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- President Obama laid out his education agenda in a big speech today, which Dana neatly distills below.
- Adam is absolutely correct that the emerging new media meme, echoed across the Beltway by commentators such as Mark Halperin and David Brooks, is that the President of the United States simply cannot take on too many things at one time. I'd agree that it's not only unwise for Obama to not push for reform across-the-board, but also unlikely that Obama himself is going to be deterred by what Beltway pundits have to say.
- Today the Senate votes (again) to pass the omnibus spending bill that keeps the federal government running through the end of the fiscal year and both the House and Senate are readying to introduce the Employee Free Choice Act today, which promises to be a serious battle to define whether business or workers have the last word when it comes to unionizing. Tim has some nice in-the-trenches reporting below.
- To stimulate or not to stimulate? Nancy Pelosi tells Politico she's open to a second stimulus package but ABC suggests there's little desire for it on Capitol Hill.
- Sean Quinn is probably correct to assert that the congressional race to fill the NY-20 seat vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand will likely be the test that makes or breaks RNC Chair Michael Steele, although I'd say the partisan voting index of the district is such that the GOP has a slight advantage. Moreover, successfully taking the seat back will free Steele to worry about more important things, like dealing with a civil war at the RNC over campaign funds.
- David Corn finds some evidence to support the idea that Barack Obama's grassroots campaign organization, in a holding pattern since the election, is poised to come back to life in order to help the president push his priorities through Congress. Similarly, Greg Sargent reports that the Center for American Progress is beginning to flex its muscles in the battle to restore progressive public policy in the United States.
- Remainders: Chas Freeman drops out as nominee for Chairman of the National Intelligence Council; Daphne Eviatar asks why the Obama Justice Department is defending John Yoo; James Vega keeps digging into the bubbling smear campaign against Barack Obama; the right wing gears up to stop Obama's judicial appointments; Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins wonder why more Republicans can't be like them; and John McCain recycles both campaign finance reform and the Contract with America.
--Mori Dinauer
