Friday's Starting Lineup

January 8, 2010 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) |

By Reid Wilson

Happy Friday morning. Another layer of snow on the ground in DC, so if you're out and about, step carefully. Your OnCall editor failed to do so this morning.

Here's Friday's Starting Lineup, an early look at the figures who will make news today:

THE UNEMPLOYED: This morning, the Labor Dept. releases the monthly unemployment rate, a number that will be endlessly cited by Dems or GOPers, depending on the news. It's the beginning of the jobs jobs jobs mantra we're going to hear all year leading up to an election dominated by economic news.

Remember, the unemployment rate December released in early Dec. stood at a flat 10%, down .2% from the Nov. figure. Most economists agree that a serious reduction in the number of people searching for jobs is years off, and even if the rate falls below 10% today, GOPers will still argue it is too high -- and the voting public will agree.

Still, the double-digit mark is a big hurdle, and Dems will claim a short-term win if the rate falls for a second straight month, which it appears likely to do. The economy is improving, but whether it does so fast enough to save Dem seats remains an unknown.

By the way, never be caught off guard by new economic numbers with Hotline OnCall's handy clip-and-save calendar of economic indicators.

PRES. OBAMA: Jobs, jobs, jobs. Obama will make a statement to the press at the WH today when the promised "hard pivot" (even CNBC commentators used the term this morning) to creating new employment begins. GOPers are calling it a second stimulus measure, while Dems want to avoid that term. Either way, it's all Obama will talk about until the situation improves.

Today, Obama announces stimulus funding will go toward creating new clean technology jobs, including solar, wind and energy management technology, per Mike Allen's Playbook. Dems need Obama to be popular if they are going to save their own jobs in Nov. His focus, and his success or failure in convincing Americans he is making progress, will go a long way toward his approval rating. Today's announcement won't determine whether he will be successful; it will merely be the first step in a long and arduous process.

REP. ERIC CANTOR: The House Min. Whip is in NY on a media tour this morning, stopping by CNBC and Fox and Friends to talk jobs and the economy. Cantor has been on the forefront of the GOP's jobs push, raising his profile throughout the last year as House GOPers seek fresh faces.

He's even shown a deft touch when it comes to GOPers who have the potential to throw him off track. Recall last March, when House GOP Conference chair Mike Pence offered a budget outline with no numbers; Cantor attended the press conference with the rest of House leadership, then darted away before the press began grilling Pence.

Now, Cantor is subtly distancing himself from RNC chair Michael Steele, who's had one of the worst weeks for any politician who hasn't had an affair or run over someone with their car.

"I'm not so clear as to what the mission was in terms of the interview and the book and the rest," Cantor told radio host Steve Malzberg yesterday afternoon, referring to Steele's controversial book tour and an ABC interview in which he told critics to "shut up." "As a Republican elected official, we feel a tremendous amount of momentum right now."

One thing Cantor's got down: Talking points.