to commit to stay in Afghanistan ... to ask them to stay when ... the United States doesn't have a policy itself" ("1600," MSNBC, 2/19).

More after the jump, including reaction to Steele's hip-hop comments and Santelli's rant.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

IL Gov. Pat Quinn will hold an 11 a.m. press conference tomorrow "to discuss the issue of a special election for future U.S. Senate vacancies," according to a schedule provided by an aide.

So will Quinn add his name to the list of lawmakers looking for Sen. Roland Burris, who has served little more than a month, to resign?

Burris revealed this week that he had indeed attempted to raise money for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the request of the governor's brother in the months before he was tapped to fill the vacancy. The episode has re-opened the drama surrounding Blagojevich's appointment to the seat vacated by Pres. Obama and has given the Democrats cause for concern about whether the party can hold onto the seat in 2010. The drama continues to distract from the work the party is trying to do in Washington, and pressure could build on the White House to intervene.

Rep. Phil Hare has said Burris should step down. And Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who has expressed an interest in the job, has called for a special election. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times today, Sen. Dick Durbin expressed his dismay with the entire mess and all but urged Burris to resign.

"It's sickening," Durbin said. "Short of Roland Burris resigning or resolving this issue -- if he can, and I don't know if he can -- I don't know what will stop it. I'm tired of this Blagojevich burlesque that's been going on for so long. The people of our state should be spared this."

The Illinois Legislature must call for a special election to fill the seat. But Quinn could certainly help the process along tomorrow if he urges lawmakers to act.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

by ED POUND
National Journal Group

The New York Times and Washington lobbyist Vicki Iseman have settled her defamation lawsuit in which she claimed that the newspaper had falsely suggested she had engaged in a romantic and unethical relationship with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. In Friday's editions, the Times is scheduled to issue a brief "Note to Readers'' explaining that its story, published a year ago this month, did not "intend to conclude'' that Iseman had engaged in an affair with McCain, or had acted unethically on behalf of her clients.

Iseman filed the $27 million lawsuit in Richmond, Va., federal court in late December. She dropped the litigation Thursday afternoon. No money changed hands. Iseman had previously told National Journal she wasn't looking for money but wanted to see her reputation restored "as an honest broker in the political arena."

In one of the most sensational stories of the presidential campaign, the Times published a 3,000-word, front-page article a year ago this month suggesting that the little-known telecommunications lobbyist had an affair with McCain during his first run for the White House in 1999. The story did not provide any evidence of an affair, but said that McCain's top aides became convinced that the relationship was romantic and took steps to keep McCain and the lobbyist apart.

The story generated massive publicity. The Times was accused of publishing a salacious and unfair story. Even its own ombudsman, Clark Hoyt, joined in the criticism. Hoyt wrote, "If a newspaper is going to suggest an improper sexual affair... it owes readers more proof than The Times was able to provide.''

In a later series of interviews with National Journal, Iseman, 41, strongly denied having had an intimate relationship with McCain. A partner in the lobbying firm Alcalde & Fay, Iseman said in the interviews that the Times made her out to look like "a prostitute,'' someone who had used a romantic relationship to win legislative favors.

In its "Note to Readers," the Times will say: "An article published on February 21, 2008, about Sen. John McCain and his record as an ethics reformer who was at times blind to potential conflicts of interest included references to Vicki Iseman, a Washington lobbyist. The article did not state, and The Times did not intend to conclude, that Ms. Iseman had engaged in a romantic affair with Sen. McCain or an unethical relationship on behalf of her clients in breach of the public trust.''

A joint statement issued by the Times and Iseman said, "The Times has maintained that the article was an accurate, important examination of the record of Mr. McCain... as an ethics reformer who was at times blind to potential conflicts of interest.'' The statement further noted that in dealing with Iseman, the story "focused on the fact that some top McCain advisers had confronted the senator with their concerns that the relationship had become romantic.''

To resolve the case, the statement said, "Ms. Iseman has accepted the Times' explanation... that the article did not state, and The Times did not intend to conclude, that Ms. Iseman had engaged in a romantic affair with Senator McCain or an unethical relationship on behalf of her clients in breach of the public trust.''

The two sides recognized, the statement concluded, that the story "generated a significant public debate concerning the privacy of people swept up in public matters.'' To that end, according to the statement, Iseman's lawyers, W. Coleman Allen Jr., and Rodney A. Smolla, have written a commentary that will appear on the Times' Web site.

But in her own statement, Iseman said she was "pleased'' that the Times had issued "a retraction and clarification.'' She said that the Times and its reporters and editors "should and must be held accountable'' when they publish'' stories "based on innuendos, rumors and the reckless attributions of 'anonymous sources.'''

The Times viewed the settlement differently. Dean Baquet, an assistant managing editor who runs the newspaper's Washington bureau and helped oversee reporting on the story, told his staff in a note that the Times paid no money, did not apologize and "did not retract one word of the story.'' He called the story a "compelling chapter'' in McCain's political rise, and said that the note to readers on Friday "repeats what we had already said in countless interviews.''

(Click through for Pound's October 2008 piece.)

Texas financier R. Allen Stanford who was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission this week with fraud to the tune of $8 billion, has retained Williams & Connolly -- the home of famed white collar attorney Brendan Sullivan -- to represent him, according to two sources familiar with the case. Calls to Williams & Connolly were not returned.

Stanford's financial empire, based in Houston, includes Stanford Financial Group, Stanford International Bank, as well as banks in Antigua, a lightly regulated Caribbean Island. In a civil complaint, the SEC alleged that Stanford enticed investors by promising very lucrative returns on certificates of deposit, but put their funds into a "black box" of assets that were hard to trade. According to the SEC, Stanford's ads for the investments claimed the CDs were safe and suggested the monies would be in "liquid" securities. But the complaint charged that a large part of the bank's portfolio was actually invested in private equity and illiquid real estate.

(National Journal's PETER H. STONE)

Bipartisanship isn't dead -- it's just single-sided, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-GfK. The AP survey reports 62% of U.S. adults believe Pres. Obama is cooperating "about the right amount" with GOPers in Congress, while 27% think the same about the GOP's work with Obama.

Conversely, 64% of adults believe Congressional GOPers are not cooperating enough with the POTUS, and only 30% believe Obama is not collaborating enough with GOPers. Another 6% and 5% believe the POTUS and GOPers, respectively, are working together too much.

These figures mirror the approval ratings for each group on the economy. Approximately two-thirds of adults, 68%, approve of Obama's handling of the economy, and 27% disapprove. Only a third, however, approve of how GOPers in Congress are handling the economy, while 59% disapprove. The economic numbers for Congressional Dems are split nearly evenly -- 49% of adults approve, and 45% disapprove.

Overall, 67%, approve of Obama's handling of his job, including 37% who "strongly approve." Congress, meanwhile, has a job approval of 31%.

The Associated Press poll was conducted 2/12-17 by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, surveyed 1,001 nat'l adults and has margin of error +/- 3.1%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

"World News" led with Pres. Obama's housing rescue plan. "Evening News" led with Obama's housing rescue plan. "Nightly News" led with Obama's housing rescue plan.

Among the reaction to Pres. Obama's housing rescue plan:

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ): "He didn't need to come to Arizona to do it. We know how bad the circumstances are out here, which is why I applauded the fact that we were trying to deal with housing, though I've got some concerns about his announcement today" ("On the Record," FNC, 2/18).

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), asked if the plan is enough: "I believe it is. These are areas where no one can be certain. ... I think the $75 billion should be. If it isn't, we can always decide to do more. We have the ability to make judgments. ... The recovery plan was important, but the foreclosures have been at the center of this" ("1600," MSNBC, 2/18).

Dem strategist Robert Zimmerman: "We're facing a crisis to our economy that focuses on, that begins with and addresses the foreclosure crisis. The housing crisis is the core of this economy. The fact that George Bush did not make this a priority during his tenure and the fact that Barack Obama did move forward and in just four weeks and one day in office, I think speaks to the kind of new leadership we need. Is it a big package? Yes, it's bold, it's very bold" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," CNN, 2/18).

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the former House minority whip, will announce Thursday in St. Louis that he is running for the seat that GOP Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond is vacating, sources told CongressDaily. After former Republican Sen. Jim Talent announced last week that he would not seek the seat, it was widely expected that Blunt would jump in. Democratic state Treasurer Robin Carnahan has already announced she will run and has been backed by Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey. Blunt has press events scheduled throughout the weekend.

We learned over the last day that Sen. Roland Burris attempted to raise money for Gov. Rod Blagojevich before the then-governor appointed him to replace Barack Obama in the Senate. Now as the Senate ethics committee considers if Burris deserves to keep his job, Illinois lawmakers are starting to weigh in on what Burris should do -- and in turn what should happen if Burris resigns or is forced out.

Herein lies the sticky wicket for Democrats. The whole mess provides Illinois Democrats with a point of potential disagreement between members. Should Burris resign or not? If he does, should Gov. Pat Quinn appoint his replacement or should voters get to decide who succeeds Obama? These questions must be giving the good folks over the National Republican Senatorial Committee a reason to smile for the first time in a long while. Illinois Democrats -- thanks to Blagojevich and Burris -- are looking hapless, and the longer this continues, the more potential for the once-secure Democratic seat to be firmly in play in 2010.

Rep. Phil Hare issued a statement earlier calling for Burris to resign. He was the first member of the House to make that public suggestion. Meanwhile, Rep. Jan Schakowsky suggested in a statement provided by a spokesman that Quinn should call for a special election to fill the seat.

"At the time, I made it very clear that Senator Burris should not have accepted the appointment from former Governor Rod Blagojevich," Schakowsky said this afternoon. "The Illinois State Legislature and Governor Quinn could put this all to rest by calling for a special election to allow the people of Illinois to decide who will serve out the 22 remaining months in President Obama's unexpired senate term. Under the 17th Amendment, the Governor has a right to end the temporary term at any time and call for a special election. Whether or not Senator Burris resigns, the best way to put credibility back into the process is through a special election."

Schakowsky, of course, has her eye on the Senate seat. She's not alone. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has also expressed an interest. Other names in the mix: IL Attorney Gen. Lisa Madigan and Rep. Danny Davis.

Unlike Schakowsky, Hare suggested that a special election -- estimated to cost between $30M and $50M -- is not a reasonable option.

"I trust Pat Quinn to do the right thing," Hare said this afternoon in an interview with On Call. "I think he's a good, decent man. ... I don't want to put this state through 50M of special elections if the primary is a year from now."

Hare cited the state's $9B deficit as reason against the special election; when the suggestion first cropped up late last year, Hare said several county clerks in his district contacted him to say they didn't have the money to pay for it. He also said the governor is designated by the state constitution to make the appointment. "If Pat Quinn had made the appointment, we would not be where we are today," he said.

A spokeswoman for Quinn said tonight that the office had no comment. Not yet anyway.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL) today became the first member of Congress to call on Sen. Roland Burris to resign:

"I am deeply disappointed that Senator Burris hid the fact that he attempted to raise money for former Governor Blagojevich at the same time he was lobbying for an appointment to the U.S. Senate.

"Senator Burris' story has now evolved several times since he testified before the Illinois House Impeachment Committee in December. The only logical conclusion is that he is not being entirely straight with the people of Illinois.

"A cloud of corruption has hung over our state and its leaders for too long. The impeachment and removal of former Governor Blagojevich was a step in the right direction. But just as it looked like a new era in Illinois politics was possible, we suffer yet another setback. It is like a recurring nightmare.

"Given this latest revelation, I believe it is in the best interest of all Illinoisans that Senator Burris resigns. Our state and its citizens deserve the whole truth, not bits and pieces only when it is convenient."

With Hare's statement, will the drumbeat for Burris' resignation intensify?

So far Democrats are minding what they say, privately concerned about any additional damage to their reputation statewide. Even if Burris doesn't run for the seat in 2010, the party will have much to do in the way of damage control next year.

Democrats are weighing if it is better to boot him and allow Gov. Pat Quinn to appoint a replacement? Or might it serve the party's interest to strike a private deal in which Burris won't run again? In other words, can the Burris mess be temporarily swept under the rug, with a censure let's say, or, if they allow him to stay on, will the Dems have to deal with this scandal for 18 months?

That's the calculation many members are making at the moment. Additional fundraising revelations or word of more contact between Burris and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's people could, however, prompt lawmakers to be more vocal. Stay tuned.

Former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman's team sent a fundraising solicitation today to supporters that includes a 2-minute video featuring words of support from Republican leaders.

Asking for donations on Coleman's behalf: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele; Rep. John Boehner (R-H); Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN); Sen. John Thune (R-SD); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and more.

"I'm proud of Norm and his perseverance," says Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "I'm proud that he is willing to continue to fight hard to represent the people of Minnesota and to make sure that their votes count. And we want him back."

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK): "A little bit of money right now could make the difference. We've got to get every ballot counted."

Full email to supporters is available after the jump.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele has mailed an aggressive fundraising request to VA members, asserting that the GOP is now "OPEN for business and I am cleaning house."

Steele gives a sense of his strategy moving forward. His first challenge? Making a break with his party's leadership of the last eight years.

"Barack Obama and his allies hold power because Republicans in Washington failed you," he writes. "They failed you on bailouts, spending, immigration and so much more. The Party is a mess because insiders turned deaf ears to you and millions like you who share our beliefs. The Party drifted too far from what you expected -- Republicans did not listen, spent like out of control liberals and voters made them pay for their mistakes in 2006 and 2008."

But Steele, the former lieutenant governor of MD, offers a more traditional Republican refrain in targeting the Democrats, whom he calls the "Obama crowd" and "Obama liberals." He calls them tax-and-spenders, a tag that might not stick as easily to the new president and his party leaders after they approved a massive middle class tax cut as part of the $787B stimulus package.

"The Obama crowd thinks Americans like you have been on top for too long," Steele says. The Left, he writes, is serious about:

-- Staggering "redistributions" (which is Democrat code for tax hikes) from your family budget to Big Labor and special interests;

-- Packing the Supreme Court -- and lower courts -- with the most liberal judges in American history; And

-- Nationalizing healthcare to the point where Washington bureaucrats decide what medical treatmens you get and NOT your doctor.

"The right change is coming," Steele writes.

(But do these charges sound like change, or as if they were plucked from the same old GOP playbook?)

Steele also assures members that he is already working to recruit new candidates. "Let me be clear, the past is behind us and I hope you are ready to start our comeback in Virginia and across America by sending back your gift today," he writes.

Click through to the jump for the full letter.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

When he was appointed to the Senate by Illinois' embattled governor, Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) vowed that nothing untorrid had prompted his selection. No pay-to-play. He was a public servant engulfed in a bad situation, he said, but eager to serve.

Eager, yes, but it seems Burris wasn't quite so forthcoming about his efforts to secure the appointment.

Burris, picked by now former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the assume the seat vacated by Barack Obama, apparently attempted to raise money for the governor in the months before he was tapped for the job. Blagojevich's brother reached out to Burris with the cash request.

The Chicago Tribune and Washington Post today are calling for Burris, whose appointment was vigorously challenged by Senate Democratic leaders, to resign.

The Washington Post writes that Burris's story "has more twists than the Chicago El."

This latest revelation makes a mockery of his professions of no quid pro quo. It is a violation of the public trust. The people of Illinois have suffered enough. Mr. Burris should resign.

Here's the Trib:

Remember that Illinois Democrats failed to do right by the people and schedule a special election for this Senate vacancy. If they had done that, voters today might be weighing the lost credibility of candidate Burris, instead of expressing their disgust with Sen. Burris.

Disgraceful. Disgraceful all around.

There's only one honorable action for Burris: resign.

Reports out this week indicate that the Senate Ethics Committee has launched an investigation.

The committee does not confirm when such an investigation is underway, but here's what I've learned about how the committee handles this type of situation:

-- A preliminary inquiry into a member can be launched if substantial credible evidence showing potential wrongdoing is raised by a citizen, the media or another member.

-- The senator is then contacted by the committee, chaired by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), with a request for additional information. The committee asks for a member's voluntary cooperation but has subpoena authority, which can be used to force a deposition.

-- A preliminary investigation can take as long as needed.

-- The committee then determines if the question should be dismissed, a reprimand should be issued or if an adjudicatory hearing is required.

The last time the committee recommended expulsion? 1995. The committee voted unanimously that Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR) should be expelled for sexual misconduct, among other behavior. Packwood resigned before the full Senate could vote on the matter.

And who before Packwood? Sen. Harrison Williams (D-NJ) was indicted on October 30, 1980, on nine counts, including bribery, receipt of an unlawful gratuity, conflict of interest and conspiracy to defraud the United States. He was one of the members targeted by the FBI's ABSCAM investigation, the code name for the FBI's probe of public corruption and organized crime. Williams resigned in 1982 before the full Senate could act.

What will the committee do in the Burris situation? Will his fellow Democrats join the papers in calling for Burris' resignation? Will Burris aim to hold on to his seat? And if he does, it seems that he'll have no choice but not to run in 2010.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News" led with Pres. Obama signing the stimulus bill. "Evening News" led with auto companies requesting more bailout aid. "Nightly News" led with auto companies requesting more bailout aid.

Three stories dominated last night's TV coverage: Pres. Obama signing the stimulus bill, Obama saying he will send an additional 17K U.S. troops to Afghanistan, and GM and Chrysler seeking more bailout aid. First up, will the stimulus package work?

Bill Clinton: "I think it will do what it's designed to do. ... Given how fast it had to be done and the compromises that had to be made, it's quite a good bill" ("LKL," CNN, 2/17).

Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R): "It's the beginning. And if they realize that they went too far and rein it in, it's not going to be a catastrophic mistake. But if this is the beginning of more and more out-of-control spending -- I mean, you can't spend much more than this. I don't think that Congress has ever passed a bill with this kind of expenditure all at one time ... with almost no consideration except the politics of it. That doesn't give you a lot of confidence with regard to the economy. Let's hope this is ... a rookie mistake, as opposed to something that is kind of set what's going to come in the future" ("On the Record," FNC, 2/17).

MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), asked if he will turn down the money since he thought the stimulus bill was a bad idea: "I think it could have been done better. I was in favor of a stimulus bill, I was disappointed in this one for a variety of reasons. But in Minnesota's case, we are going to accept the money for this reason -- we pay in for every dollar to the federal government. ... If you buy the pizza, it's OK if you have a slice. It doesn't mean you can't express concerns about the bill or offer suggestions on how it could have been better" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 2/17).

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Political Odds and Ends for this Tuesday after President's Day:

Whoops, There It Is

Roland Burris tried to raise money for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the months before the governor appointed him to the Senate.

Promises Kept

Pres. Obama agrees to send an additional 17K troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.

Dipped

The Dow closed down 297.81 points today, after Obama signed the $787B stimulus package.

Recovery.gov

The Obama administration has launched a Web site to document where and how stimulus dollars are being spent.

Depends On The View -- "Immature" and "Stupid" or "Young" and "Curious"

In non politics news, fans of the nations' pasttime probably watched today as Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez explained during a press conference how he and his cousin scored illegal drugs in the Dominican Republican.

Boys Club

The BBC's Katty Kay is tired of the sports metaphors coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The New America Foundation is releasing a study tomorrow asserting that under-30 voters -- known as the Millennial generation -- will impart lasting progressive change on American politics.

The report indicates that the cohort skews more liberal on economic and social issues. Barack Obama was no doubt a draw during the 2008 presidential contest -- he and Joe Biden won 66 percent of the under 30 vote nationally -- but these younger voters also self-identify as liberals over conservatives in greater numbers than the broader voting population. Meanwhile, 45 percent of young voters said they were members of the Democratic Party, compared with 39 percent of all voters. All this means that the group's overwhelming support for the Democratic ticket during the 2008 presidential contest isn't simply a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon, experts say.

"Consistently they look not only more liberal than people today but also more liberal than other people were when they were young," said study co-author Peter Levine, director of research and director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement at Tufts University.

The study indicates several areas in which the Millennials are more progressive at their age than older generations, including Gen Xers, Boomers and the Greatest Generation.

They see themselves as more liberal:

They believe in fewer numbers than their older counterparts that government is wasting money:

They are more supportive of unions:

And more of them support government-provided universal health insurance:

It is difficult to gauge the origin of Millennials' political liberalism though Levine cites one possibility: President Bush.

"One theory is it could be George W. Bush in an ironic way," he said, citing other surveys weighing voter satisfaction levels with the president. "He's extremely unpopular among young people, to some extent it's an anti-Bush reaction."

More broadly, though, younger voters are more idealistic, Levine said, and seem to have a different outlook on the world that is more reflective of their diversity and accepting of differences. They are already are showing their independence from older voters. According to the study, prior to 2004, only in 1980 and 1996 were young voters less likely than their elders to vote for the Republican candidate. In the last two presidential cycles, a generational gap in partisan preferences has emerged, opening in 2004 and widening in 2008. There was a 15-point difference between youth support for Obama/Biden in November and the Democratic Party's share of the entire popular vote.

All of this adds up, Levine said, to a durable move to the left for this up-and-coming generation of voters.

"Nobody has a crystal ball, but I think we've assembled some evidence that it matters where you start, and this group is starting more to the left than even the 1960s group," he said.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

The Republican National Committee is airing the first television ad in the Albany, NY, area advocating for New York State Republican Leader Jim Tedisco, a candidate for open 20th district seat vacated by now Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

"Jim Tedisco's life changed forever when he lost his young brother with Down's syndrome," says a female narrator in the 30-second spot. "So Jim dedicated his life to serving others. Special ed teacher. Guidance counselor. Coach. Then to public service to help our families."

Tedisco will face Democratic venture capitalist Scott Murphy in the 3/31 special election. Murphy, less familiar to voters than his rival, began airing a 60-second bio spot last week that emphasizes his family's roots in the area and business experience.

Here's Tedisco's ad, which is running in Albany:

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

A new poll from Quinnipiac Univ. shows an uphill battle for NY Gov. David Paterson (D) in his quest to return to Albany. Paterson trails in a Dem primary against AG Andrew Cuomo (D), and the Gov. faces a more difficult general-election matchup with ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) than his Dem rival.

The Quinnipiac survey of NY RVs, released this a.m., shows Cuomo leading Paterson 55-23% in a Dem primary, with 20% undec. What's more, Paterson ties Giuliani 43-43% in a GOV '10 matchup, while Cuomo leads the GOPer 51-37%. In their respective matchups, Cuomo leads Indies by 5%, while Paterson trails them by 9%. Cuomo gains 81% support from Dems, while Paterson only gains 70%.

Cuomo is also better liked than Paterson. The AG has a fav/unfav of 63%/15% among RVs, 78%/7% among Dems and 58%/15% among Indies. Paterson, however, stands at just 41%/35% overall, 51%/25% among Dems and 37%/37% among Indies. Cuomo's fav ratings are up since the previous survey, while Paterson's are down.

This trend mirrors a similar movement for approval marks. Three-quarters of RVs, 76%, approve of Cuomo as AG, while just 11% disapprove -- up from 69% approve and 16% disapprove on 1/12. Meanwhile, less than half of NY RVs (45%) approve of the way Paterson is handling his job as Gov., and 41% disapprove. Last summer, 64% approved of Paterson, and just 14% disapproved.

More recently, Paterson had a 53% approval mark on 1/12 as he contemplated a replacement for Sec/State Hillary Clinton -- a process which has been widely criticized. In fact, most NYers (52%) disapprove of the way Paterson handled picking HRC's replacement; only about one in three, 35%, approve. On 1/25, 44% approved of Paterson's handling the Senate pick, and 42% disapproved.

The Quinnipiac Univ. poll, conducted 2/10-15, surveyed 1,065 NY RVs and has margin of error +/- 3.0%. The Dem primary subsample included 450 Dem RVs and has margin of error +/- 4.6%

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

Pres. Obama signed the $787B stimulus package into law a few minutes ago in Denver, the city that hosted the Democratic National Convention. He said the package will create 3.5M jobs, including 60K in CO.

"We have begun the essential work of keeping the American dream alive in our time," Obama said. "Today does not mark the end of our economic troubles. Nor does it constitute all of what we must do to turn our economy around. But it does mark the beginning of the end - the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the wake of layoffs; to provide relief for families worried they won't be able to pay next month's bills; and to set our economy on a firmer foundation, paving the way to long-term growth and prosperity."

Republican National Committee chief Michael S. Steele called on the president to embark on a true bipartisan effort in the future to solve the nation's financial crisis.

"Republicans are unified in our disagreement with Congressional Democrat leaders and President Obama on this bill," Steele said in a statement. "It all comes down to this - the Democrat plan focuses on putting Americans on the public dole, while the Republican plan focuses on putting America back to work. The Republican Party stands ready to work together in a bipartisan manner with the Democrat leaders in Congress and the President. Hopefully they will learn from the mistakes in this bill and be interested in true bipartisan efforts in the future."

Of course, Steele's counterpart -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine -- praised Obama's effort at finding "practical solutions" to address the country's economic problems. He also stressed that this is only the beginning of the public dialogue -- and monies, perhaps -- dedicated to the crisis.

"By signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today, President Obama took the first step towards keeping his promise to pass a responsible plan that saves or creates four millions jobs, provides tax relief for hard-working American families, and invests in our long-term economic future," Kaine said in a statement. "At a time when hundreds of thousands of Americans are losing their jobs each month, President Obama called on our leaders in Washington to come together to find practical solutions that prevent this economic crisis from deteriorating even further. I applaud those who answered that call by putting partisanship aside to pass a bill that provides the practical solutions America's working families need, expect and deserve. But this is only the beginning. Moving forward, we need more leaders in Washington to follow their example as we continue the hard work of getting our economy back on track."

Obama's full remarks are available after the jump.

A Gallup poll released this a.m. shows Congress with its highest approval rating in nearly two years.

Approximately a third of U.S. adults, 31%, approve of how Congress is handling its job -- up from 19% on 1/11. The last time Congress broke 30% in the survey was 4/07, when 33% approved and 60% disapproved. Today, 61% of adults disapprove of Congress's job performance.

The new survey, conducted 2/9-12, queried 1,022 adults and has margin of error +/- 3.1%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

FOX News commentator Sean Hannity will be the featured speaker at the Virginia Republican Convention in Richmond. He is supporting the likely GOP nominee, Attorney General Bob McDonnell. The convention is scheduled for May 29th and 30th.

McDonnell twittered the Hannity announcement yesterday. He also twittered recently that Ed Gillespie, former Republican National Committee chairman, will serve as general chairman of his gubernatorial campaign. Gillespie was counsel to President Bush in the last year of his final term. He was also co-founder of Quinn Gillespie & Associates, one of Washington, D.C.'s top lobbying shops.

Meanwhile, McDonnell is also soliciting speaker suggestions for the convention. Of course, conventions are for building base enthusiasm. But in newly blue VA, does Hannity's appearance have the potential to alienate swing voters vital to a winning statewide campaign?

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Bristol Palin, daughter of AK Gov. Sarah Palin, gives FOX News her first interview since giving birth to her son, Tripp.

"World News" led with federal spending. "Evening News" led with the upstate NY plane crash investigation. "Nightly News" led with the upstate NY plane crash investigation.

With Pres. Obama scheduled to sign the stimulus bill today in Denver, much of last night's TV talk focused on the timing of the signing and Obama's attempts at bipartisanship.

FNC's Hannity: "The House clerk delivered the bill to the White House where it awaits the president's signature tomorrow in Denver. But why wait? Why isn't the bill being signed today? ... Maybe passing the bill on a Friday was less about averting a financial meltdown and more about politics? Maybe Democrats didn't want everyone to read the bill before it passed, or perhaps the speaker of the House didn't want to miss her flight to Italy? Well, that's where she is today, Rome."

More Hannity: "Did [Obama] spend the weekend reading the 1100 pages that he forced down the throats of the American people? Well, it would appear not. He traveled home to Chicago this weekend for a hair cut and a game of pickup basketball. So where has the ominous threat of urgency gone?" ("Hannity," 2/16).

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL): "The process was terrible. We had less than 24 hours from the time this bill was filed to vote on it. And the president said in New Hampshire, when he was in the primary, that he would require at least five days of sunlight on any bill that comes before Congress. So it was in violation of his own campaign pledge" ("1600," MSNBC, 2/16).

Dem strategist Hilary Rosen: "He's doing it tomorrow. And I'm not sure there's a big difference between today and tomorrow. The urgency was met by Congress" ("Situation Room," CNN, 2/16).

More after the jump, including Burris in hot water and the Palin family talks teen pregnancy.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

The common theme of Obama's early efforts has been the solidity of his goals, and the pliability of his means for achieving them.

by Ronald Brownstein, Atlantic Media political director

After the trials and triumphs of his tumultuous first weeks, President Obama appears increasingly focused on ends, not means. In a conversation early Friday evening with a small group of columnists, Obama was flexible about tactics and unwavering in his goals. He signaled that he's open to consultation, compromise and readjusting his course to build inclusive coalitions, but fixed on the results he intends to produce. "My bottom line is not how pretty the process was," he said, looking back at the congressional fight over his economic recovery package. "My bottom line was: Am I getting help to people who need it?"

Obama spoke on Air Force One as he flew to Chicago for a three-day weekend. Just before he sat down, the House had approved his massive economic plan without a single Republican vote, just as when the plan initially cleared the chamber in January. While he talked, the Senate had begun the vote that would approve the package Friday night with support from just three Republicans.

Obama was relaxed, responsive and, as usual, seemed preternaturally calm and unruffled. He understandably celebrated his legislative victory; the scope of the economic plan and the speed of its approval were equally unprecedented. The plan funds the public investments (like scientific research, infrastructure and education) that Democrats consider essential to long-term growth with more new money than Washington has provided at one time since at least the 1960s and maybe the 1930s. And the vote demonstrated far more unity among congressional Democrats than Bill Clinton was able to generate for his economic agenda in 1993. "The end product is not 100 percent of what we would want," Obama said. "But I think it is a very good start on moving things forward."

Click through for the rest of Brownstein's piece.

The judges in the MN Senate recount dealt a blow to former Sen. Norm Coleman's re-election bid this afternoon by limiting the number of absentee ballots eligible to be counted.

Lawyers for Coleman and Democrat Al Franken have jousted over if and how 19 categories of absentee ballots should be weighed. Coleman's team desired tallied all but three of the 19 groups, the AP reported. The judges determined that 12 categories of ballots should be discounted.

The ruling is expected to speed things along. Franken holds a 225-vote lead that Coleman has insisted to date he will erase once the absentee ballots are considered. But we reported earlier that Coleman's campaign manager and recount spokesman is a candidate for chief of staff of the MN Republican Senate Caucus.

Given the two developments, is the end near for Coleman?

Click through to hear the roll call of the final Senate vote.

Voting will remain open until Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) can return to Washington from Ohio, where he attended a memorial service for his mother.

At a Christian Science Monitor-sponsored breakfast this morning, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) defended TARP banking bailout against critics on the right who have called the $700B initiative irresponsible. Frank said he expects to see a "happy ending" for the program -- and for the nation's economy. To explain his perspective, Frank compared the financial bailout to another massive government spending program from the recent past.

"You take the $700 billion from the TARP -- most of that's going to be repaid," he said. "I do think it's important to make a distinction between the hundreds of billions spent on TARP and the hundreds and hundreds of billions spent on the war in Iraq, which isn't coming back."

Defending TARP, Frank said, "I am struck by the selectivity by which we worry about expenditures. I mean, the war in Iraq is enormously expensive...I think some of the Cold War [style] weapons we're building now are enormously expensive."

Those worried about the financial health of the nation shouldn't be worried about what's going on at the Treasury Dept., according to the congressman. Instead, the real focus should be on the Pentagon.

"The biggest ongoing threat to fiscal sanity in this country, I believe, is an open-ended, ever expanding military budget that goes far beyond what is necessary," he said.

Frank said his rosy outlook for TARP was bolstered by the man now in charge of the program, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner -- whose 2/10 presentation about how he'll manage the remaining $350B was panned in the media and on Wall Street. Frank said he told the Treasury Sec. over dinner this week that his presentation needs work but that he was sold on the substance.

"The biggest difference between these two administrations is their handing of TARP," Frank said, comparing the Bush and Obama teams. "It's sort of a unique sociological experiment. [former Treasury Sec. Henry] Paulson had $350 billion, and we saw what he did with it. Now Geithner's going to have $350 billion and we'll get to see the difference in how he handles it."

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

House Republicans circulated GOP Leader John Boehner's floor comments before today's vote on the economic stimulus package. Apparently, Republicans wanted more time to read the 1,071-page document. And then, what? They would've found another reason to vote en masse against it, no?

House Race Hotline editor Tim Sahd will take a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week. Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning:

5. New Hampshire Mess = Another Open Seat?

With Sen. Judd Gregg's (R-NH) sudden decision to withdraw his bid for Commerce Sec., you'd think the two House contests in NH would be thrown into chaos. Would Rep. Paul Hodes (D-02) consider stepping back from the Senate race and instead run for re-election? Would Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-01) decide then to jump in? Well, the opposite is true. Nothing looks to have changed in either of the state's two House races. Hodes says he's still running for Senate, and Shea-Porter still appears to be considering a bid. So, despite lots of news out of NH towards the end of the week, it's pretty much the status quo on the House front: 1 open seat, with another being a possibility.

4. Madia not running

Last week was the week of reruns. This week, a major Dem decided against making a repeat bid. Last cycle, Iraq vet Ashwin Madia (D) was a surprise nominee in the open MN-03 when he defeated a state Senate insider at the party's convention. But he underperformed on election day, losing to now-Rep. Erik Paulsen (R) 48-41%.

Over the weekend, Madia told a MN blogger that he likely won't run again, and instead wants someone else to run against Paulsen -- "and beat him." If Madia couldn't win in such a favorable environment for Dems in '08, he would likely face an even tougher road in '10. So a "fresh face" here would likely aid Dems against Paulsen, who is a savvy campaigner, but who sits in very unfriendly territory for GOPers.

3. Murphy Goes Up On The Air In NY-20

It's only been three weeks since NY Gov. David Paterson (D) appointed Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) to the Senate, but we now not only have nominees, but a date for the special election (3/31), and our first ad. Venture capitalist Scott Murphy (D) went up with a 60-second bio spot this week in the Albany media market -- a move that was undoubtedly made with some of his own money.

Considering Assemb. Min. Leader Jim Tedisco's (R) early advantage (a 50-29% lead in a poll conducted for his own campaign), it was imperative that the lesser-known Dem get on the air, and fast. His ad emphasizes his role in creating 1K jobs in the CD -- a theme that is likely to be repeated several times in the next 6+ weeks.

2. Stimulus, Dems Vs. GOPers

On 2/3, the DCCC began airing radio ads against 28 House GOPers for their opposition to the stimulus package. Late this week, the NRCC went on the offense, and aired radio ads against 30 Dems for their support of the package. But while the parties have spent precious cash on ads against the opposition, the real impact looks to have been inside their own parties...

1. Stimulus, Base Politics

The first stimulus vote on 1/28 saw 11 Dems join the GOP caucus in voting against the bill. After all the political posturing (ads, accusations, etc.) between the votes, the roll call on the conference bill showed that just seven Dems joined GOPers in opposing the bill. Meanwhile, no GOPer voted for either bill.

What does that say? It tells us that while Pres. Obama was looking to create a bi-partisan bill, the result is a Congress that's divided even further. And despite the best efforts of both parties to turn this to their political advantage, vulnerable incumbents on both sides seemed more worried about primaries than general elections, and moved toward their base. Is this the new normal in Congress?

(TIM SAHD)

The House of Representatives approved the economic stimulus package:

246 in favor; all Democrats
183 in total against; 176 Republicans, 7 Democrats
1 Democrat voted present

Watch here.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, in treatment in FL for brain cancer, won't make it to Washington to vote on the economic stimulus package, a spokeswoman said today.

Per the AP:

Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said Friday that Kennedy was continuing his treatment and physical rehabilitation in warmer weather.

The Massachusetts Democrat has been working from Florida recently, and had returned to the Senate on Monday for an earlier stimulus vote.

Wagoner said Kennedy probably won't be on hand for the final vote since Democrats don't need his vote for final passage. She said Kennedy will travel back and forth until the weather gets warmer in Washington.

Kennedy suffered a seizure on Inauguration Day last month.

Without Kennedy, and with the three previously-committed Republican senators, the Democrats are expected to hit 60 votes for the bill. No more, no less. A Senate vote could come this evening.

The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the economic stimulus package. For those interested, ProPublica graciously distills the 1,071-page bill to chart its spending provisions. Give it a read.

Cullen Sheehan, campaign manager for Sen. Norm Coleman's re-election bid, is a candidate for chief of staff to the MN Senate Republican Caucus, according to a State House source.

Sheehan has been speaking for the Coleman team during the recount. Might his departure signal that the Coleman folks know the end is in sight?

Michael Brodkorb, communications director for the MN Senate Republican Caucus, could not confirm that Sheehan is in the mix. "I just don't have any information or any comment on any staffing decisions," he said.

But our State House source says that the job, by law, must be posted for 10 days, and it has only been up since late last week. So don't expect an announcement about Sheehan -- if he gets the gig -- until next week.

Brodkorb, who worked for Coleman's 1998 gubernatorial campaign, blogged about the Al Franken tax issue on the Web site Minnesota Democrats Exposed.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

Meet the Press hosts Obama sr. adviser David Axelrod, National Journal's Ron Brownstein, Washington Post's Eugene Robinson, Politico's Roger Simon and Wall Street Journal's Kimberley Strassel.

Face the Nation hosts WH Press Sec. Robert Gibbs, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).

This Week hosts Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY).

Fox News Sunday hosts Axelrod, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Moody's Economy.com Chief Economist Mark Zandi.

State of the Union hosts Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Gibbs, ex-NBA player Bill Russell, ex-NBA player Magic Johnson, NBA player Chris Paul, NBA player Grant Hill and NBA player Steve Nash (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

I spoke with former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu recently about his reasons for emerging from political retirement to take the helm of the foundering state Republican Committee. During our talk, Sununu, 69, hinted that his son -- former Sen. John E. Sununu (R-NH), who was defeated last fall in his re-election bid -- has not ruled out a run for the seat likely vacated by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) in 2010.

The entire interview with the elder Sununu, who was White House chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, ran in this week's National Journal. Click through for the full conversation and an audio excerpt.

Here are a few snippets:

NJ: Over the last four years, the New Hampshire Republican Party has seen the once reliably GOP state vote for two Democratic presidential nominees, a Democratic governor, and two Democrats for Congress. The Democrats have seized majorities in the state House and Senate for the first time in a century. And, of course, your son, one-term Senator John Sununu, lost his 2008 rematch against Jeanne Shaheen.

Why would you, after all you've accomplished, decide to take over the New Hampshire GOP at such a challenging time?

Sununu: The results you just listed are quite scary, aren't they? And this is too special a state to let it become a clone of Massachusetts. The Democratic Party really has campaigned very well and governed very badly in the state of New Hampshire. And we are drifting to mimic all the bad habits of our sister states in New England: fees and taxes and centralization of government; loss of local control; no fiscal discipline; [and] an explosion of unfunded liabilities in our state employee and public employee retirement systems. It really is a change in policies, a change in results. If the Republican Party doesn't stand up and do better than it has been able to do in the last few election cycles, what has made New Hampshire special will be gone forever.

NJ: Democrats, including Representative Paul Hodes, are already lining up to run in 2010 to replace Gregg. Who are the most qualified Republicans to make a bid for the job? And is your son perhaps one of those folks?

Sununu: If I had a list, I wouldn't tell you. And I don't have a list.

NJ: Well, speaking of your son, what's next? Do you think that he should give it a go?

Sununu: He's officially been out of office about one month. The beginning of January is when the official transition took place. So he's taking it slowly, evaluating what he wants to do with this period in his life. And I think taking it slowly is the right process. I'm sure he's giving a little bit of thought to private-sector opportunities. I can't afford him, so there are other people who would pay him a lot more than I could to come work for them. I'm sure he has on his list of options some of the opportunities coming back into the political process. But he's got to evaluate it on his own with his wife and kids and make a family-oriented as well as a state- and a nationally-oriented decision.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

A Valentine's Day card from the Republican National Committee arrived in reporters' mailboxes today:

"World News" led with the ruling saying there's no link between autism and childhood vaccines. "Evening News" led with Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) withdrawing his commerce secretary bid. "Nightly News" led with Gregg's withdrawal.

News that Gregg (R-NH) backed out of consideration for Pres. Obama's commerce sec. nominee was the major topic discussed last night.

CNN's Yellin: "Inside the White House tonight, there's a real sense of irritation over this. One angry Democrat close to the process told me that they feel like Gregg's decision to withdraw was erratic. I mean, Gregg says he changed his mind when he realized the president's politics were too different from his own and he just couldn't compromise."

CNN's Borger, in response: "I call him the runaway bride" ("No Bias, No Bull," 2/12).

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), on Gregg's announcement: "Obviously, it is a surprise, but not for the reasons that Senator Gregg indicated. We know he has strongly held views when it comes to fiscal policy. ... I know he feels very strongly about these issues and it's to his credit that he recognized that, acknowledged it, and made what was obviously a very difficult decision."

More Snowe, on whether she got an "inkling" Gregg might withdraw: "No, not at all. I did happen to see Senator Gregg in Leader [Harry] Reid's office yesterday just in passing but there was no discussion, no speculation whatsoever that this was about to happen" ("1600," MSNBC, 2/12).

Fortune's Easton: "This is a great loss, and I think the sad thing is it probably could have been avoided. I think if a stimulus plan had come out of Obama's shop rather than sending it to Congress and losing control over it, basically, I think you could have possibly kept a Judd Gregg onboard" ("Special Report," FNC, 2/12).

CBS' Schieffer: "This is either the weirdest thing that's happened in Washington, or we've found one honest man" ("Evening News," 2/12).

After the jump, more on Gregg, as well as the economic stimulus package

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

The AP is reporting that Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) won't run for re-election next year.

Sen. Judd Gregg's decision to withdraw his nomination for Commerce Secretary has wide-ranging political ramifications.

The move interferes with Pres. Obama's efforts to secure congressional support for his stimulus package and forces the administration to find yet a third person to lead the agency; Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, the first nominee, withdrew amid rumblings of a pay-to-play scandal in his home state. The Obama team will also likely have to answer questions about a key point of difference between the administration and Gregg -- how best to manage the highly-political Census.

The Census, which falls under the auspices of the Commerce Department, is used in the redistricting process, and fearing that their political power would be marginalized or diminished, several minority groups had stepped forward to issue their discomfort with that responsibility falling to the Republican senator from New Hampshire. The White House responded by noting that the Census chief would report to the administration, not Gregg. But conservatives were miffed by the news, calling the move a blatant attempt to fold the redistricting process into the Democratic White House.

Moving forward, isn't the Obama administration providing conservatives with a major talking point if a Democrat is selected for Commerce and the Census is then "returned" to its once rightful place within the department? Or is Team Obama damned either way -- even if they pick a Democrat and stand firm by the decision to give the White House oversight? Then they're still co-opting the process -- and giving Republicans an opening to say that despite the Obama administration's promise of a new kind of politics, it's business as usual at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Meanwhile, Gregg took pains today to say in his statement that nothing had emerged in the vetting process to influence his decision, and he cited the Census disagreement as well as the stimulus package as points of difference between the camps that could not be overcome.

"It's all about the Census," said Republican strategist John Feehery. "Obviously the White House's decision to bring this in-house was the last straw for Gregg."

So Obama will fight the good stimulus fight for the next several days and return to square one to find a fitting Commerce Secretary. What of Gregg?

Some Granite Staters say he took the Commerce job as an easy and appealing way out of the Senate, to which he was elected in 1992.

"It's possible he took the appointment as a graceful way to leave the Senate with good travel," one Washington polical watcher tells On Call.

Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of the Cook Political Report in Washington, said she thinks the whole episode will serve Gregg well when he returns to newly left-leaning New Hampshire. She said he resumes his position in the Senate with the "Obama Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval." Gregg, should he decide to run again when his term expires in 2010, has now proven to Granite State voters that he is acceptable to a Democratic president.

"It'll be harder for (Democratic Rep. Paul) Hodes to push him too far to the right, harder to wrap President Bush around his neck," Duffy said.

Hodes, who has already announced his candidacy for Senate, issued a statement this afternoon affirming that he'll run no matter what Gregg decides.

"I am surprised and disappointed at this sudden withdrawal," Hodes said. "Senator Gregg would take us back to the years of George W. Bush rather than moving forward with the change agenda that the American people clearly want. ... I will be a candidate for the United State Senate in 2010. I look forward to working every day to stand up for New Hampshire as we come together to confront the economic crisis facing our nation."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

And a statement from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about Sen. Judd Gregg's decision to withdraw his name from nomination for Commerce Secretary:

"Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce. He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President's agenda. Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama's key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed Sen. Judd Gregg back to the chamber with open arms, saying in a statement that Gregg's move to withdraw his nomination as Commerce Secretary is "principled":

"Sen. Gregg made a principled decision to return and we're glad to have him. He is among the smartest, most effective legislators to serve in the Senate--Democrat or Republican--and a key advisor to me and to the Republican Conference. It's great to have him back."

Sen. Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination this afternoon to lead the Commerce Department. Gregg was the third Republican selected to serve in Pres. Obama's Cabinet and the president's second choice to lead the agency.

The New Hampshire senator explains his reasons in a statement posted to his Web site:

"I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.

"However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.

"Obviously the President requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives.

"I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position.

"As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the President's proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine.

"Kathy and I also want to specifically thank Governor Lynch and Bonnie Newman for their friendship and assistance during this period. In addition we wish to thank all the people, especially in New Hampshire, who have been so kind and generous in their supportive comments.

"As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate."

More to come.

Pres. Obama took his economic policies to the people this week, stopping in towns hit especially hard by the nation's recession: Elkhart, IN; Fort Myers, FL; Springfield, VA; and Peoria, IL. It was the new president's first foray outside Washington since the inauguration, but the excitement that met him was nothing new to a man who regularly drew tens of thousands to his campaign rallies. Local reporters covered the long lines and anticipation that surrounded Obama's trip. But they also found that the president's visits drew citizens deeply worried about their financial welfare.

Here are highlights:

First stop on the economic tour was Elkhart, IN, a town where the unemployment rate has rose from around 5% in Dec. '07 to over 15% today. Obama held a town hall 2/9 with residents of the town. The local paper, The Elkhart Truth picked up the view of the visit from local residents:

At 34 years old, Middlebury resident Randy Allard got his first layoff notice in November after more than 10 years working in the RV industry. He believes giving a substantial check to everyone would not only help them pay their debts but also have enough leftover to buy a television. Allard, who has applied at fast food restaurants and big box retailers, bristles at the amount of money that has been given to Wall Street executives.

"I'm hoping he's going to put the stimulus package in effect for Americans and not just for banks," Allard said.

Especially interesting to Allard, he said after watching Obama speak in Elkhart, was Obama's plan to create jobs that would fix the roads. He mentioned Six Span Bridge and other projects in the county that have been ongoing. He said workers who have been laid off from RV factories have skills they can apply to other jobs.

"I like his idea," he said. "The roads do need to be done. You see potholes all over the place and nothing's being done about them. You can put a shovel in someone's hand and have him fill them in."

Obama's next stop was Ft. Myers, FL, where housing is a key concern. The southwest FL city has one of the nation's highest foreclosure rates, fueled largely the bubble bursting in a subprime-based housing speculation craze. Obama held a town hall there, too. The visit was marked by a question from local resident Henrietta Hughes, who appealed directly to Obama for help with her desperate housing situation. But the Ft. Myers News-Press reports that some locals connected with the real estate crisis aren't sure about Obama's proposed solutions:

Marc Joseph, owner of Marc Joseph Realty in Fort Myers, said he's glad to see the nation's attention drawn to the falling real estate prices in Lee County. "It'll definitely pull out some people who have been on the fence, thinking maybe it wasn't the right time to buy."

He was a little leery of the president's stimulus plan because, he said, speculators are once again buying up properties here and reselling them to prospective homeowners. "We're going to end up with a replay" of the unsustainable boom in prices and sales that started the whole mess. Joseph...said he'd like to see a private entity that loans money to the government to buy houses that could be sold at the same price to homeowners. In two or three years, the buyers would pay back the private entity by refinancing.

The latest stop of Obama's economic roadshow was Peoria, IL, where he spoke to workers at Caterpillar, the heavy equipment manufacturer. The company was once heralded as rare good news for American manufacturing but has recently announced thousands of layoffs in the face of dwindling demand for it's bulldozers and building products. Peoria Journal-Star columnist Phil Luciano writes that, despite the economic woes, IL residents expect more than just a stimulus from their new president:

Maybe Obama should veer from his precisely scheduled visit to a well-swept Caterpillar Inc. plant...[and] bend an ear to folks like [Jenny] Wilson, 32, who tends bar in The Bottoms. Squatting in the shadow of Cat, The Bottoms is an old, hardscrabble neighborhood that still sends workers to Cat and elsewhere.

Why? Wilson and others in The Bottoms say they realize the sad state of the economy. But they have other issues on their mind that precede the current financial crises. For instance, Wilson, who has friends serving in the military overseas, urges Obama to end the current wars in the Middle East.

[Jeff] Davis, 47, a railroad conductor, bemoans illegal aliens (remember that issue?) taking jobs amid skyrocketing unemployment. Plus, he thinks too many cheats get welfare and unemployment payments. If Obama were to fix those woes and reduce tax burdens, America would be on much sounder footing, Davis says. "I don't want a stimulus check," he says. "Just give me what I go to work for."

Obama will continue his economic stimulus sales tour with visits next week to Denver and Phoenix.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

(photo, Associated Press)

Pres. Obama participated today in a celebration at the U.S. Capitol of Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial. He made a plea for unity in difficult times, by reminding lawmakers, and citizens, of Lincoln's work to heal the nation:

What Lincoln never forgot, not even in the midst of civil war, was that despite all that divides us -- north and south, black and white -- we were, at heart, one nation and one people, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not break.

And so even as we meet here today, in a moment when we are far less divided than in Lincoln's day, but when we are once again debating the critical issues of our time -- and debating them sometimes fiercely -- let us remember that we are doing so as servants of the same flag, as representatives of the same people, and as stakeholders in a common future. That is the most fitting tribute we can pay -- the most lasting monument we can build -- to that most remarkable of men, Abraham Lincoln.

Obama's full prepared remarks are available after the jump. The New York Times' Kit Seelye, meanwhile, asks if Obama -- who launched his campaign in Springfield, and, well, never misses an opportunity to invoke the 16th president -- is over-doing it with the Lincoln comparisons. Read on.

Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said today that the outlook for 2010 is already strong for Democratic Senate candidates but that Republican opposition to Pres. Obama's economic stimulus package will help them make their case by amplifying voter dissatisfaction with the GOP.

"They are, in essence, betting against the nation doing better," he added, calling the party's 'no' votes a "signature" George W. Bush move. "I think that's an incredibly wrong and dangerous proposition for Republicans."

During a noon briefing with reporters at the Democratic National Committee, Menendez added: "The early evidence seems to show that Republicans haven't changed their brand."

And because of that, Menendez said, solid Republican candidates aren't opting to run for Senate next cycle. Menendez mentioned former Gov. Jeb Bush, who decided not to run for the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Mel Martinez.

"It's difficult to energize voters when your candidates are reluctant to run," Menendez said.

Meanwhile, he noted that Democrats have already jumped into 2010 contests in key swing states: Robin Carnahan in MO and Rep. Paul Hodes in NH.

With four new Democratic senators appointed by their governors (IL, NY, DE and CO), Menendez was asked if the DSCC will back the incumbent in each state over a viable primary challenger.

"Any of the appointed candidates who decide to run will have the support of the committee," he said.

He hedged slightly, however, when asked about IL Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a young, affluent Democrat toying with a bid against Pres. Obama's replacement, Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL). Menendez said he knows Giannoulias, 32, from his work with the Greek community.

"We'll see where it goes," Menendez said.

All told, how many seats will the Democrats win next cycle? "As many as we can," Menendez said.

An overview of the landscape, as provided by the DSCC chairman:

Illinois

Menendez said that Burris -- chosen by embattled and now impeached former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat vacated by Obama -- has not decided yet if he will run in 2010. The committee, he said, has not imposed a deadline on Burris to make that determination.

(On Call Aside: Not publicly, at least.)

New York

The newest addition to the United States Senate is, of course, former Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, whom Gov. David Paterson appointed to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand has met much resistance from downstate Democrats, who reject her pro gun stance, in particular, and there are some members -- Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Carolyn McCarthy -- who have said they are weighing a primary challenge.

Menendez was enthusiastic about Gillibrand, calling her "a hard charger."

"She is working extremely hard to both understand and represent the diverse nature of New York state," he said. By the time the primary rolls around, he said, "she will have convinced her fellow Democrats that she deserves their support."

Pennsylvania

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) broke ranks this week with his party to back the economic stimulus package pushed by Democratic congressional leaders and the White House, but that doesn't buy him any points with the party establishment when it comes to his re-elect. The gloves will be off in 2010.

Menendez noted that PA Democrats have a 1.2M registration advantage. "That's a daunting task to start off with," he said.

He also said that the state -- which already has a strong incumbent Democratic governor, Ed Rendell, and popular junior senator, Bob Casey -- proved that it is trending away from the GOP in giving Obama a big win over Sen. John McCain.

"I think that's a tide that is very difficult for Sen. Specter," he said.

Missouri

MO Secretary of State Carnahan, the daughter of a former MO governor and U.S. senator announced her intention to run for the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Christopher Bond, a Republican. She could face a challenge, however, from another state figure with a well-known family name, GOP Rep. Roy Blunt. Menendez said Blunt will have to explain his leadership in the House.

"I'm not dismissing him," Menendez said. "I'm looking at the reality of Robin Carnahan."

Kansas

It's a sign of the nation's political evolution over the last presidential cycle that Democrats see opportunity in the retirement of Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS). One rumored contender is Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who has also been mentioned as a potential head of Health and Human Services.

Menendez suggested that she is still in the mix for Senate.

"Clearly, if Gov. Sebelius were to run, she wins," he said. "And I don't discard that possibility."

Florida

Gov. Charlie Crist is reported to be seriously considering a bid for the Sunshine State seat vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez. If he runs, he would be the biggest name on either side of the ticket. Democrats already lining up for a primary fight include: State Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.

But Menendez said that with Florida's economic woes and housing crisis, Crist might not be such an appealing candidate.

"I'm not sure that Floridians will feel that they're well-served by him in leaving them in that lurch," he said.

Connecticut

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) has seen his popularity wane following news that he took a questionable home mortgage loan. He's in Republican crosshairs. Menendez stood by Dodd, who is serving his fifth term, saying that he has taken on tough issues and succeeded and that he's been in the eye of the storm before. He said he has heard the GOP's rumbling that they'll take on Dodd but that so far it's all talk.

"I see a lot of paper moving around with the Republicans," Menendez said. "I don't see any candidates against him."

North Carolina

Menendez said that Kay Hagan's win over incumbent GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole last year bodes well for the Democrats in the Tar Heel state. He said that he believes Sen. Richard Burr is "vulnerable."

"I believe we will have a great candidate in to challenge him," he said without naming names.

Texas

And finally, a sign of the chairman's confidence, perhaps, is his willingness to pitch Texas as a possible get for Democrats, should Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison run for governor, as is likely. "No place is a bridge to far for Democrats," Menendez said. "If that happens, we will have a great candidate in Texas."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Over the last week, Pres. Obama has taken to Air Force One and town-hall meetings to campaign for his economic stimulus package. Obama took his case directly to the American people, so we decided to take a look at the popularity of the POTUS and his plan in the several states.

In addition to the steady flow of nat'l polls on the economic stimulus package, a few outlets have included such questions on state surveys. The chart below outlines states with both stimulus data and Obama approval ratings available. The final line identifies the percentage of the WH '08 vote which Obama won in each state.

                    CT  FL  IA  NJ  OH  PA
Job approval        69% 64% 68% 65% 67% 63%
Stimulus support    58  47  59  53  57  54
11/4 vote %age      61  51  54  57  51  55

Quinnipiac University supplied the CT, NJ, OH and PA data. The FL figures are from Strategic Vision (R), and the IA numbers come from the Des Moines Register/Selzer & Co.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

If he enters the race, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appears to be a strong favorite to replace retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (R), according to a new survey of FL LVs from GOP-pollster Strategic Vision. In 23 separate Senate ballot tests -- two GOP primary, one Dem primary and 20 general election -- Crist is the only candidate to break 50%.

On one GOP primary ballot, Crist leads Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-14) 54-16%, with Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-13) at 10%, ex-state House Speaker Allan Bense (R) at 7% and ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) at 4%; 9% of GOPers are undec. And in four general-election matchups against potential Dem candidates, Crist prevails 60-26%, 58-24%, 58-27% and 57-29%. In the 16 other matchups tested between other GOP contenders and the Dem field, the highest proportion tallied by a candidate is 35% -- for Mack against Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-17).

An earlier release from the same poll shows 62% of FLans approve of Crist as Gov., up from 58% just before election day. Over the same period, the Gov.'s disapproval fell from 32% to 25%. Crist's 62% rating bests Martinez's 45% approval and Sen. Bill Nelson's (D) 54% mark, but falls just short of Pres. Obama's 64% rating among FL LVs.

Strategic Vision also tested a GOP primary ballot without Crist, finding Mack leading Buchanan 21-11%, with Bense at 8% and Rubio at 5%. In this primary matchup, more than half of GOPers (55%) are undec. Meanwhile, a Dem primary ballot shows Rep. Ron Klein (D-22) leading Meek 12-10%, with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio (D) at 8% and state Sen. Dan Gelber (D) at 4%. Two-thirds of Dems, 66%, are undec.

The Strategic Vision poll, conducted 2/6-8, surveyed 1,200 FL LVs and has margin of error +/- 2.8%. Margins of error for the party subsamples are +/- 4.4% (Dem) and +/- 4.5% (GOP).

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

Susie Turnbull, who served most recently as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, has signed on to lead the Maryland Democratic Party.

"I am excited to help move the Maryland Democratic Party further ahead in our state," Turnbull, a Bethesda resident, said in an interview with On Call. "We had a terrific campaign in 2008, and I want to build on that. And I think that right now in such difficult times in our country that it is really important for people to be involved and to make a difference. So I'm happy that I am going to be able to be a part of that process."

Turnbull's name will be put into nomination at a Feb. 19 meeting of the party's executive committee. Gov. Martin O'Malley notified supporters last night that Turnbull will replace outgoing chairman Michael Cryor.

"Susie is a friend and colleague of many of you and will bring her successful experience as a political organizer and fundraiser to the Maryland Democratic Party," the governor said in an email. "She just completed a very successful term as DNC Vice Chair in helping to elect President Obama and Democrats across (the) country. A longtime Democratic activist and chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Party in the 1990s, she will build upon the successes of Chairman Cryor and get our party ready for 2010."

O'Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore, is up for re-election next year. It remains to be seen if the man he defeated -- former Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. -- will seek a rematch.

Turnbull said she decided to take the job to support Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), who is serving her fourth term and is expected to run for re-election next year, and because she has admired the way O'Malley has handled the state's budget crisis, among other challenges.

"The other reason I'm doing this is that I'm confident and comfortable and proud to associate myself with Gov. O'Malley," Turnbull said. "I think he is a true leader who has tackled major issues with incredible competence and heart."

Turnbull said another part of her new gig that appeals is that she could rival the head of the Republican National Committee, former MD Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.

"One of the I think fun parts of this new job is I hope that people will come to the Maryland Democratic Party for comments and thougths about Michael Steele because we know him best," she said.

First elected to the DNC in 1992, Turnbull has served the Democratic Party in a number of positions. She was on the DNC Executive Committee from 1997-2009; she was appointed DNC Deputy Chair in 2003; she was the elected chairwoman of the DNC Women's Caucus, 1997-2003; she was named as one of the founding co-chairs of the DNC Women's Vote Center in 2005; and she was the national chairwoman of the DNC Women's Leadership Forum from 2002-2004. Turnbull was also a platform speaker at the 2000 and 2008 Democratic Conventions.

Turnbull is an Ohio native. She has lived in Maryland since 1979 and holds a master's degree in urban studies from the University of Maryland. Turnbull and her husband, Bruce, have two adult sons, Joshua and David.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News" led with the economic stimulus package. "Evening News" led with the economic stimulus package and hosted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Nightly News" led with the economic stimulus package.

Pelosi sat down with CBS' Couric for an interview that aired on "Evening News" last night.

Pelosi, after speaking with Pres. Obama the phone, and whether she is surprised by how "intimately" he has been while trying to pass the stimulus package: "Quite frankly, yes. I said, 'Mr. President, neither of us has time for this conversation ... really,' but we understand each other, we know where we need to go."

Couric: "Can you tell us anything he said to you, like 'get cracking'?"

Pelosi: "No, never that. We're always cracking. But it was really a moment for us to have an appreciation that in just a little while, maybe a couple of days, we will have passed legislation that will take the country in a new direction, which will begin us down the road of recovery."

Couric: "Is the devil in the details?"

Pelosi: "I hope the angels are, because what is in the details are how we will create those jobs, how we do it in a transparent way for the world to see with accountability to the public, again to build jobs, build confidence and stabilize the economy. The bill that we passed one week and one day after the president's speech, honoring the promises he made in that speech, 90 percent of that bill is contained in the Senate bill."

After the jump, more from Pelosi's interview, and discussion about the stimulus package.

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

Conflict averted tonight as House and Senate leaders finally arrived at an agreement on a $789B economic stimulus package. CNN reported that the final snag came as lawmakers wrestled with how to allocate money for school construction:

Senators had cut a plan to provide direct funding for school construction -- a priority for some Democrats -- and instead set aside money for governors to use on school modernization and rehabilitation. House Democrats did not believe that money would ultimately be targeted enough to school districts in need.

In the version announced by Reid, $10 billion had been added to the $44 billion previously allocated toward "state stabilization" to help school infrastructure.

Using that state stabilization vehicle, the money is given to governors to parcel out. But aides say House members would rather this $10 billion go through Title I, which would allocate the money based on need.

The White House issued a statement on behalf of Pres. Obama praising the collaborative effort to get the bill passed. Note the special nod to House Democrats for starting the process.

"I want to thank the Democrats and Republicans in Congress who came together around a hard-fought compromise that will save or create more than 3.5 million jobs and get our economy back on track. Just today, the CEO of Caterpillar said that if this American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is passed, his company would be able to rehire some of the employees they've been forced to lay off. It's also a plan that will provide immediate tax relief to families and businesses, while investing in priorities like health care, education, energy, and infrastructure that will grow our economy once more. I'm grateful to the House Democrats for starting this process, and for members in the House and Senate for moving it along with the urgency that this moment demands."

It's been barely three weeks since Gov. David Paterson (D) appointed ex-Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) to the Senate, but we already have two nominees to fill her seat, and today we got a date -- 3/31 -- for a special election. And now venture capitalist Scott Murphy (D) gives us the first TV ad of the race. The Murphy Putnam-produced ad is airing on broadcast TV in the Albany market.

The 60-second bio spot introduces Murphy's family, and highlights his wife's deep roots in the CD. He also touts a business record that helped create 1K jobs in the region, and says he "can do more to bring investment upstate."

Given the short timeframe for this special, it was imperative that Murphy get off to a fast start. His challenge was highlighted in a poll released last week by his opponent, Assemb. Min. Leader Jim Tedisco (R). The survey showed Tedisco with a name ID over 60%, while Murphy registered a score in the mid-teens. It also showed Tedisco with a wide, 50-29% early lead. To counter this GOP advantage, Murphy has the ability to self-fund, and has pledged to spend over $200K on the race.

The NRCC has attempted to hit the relative-unknown Murphy hard and define him early. The cmte accused him of failing to pay taxes on a business he owned, and has also attempted to highlight the fact that Murphy is actually a MO native. This ad is Murphy's opportunity to define himself. We'll know by the end of Mar. who was more successful in defining Murphy in these crucial early weeks.

(TIM SAHD)

We've learned from sources that House Democrats are scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. for an emergency caucus to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. they were supposed to meet hours ago, but the backroom session has been postponed. Seems the $789B compromise deal announced by Senate leaders earlier isn't so done.

Meanwhile, Politico is reporting that the Congressional Black Caucus and other progressive groups want to reinstate several spending items:

Progressive Democrats and members of the Congressional Black Caucus would like to see more money for social spending programs that was cut from the Senate package over the weekend in a deal with three moderate Republican senators. It's not clear if they will get all their wishes, but the deal announced this afternoon will be finalized in the coming hours.

The CBC sent House negotiators a letter Wednesday asking them to add an additional $4.2 billion for the federal government to lend states money to acquire foreclosed homes, another $4 billion for job-training programs and $14 billion for school construction.

They would also like to see more money for broadband Internet access for impoverished neighborhoods and protections in the bill to ensure minority-owned businesses will benefit.

Stay tuned.

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) became today the longest serving member of Congress in the history of the United States. At age 29, Dingell took over his father's seat after he died.

Pres. Obama invited Dingell to the White House today to offer his congratulations in person. Here is the president's statement:

"It gives me great pleasure to commend Chairman John Dingell, the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, who today becomes the longest serving Member in the history of the House. Since 1955, Chairman Dingell has represented the people of Michigan's Fifteenth District with distinction.

"Over the past 53 years, Chairman Dingell has been a champion for the health and well-being of hardworking Americans. Following in the footsteps of his father, the Honorable John Dingell Sr., Chairman Dingell has introduced legislation to provide national health insurance for all Americans in each and every Congress. Seniors throughout America have Chairman Dingell to thank for his instrumental role in passage of the 1965 Medicare Act and for his innumerable efforts since then.

"Through his hard work, Chairman Dingell reminds us that we have a solemn duty to protect our natural heritage for future generations. As a young Congressman, Chairman Dingell authored one of the first bills to protect America's wetlands and played a key role in the 1964 National Wilderness Act. Since then, he's sponsored legislation to improve water quality, protect endangered species, expand sources of renewable energy, and clean-up toxic waste.

"Chairman Dingell has long strived to ensure that every tax dollar is used wisely and that we have a more open, honest, and accessible government. In particular, his investigations into waste, fraud, and abuse have protected American consumers from inferior government contracting, deceptive drug marketing, and insider trading.

"On behalf of the American people, let me say 'thank you, Chairman Dingell,' for your decades of distinguished service on behalf of Fifteenth District. As Dean of the U.S. House, you are a model of tireless commitment for all of your colleagues. I look forward to working with you in the months and years to come as we endeavor to protect and improve the well-being of all Americans."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced this afternoon that lawmakers have agreed to a compromise economic stimulus package that will create 3.5M jobs. The final price tag is $789B, less than the House and Senate proposals.

Reid thanked the three Republicans who are backing the bill -- Sen. Arlen Specter of PA, and ME Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe -- for, in his words, their patriotism, love of country and bravery.

"This has been a give and take," Reid said during a press conference. "The House is part of of this arrangement."

He added: "Legislation is the art of compromise consensus building, and that's what we did."

In addition to job creation, Reid said a third of the bill is dedicated to providing middle class tax relief. It also gives money to the states for education and infrastructure improvements, he said.

Collins called the final cost a "fiscally responsible number."

"I want to thank all of my colleagues who have worked so hard," Collins said. "I particularly want to thank my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, Sen. Snowe and Sen. Specter, without whose support we would not have reached this agreement.
Today we have shown that working together we can address the enormous economic crisis facing our country."

Specter said he would have preferred a proposal sponsored by AZ Sen. John McCain that exclusively offered tax cuts, but he said "it is indispensible that strong action be taken."

"The economists are virtually uniform in their prediction that if we do not act we face the potential consequence of a catastrophe," Specter said in explaining his support for the majority's legislation.

Details to come.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

LA Gov. Bobby Jindal will give the GOP's response to Pres. Obama's first address to Congress, an honor usually bestowed to an individual who party leadership believes deserves a national introduction.

Late last year, Jindal, 37, visited Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state, to speak at the Family Policy Center's "Celebrating the Family" dinner. But he has otherwise attempted to tamp down speculation that he's building a national profile for a White House bid. Jindal has served as governor since January 2008.

Today's announcement was made jointly by House Republican Leader John Boehner (OH) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY).

Here are their comments about the young governor --

Boehner: "Gov. Jindal embodies what I have long said: the Republican Party must not be simply the party of 'opposition,' but the party of better solutions. His stewardship of the state of Louisiana, dedication to reforming government, and commitment to bringing forth new and innovative ideas make him a leader not just within the Republican Party, but in our nation as a whole."

McConnell: "Gov. Jindal's leadership during a time of recovery in Louisiana, his commitment to real government reform, and his protection of hardworking American families make him an excellent choice to offer Republican solutions for the challenges which lay ahead."

Full release is available after the jump.

As GOPers take aim at Sen. Arlen Specter (R) over his support for Pres. Obama's economic stimulus plan, a new poll from Quinnipiac Univ. shows him more vulnerable among GOP RVs than he was six years ago. The survey, released this a.m., could be troubling news for the five-term incumbent given PA's closed primary.

Two-fifths of PA RVs feel Specter deserves to be reelected, and 43% feel he does not deserve reelection; 17% are undec. GOPers and Dems are evenly divided on his candidacy -- 42% of GOPers for and 42% against, 41% of Dems for and 42% against. Only 36% of Indies, however, believe Specter deserves reelection, while 45% do not support his reelection.

Six years ago this month, Quinnipiac tested Specter against a generic Dem in a SEN '04 matchup. In this 2/03 survey, Specter led 41-35% among RVs with 22% undec. More interesting, however, is the breakdown by party. GOPers supported Specter 75-6%, while Dems favored their generic candidate 61-17%; Indies split 33-31% for Specter with 32% undec.

It is important to recognize the inherent differences between a deserves reelection question and generic matchup. The results are certainly not a direct trend, but they do offer a relative sense of Specter's candidacy six years later, particularly among party subgroups. The differences among these subgroups also likely reflect a notable shift in PA party ID towards Dems, which Muhlenberg College noted in a recent report.

Yet even with those strong '04 numbers among GOPers, Specter eventually faced a primary challenge from Club for Growth pres./ex-Rep. Pat Toomey (R). Specter went on to narrowly defeat Toomey, 51-49%, and won reelection against ex-Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D), 53-42%.

Since his reelection, Specter's approval ratings have slid slightly. Today, 56% approve of Specter as Sen., while 30% disapprove -- down from his 2/03 mark of 60% approve and 21% disapprove. The Sen.'s approval rating is slightly down among GOPers and Indies over the last six years, but nearly identical among Dems. In 2/03, Specter had a 61% favorability rating among GOPers, 55% among Indies and 63% among Dems; those figures now stand at 55% for GOPers, 49% for Indies and 62% for Dems.

The latest Quinnipiac poll, conducted 2/4-9, surveyed 1,490 PA RVs and has margin of error +/- 2.5%. The earlier Quinnipiac poll, conducted 2/12-18/03, surveyed 1,099 PA RVs and has margin of error +/- 3.0%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

Pres. Obama joined VA Gov. Tim Kaine, who serves a dual role as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in Springfield today to make another pitch for the economic stimulus package.

The focus of Obama's Monday trip to Elkhart, IN, which has the highest unemployment in the nation, was job loss. In Fort Myers, FL, yesterday, he aimed to use the local housing crisis to highlight the country's foreclosure problem. And today in VA, he used the local traffic woes to show that his plan will provide critical infrastructure money to rebuild and expand the country's system of roads and bridges.

Obama, in prepared remarks:

We're here today because there's a lot of work that needs to be done on our nation's congested roads and highways, crumbling bridges and levees, and crowded trains and transit systems. Because we know that with investment, we can create transportation and communications systems ready for the demands of the 21st century -- and because we also know what happens when we fail to make those investments.

We've seen the consequences of a bridge collapse in Minneapolis. We've seen the consequences of levees failing in New Orleans. We see the consequences every day in ways that may be less drastic, but are, nonetheless, burdens on local communities and economies -- time with family lost because of longer daily commutes; growth held back by streets that can't handle new business; money wasted on fuel that's burned in worsening traffic. These are problems that the people of Northern Virginia understand acutely.

Obama travels tomorrow to a Caterpillar factory in Peoria, IL. Again, he'll hammer the job loss message as Congress works today, and perhaps tomorrow, to find a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the stimulus bill.

At the end of the day, Obama's public campaign for the plan has less to do with congressional passage than it does with cementing public opinion in favor of swift action. Skeptics believe the $800B (and then some) proposal won't halt the looming recession, but Obama has urged that it is necessary to ease the economy's "downward spiral." If it doesn't work quickly, however, and he has to go back to Congress -- and voters -- to sell another package, it will likely help, okay, possibly help, that he's done his due diligence now to prepare people for that possibility.

Obama's full prepared VA remarks are available after the jump.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

NY Gov. David Paterson has set the special election to fill the 20th District CD seat vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand, whom he appointed to the U.S. Senate, for March 31.

Republican Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco is running against Democrat Scott Murphy, a Saratoga Springs businessman. Republicans probably would have preferred an earlier contest, as Tedisco is well-known in the district. Murphy, however, is the director of a Glens Falls-based venture capital firm and could potentially self-fund.

Remember that new Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has said he aims to win the district for the GOP; he even traveled to Albany to make a pitch for Paterson to set the date in short order. Appearing in upstate with Tedisco last week, Steele called the contest a "battle royale."

"We've come to play," he said, according to PolitickerNY.

So per Steele's wishes, count this special election as an early test for the RNC chairman.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

A new poll released in today's Chicago Tribune offers an initial look at the '10 statewide races in IL. The survey, the first in the post-Obama/post-Blagojevich era, shows Gov. Pat Quinn (D) better positioned for election than Sen. Roland Burris (D) in next year's midterms.

A third of RVs (33%) believe Burris should not run in SEN '10, and 37% want him to seek the office to which he was appointed. Another 29% are undec. Looking to Springfield, nearly half (48%) want Quinn to run for Gov., while just 15% do not want him to run; 37% of RVs are undec.

The numbers look similar with respect to public image. About half, 49%, have a favorable view of Quinn, while only a third (34%) have a fav view of Burris. Meanwhile, 6% have an unfavorable view of Quinn, and 18% have an unfav view of Burris.

The Tribune poll, conducted 2/4-5, surveyed 500 IL RVs and has margin of error +/- 4.4%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

"World News" led with the the stock market plunged and Treasury Sec. Timothy Geithner's press conference. "Evening News" led with the stock market plunging following Geithner's press conference. "Nightly News" led with the stock market plunging following Geithner's press conference.

Pres. Obama sat down with ABC's Moran for an interview in Fort Myers, FL, that aired last night on "Nightline."

Obama, on Wall Street's plunge following Geithner's press conference: "Wall Street, I think, is hoping for an easy out on this thing and there is no easy out. Essentially, what you've got are a set a banks that have not been as transparent as we need to be in terms of what their books look like. And we're going to have to hold out the Band-Aid a little bit and go ahead and just be clear about some of the losses that have been made because until we do that, we're not going to be able to attract private capital into the marketplace."

Obama, on why he can't give a "ballpark figure" of how much the stimulus package will end up costing American taxpayers: "Well, because ultimately, what happens is going to depend on how the markets respond over the long term, not today or the next day but a month from now or two months from now. How effective we are in actually cleaning out some of these bad assets out of these banks. If we're doing a good job and we've got a template that creates transparency and accountability, clarity and consistency in terms of how we're applying this program, then what we'll end up seeing is private capital coming back into the marketplace."

More Obama: "If we do a poor job, then private capital will continue to stay out and frankly, at, at a certain point, the government can't replace all that private capital, so you know, our job is to get this right, get the model right. We've got 350 billion dollars of the TARP money that's been allocated but we also have the Federal Reserve Bank and the FDIC, all of whom were consulted in designing this plan. ... I think the most important thing is to give both the market, but also the taxpayer, confidence that we're spending that money well. And if we do that well, then I think we can make an assessment down the road in terms of what else we might have to do."

After the jump, more from Obama's interview, and Geithner makes the TV rounds.

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

Americans United for Change and AFSCME has a new ad going up on national cable tomorrow that aims to call out the Republican congressional leadership for, as House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) urged his colleagues this week, "just saying no" to Pres. Obama's economic stimulus plan.

The groups will also air a new radio spot targeting 21 House and Senate members. The spot, titled "Second Chance," reminds voters that the member mentioned voted against the Obama plan and that since that vote was taken, reports revealed that 600,000 jobs were lost in January. They have a second chance, the ad says, to back the bill.

Here are the members who will hear the ad airing in their districts or states:

Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (WV); Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO); Jo Ann Emerson (MO); Jim Gerlach (PA); Charlie Dent (PA); Fred Upton (MI); Todd Platts (PA); Mike Castle (DE); Candice Miller (MI); Michael Turner (OH); Steve LaTourette (OH); Patrick Tiberi (OH); Eric Cantor (VA); Dave Reichert (WA); Bill Cassidy (LA); John Fleming (LA); Brett Guthrie (KY); and Jim Cooper (TN).

And Sens. George Voinovich (OH); Lisa Murkowski (AK); and John Ensign (NV).

In total the groups have aired 37 targeted radio or television spots, according to Brad Woodhouse of Americand United for Change.

After the jump, the latest radio script.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Pres. Obama traveled to Fort Myers, FL, today to lobby for his economic stimulus plan. Watch his opening remarks above. Click through for his full prepared comments.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) talked to C-SPAN today about his "personal friendship" with Pres. Obama, explaining that his vote against White House-backed stimulus package was not an act of partisanship. He also called himself a "principled conservative."

"I'll defend him as a man of integrity and a man of good spirit, but I'm going to have disagreements with him," Coburn said. "... We have a different political philosophy, but we have a personal friendship that, even when I'm against him, it doesn't affect that personal friendship. I pray for him every day."

Coburn and Obama both won election to the Senate in 2004. They co-sponsored the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, which expanded the availability online of federal contract information.

The U.S. Senate today gave final approval to an $838B stimulus package, sending the bill on to a conference committee where Democratic lawmakers will work to marry its differences with the $819B House version.

The House bill was passed with no Republican support. GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, who each represent ME, and Sen. Arlen Specter of PA backed the Senate proposal. The final Senate vote today: 61-37.

With GOP Gov. Charlie Crist of FL by his side, Pres. Obama in Fort Myers today praised Congress for taking action, The Washington Post reports.

"That's good news," Obama said, when notified during the event of the outcome of the vote. "It's a good start."

A Quinnipiac Univ. poll of CT RVs released this a.m. shows Gov. Jodi Rell (R) positioned well to return to Hartford after '10, but more difficult paths for Sens. Chris Dodd (D) and Joe Lieberman (I) in their respective '10 and '12 fights to stay in DC.

Dodd's approval rating stands at 41% with disapproval at 48% -- his worst rating ever. In 12/08, Dodd's job approval was 47%, and a year earlier (11/07) Dodd had a 55% approval rating; as recently as 4/01 he stood at 71%. What's more, Dodd's reelect number is just 42%. Just one-tenth of RVs (11%) would "definitely" vote to reelect the Sen. and 31% would "probably" do so; more RVs -- a total of 51% -- are likely to not vote for him in '10.

The ex-WH candidate's steep descent can be traced to allegations he may have received special treatment from Countrywide Financial in securing a home mortgage. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of CT RVs have heard "a lot" or "some" about the controversy, and 56% say the accusations make them less likely to vote for Dodd -- including 43% of Dems, 60% of Indies and 73% of GOPers. Just 36% say the Countrywide controversy makes no difference to their SEN '10 choice, including 47% of Dems, 33% of Indies and 21% of GOPers.

The outlook is just as grim for the junior CT Sen. In a potential SEN '12 matchup with AG Richard Blumenthal (D), Lieberman trails 58-30% with 8% undec. Blumenthal leads among Dems (83-9%) and Indies (55-29%), while Lieberman carries GOPers, 67-23%. The CT AG is well liked with a 71%/13% fav/unfav, while Lieberman has a net negative rating of 43%/49%.

Lieberman's job approval is 45%, with disapproval at 48% -- an improvement on his 12/08 mark of 38% approve and 54% disapprove. His rating today, however, is a shadow of his record high 80% approval in 9/00 as he ran concurrently for SEN '00 and VP. Blumenthal's 79% job approval in today's poll is an all-time high for the Dem.

Rell, on the other hand, is well-liked and on track for reelection. In general-election matchups against three prospective GOV '10 opponents, Rell bests different Dems by 31%, 32% and 40%, respectively. The GOPer holds at least 2:1 margins among Indies in all three contests.

The Gov. also has a 70% fav rating with 17% unfav, as well as 75% job approval with 19% disapproval. Her best-known opponent, Sec/State Susan Bysiewicz (D), has name ID of just 52% with a fav of 40% and job approval of 59%. Bysiewicz trails Rell 53-32% with 14% undec in the ballot test.

The Quinnipiac Univ. poll, conducted 2/4-8, surveyed 1,603 CT RVs and has margin of error +/- 2.4%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

The results of a Pew study about overseas military voting problems during the November election that we featured last month on On Call is proving just the start of voting troubles for those living abroad. The Caucus reported yesterday about a second study of overseas suggesting that the problems military voters experienced extend to civilians as well:

More than 1 in 5 overseas civilian and military voters did not receive their official ballots for the 2008 U.S. election, a year in which nearly half of local election jurisdictions reported significant rises in ballot requests from abroad, according to a new survey.

The situation was worse for military voters: More than one-quarter failed to receive ballots, though that was an improvement from the 36 percent in the 2006 election, according to a survey of more than 24,000 voters in 186 countries by the nonpartisan Overseas Vote Foundation.

According to the Pew researcher with whom I spoke in January, the group is hoping to use studies like these to push state governments to change their overseas absentee voting rules. We'll continue to follow developments.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

"World News" led with baseball player Alex Rodriguez's admission of steroid use. "Evening News" led with Pres. Obama's proposed economic stimulus package. "Nightly News" led with Obama's proposed economic stimulus package.

Reaction to and analysis Pres. Obama's news conference last night dominated post-9pm newscasts.

MSNBC's Matthews: "I thought he was very eloquent tonight and very useful to our representative democracy into explaining why he's not getting tougher with the Republicans. He used the velvet glove a couple of times ... he was very nice about it, even subtle. But clearly, he was making his points but he's really making an effort, it seems, to build a four-year record ahead of him. I have never seen such forward-looking attitude from a politician. He kept saying, 'I'm not doing this for this week, I'm doing this for the next four years,' which is to try to build civility and to get past these bad habits of partisanship."

MSNBC's Maddow, in response: "It was sort of a velvet glove. That he did take a couple of little whacks at Republican positions here, but nothing like we have seen actually in the last few days when we saw ... a lot more aggression from him. I thought he seemed sort of calm, cool and collected here" ("Countdown," 2/9).

FNC's Colmes: "I thought he did a very good job explaining his position, explaining ... what he needs to do, what the stimulus is going to accomplish and why his position is a good position. ... Here's where I think it was negative for him. I would not have gone as deep into what happened in the '90's. Rather than putting blame, which I thought he did ... two or three times during the news conference, he went back and said, 'Look what these guys did. Look what I inherited.' I think he needs to be more forward-looking" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 2/9).

After the jump, more reaction to Obama's press conference, along with discussion of the stimulus package.

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

Pres. Obama heads tomorrow to conservative-leaning Fort Myers, FL, to make another hard pitch for his $800B economic stimulus package.

Fort Myers sits in Lee County, which voted in last year's presidential election for John McCain over the Democrat, 55% to 44%. Similar to Elkhart, IN, which Obama visited today, Fort Myers' unemployment rate leads the national average; it has climbed to 10 percent, up from 6 percent last year, according to the Miami Herald.

Remember as well that Obama will get a political boost tomorrow from FL Gov. Charlie Crist, who will introduce the president during the Fort Myers town hall. Crist, a Republican, could help provide the economic plan with some of the bipartisan luster that Obama and congressional Democrats have failed to craft inside the Washington beltway.

Note, too, that in the evening, Obama is scheduled to dine with members of the Blue Dog Coaltion. Eleven House Democrats voted with Republicans against the president's economic plan. Stay tuned to see if he woos any of them successfully back into the fold. The tete-a-tete is closed to reporters.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

During his first primetime press conference, Pres. Obama advocated for passage of his stimulus package as a means to "stop the downward spiral" engulfing the nation's economy, warning that inaction will prompt dire results. And despite the trouble he has encountered enlisting Republican support for his plan, he resisted suggestions that Washington's bipartisan nature cannot be changed.

"Old habits are hard to break," Obama said during the hourlong event, held in the East Room of the White House. "And we're coming off of an election, and I think people want to sort of test the limits of what they can get. There's a lot of jockeying in this town and a lot of who's up and who's down. What I've tried to suggest is this is one of those times when we've got to put that kind of behavior aside."

Questions for the president mostly focused on the economy but also ranged from Iran's nuclear capacity to steroid use by baseball star Alex Rodriguez. He called on 13 reporters from a pre-determined list placed in front of him at the podium. His answers were extensive, sometimes many paragraphs in length. His demeanor was stern.

The president's chief mission of the night was to make a clear case for his stimulus plan, which he did while also cautioning that "this year is going to be a difficult year." Asked how the success of his plan could be gauged, Obama said it should create 4 million jobs, stabilize the housing market and loosen up the credit markets. He said, too, that he wants to see businesses investing again and consumers feeling stable enough to make purchases.

Obama stressed that he "inherited" the deficit and the economic crisis from the Bush administration, and that the nation is stalled in what is "not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill recession." He argued that the country's economic troubles will accelerate if nothing is done. Congress, he said, can ill-afford to "play the usual political games."

"We can differ on some of the particulars, but again the question I think the American people are asking is -- Do you want government to do nothing, or do you want it to do something?" he said.

He avoided being drawn into questions about why he was unable to win a single Republican vote in the House and only three in the Senate, suggesting that the routine GOP commitment to lower taxes and tax cuts for the wealthy won't do the trick this time -- and hasn't over the last eight years. He also chided his Republican naysayers, many of whom advocated the these fiscal policies even as the deficit has ticked toward a trillion dollars.

"I'm not sure they have a lot of credibility when it comes to fiscal responsibility," he said.

On a separate note, one that still animates the liberal base of the Democratic Party, Obama was asked if he is inclined to investigate Bush administration officials -- per the wishes of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) -- for war crimes. He left the door open.

"My view is also that nobody is above the law," Obama said. "And if there are clear instances of wrongdoing that people should be prosecuted just like any other citizen. But generally speaking I'm more interested in looking forward than looking backwards."

Though the economy was the central subject of tonight's event, Obama also faced foreign policy questions. He was asked if he would reverse Bush policy not to allow media coverage of the return of soldiers killed in action, but hedged.

"We are in the process of reviewing those policies in conversations with the Department of Defense, so I don't want to give you an answer right now before I've evaluated that review," Obama said.

He also declined to answer specifically if he has in mind a timetable for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, suggesting that the region requires more effective coordination of military and diplomatic efforts. He said that Al Qaeda should not be allowed to operate terrorist safe havens there.

"I'm not going to allow Al Qaeda or (Osama) bin Laden to operate with impunity to plan attacks on the U.S. homeland," he said.

With the news of Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez's steroid use dominating the headlines today, the president -- an avid White Sox fan -- was asked for his reaction.

"I think it's depressing news on top of what's been a flurry of depressing items when it comes to Major League Baseball, and if you're a fan of Major League Baseball, I think it tarnishes an entire era to a certain degree," Obama said, adding that he was most concerned about the impact of the news on younger fans.

"Our kids are hopefully watching and saying: 'You know what? There are no shortcuts," he said.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement released tonight after the conclusion of the president's press conference that the stimulus bill belongs to Democratic congressional leaders, not Obama, a refrain members of the GOP have employed in recent weeks to explain their dissatisfaction with the bill.

"The legislation moving its way through Congress bares little resemblance to what President Obama described at tonight's press conference," Steele said. "The spending bill written by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid is filled with unnecessary and wasteful programs that will saddle future generations with massive debt. With so many Americans looking for work, it's important to act quickly, but also act prudently. This bill will fail to have the necessary and direct impact it should - in part - because the Democrats rejected proposals to improve the legislation. The President has called on both parties to work together to solve this crisis; I hope Congressional Democrats will heed his call and listen to all ideas."

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) also weighed in:

"Our nation is in recession, and we applaud President Obama for continuing to make the case for action from Congress to help our economy create and protect jobs. As he said earlier this year and again this evening, both parties in Washington have a responsibility to tackle the challenge before us. In response to the President's request for input, House Republicans have offered a plan that creates twice the jobs as the Democrats' proposal - 6.2 million jobs total - at half the cost.

"Unfortunately, the trillion-dollar plan moving through Congress takes us in the wrong direction, relying on slow-moving and wasteful Washington spending that will pile even more debt on future generations, providing less tax relief than requested by the President, and encouraging dependence on welfare programs that hurt Americans instead of helping them."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

During his first primetime press conference, Pres. Obama explains his hopes for the economic stimulus package on the table.

His chief point. It will create jobs.

Last month, our economy lost 598,000 jobs, which is nearly the equivalent of losing every single job in the state of Maine. And if there's anyone out there who still doesn't believe this constitutes a full-blown crisis, I suggest speaking to one of the millions of Americans whose lives have been turned upside down because they don't know where their next paycheck is coming from.

That is why the single most important part of this Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is the fact that it will save or create up to 4 million jobs. Because that is what America needs most right now.

To opponents of the plan who argue that job creation should be left to the private sector and that greater tax cuts would do the trick, Obama said:

It is absolutely true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or economic growth. That is and must be the role of the private sector. But at this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life. It is only government that can break the vicious cycle where lost jobs lead to people spending less money which leads to even more layoffs. And breaking that cycle is exactly what the plan that's moving through Congress is designed to do. ...

As we learned very clearly and conclusively over the last eight years, tax cuts alone cannot solve all our economic problems - especially tax cuts that are targeted to the wealthiest few Americans. We have tried that strategy time and time again, and it has only helped lead us to the crisis we face right now.

No earmarks. And transparency is key. Government accountability for how it will be spent.

It also contains an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability, so that every American will be able to go online and see where and how we're spending every dime. What it does not contain, however, is a single pet project, and it has been stripped of the projects members of both parties found most objectionable.

Despite all of this, the plan is not perfect. No plan is. I can't tell you for sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hope, but I can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only deepen this crisis as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans. My administration inherited a deficit of over $1 trillion, but because we also inherited the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression, doing too little or nothing at all will result in an even greater deficit of jobs, incomes; and confidence. That is a deficit that could turn a crisis into a catastrophe. And I refuse to let that happen. As long as I hold this office, I will do whatever it takes to put this country back to work.

Full prepared remarks, given at the top of the event, available after the jump.

Senate Democrats gave preliminary approval tonight to a massive economic spending package pushed by Pres. Obama. The bill advanced with three Republican votes: Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of ME and Sen. Arlen Specter of PA.

The final count: 61-36.

So the Democrats reached that critical 60-vote filibuster-proof margin, but who among them will deign to call the effort bipartisan?

Check in with On Call tonight as I live blog Obama's first primetime presser. 8 p.m. ET.

And using the big day to raise coin for his gubernatorial bid:

Visiting the Department of the Interior today for the third stop of her introductory tour of federal agencies, First Lady Michelle Obama told staffers that the White House will appoint a staffer dedicated to tribal issues.

Per pool report filed by The Washington Times' Christina Bellantoni:

She said Interior is "at the center of this administration's highest priority -- securing America's energy future."

She said native Americans have "a wonderful partner in the White House right now" and then made some news saying, according to prepared remarks:

"He will soon appoint a policy adviser to his senior White House staff to work with tribes and across the government on these issues such as sovereignty, health care and education, all central to the well being of native American families and the prosperity of tribes."

Full pool report available after the jump.

Former Ebay CEO Meg Whitman, 52, has formed an exploratory committee, a firm step toward a run for Golden State governor. In an announcement video available on her campaign Web site, she promises "new leadership and a new direction for a new California."

"I believe in the power of many, that great things happen when we all work together," she says in the video.

Whitman advised Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, and when he dropped out, she signed on with John McCain.

She'll face a primary opponent, Steve Poizner, the California Insurance Commissioner and former businessman who founded the tech company SnapTrack.

Kevin Spillane, a spokesman for Poizner's exploratory committee, today issued a statement responding to Whitman's announcement:

"We welcome Meg Whitman's formation of an exploratory committee. That Meg Whitman is thinking about running for Governor is a sign of strength for the California Republican Party. California is in an unprecedented crisis. Campaigns are about differences and we look forward to Meg Whitman and other Republican candidates joining Steve Poizner in a vigorous discussion about who has the hands-on experience, innovative ideas and conservative instincts to save California."

Several well-known and experienced Democrats with statewide reputations are also considering bids for the state's top job, including: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, state Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

In the latest Daily Kos/Research 2000 weekly nat'l poll, conducted 2/2-5, the favorable rating of all five federal officials tested dropped. Dem and GOP leaders on both sides of Capitol Hill are down up to 3% from last week's survey, while Pres. Obama is off 6%.

Obama now stands at 69% fav, down from 75%, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) moved from 41% to 40% and Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid (D) went from 34% to 32%. Meanwhile, Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell's (R) fav rating dropped 3% to 23%, and House Min. Leader John Boehner (R) dropped 3% to 19%.

The POTUS's diminished fav is noticeable across the board, with drops in fav between 5% and 7% among most party, gender, racial and age groups. The two exceptions in Obama's favor are adults aged 18-29 (down only 3%) and blacks (down just 1%); Obama also lost 8% fav among people 60 and older.

The overall drop does not, however, merit significant concern for the new admin. as the latest Gallup daily tracking poll -- taken Fri. to Sun. -- shows Obama holding steady in approval rating. Gallup's tracker shows Obama with a 66% mark -- well within his 63% to 69% range since taking office.

Finally, another poll released this a.m. by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. shows Obama with a 76% approval rating. Post-inaugural trend data, however, does not exist for this survey.

The latest Kos/Research 2000 poll, conducted 2/2-5, surveyed 2,400 adults and has margin of error +/- 2.0%; last week's poll, conducted 1/26-29, has the same sample and margin of error. The Gallup daily tracking poll -- conducted 2/6-8 -- surveyed 1,558 adults and has margin of error +/- 2.5%, while the CNN/ORC poll -- conducted 2/7-8 -- surveyed 806 adults and has margin of error +/- 3.5%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

(photo, FL Sun-Sentinel)

The WH has just announced that FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will introduce Pres. Obama at tomorrow's stimulus-themed town hall meeting in Ft. Myers. Crist is one of several GOP governors who have supported Obama's economic recovery package; CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is another.

Crist was, of course, a very visible backer of 2008 GOP nom John McCain and was thought to be considered for VP. But the state's need cold hard cash -- for schools and roads projects and general job creation -- is likely driving his move to back the bill and willingness to be seen, in effect, stumping for it with Obama.

"Florida has taken prudent steps to cut taxes for our people and balance our budget in these increasingly difficult times," Crist said in a statement released by the WH. "Any attempts at federal stimulus must prioritize job creation and targeted tax relief for small business owners. I am eager to welcome President Obama to the Sunshine State as he continues to work hard to reignite the US economy."

A Gallup poll released this a.m. shows a majority of U.S. adults support an economic stimulus plan and approve of Pres. Obama's efforts to pass the stimulus bill.

The survey, conducted Fri. and Sat., finds 51% believe it is "critically important" the gov't pass a stimulus plan, and 29% think passing a package is "important, but not critical." Another 16% say it is "not that important."

Two in three adults (67%), meanwhile, approve of Obama's handling of efforts to pass an economic stimulus bill, while a quarter disapprove. Nearly half, 48%, approve of efforts by Dems in Congress, and 31% approve of efforts by Congressional GOPers. A majority (58%), however, disapprove of GOP handling of the bill, and 42% disapprove of Dem handling.

Gallup surveyed 1,018 nat'l adults from 2/6-7; the results carry margin of error +/- 3.1%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

During his tour to communities struggling under the weight of rising unemployment, Pres. Obama is likely to add a stop this week to pitch his economic stimulus package. Where to? A hint. If it plays in ... Peoria. Where he'll visit the Caterpillar factory, WH Press Sec. Robert Gibbs said during a gaggle on board Air Force One en route to Elkhart, IL, for today's town hall meeting.

Full transcript of Gibbs' remarks available after the jump.

The economic stimulus plan dominated the Sunday shows, with Nat'l Economic Council dir. Lawrence Summers stopping by "This Week" and "Fox News Sunday."

ABC's Stephanopoulos: "I know that, when the president was meeting with these moderate Republican senators this week, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine, he told them he endorsed their efforts to scrub the bill of what they called excessive spending. Does that mean the president prefers the Senate version to the House version?"

Summers: "No, the president feels that, above all, we need a major program enacted very quickly that will create 3 million to 4 million jobs. He believes we need to perfect it in every way we can. If there are programs that aren't going to serve important purposes, they should be eliminated. He certainly believes that. He's open to good ideas from both sides. But we're going to have to look at both these bills, assuming the Senate bill passes, as most people expect at this juncture, and craft the best possible approach going forward."

Summers, on whether the Senate bill will produce fewer jobs: "There's no question what we've got to do is go after support for education. And there are huge problems facing state and local governments, and that could lead to a vicious cycle of layoffs, falling home values, lower property taxes, more layoffs. And we've got to prevent that. So we're going to have to try to come together in the conference. And the president is certainly going to be active in sharing his views as that process ... goes on."

Stephanopoulos, on Pres. Obama: "Is he going to be saying, 'Wait a second. Move this more to the House side, because I don't want this education and state spending cut, or move it more to the Senate side'?"

Summers: "George, I don't think this is about the House bill or the Senate bill. It's about the best bill for America."

More with Summers, along with extended debate about the stimulus package, after the jump.

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

RICHMOND -- The trio of Democratic men vying to turn the Virginia gubernatorial election into a hat-trick for the party made their best case to be the nominee last night to 3,000 revelers at the party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

Former VA Del. Brian Moran came out swinging, showing a video before his remarks that showcased his more than a decade in VA Democratic politics. The piece went to black, and these words filled the screen, "MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING." Moran never mentioned rival Terry McAuliffe by name, but it was clear whom he was talking about.

"We must decide what our party stands for," Moran said in his speech, before taking a swipe at McAuliffe. "Will our party be dominated by big money and those who raise it? Or will we be the party of the people?"

Moran wasn't finished. "Mark [Warner] and Tim [Kaine] didn't just show up when it was easy and the battles had already been won," he said, referring to the state's last two governors. "They were here when it was hard to be a Virginia Democrat."

"It's one thing to say" you'll govern like the pair, he continued. "It's another to have fought the Republicans, each and every day, for the Warner-Kaine agenda."

Moran's remarks at once drew the largest applause of the night, as well as - when things got negative - the night's only boos, mainly from the McAuliffe side of the room.

Before things kicked off, it was clear that the ex-DNC chair McAuliffe, the formidable fundraiser and national Democratic figure, was hoping to set the table for his campaign at the banquet. McAuliffe signs were plentiful outside and in the Richmond Convention Center, as were his supporters. They packed the 39 tables around the room his campaign bought at the dinner.

McAuliffe was the first to speak. And the campaign video he showed before his remarks took aim at the criticisms he was about to receive from Moran. His voice was almost entirely absent from the video, which was instead filled with dozens of Virginians who told the camera McAuliffe was their man. The unflappable Hillary Clinton cheerleader made it clear that Obama boosters were on his side, too. In the video, a number of people who said they volunteered for Obama said they were now turning their grassroots efforts over to McAuliffe.

His speech didn't strike the combative tone of Moran's. "I'm not going to say anything negative about [state Sen.] Creigh [Deeds] or Brian," he said. "Because I fundamentally believe that any of the three Democratic candidates you hear from tonight will make a better Governor" than the presumptive GOP nominee, Attorney General Bob McDonnell.

Instead, McAuliffe focused on a litany of policy issues, from alternative energy - "Virginia produces about half a million tons of chicken waste each year ... enough to light up about 40,000 homes" - to the word his campaign wants to make synonymous with McAuliffe as the campaign moves forward.

"Pull out your cell phones and text the word 'JOBS'" to the campaign, he said. "So we can stay in touch with you."

Deeds was the last to speak. In 2005, he lost the AG job to McDonnell in what his campaign calls "the closest margin in Virginia history." In his speech, he took a few anonymous jabs at McAuliffe, but mainly said the '05 experience gave him the edge against the GOP candidate.

"Bob McDonnell will run a smart and focused campaign - he will make us work," he said.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

RICHMOND - Virginia Democrats have got the blues. But as Richmond mayor Dwight Jones said last night as he opened his party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, "it feels pretty good."

Four months after the Commonwealth voted for Barack Obama for president, the first time in decades the state backed a Democrat, partisans here are still celebrating their historic win. Speaker after speaker rose before the faithful gathered at Richmond's downtown Convention Center to bask in - and, at times, warily remind each other of - the fact that they're in charge now.

Keynote speaker Bill Clinton explained the country's evolution. The story that unfolded during the November election was that red states like Virgina, North Carolina and Indiana made up a new United States where you can't tell where the red stops and the blue begins.

Clinton mused on the factionalism of the 1960s and the conservative rise that defined his political career. The past, he said, was defined cultural battles. But today he said, "we Democrats have been given an incredible opportunity. To see this day come, when we have got much more of a live and let live attitude, when we can get along."

But Clinton's speech also carried some of the steely-eyed partisanship he's known for -- and that Obama has started to turn to as Republicans in Washington have pushed back against his first big initiative, and economic stimulus package, in a decidedly pre-postpartisan way.

"We have been given something we haven't had in years, but the only thing that matters to people is, what are we going to do now?" Clinton said, adding, "Nobody should waste their time with the tried and true applause lines against Republicans. They have done themselves in. They have to go back to the drawing board, just as we once did."

Thirty minutes later, the party decided to do a little gloating anyway. Rep. Jim Moran introduced a video montage of the race to Obama's Virginia victory. There were all the old faces of '08, "real Virginia" and all. The closing title card - "Yes, we did!"

Fresh from the stimulus debate trenches, Sen. Mark Warner didn't walk the same line as Clinton. As the man who led the state towards its new political hue when he won the governorship in 2002, Warner's hoping to see the third straight Dem GOV elected later this year. He sounded frustrated that, after defeating a former GOP Governor to take over the long-held seat of GOP Sen. John Warner, his colleagues in the Senate aren't following his momentum the same way the voters of back home did. He said Dems have the three GOP votes they need to pass the stimulus, but, he added, "the vast majority of Republican senators didn't get the message that the people voted for change."

The smiles and high-fives during the speeches last night suggested the same can't be said of VA Dems.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

The Senate hasn't voted yet on the economic stimulus package backed by Pres. Obama, but Americans United for Change will begin airing new radio ads over the next few days thanking Republican Sen. Susan Collins of ME, Sen. Olympia Snowe of ME and Sen. Arlen Specter of PA as well as Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of NE for backing the economic stimulus bill. Reports indicate that these GOP members could vote with the Democrats to pass the legislation, giving the majority a 60-vote (or more) filibuster-proof majority.

Americans United for Change, a coalition of progressive groups, has flooded the airwaves and cable in recent days, targeting 13 of 41 GOP senators in an effort to help Obama and Democratic congressional leaders garner bipartisan support for the bill. With the House GOP voting unanimously against that chamber's version, it's up to Senate leaders to corral a few Republican members. Otherwise, and probably still, the Democrats, and Obama, in particular, will have full ownership of the success or failure of the $800B package of tax cuts and spending initiatives.

Here's the ME script:

Last month nearly 600,000 Americans lost their jobs - 20,000 a day - more than 800 an hour.

The clock's ticking - and our economy continues to get worse and worse.

That's why it's critical that the Senate pass President Obama's jobs and economic recovery bill right away.

Fortunately, Maine's two Senators - Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are providing the leadership we need to get the job done.

Senators Snowe and Collins have worked with President Obama and other Senators to reach agreement on a plan that has support from a broad range of groups - including the US Chamber of Commerce and organized labor.

Call Senators Snowe and Collins today at 202-224-3121. Thank them for their leadership and tell them to keep fighting for a plan to get our economy moving again. The clock is ticking.

Paid for by Americans United for Change.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

I couldn't help but notice this line in today's NYT piece about the Senate deal on the economic stimulus:

"Mr. Obama also called the two Republicans [Susan Collins of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania], as well as Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, another Republican expected to support the agreement, to acknowledge that they were acting against pressure from their party and, one official said, to thank them for their patriotism in helping to advance the bill at a critical time."

Awww, man. Are we still doing that -- calling our allies "patriots" and thereby implying that our opponents are not? Seems very ... 2008.

(JOHN MERCURIO)

Americans United For Change and AFSCME will air a new spot in Reno and Las Vegas starting Sunday that advocates for Pres. Obama's economic stimulus package. The ad urges voters to contact Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office to register their appreciation for his work on the bill.

The spot is running in the same market in which the groups are targeting Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) with a radio ad featuring Rush Limbaugh's remarks wishing failure upon the new Democratic president.

The new TV ad will air Sunday through Friday of next week.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

News reports indicate tonight that Senate Democrats have reached a tentative deal on the stimulus package that would slash $90B in spending and tax cuts.

Here's The Washington Post's story:

Word of the compromise came after President Obama stepped up pressure on Congress to pass the bill, citing new unemployment numbers to charge that further delay is "inexcusable and irresponsible."

The purported agreement was reached in closed-door negotiations among a bipartisan group of senators as debate on a more than $900 billion package continued on the Senate floor.

As debate resumed on the Senate floor, a bipartisan group of nearly 20 moderates kept trying to hammer out a compromise that would attract more Republican support by cutting roughly $100 billion from the bill.

Democratic officials said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who is battling brain cancer, may make a rare appearance on the Senate floor for the final vote. The entire caucus is scheduled to meet this afternoon for one last haggling session. Kennedy has not returned to the chamber since having a seizure during Obama's inaugural ceremonies more than two weeks ago.

"We're in the balancing business," said Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), a lead negotiator of the centrist group.

Stay tuned to see if they've reached the critical 60-vote count -- and who among the Republicans was willing to defect.

Democrat Al Franken sat down with the AP today for a one-on-one interview -- even as twin legal battles continue to rage in Minnesota for the state's Senate seat.

Franken leads former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman by 225 votes, according to the state canvassing board.

Some choice bits of the AP's chat with Franken:

On how it feels to still not be a Senator: "I admit to being frustrated at times. But it's a little out of my control. What is in my control is to prepare so that when I get to the Senate, I'm ready to go on day one."

On sitting in on the trial: "He said attending the trial wouldn't be 'the most productive use of my time' -- but admitted he sometimes tunes in to a live Webcast and might check it out in person at some point."

On staying up to date in case he gets seated: "Franken said he gets regular briefings from Democratic members of Congress and staff."

On how he feels about the stimulus: Franken said "he would support President Barack Obama's stimulus package but would push for measures to make sure the money is spent wisely."

According to Minnesota Public Radio, Coleman will appear in a local TV interview this weekend. MPR snagged a Coleman interview, too.

After the jump, a trial update.

(EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO)

Pres. Obama learned this week the first lesson of Washington Fight Club:

It doesn't take long for politics to get in the way of governing. No matter the election mandate, the promise of a post-partisan White House or the seriousness of the matter at hand (see global economic depression).

So as Obama works to gain Senate approval for his economic stimulus package, he is shifting to campaign mode, taking his pitch on the road. He'll do a town hall meeting in Elkhart, IN, Monday, and Fort Myers, FL, Tuesday. Swing state nation. Communities that are critical in deciding presidential elections, in states where senators might be doing a bit of fence sitting, reluctant to back Obama's $800B package.

Additionally, Obama will hold his first prime time press conference Monday evening. This week, meanwhile, he authored his first op-ed, a piece that ran yesterday in The Washington Post and urged congressional action:

What Americans expect from Washington is action that matches the urgency they feel in their daily lives -- action that's swift, bold and wise enough for us to climb out of this crisis.

Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes. And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.

Obama is as effective on the stump as any modern politician. So his willingness to take his plea to voters shows not necessarily a desperation -- though, as Senate leaders struggle to corral a filibuster-proof majority for the bill, that's a factor -- but an acknowledgement that campaign mode is where his finest political skills are on display. He'll likely remind voters that the GOP is holding up his recovery plan -- and by extensiona shot at helping to revive a floundering economy.

He can take control of the Inside the Beltway blame game that Republicans so ably manage by recasting the bill as belonging not to him, or the Democratic leadership, but to the American people. It's the fastest way to put the GOP back on its heels and reframe discussion of the proposal.

Obama took a shot at bipartisanship. He reached across the aisle and looked magnanimous because of this efforts. Soon he'll leave Washington to take shots at the Republicans as the do-nothing minority. Despite confusion around the bill, looming questions about whether it will or won't work and if it's too loaded with pork, the GOP will have to answer Obama's call to action with something other than a block of 'no' votes. Or they'll have to not respond to voters.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

In a new feature debuting today on On Call, House Race Hotline's Tim Sahd will take a look each Friday at the top five House stories of the week.

Here are this week's big newsmakers, brought to you by Friday House Cleaning:

5. Messy Primaries

There have been two interesting developments on the primary front this week. First, after surviving a shockingly close intra-party contest in '08, Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN 05) will now have to fend off another challenge from inside the GOP, this time from state Rep. Mike Murphy (R). But Murphy should expect lots of company -- several other GOPers are likely to get involved, too.

But Burton's seat has little chance of flipping to Dems, even if GOPers have a messy primary. Rep. Allen Boyd's (D-FL 02) seat, though, isn't so solid for Dems. And Boyd may now have a primary challenge from African-American state Sen. Min. Leader Al Lawson (D). Boyd's moderate brand of politics may give Lawson an opening in a primary. So, too, would the primary electorate, which is 22% black. But Lawson is not a typical liberal, either, as he has said he was reportedly close to backing then-candidate Charlie Crist (R) in '06.

In this GOP-leaning CD that gave John McCain a decisive win, a Dem primary could open the door for a GOP victory. Of course, the GOP would need a credible candidate, something they haven't put up here in years.

4. An Open NH-02

Rep. Paul Hodes' (D-NH 02) decision to run for the Senate gives GOPers the slightest bit of hope in a CD that is a tinge bluer than NH-01. '02 nominee Katrina Swett (D) -- and the nearly $1M she has left over from an shortened '08 SEN bid --
looks poised to enter the race. But tons of other Dems do as well. Meanwhile, on the GOP side, ex-Rep. Charlie Bass (R) is reportedly considering a bid for his old seat. A moderate, like Bass, would give GOPers a chance here, but it's still an uphill battle -- a talented, if not cash-poor, radio talk show host Jennifer Horn (R) took just 41% against Hodes in '08.

3. Rerun Season

Today, we learned Rep. Steve Chabot (R) will attempt to make a comeback against Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH 01) in this Cincinnati-area CD. Chabot believes the Obama-fueled turnout in this 27% African-American CD was the major reason why he's no longer there, and that percentage is likely to drop in a mid-term. He's right, but ex-Reps. who run for their old seats are rarely successful (ask ex-Reps. Jim Ryun (R-KS), Melissa Hart (R-PA) and Jeb Bradley (R-NH).

Who's next? Ex-Reps. Bill Sali (R-ID) and Steve Pearce (R-NM) may also try again in '10. If Chabot is facing long odds in recapturing his seat, what do Sali's look like?

2. DCCC attack ads

The DCCC went up on the radio airwaves earlier this week with ads attacking 28 House GOPers for their vote on the stimulus package. We'll see if any of the target GOPers change their mind once a bill comes out of conference, but so far, the GOP's been holding together rather solidly. While we won't know the political consequences of the stimulus vote until we see how the economy's faring in the fall of 2010, the issue has already sparked heated rhetoric on both sides.

Most of the DCCC's targets are the usual suspects, but others, like Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI 05), Don Manzullo (R-IL 16) and Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD 06) stood out like sore thumbs. Is the cmte trying to coax these Reps. -- with an average age of 70 -- into retirement? Sensenbrenner, at least, says he isn't going.

1. One Step Toward The GOP Majority In NY-20?

Dems named a nominee for that special election in Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D) seat last weekend -- venture capitalist Scott Murphy (D). His candidacy carries a big plus: he's able to self-fund, and he's already got about $600K in both contributions and his own cash to make the race competitive. But he's also not widely known -- that advantage lies with Assemb. Min. Leader Jim Tedisco (R).

Because of that, an early Tedisco/NRCC poll released today shows the GOPer with a 50-29% lead. Gov. David Paterson (D) hasn't yet set a date for the special, but Tedisco has the edge if it's going to be a Spring affair. If GOPers do win that seat, it'll be one down, 39 to go for the majority.

(TIM SAHD)

Pollster.com's Mark Blumenthal asks the question and finds mixed results. Gallup says support is flat, while CBS News and Rasmussen Reports say support is declining.

In his post analyzing the numbers, Blumenthal offers a caution:

We have limited data on whether the most attentive Americans differ in their overall support. In a release earlier this week based on a different question, Gallup reported that those "most closely following news about the plan differ little from the overall national average in terms of their attitudes about the plan." However, their table showed that the attentive Americans were more likely to want to reject the stimulus package altogether (27%) than those following it "somewhat closely" (11% reject) or not closely (15% reject). Similarly, without reporting any specific numbers, CBS News tells us that "those following very closely are more likely to oppose the bill than thosfollowing just somewhat closely."

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Washington Post's Tom Ricks.

Face the Nation hosts Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and WH Council of Economic Advisers chair Christina Romer.

This Week hosts Nat'l Economic Council dir. Lawrence Summers, RNC Chair Michael Steele and a roundtable with Newt Gingrich, ex-Clinton Labor Sec. Robert Reich, ABC's Claire Shipman and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts Summers and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

State of the Union hosts Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), SC Gov. Mark Sanford (R) and Jack Welch (see below for guests on SOTU's Reliable Sources segment).

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Pres. Obama announced today that he is creating a new economic advisory board that will brief him regularly. The White House, in a release, indicated that the group is modeled on the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker will lead the effort and economist Austan Goolsbee will serve as staff director and chief economist.

Obama used the debut of the board to urge Congress to pass his stimulus package. He said the bill before members isn't perfect but that it is "absolutely necessary." He said he will continue to work to refine and improve it.

"The American people did not choose more of the same," Obama said of the 2008 election. "They did not send us to Washington to get stuck in partisan posturing, or to turn back to the same tried and failed approaches that were rejected in the last election. They sent us here with a mandate for change, and the expectation that we would act."

Members of the board include representatives from labor, academia and corporate America, Obama's Chitown circle and Clinton era folks :

William H. Donaldson, Chairman, SEC (2003-2005)

Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President & CEO, TIAA-CREF

Robert Wolf, Chairman & CEO, UBS Group Americas

David F. Swensen, CIO, Yale University

Mark T. Gallogly, Founder & Managing Partner, Centerbridge Partners L.P.

Penny Pritzker, Chairman & Founder, Pritzker Realty Group

Jeffrey R. Immelt, CEO, GE

John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers

Jim Owens, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar Inc.

Monica C. Lozano, Publisher & Chief Executive Officer, La Opinion

Charles E. Phillips, Jr., President, Oracle Corporation

Anna Burger, Chair, Change to Win

Richard L. Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO

Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Dean, Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley

Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics, Harvard University

National Journal's weekly political insiders poll asks how much damage controversies surrounding the nominations of Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner and William Lynn have done to President Obama's image.

Democrats

A great deal, 6 percent
Some, 39 percent
Only a little, 42 percent
None, 13 percent

Republicans

A great deal, 9 percent
Some, 45 percent
Only a little, 35 percent
None, 12 percent

Click through for commentary from those surveyed. NJ's James A. Barnes and Peter Bell also asked insiders ... 'Based on events of recent weeks, how much sway will President Obama have over congressional Democrats?' Read on for the results.

"World News" led with SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's surgery for pancreatic cancer. "Evening News" led with the released air traffic tapes of Hudson plane crash and previewed an interview with pilot Chesley Sullenberger. "Nightly News" led with the released air traffic tapes of Hudson plane crash.

With his economic stimulus package facing GOP opposition, Pres. Obama traveled to Williamsburg, VA, last night to address House Dems. The trip also marked the first time Obama has left DC since taking office.

CNN's Henry: "This was a fired-up president who perhaps realizes he has lost control of the message a bit. So, he tried to seize that megaphone right back by reviving ... the intensity of the campaign with this speech tonight. ... The White House was going to close this to TV cameras, just a private pep talk with House Democrats in Williamsburg, Virginia. But, instead, in the last 24 hours, they opened it up to TV cameras, because they wanted him to reach beyond just Democrats, go to a wider audience, and try to sell this stimulus plan. He took the gloves off. And that carries some political risk, because he dropped a lot of the bipartisan talk, and instead really ripped into Republicans in his pushback" ("AC 360," 2/5).

FNC's Garrett: "He said on the flight down to Williamsburg, Virginia, that $800 billion is the range. It's the comfortable figure that he wants. ... So with his words and enthusiastic response from House Democrats, the president essentially tonight is trying to reengage debate, put more energy behind his side of the argument and also signal what he's willing to live with, which is about $800 billion" ("O'Reilly Factor," 2/5).

The Hill's Stoddard: "I actually haven't seen that Barack Obama in many months, and he's taking the campaign mode, taking a clue from the Republicans who have been in campaign mode now against his bill for 10 days, two weeks. It might be a little too late, but I think that, you know, to coin a phrase they use at graduations, the Senate vote is not an end, it is a beginning" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 2/5).

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Per National Journal's Kevin Friedl, a look at how President Obama gets to a filibuster-proof 60 votes on the stimulus package:

The first sustained debate in the 111th Senate -- what to include in the economic stimulus bill -- is still ongoing, but already it presents a clear picture of which Republicans President Obama and the Democratic majority will have to court in order to pass the stimulus bill in the short term and advance his legislative agenda further down the road.

Eleven of the 12 roll call votes cast this week on amendments to the bill have fallen out largely along party lines. Most of them concerned Republican proposals to limit spending measures or introduce new tax cuts. Some, such as Arizona Republican John McCain's amendment to strike down the bill's "Buy American" provision, targeted more specific provisions.

As illustrated in the chart below, 19 Republican senators have crossed over to join the majority party at least once; eight of these represent states that went for Obama. While there were 20 Democrats who likewise crossed party lines on at least one amendment to the bill, there were fewer serial swing voters from the majority party.

It's those repeat Republican defectors who the White House will have to work with to pass the stimulus bill. Nine Republicans voted with the Democrats on more than one amendment, most frequently Maine's two senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, who crossed over together on seven of the 11 amendments. They were followed by Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, who cast his lot with the Democrats six times, and Ohio's George Voinovich, who did so three times. Obama won all three states last November.

Indiana's Richard Lugar and Iowa's Charles Grassley both represent states that voted to send Obama to the White House, and the president's personal relationship with Lugar may help swing him to the majority when the stimulus comes up for vote. Texas' Kay Bailey Hutchison, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Louisiana's David Vitter -- all of whom voted against their party on two amendments -- will likely prove tougher sells.

On the Democratic side, independent Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted with the GOP most often, casting five votes that way. Evan Bayh of Indiana swung to the Republican side four times, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska did so three times.

NJ's chart on the votes can be viewed here.

Here's an audio snippet of our interview with Rep. Pete Sessions, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, during which he said the GOP needs to employ insurgent tactics against House Democratic leaders unwilling to compromise on the stimulus proposal.

Click above to listen. Full report on the meeting is below.

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen responded today to NRCC Chair Pete Sessions' (R-TX) remark comparing House Republican tactics during the economic recovery bill debate to the tactics of the Taliban, as reported earlier by Hotline On Call.

Van Hollen: "NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions' remark comparing his own party's tactics during the economic recovery debate to those of a terrorist group in Afghanistan is truly shocking.

"While House Republican leaders profess to seek bipartisanship, they are comparing their tactics to the violent tactics used by the Taliban insurgency.

"NRCC Chairman Sessions should put partisanship aside and join our fight to urgently turn our economy around and get Americans working again."

From the WSJ:

U. S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for an apparently early-stage pancreatic cancer today, at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. According to Dr. Murray Brennan, the attending surgeon, Justice Ginsburg will likely remain in the hospital approximately 7-10 days.

Justice Ginsburg had no symptoms prior to the incidental discovery of the lesion during a routine annual check-up in late January at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. A Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan revealed a small tumor, approximately 1 cm across, in the center of the pancreas.

Justice Ginsburg is 75 years old. She was appointed to the Court in 1993 by President Clinton.

Mame Reiley, chairwoman of former Del. Brian Moran's VA gubernatorial campaign, released this statement in response to a Virginian-Pilot article which quotes insensitive comments made by Del. Lionell Spruill:

"Delegate Spruill is an elected official who can and will speak his mind on the floor of the General Assembly and elsewhere. As noted by the Washington Post, 'In this case, Spruill is speaking as a member of the House, not as a Moran advisor.'

"When not acting as a legislator, Delegate Spruill has been a part of our campaign team. At this time -- during the legislative session -- he is not a paid consultant of Virginians for Brian Moran. I know that Delegate Spruill would not intentionally offend the members of any faith, but I understand why some may find his comments offensive. It is my hope that he will clarify his statement and apologize to any who he may have offended."

Our post can be found below.

The Virginian -Pilot reports today that a staffer of Brian Moran's VA gubernatorial campaign said that he does not want to hear the prayers of Muslims in a public setting.

Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, who reports indicate was on the Moran campaign payroll for a period of several months until the legislative session began in January, said he doesn't like to hear prayers of different religions, "especially those of the Muslim faith that I don't care too much about." His comments followed a House of Delegates vote yesterday on a bill that would allow the mention of Jesus Christ, Allah or any other deity in public prayers.

Spruill, the Pilot reported, said he was taught to conclude his prayers in Jesus' name, but people of other faiths shouldn't have to hear the name of his Lord at public events. Later, the paper wrote, Spruill said he meant nothing against Muslims themselves, "only how they end their prayer."

Spruill, a member of the House of Delegates since 1994, is a powerful African American member of the House of Delegates who serves as Minority Caucus Vice Chair for Outreach. A source with the Moran campaign confirmed reports that he has been paid -- The Washington Post said he has earned $7,500 a month -- previously for work as a field organizer in the critical Hampton Roads area. He is not taking a salary during the legislative session, however.

Spruill was a vigorous supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He stumped for her in other states as well.

A spokesman for the Moran campaign said he will get back to us today with a comment.

Susan Rowland, Spruill's chief of staff, said the delegate has nothing to add. "There is no statement from this office at this time," she told On Call.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"World News" led with Pres. Obama capping executive pay for firms tied to bailout. "Evening News" led with Obama's stimulus package and hosted Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). "Nightly News" led with Obama capping executive pay for firms tied to bailout.

Much of last night's TV talk focused on Pres. Obama imposing a $500K pay cap on some sr. execs whose firms are receiving taxpayer bailout money.

Dem strategist Paul Begala: "What the president did today is wonderful. It's an example of moral leadership. You know, back in the '20s, Babe Ruth made more money than President Hoover. ... They said, Babe, 'How come you're making more money than the president?' He said, 'I had a better year.' Well, these folks on Wall Street did not have a better year. They don't deserve taxpayers to subsidize their enormous compensation packages. And I think the president's dead on with that. Why should taxpayers be subsidizing multibillion dollar bonuses to guys and gals who have failed in their jobs?" ("LKL," CNN, 2/4).

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "I don't have a problem with it. ... I think a more effective way would say that shareholders have to vote any compensation for executives of those corporations. The shareholders have a real interest in making sure that excessive pay and benefits are not granted to CEOs. So I don't have a problem with the $500,000 deal. I think it would be more effective to say shareholders are the ones that decide" ("On the Record," FNC, 2/4).

New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman: "This isn't to say that I don't think there should be some bit of compensation cap in some of these firms, but there should be an overall cap. They shouldn't be limited to specific individuals, because the very talented people that you're going to need to help these companies get out of the troubles they're in are simply going to be able to move to non-regulated companies. ... That is a mistake for what, in fact, we are trying to accomplish, which is trying to rebuild these companies" ("1600," MSNBC, 2/4).

After the jump, the stimulus debate continues and Cheney reemerges.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Frustrated by a lack of bipartisan outreach from House Democratic leaders, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said House Republicans -- who voted unanimously last week against the economic plan pushed by President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- will pitch a "positive, loyal opposition" to the proposal. The group, he added, should also "understand insurgency" in implementing efforts to offer alternatives.

"Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban," Sessions said during a meeting yesterday with Hotline editors. "And that is that they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and change a person's entire processes. And these Taliban -- I'm not trying to say the Republican Party is the Taliban. No, that's not what we're saying. I'm saying an example of how you go about [sic] is to change a person from their messaging to their operations to their frontline message. And we need to understand that insurgency may be required when the other side, the House leadership, does not follow the same commands, which we entered the game with."

That agreement, as Sessions described it, involved a promise from Pelosi to preside over an "open, honest, ethical Congress." Obama, Sessions added, has pledged to diminish the political rhetoric in Washington and work in a bipartisan fashion.

"If they do not give us those options or opportunities then we will then become insurgency of a nature to where we do those things that are necessary to making sure the American public knows what we think the correct answer is," Sessions said during the 60-minute interview. "So we either work together, or we're going to find a way to get our message out."

When pressed to clarify, Sessions said he was not comparing the House Republican caucus to the Taliban, the Muslim fundamentalist group.

"I simply said one can see that there's a model out there for insurgency," Sessions said before being interrupted by an aide. The staffer said Sessions was trying to convey that the Republicans need to start thinking about how to act strategically from their perch in the minority.

Sessions' answer followed a question about the most effective strategy for Republicans in the lead up to the 2010 midterms. A Hotline editor asked if Republicans would have more leverage on the campaign trail by supporting the new president or posing, as Sessions suggested, as a "loyal opposition" working to hold back an onslaught of liberal Democratic policies.

Sessions and his staff said Democrats have shoved the bill through Congress without hearings or mark-ups, and they blamed Pelosi, not Obama, who has met with them, for the Republicans' unwillingness to back the economic stimulus bill.

"I think insurgency is a mindset and an attitude that we're going to have to search for and find ways to get our message out and to be prepared to see things for what they are, rather than trying to do something about them," Sessions said. "I think what's happened is that the line was drawn in the sand" by Pelosi.

Sessions said the GOP's 178 members stand by their votes against the bill.

"I don't think any one of our members today feels like they would take back that vote," he said. "... There's no remorse."

Asked to assess the political landscape for the midterms, Sessions suggested that the NRCC will back the best candidates in each district -- as opposed to targeting support to specific contests, as the group has done previously. He noted that Democrats hold seats in 83 districts that President Bush won in 2000 or 2004, showing that the GOP has opportunities, despite the party's losses in the last two cycles.

Sessions said he believes Republicans can take back the House.

"We believe our job is to aim to win the majority," Sessions said. "I've never aimed to come in second place."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Rep. Paul Hodes announced today that he will seek the Senate seat vacated by Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican who has signed on to lead the Commerce Department in the Obama administration.

"I want to continue my service to the people of New Hampshire and continue to stand up for middle class families," Hodes said in a post on the Web site Blue Hampshire.

Hodes, an attorney, is a relative political newcomer. He knocked off Rep. Charlie Bass, a Republican, in 2006, riding a wave of Democratic support sweeping the Granite State. He and his wife, Peggo, are also musicians who have recorded several CDs of lullabies and American classics. Running for his first term, Hodes and his wife often sang at fundraisers and other campaign events.

While Hodes was quick out of the gate, there are other Democrats who could be interested in making a play for the open Senate seat. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter is one possibility.

Hodes was expected to rival Gregg had he sought re-election, and with the changing political make-up of the state -- within the last four years Democrats have seized the governorship, majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, both congressional districts and one U.S. Senate seat -- Gregg would have had to fight hard for his fourth term.

The GOP has a very shallow bench at the statewide level. Former governor Steve Merrill could run, and, of course, former Sen. John Sununu, ousted by former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen in November, could take a shot at winning the open seat.

With Hodes running for Senate, the much-coveted Second CD seat becomes available, and depending on whom a person consults, that list of could-be contenders is long and varied.

Senate President Sylvia Larsen, a Concord Democrat serving her seventh term, is one possibility. Others in the mix include Deb Pignatelli, who sits on the powerful Executive Council; perennial political candidate Katrina Swett (daughter of the late Rep. Tom Lantos and wife of former Second CD Rep. Dick Swett); former state senator Joe Foster of Nashua; Concord Mayor Jim Bouley; and Concord attorney Ann McLane Kuster.

Though Swett has serious cash on hand -- $1M -- from her aborted bid for U.S. Senate last year, she lost her 2002 bid against Bass by 17 points -- and suffered from her willingness to raise the vast majority of her money from out of state. So expect a Dem scrap in the Second CD.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, a candidate for VA governor, has launched his second television ad, a spot focusing on jobs. It will air in the Richmond area.

Neither of McAuliffe's Democratic rivals -- Sen. Creigh Deeds and former Del. Brian Moran -- have gone on television. McAuliffe's official entry into the race last month brought with it questions about whether he would aim to take on two well-respected, long-serving VA politicians by raising enough cash to saturate the airwaves and drown out his opponents' messages. McAuliffe certainly has the rolodex to continue to raise ample money.

In McAuliffe's ads so far, he has played down his formidable national political background in favor of a local message about jobs, ports and transportation needs. Voters are getting to know him early -- the VA primary is June -- and while his rivals have roots in Richmond, the election won't be determined by the political class but by voters who are already being spun in McAuliffe's direction.

Big money media campaigns by candidates who haven't paid their dues in the trenches aren't always successful. Remember Al Checchi? Checchi, a wealthy former CEO of Northwest Airlines and political neophyte, spent $40M in 1998 on a failed bid for CA governor, an effort he waged on the air, in particular.

But given his work for President Clinton and Hillary Clinton, McAuliffe has a certain familiarity to voters. So he's not being introduced for the first time via these ads. And while a first-time candidate for office, he certainly has grassroots experience.

Deeds and Moran face a distinct challenge in overcoming McAuliffe's on-air advantage.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

A Quinnipiac University survey of NJ RVs released this a.m. shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) trailing by 6% in his reelection bid to ex-U.S. atty Christopher Christie (R). In the new poll, conducted 1/29-2/2, Christie leads 44-38%, a 12% swing from Corzine's 42-36% advantage in 11/08.

Christie's improvement is driven by increases among Indie, GOP, male and white RVs. In the previous poll, conducted 11/13-17, Christie led Indies by 6%, a margin which today stands at 25%. The ex-U.S. atty also gained 10% among RVs in his own party, while Corzine's GOP total remained static; neither candidate moved significantly among Dems.

In the 11/08 matchup, Corzine and Christie were nearly tied among men, with the Gov. holding a 1% lead; today, men favor Christie 51-32%. Among women, Corzine lost 1% of support, and Christie gained 5%; as a result, Corzine's former 10% lead among women now stands at just 4%. Meanwhile, the GOP challenger has increased his lead among whites from 7% to 20%.

Christie has yet to get the GOP nod, but Quinnipiac's primary ballot shows him with a comfortable 27% advantage over his closest rival. The ex-U.S. atty leads '05 candidate/ex-Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan (R) 44-17%, with two other candidates in single digits. Nearly a third (32%) of GOP RVs are undecided -- a number which will surely diminish as the 6/2 primary approaches.

The new Quinnipiac Univ. poll, conducted 1/29-2/2, surveyed 1,173 NJ RVs and has margin of error +/- 2.9%; the primary sample surveyed 385 GOPers and has margin of error +/- 5.0%. The earlier poll, conducted 11/13-17, surveyed 2,020 NJ RVs and has margin of error +/- 2.2%.

(MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

Per the Concord Monitor:

The lead photo in the Oct. 30, 2007, Monitor, after Sen. Judd Gregg endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for president.

The lead photo in today's Monitor, after Gregg agreed to join President Obama's Cabinet.