From NBC's Jade Taenzler
According to a report released today by the liberal Center for American Progress and also the group Health Care for America Now, 14,000 Americans are losing health-care insurance every day during this economic crisis.

Since the recession began, the report says, an estimated four million additional Americans have lost their health insurance and two million have become uninsured. "Forty-six million people in America did not have health insurance prior to the recession in 2007," Judy Feder, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said in a conference call with reporters today. "But with the recession, it got worse. The unemployment rate grew by 0.8 percentage points in December and January alone, implying that just in these two months nearly 900,000 people became uninsured."

Michael J. Wilson, legislative director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, sees the rising number of uninsured Americans impact other parts of the economy. "With 14,000 people losing health care every day, even people who still have health care are affected," said Wilson. "If people are desperately saving their money to pay for health care, they will not be able to spend money on food or other goods, which adds to the recent turmoil in the market."

From NBC's Joel Seidman
Vice President Joe Biden presided at a ceremonial swearing-in for the new CIA director, Leon Panetta, at the intelligence agency's headquarters in Langley, VA, where he was cheered by employees.

Biden said as one of the agency's "leading customers" that he demanded the "unvarnished truth." He said that the CIA must "look around corners" and "imagine the unimaginable."

And the vice president underscored that a hallmark of this administration's foreign policy and diplomacy would be engagement, which he characterized as "active and aggressive."

In his remarks, Panetta said he wanted the agency to re-establish a working relationship with Capitol Hill. And he vowed, "We have to be honest."

Panetta also said that he was grateful that Deputy Director Steve Kappes was staying on in that role.

The new CIA director said that integrity and respecting law were the main missions of the agency. He said that the primary goal on his watch would be to provide leadership -- too often, he said, "we have governed largely by crisis."

Last week, Panetta issued a memo to CIA employees promising to "speak honestly" to his colleagues, coworkers, constituents, and the president.

The note pays tribute to his employees, saying their work is "a calling for the dedicated, those who find reward not in public acclaim, but in silent duty."

"The CIA is called to do great things for our country -- advance its interests, promote its values, oppose its enemies, and aid its allies. I look forward to working with all of you to make our mission America's hope for a better and safer tomorrow."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Earlier today, we mentioned that several GOP governors and potential 2012 candidates -- Sarah Palin of Alaska, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Rick Perry of Texas, and Haley Barbour of Mississippi -- are considering turning down the stimulus money for their states.

Well, Sanford now says he might accept the money after all, even though he remains ideologically against it. Per the AP, "Gov. Mark Sanford says being against the plan 'doesn't preclude taking the money.' Sanford said Thursday on CBS' 'The Early Show' that he took a stand against the president's economic plan because it's 'a bad idea.' But he says ultimately he represents the interests of the almost 5 million people of his state, and he will look over the plan and decide whether some parts would work for South Carolina."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Nowhere to go but up: One thing was absolutely clear about the home-foreclosure plan President Obama unveiled yesterday: It was received MUCH better than Geithner's rollout of Phase II of the bank rescue plan. Of course, that probably says more about the banking plan than the home foreclosure one; there was nowhere to go but up, right? Still, GOP criticism over the foreclosure package was pretty tepid. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor released six questions about the plan. And House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a statement 1) asking why the government should reward Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and 2) wondering if taxpayers will be forced to subsidize ACORN. Seriously, when the GOP starts trotting out ACORN talking points, you know they don't have much to complain about. But, after reading between the lines, there is a common thread linking the foreclosure and banking plans: The Obama administration was very careful about what it didn't say -- namely, that not every homeowner and bank is going to be saved. There are going to be a lot of folks allowed to go under, as well as a lot of banks that fail the stress test. The question is how the administration can prove what's happening (when it happens later this spring and summer) is not as bad as if nothing was done. Will the markets react that way as well?

Video: James Lockhart, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, discusses details of Obama's foreclosure plan on CNBC.

*** Just askin': So how much is the housing plan going to cost? $75 billion or $275 billion? The White House insists that the cost is $75 billion, saying the $200 billion being used to stabilize and recapitalize Fannie and Freddie shouldn't be counted because not all the money is necessarily being spent. (Speaking yesterday to First Read, a White House aide compared it to the FDIC. If you raised the money that the government insures bank loans from $100,000 to $200,000, he said, that doesn't mean the federal government is spending new money. It's just backing up that amount.) That said, Fannie/Freddie could not offer the lower interest rates to refinance without the capital safety net, and it's pretty clear this plan will never cost $75 billion. So isn't it more correct that without $275 billion in total money, this housing plan couldn't be implemented? Discuss.

*** A GOP litmus test? This is a fascinating story, per the AP: "A half-dozen Republican governors are considering turning down some money from the federal stimulus package, a move opponents say puts conservative ideology ahead of the needs of constituents struggling with foreclosures and unemployment." Who are these GOP governors? They're a "who's who" of possible presidential candidates in 2012 -- Sanford (SC), Jindal (LA), Palin (AK), Perry (TX), and Barbour (MS). What say you, Mitt Romney? This could become the ultimate litmus test for Republicans. But what will happen if residents decide they need the assistance and don't want to lose out on the money? Can governors block this aid? Will state legislatures allow it? Remember, governors have to balance their budgets, so if these Republicans decide not to accept the money, will they get blamed for the future spending cuts or tax hikes that have to follow?

*** Time to unleash the "Strange Brew" references, hoser: In his first international trip as president, Obama today travels to Canada. He arrives in Ottawa beginning at 10:30 am ET, where he'll later be greeted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. After that, the two men will attend a working lunch (along with several other U.S. and Canadian officials). Then, at 2:45 pm, Obama and Harper will hold a joint media availability. And finally, Obama will meet with Canada's opposition leader and American embassy personnel before returning to DC. What questions will come up at the media avail? Trade? Afghanistan? Cuba? Mexico's drug violence? And which questions won't be touched with a 3.2-meter pole? (Two bonus points for any reader who remembers THAT previous reference.)

*** Flashback time: Speaking of 1) Austan Goolsbee and 2) Canada… Today's Obama-Harper meeting, of course, comes almost a year after U.S.-Canadian relations jumped to the forefront of the Democratic primary fight, when a leaked memo from Canada's Chicago consulate office claimed that Obama adviser Austan Goolsbee was downplaying Obama's anti-NAFTA rhetoric. The memo reported that Goolsbee, after meeting with Canada's consulate, said Obama's tough talk about NAFTA during the campaign "should not be taken out of context and should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans." The Clinton campaign, of course, pounced on the memo in the build-up to primaries in Ohio and Texas, both of which Clinton won (although Obama won the Texas caucuses). And as it turns out, Goolsbee was speaking the truth. It was the classic instance of a Kinsley-defined Washington gaffe -- accidental truth telling.

*** Sebelius speculation: Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has emerged as Obama's top choice to head HHS. Our sources won't yet classify Sebelius as a "leading candidate," but no one is disputing she's on the short list for this post. Some in the White House may be a tad spooked by the "she's gonna get it" reporting because they fear she may not and they will have disappointed her yet again. Sebelius had been seen at one point as a shoo-in for Labor, and then suddenly was passed over. Obviously, the president and the Kansas governor have a good personal relationship, but it could get strained if it looks like she's being yanked around. Of course, the big blow for Democrats in all of this Sebelius speculation is that it now seems pretty clear she's not interested in running for the open Senate seat in Kansas. Would she allow herself to be talked about like this if she were seriously looking at running?

*** Dead pol walking, part II: Yesterday, we mentioned that Roland Burris looked like a dead pol walking. Well, the New York Post's Fred Dicker -- picking up on David Paterson's new low poll numbers -- notes that the New York governor might soon be joining him. "'It looks like it'll be Gov. Cuomo,' sighed a longtime Paterson loyalist. Words like 'unprecedented' and 'unbelievable' were being used to describe Paterson's collapse in popularity - but many on the inside said they weren't all that surprised. Those who've known Paterson well for decades say he's always been unfocused, self-centered, often lazy - and, at times, clownish and immature." It's amazing what one badly handled Senate appointment can do to your political standing. Back to Burris, we're wondering what the difference is between an editorial page calling for a resignation and the New York Times recommending that he "consider resigning." Discuss. 

*** Coleman's final move? Someday, the Coleman-Franken race in Minnesota -- which has been going on for 107 days past Election -- is going to come to an end. But that isn't going to happen for weeks. Or now maybe even months, given that the Coleman legal team seems to be laying down a marker that it will take its case to the state Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court. This all comes after a three-judge panel yesterday declined to reconsider its ruling last week to exclude several different categories of absentee ballots, reducing the overall pool of ballots Coleman needs to overturn Franken's 225-vote lead. After yesterday's decision, Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg fired off this statement: "The net effect of the court's February 13th ruling, and their decision today to not reconsider this ruling, is a legal quagmire that makes ascertaining a final, legitimate result to this election even more difficult." Meanwhile, the Coleman camp is still trying to raise money, releasing this YouTube fundraising solicitation from GOP senators.

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Previewing Obama's trip to Canada today, the New York Times writes that Obama these days is striking a different message on NAFTA and trade than he did during the primary campaign. "With Canadians up in arms over 'Buy America' provisions in President Obama's economic recovery package, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper warning the United States not to back away from its international treaty obligations, Mr. Obama, who will make a day trip to Ottawa on Thursday, is no longer emphasizing the idea of reopening Nafta."

Video: Obama to talk trade in Canada.

"Instead, he and his senior advisers are talking up the booming trade relationship between Canada and the United States -- the largest trade partnership in the world, the White House says -- and limiting their Nafta message to revamping side agreements on environmental and labor protections." 

Of course, Obama made the pivot on trade as he moved into the general election. Wrote Fortune last June: "'Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified,' [Obama] conceded, after I reminded him that he had called NAFTA 'devastating' and 'a big mistake,' despite nonpartisan studies concluding that the trade zone has had a mild, positive effect on the U.S. economy."

RNC chair Michael Steele issued this statement before Obama's trip to Canada: "After signing a trillion dollar stimulus package with protectionist language, it is important that President Obama clearly communicate America's commitment to global trade. Protectionism is not a solution to our current economic crisis; closing our borders would only lead to fewer jobs and a deeper recession." 

Has Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius become Obama's top choice to head HHS? The New York Times says so, although our sources refused to confirm the news. Per the Times, Sebelius "is emerging as the president's top choice for secretary of health and human services, advisers said Wednesday… It remained unclear whether the White House would finish vetting Ms. Sebelius in time to nominate her by next week. Advisers described her as 'the leading candidate,' although they said other names were still in discussion and emphasized that no final decision had been made. After the troubles with Mr. Daschle and other nominees, the White House has intensified its vetting to make sure it thoroughly scrubs its choices before Mr. Obama signs off."

The Boston Globe on the home-foreclosure plan President Obama unveiled yesterday:
"Warning that doing nothing would cost all Americans, Obama presented a three-part plan that contains $75 billion to help modify loans for as many as 4 million struggling homeowners, a change in mortgage rules to help as many as 5 million homeowners refinance into lower-cost loans, and a pledge of $200 billion to bolster mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac." 

Video: Obama unveils morgage rescue plan Phoenix, Az.

The Globe puts together an FAQ on the housing program.

The New York Times: "The plan, which was more ambitious and expensive than many housing analysts had expected, drew praise from consumer advocates as well as the financial industry."

The Times' Zeleny makes this smart point about all of Obama's travel so far as president -- it's been to presidential battleground states (CO, FL, IN, OH, VA) that went from red to blue in November. "The president deviated from his pattern for the first time on Wednesday, appearing in Arizona to present his plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Arizona, of course, voted for its favorite son Senator John McCain for president in November, but Democrats consider the state a ripe target to bring into their column the next time around."

"Given these early destinations, is the president already eyeing re-election? No, his advisers say. But Mr. Obama makes little effort to sidestep the fact that his political fortunes will almost certainly rest on the actions he takes during the early months of his term."

The AP's headline: "Some GOP governors may reject stimulus aid," "a move opponents say puts conservative ideology ahead of the needs of constituents struggling with foreclosures and unemployment." 
 
This takes some chutzpah… "Now that the massive $787 billion package has passed the House without a single Republican vote and cleared the Senate with just three centrist Republicans in favor, a number of GOP members of Congress have seemingly changed their tunes and are now touting money that will flow into their districts." Rep. John Mica (R-FL) for one lauded Obama's "recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future," he said in a statement.

The Hill says Burris is "on the ropes" and "on his own." 
 
The Washington Post: "Just weeks after Blagojevich became a national punch line with his frenetic round of television interviews as the Illinois Senate was throwing him out of office, Burris is becoming the reluctant star of a public sideshow of his own. The post he first sought in 1984 may be in jeopardy."

Video: Burris defends himself.

Still, the Los Angeles Times says it will be difficult for the Senate to expel him from office. "Though Roland Burris had some trouble being admitted to the U.S. Senate, he will not be easily expelled now that he has arrived. It takes a vote of two-thirds of the senators to oust a member, and the last senators to be formally expelled were charged with supporting the rebels during the Civil War."

Dick Durbin tells the Chicago Tribune: "'I'm troubled by the fact that his testimony was not complete and it was unsatisfactory,' Durbin said Wednesday from Turkey, where he is on an official Senate trip. 'It wasn't the full disclosure under oath that we were asking for.' Durbin, the state's senior senator, urged his Democratic colleague to gather trusted advisers and figure out 'what to do next.' 'At this point, his future in the Senate seat is in question,' Durbin said. In Nevada, [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid said Burris' 'story seems to be changing day by day.'"
 
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, "Obviously Sen. Burris was seated based in some way on the representations that he made to the U.S. Senate and to the committee in Illinois investigating Gov. Blagojevich," Gibbs said. "In many ways he was seated based on those representations, and I think that the people of Illinois deserve to know, based on some of the things that have happened over the past few days … the full extent of any involvement."
 
(The only person the Tribune quotes who supports Burris is Rep. Danny Davis: "I've known Roland a long time. People have often laughed and joked about how honest Roland was… So I actually feel a great deal of empathy for Roland at the moment, particularly since a great deal of his career was based on honesty, integrity and public interest.")
 
Meanwhile, Burris continues his tour in Downstate Illinois with events, he announced yesterday that were "completely closed to the press."

The Boston Globe continues its series on Ted Kennedy. 
 
And Aerosmith was not happy with House GOP No. 2 Eric Cantor using its song, "Back in the Saddle" for a video promoting Republican unity in voting against the stimulus. Hours after the video went up, it had to be taken down after a copyright infringement claim was filed.

"The Minnesota U.S. Senate election trial's three-judge panel today denied Republican Norm Coleman's request for reconsideration of their decision to rule illegal thousands of rejected absentee ballots," the Pioneer Press writes. "Last week, the court ruled that rejected absentee ballots that fell into any of 12 'categories' were illegal and would not be counted. Those categories included ballots that were sent by the deadline but got stuck in the mail and ballots that were incorrectly submitted because of bad information from election judges."

The Coleman camp blasted the decision. The Minneapolis Star Tribune: "The often-plodding trial of the U.S. Senate lawsuit erupted Wednesday. Norm Coleman's lawyers, reacted to a pair of adverse rulings by accusing the judges hearing the suit of creating 'a legal quagmire' and a 'fatal inconsistency' by refusing to consider some rejected absentee ballots that resemble others that have already been counted."

More: "While it's rare for lawyers to criticize judges hearing their cases, it's not surprising given the circumstances facing Coleman, said law professor Charles. 'This has both a political purpose and a legal purpose,' Charles said. 'The political purpose is to try to maintain some support for the Coleman camp as it's taking on some negative legal rulings.' The legal purpose is to 'send a message to the court that's involved, the Minnesota Supreme Court and perhaps the federal courts that, "Look, there are serious problems here and if we appeal to you, you are going to have to take our case very seriously."'"

Given the Coleman camp's legal setbacks, Politico says Coleman is in need of a miracle to beat Franken. "Does Coleman have any real chance of retaining his Senate seat? The answer, according to state political and legal analysts, is that it would take a miracle. Miracles do happen in politics — but four weeks into a court case that will decide the winner of Minnesota's tortured Senate race, the GOP incumbent is facing just-about-insurmountable hurdles to overcome the 225-vote deficit he was saddled with at the end of the official recount." 

MISSOURI: CongressDaily reports that Rep. Roy Blunt (R) -- the former House minority whip -- will announce today that he's running for the seat Sen. Kit Bond (R) is vacating. "Democratic state Treasurer Robin Carnahan has already announced she will run and has been backed by Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez… Blunt has press events scheduled throughout the weekend."

From NBC's Athena Jones

MESA, Ariz. -- Calling the steep rise in home foreclosures a "crisis unlike any we've ever known" that threatened to unravel the American Dream, President Obama today rolled out a multi-pronged plan to help millions of people who are struggling to pay their mortgages.

In a roughly 20-minute speech, Obama laid out the key elements of his $75 billion Homeowner Affordability and Stability plan he said was necessary to help the economy. The collapse of the housing market, the president argued, has been a root cause of the credit crunch that has made it hard for families to get loans and for businesses to operate, expand, and create jobs.

Video: Obama says the crisis is unraveling the middle class.

"In the end, all of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis," he told the crowd gathered at a high school here. "And all of us will pay an even steeper price if we allow this crisis to continue to deepen -- a crisis which is unraveling homeownership, the middle class, and the American Dream itself. But if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral, every American will benefit."

The plan also uses up to $200 billion in capital -- funds that have been approved by Congress -- to help ensure that government-sponsored mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can continue to stabilize markets and hold mortgage rates down.

And in a return to the theme of responsibility that he has touched on repeatedly in recent weeks and months, Obama said solving the current crisis would require more than just resources.

"Government has to take responsibility for setting rules of the road that are fair and fairly enforced. Banks and lenders must be held accountable for ending the practices that got us into this crisis in the first place," he said. "Each of us as individuals have to take responsibility for their own actions. That means all of us have to learn to live within our means again and not assume that housing prices are gonna go up 20, 30, 40 percent every year."

The administration will release guidelines on how this program will be implemented on March 4, including what HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan called a "standardized net present value test" that will help determine mortgage values.

Following are the main points of the plan as outlined by the president and other administration officials:
-- The $75 billion plan will help 7 to 9 million families restructure or refinance their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.

-- Donovan said close to 10% of all American families today are either in foreclosure or behind on their mortgages, and that the administration predicted roughly 6 million foreclosures over the next three years without this plan.

-- Some 4 to 5 million eligible homeowners who have loans held or insured by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac will be offered new lower interest rates.

-- Some 3 to 4 million struggling homeowners with subprime and other loans with exploding terms and hidden fees will receive help. Lenders who participate will be required to reduce monthly mortgage payments to no more than 38% of a borrower's income. The government initiative would then help match further reduction in interest payments with the lender to bring that ratio down to 31% of the borrower's income.

-- The program is voluntary, but any bank that receives bailout money would be required to participate.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, traveling in Europe with a congressional delegation comprised of several members of her inner circle and their spouses, had an audience earlier today with Pope Benedict.

The speaker has come under fire from church officials for her position on abortion, which she believes should remain legal and safe. Her comments on Meet the Press concerning the church's position on the issue were especially controversial.

Here are two statements issued at the conclusion of the meeting. The first is from the Vatican, the other from the speaker's office"

Vatican: "His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development." 
 
From the speaker: "It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today. In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church's leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father's dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel. I was proud to show his Holiness a photograph of my family's Papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren."

From NBC's Mike Kosnar
At a Department of Justice program this morning celebrating African American History Month, the nation's first black attorney general -- Eric Holder -- said the United States is a "nation of cowards" when it comes to racial issues.

Holder said average Americans "simply do not talk enough with each other about race."
  
Holder maintained that Justice Department employees have a special responsibility to advance racial understanding throughout the country.

Video: Watch Holder's speech at a Black History Month program.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race."

Holder continued, "It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation's history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us. But we must do more -- and we in this room bear a special responsibility. Through its work and through its example this Department of Justice, as long as I am here, must -- and will -- lead the nation to the 'new birth of freedom' so long ago promised by our greatest President. This is our duty and our solemn obligation."

From NBC's Ken Strickland
In a press release detailing embattled Sen. Roland Burris' speech today in Chicago at 1:30 pm ET, his office says the senator WILL NOT take questions at the event.

The release says, "At today's luncheon, Sen.. Burris will not take questions from the media. Senator Burris wishes to refrain from commenting any further during the current review by Sangamon County State's Attorney General John Schmidt, and is committed to cooperating with state agencies and the Senate Ethics Committee."

The speech is before the City Club of Chicago, where Burris is suppose to discuss his first month in the U.S. Senate.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
...for a fiscal summit.

Today, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg -- whom President Obama had nominated to serve as Commerce secretary -- announced that the president has invited him to participate in the White House's Fiscal Responsibility Summit next week. The summit will address long-term entitlement spending on things such as Social Security and Medicare.

"I've been asked by the President, along with a number of other Members of Congress, to join him next Monday," Gregg said in a written statement. "My goal for the summit will be to address the long-term fiscal tsunami that is headed our way as a result of the cost of making payments to the Baby Boom Generation through health and retirement entitlement programs."

Gregg is the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee and was one of the key negotiators when Congress drafted the original financial bailout legislation (also know as the Trouble Assets Relief Program or TARP). Gregg, while not officially part of the Senate Republican leadership team, is considered a member of Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's "kitchen cabinet."

"Reform is urgently needed, especially as long-term entitlement spending threatens to strangle our economy, and action must be taken sooner rather than later," Gregg said in his statement. "I will certainly do everything I can to work with the President and others in Congress to set a course for the long-run that addresses the issue of how we pass on to our children a government they can afford."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Yesterday, commenting on Friday's decision by the three-judge panel in Minnesota to throw out most of the categories of rejected absentee ballots that Norm Coleman's campaign was hoping to reopen for a second look, we noted that Coleman's task to overturn Al Franken's 225-vote lead was becoming more and more difficult.

This morning, Republican lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who's working for the Coleman camp, called First Read to argue that the Republican can still prevail in the final count. Ginsberg said the ruling reduced the rejected absentee ballot pool to about 3,500 ballots -- still enough to overturn Franken's lead.

Ginsberg added that Coleman's legal team is pursuing a two-track strategy. One, it's identifying ballots that still haven't been counted. "Ballots are still being found, interestingly enough," he said. And two, it's arguing that the decision to accept some absentee ballots -- but reject others -- presents an "equal protection and elementary fairness" problem.

As the Pioneer Press writes today, "If you lived in Carver County last year and you cast an absentee ballot, county officials checked to make sure your ballot's witness was a registered voter, the county elections manager testified Tuesday in Minnesota's Senate election trial. Your witness was unregistered? Your ballot wasn't counted. If you lived in Scott County, however, and you cast that same ballot with that same unregistered witness, your ballot likely was counted."

But, according to the article, "Franken lawyers contend Minnesota law is clear on what constitutes a legally cast absentee ballot, and the three-judge panel hearing the case has brought even more detail to the law by ruling certain categories of ballots illegal. 'There is one standard, and that is set by Minnesota law,' said Franken attorney Marc Elias. 'They want to expand that into some amorphous principle... That isn't the law, that's never been the law, and it's not a valid equal protection claim.'"

More: "The argument and other court action make Coleman's eventual goal clear, Elias said. 'They are laying the groundwork for an appeal of some sort ... whether it is the state Supreme Court, or the U.S. Supreme Court, or the federal court, I have no idea,' Elias said."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Obama's war? USA Today's front page must have been quite the eye-opener for President Obama this morning, since it's the one paper he most likely read while on the road in Phoenix to deliver his home foreclosure plan. The headline: "Obama's War." Despite no presidential verbal statement about the troop increase to Afghanistan and despite the fact the president is here in Phoenix today to talk housing, it's the issue of Afghanistan that dominates America's hotel paper of record. After all, the addition of 17,000 troops by the summer is a 50% increase in the U.S. commitment. This headline is another reminder to an Obama team that may be thinking about the following question: How many times during this presidency will Afghanistan step on planned policy and political rollouts (like today's home foreclosure plan)? What's more, the announcement of the 50% troop increase came without any presidential explanation or new policy announcement. And that's got some anti-war advocates very upset. But remember, Obama's rhetoric on Afghanistan was always as a response to Iraq questions. It was always the "right" war vs. Iraq as the "wrong" war.

Video: The Obama administration's "remissioning" of more than 10,000 troops to Afghanistan could be the first of several deployments. 

*** Obama's home loan: As we mentioned above, President Obama unveils his plan to address home foreclosures at an event in Phoenix at 12:15 pm ET. According to sources, the main goal of the plan is simple: prevent avoidable foreclosures by first helping homeowners who owe more than their house is now worth, and who currently can't refinance. The Obama plan will allow homeowners to either refinance at a lower interest rate or extend the life of their loan. The government will subsidize mortgage companies who work with these so-called underwater homeowners. But if private lenders won't help, the Obama plan would turn to government-sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The plan also tries to help homeowners who have mortgages too large for their income. The initial cost of this plan: a little more than $50 billion, taken from the second $350 billion in TARP funds. Unlike last week's bank bailout -- or even the various explanations for the just-passed stimulus plan -- housing is a much easier issue for the public to grasp. And unlike the bank bailout, the administration is using its best spokesman to unveil the plan: Obama. Some questions include: Will $50 billion be enough? How are good borrowers rewarded in this system? And can the government get in the game of re-valuing properties?

Video: The president is expected to unveil a plan today that could help homeowners.

*** The ideas race: With the stimulus now signed into law, here's our question of the day: When will the GOP begin being an idea factory the way they've become an opposition factory? (This morning alone, the RNC has blasted out five newspaper clips that raise questions about Obama and his administration.) During the fight over the stimulus, we heard Republicans champion more tax cuts, fiscal discipline, and a laissez-faire economic philosophy. The problem: Those ideas aren't necessarily new, and the Bush years in particular damaged the GOP brand on fiscal discipline. So what are the Republicans' ideas moving forwards? Ironically, since becoming RNC chair, Michael Steele has scrapped a fledgling in-house think tank, the Center for Republican Renewal, that ex-chair Mike Duncan had established. The Republicans are doing a great job on the political war front, but they are going to have to offer up counter-proposals that are hyped up in the same way the party hypes up Obama missteps.

*** Dead pol walking? Meanwhile, it now seems like Roland Burris' decision whether or not he'll run in 2010 has become the least of his worries. The Senate Ethics Committee has opened a preliminary investigation into Burris' changing stories about his contacts and conversations with Blagojevich associates, and a downstate Illinois prosecutor is investigating whether the U.S. senator committed perjury. What's more, Burris' hometown paper -- the Chicago Tribune -- is now calling for resignation ("There's only one honorable action for Burris: resign"). As is the Washington Post ("The people of Illinois have suffered enough. Mr. Burris should resign"). Harry Reid has to be muttering, "I told you so." Who will be the first senator to threaten expulsion?

Video: Burris is being asked to step down after admitting to fundraising efforts for Blagojevich. 

*** Paging Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton: Here's an idea that will catch like WILDFIRE with members of Congress. JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is calling for a 9/11-style commission to investigate Wall Street and the financial mess. Now here's a fun game this morning: Try and come up with a competent list of panelists who don't have potential conflicts of interest? 

*** What happened to that fastest transition in history? Here's also a story the GOP might jump on today: the lack of staff at various administration departments to implement the stimulus bill. "The once efficient Obama transition has ground to a near standstill after tax problems bedeviled several of his nominees, leaving the top echelon of his government largely unassembled. Three cabinet jobs remain unfilled, only 2 of the 15 cabinet departments have deputy secretaries confirmed, and the vast majority of lower-level political jobs remain vacant."

*** Sarah smile?

 It isn't easy running for president after being your party's defeated VP nominee. (See: John Edwards and Joe Lieberman.) And, for Sarah Palin, it doesn't become any easier when you find that your day job in Alaska isn't the same as it was before you became your party's running mate. Under the headline, "Back Home in Alaska, Palin Finds Cold Comfort," today's Washington Post writes: "A number of factors seem to have contributed to the bumpy homecoming: a residual anger among Democrats for the attack-dog role Palin assumed in the McCain campaign, lingering resentment from Republicans for the part she may have played in McCain's defeat, and a suspicion crossing party lines that the concerns of Alaska, at a time of economic crisis, will now be secondary to her future in national politics. Nearly every move that Palin makes or does not make, acknowledges Joe Balash, one of her closest aides, is analyzed through a new political prism, scrutinized for its effect on a possible 2012 presidential candidacy. 'There's nothing we can do to stop it,' he said. 'People wonder why she's doing something or not doing something.'"

*** The NHL has some work to do with the First Fan: And speaking of America's most famous hockey mom, did anyone else catch Obama's revelation to the CBC that he's never attended a hockey game? He never attended a Blackhawks game?

Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 104 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 111 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 258 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 622 days

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President Obama today turns his attention to what may be the biggest drag on the American economy: housing. The goal of the administration's plan is simple, according to sources familiar with it: prevent avoidable foreclosures. So who gets help first? Homeowners who owe more than their house is now worth. Currently, they can't refinance. This plan will allow them to either refinance at a lower interest rate, extend the life of the loan, or both. The government will subsidize mortgage companies who work with these eligible, yet vulnerable, homeowners. So instead of a borrower trying to "buy down" an interest rate by a couple of points themselves, the government will do the buying down of the interest rate. If a lender won't help a qualifying homeowner, the government will ask Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to step in.

Also at the top of the list for help in this plan: homeowners who have a very poor debt-to-income ratio, meaning their current income won't support the amount of debt they have acquired. What the exact cut-off line is for this group of homeowners is not yet clear, but the goal is getting the cost of staying in one's home no more than 30% of their monthly income.

One thing the plan won't do is allow borrowers to get their entire loan amount reduced.

There is still plenty we don't know yet about the plan, including:
-- how will mortgages be handled in bankruptcy proceedings? The plan MAY make it easier for bankruptcy judges to unilaterally modify mortgages -- something Republicans in Congress believe will hurt responsible borrowers by raising interest rates. 
 -- will borrowers who have mortgages on multiple pieces of property qualify? This could affect the so-called speculators.
-- and will mortgage companies get an increased incentive to work with troubled borrowers, including an equity stake in the property?
 
Politically, the White House hopes today's event is smoother than last week's phase two rollout of the bank bailout -- which is why the president is in Phoenix to unveil this. He's not leaving this task to his Treasury or Housing secretaries (although both will be with him today). Arizona had the third highest foreclosure rate in the nation last year -- behind Nevada and Florida.

The AP on Obama's foreclosure plan: "The ambitious plan he was announcing at a Phoenix high school Wednesday was expected to offer government cash to mortgage companies that reduce interest rates - and therefore monthly payments -- for homeowners in danger of default, according to several people briefed on the plan. What remained unclear was how the government will decide who qualifies for relief."

"Barack Obama, whose presidential ambitions were launched by his opposition to one war, moved Tuesday to expand the U.S. deployment in another," USA Today writes. "In his first such action as president, Obama ordered an additional 17,000 combat troops to Afghanistan. His administration cast the move as an interim step to battle the resurgent Taliban, secure Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, increase security for summer elections and stem the decline in a war that the United States now risks losing."

The Washington Post: "The new deployments, to begin in May, will increase the U.S. force in Afghanistan by nearly 50 percent, bringing it to 55,000 by mid-summer, along with 32,000 non-U.S. NATO troops. In a statement issued by the White House, Obama said that 'urgent attention and swift action' were required because 'the Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al-Qaeda . . . threatens America from its safe-haven along the Pakistani border.'"

The New York Times says the Afghanistan decision "also carries political risk for a president who will be sending more troops to Afghanistan before he has begun to fulfill a promised rapid withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Many experts worry that Afghanistan presents an even more formidable challenge for the United States than Iraq does, particularly with neighboring Pakistan providing sanctuary for insurgents of the Taliban and Al Qaeda."

The New York Times on the spin war over the stimulus: "The division between the two parties over the bill's political repercussions was almost as stark as that over its substance. Leaders of the Democratic Senate and House campaign committees said in interviews that they would try to ensure that Republicans paid a price in 2010 for having opposed the measure. Not a single Republican in the House voted for the bill, and only three Republicans backed it in the Senate. Over the next few days, 30 first-term House Democrats will hold events in their districts highlighting how spending there can protect and create jobs and otherwise benefit those harmed by the downturn."

Here's a story the GOP might jump on today: the lack of staff at various departments implement the stimulus bill. "The once efficient Obama transition has ground to a near standstill after tax problems bedeviled several of his nominees, leaving the top echelon of his government largely unassembled. Three cabinet jobs remain unfilled, only 2 of the 15 cabinet departments have deputy secretaries confirmed, and the vast majority of lower-level political jobs remain vacant."

Lost in some of the White House spin yesterday was the release of its state-by-state job estimates. The Raleigh paper picked up the NC number and questioned the math. "[T]he math behind those estimates is a patchwork of best guesses, historical analogies and academic theories. Several North Carolina economists and finance professors disagreed on whether the spending would create as many jobs as the White House estimates, but all thought the spending would help in the short run."

Our own quick glance at the White House jobs-math shows it appears to have taken the 3.5 million saved/create jobs figure and divided evenly by population by state.

"Several senior Senate Democrats have intensified their push for Howard Dean to become the next secretary of Health and Human Services, but the effort has run into what Dean allies call Democratic 'family politics.'" Lots of fiery quotes in this Hill piece.

The New York Daily News reports, "After months of rumors that [Bronx Borough President Adolfo] Carrión was getting a job with the new administration, the White House will announce Wednesday that President Obama has appointed him director of the new White House Office on Urban Policy, Democratic sources in New York and Washington confirmed Tuesday."

Per NBC's Ken Strickland, a source on the Senate Ethics Committee said it was opening a preliminary investigation into the Burris matter. MSNBC's Adam Verdugo got this quote from a spokeswoman for Ethics Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer: "Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of the Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry."

The Chicago Sun-Times says the move by the Senate Ethics Committee, "which ultimately could lead to sanctions or Burris' expulsion from the Senate, followed a Downstate prosecutor's decision earlier Tuesday to open a perjury investigation against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's choice to succeed President Obama in the Senate."

Burris' hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune, has called for the senator to resign. "There's only one honorable action for Burris: resign. Strip this whole wretched process out of the hands of the politicians and give it back to the people."

The Washington Post does the same: "From the moment that Mr. Burris was selected, he strove to portray himself as a blameless public servant. The sad pictures of Mr. Burris being cast out into the rain by the Democratic leadership of the Senate, which initially refused to seat him, turned public opinion in his favor. Mr. Burris got his seat. But 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."

A Chicago Sun-Times editorial, meanwhile, calls for him to provide to state lawmakers an accurate account of all the circumstances leading up to his appointment. "Burris owes it state lawmakers, who questioned him in good faith last month. He owes it to the people of Illinois. And Burris, a history maker in his own right, owes it to history. Every few days Burris offers the public a new version of what happened, and the versions do not improve with each retelling."

The New York Times recounts Burris' "dizzying series of versions of his dealings with Mr. Blagojevich's allies… Since January, Mr. Burris has offered differing descriptions — at least three of them under oath — of what led to his arrival in the Senate. In a sworn affidavit he provided to a committee of the Illinois House in Springfield on Jan. 5, Mr. Burris said 'there was not any contact' between himself or his representatives and those of Mr. Blagojevich before he was chosen."

More: "Three days after he filed the affidavit, he was asked by the committee whether he had talked with 'any members of the governor's staff or anyone closely related to the governor, including family members or any lobbyists connected with him,' including, by name, the governor's brother, the governor's chief of staff, former chief of staff and top advisers. Mr. Burris answered, 'I talked to some friends about my desire to be appointed, yes,' and then told of a conversation he had had months earlier with a former Blagojevich chief of staff about his interest in the Senate seat."

And: "Then earlier this month Mr. Burris sent a 'supplemental affidavit' to the committee in which he acknowledged that in the months before his appointment, he had spoken with many of the Blagojevich allies he had originally been asked about. In the affidavit, Mr. Burris described Mr. Blagojevich's brother as having sought fund-raising help for the governor. But it was not until this week, before the reporters in Peoria, that Mr. Burris also indicated he had initially tried to provide such help."

The Minneapolis Star Tribune on what happened on Day 16 of the recount trial: "In questioning of election officials from Wright, Carver and Scott counties, the Coleman campaign sought to highlight differences in how counties processed absentee ballots. The campaign has argued that there have been 'equal protection' problems in the election and aftermath -- that is, that not all voters have been treated equally, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The Franken campaign responds that Minnesota's standards are clear and the trial is only about which candidate received the most legal votes under those standards."

The AP: "For Democrats, the absence of Franken's vote has already made passing legislation more of a challenge… The vote also underscored, for Senate Republicans, the importance of holding onto the seat. Coleman traveled to Washington last week to raise thousands of dollars to help fund his recount efforts. That included maximum $10,000 donations from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio." More: "The longer the recount lasts in St. Paul, the more difficult things are for congressional Democrats. Some said Republicans are more intent on a drawn-out battle than holding out a realistic hope of victory."

KANSAS: In the Kansas Senate Republican primary, "Discerning any major differences between Kansas GOP Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt requires a microscope, but as the Senate primary between them builds steam, wedges are beginning to be laid."

NEW YORK: Kirsten Gillibrand loses a Senate Democratic primary to Carolyn McCarthy, 34%-24% in a new Quinnipiac poll. If Gillibrand can hold on in the primary, she would beat Rep. Peter King in the race for Senate, the poll shows. (CORRECTION: We earlier incorrectly noted here and in the headline, Carolyn Maloney.)

Meanwhile, per the Washington Post's Cillizza, the RNC "is going up on television with ads in support of New York state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco in his special election bid in the state's 20th district, an early sign that newly elected chairman Michael Steele plans to wade into downballot races to reassert the party's competitiveness across the country and in the Northeast in particular. The ad, which was produced by Tedisco's campaign but funded -- to the tune of roughly $80,000 -- by the RNC, will be on Albany broadcast television, which reaches 80 percent of the district's voters, starting this evening."

Here's the ad.

OHIO: The AP and Roll Call preview the Democratic Senate primary between Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The White House released the transcript of President Obama's interview with the CBC (Canada) and the first question had to do with the "Buy America" clause in the stimulus. That led nicely into NAFTA, which was a campaign issue. Obama also laid out the priorities and barometers for success in Afghanistan, where Canadians play a crucial role.

The president said Canadians shouldn't "be too concerned" about the "Buy America" clause. "I think that if you look at history one of the most important things during a worldwide recession of the sort that we're seeing now is that each country does not resort to 'beggar thy neighbor' policies, protectionist policies, they can end up further contracting world trade," Obama said.

But, "[M]y expectation is, is that where you have strong U.S. competitors who can sell products and services, that a lot of governors and mayors are going to want to try to find U.S. equipment or services, but that we are going to abide by our World Trade Organization and NAFTA obligations just as we always have," the president added.

On NAFTA, Obama called stricter labor and environmental protections "side agreements." "My argument has always been that we might as well incorporate them into the full agreement so that they're fully enforceable. But what I've also said is that Canada is one of our most important trading partners, we rely on them heavily, there's $1.5 billion worth of trade going back and forth every day between the two countries and that it is not in anybody's interest to see that trade diminish."

Obama called Canada's efforts and committment in Afghanistan "extraordinary." He stressed diplomacy and said, "I'm in the process of a strategic review of our approach in Afghanistan. Very soon we will be releasing some initial plans in terms of how we are going to approach the military side of the equation in Afghanistan." (The White House is set to release more information on Afghanistan plans/troop levels likely later this week.)

Obama called Afghanistan "still winnable, in the sense of our ability to ensure that it is not a launching pad for attacks against North America. I think it's still possible for us to stamp out al Qaeda to make sure that extremism is not expanding but rather is contracting."

He listed the priorities in Afghanistan as: stopping drug trafficking, establishing a sense of rule of law and solving the border problem between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where Al Qaeda and Taliban members are believed to be holed up and who are easily able to cross back and forth.

That doesn't exactly sound like Iraq-style nation-building, does it?

From NBC's Doug Adams
In brief statements to reporters in Peoria, Ill., today, where he is on a statewide speaking tour, Sen. Roland Burris said he has "nothing to hide" and offered to answer questions before "any and all investigative bodies," including the Senate Ethics Committee.

Burris said his testimony about contacts with impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagovich, are "truthful and consistent." He added that "there were never any inappropriate conversations between me or anyone else."

Burris did not take any questions, and quickly left the room. Reporters are eager to question him after reports that last night he admitted he tried to arrange a fundraiser for the governor last fall, but was unable to persuade friends to contribute.

NBC's Lee Cowan reported on MSNBC that though Burris may have admitted to trying to raise money for Blagojevich, essentially, there were no takers. Therefore, he is technically, standing by his statement that he did not raise money for or donate to Blagojevich.

Here's a rough log of Burris' statement, per NBC's Mark Hudspeth:  
I have nothing to hide. I welcome the opportunity to go before any and all investigative bodies, including those referred by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the ethics, the Senate Ethics Committee to answer any questions they have

In fact, earlier today one of my advisors placed a call to the Sangamon County's state's attorney, John Schmidt, in an attempt to inform them that I welcome the opportunity to review the facts in this matter in a full and complete account of my actions, statements, and contacts.

I look forward to sitting down with the federal officials and addressing this with them, and I support having any other body or agency look into my testimony as it was truthful and consistent. There were never any inappropriate conversations between me and anyone else.

I will answer any and all questions to get that point across to keep my faith with the citizens of Illinois.

We are working on a concise document that will be provided to the public later this week. Thank you very much and God bless.

From NBC's Mark Murray
In a video statement, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) today announced that she will run for Sen. George Voinovich's (R) vacant Senate seat in 2010.

As it stands now, Brunner would compete in a Democratic primary against Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), who also has said he's running for the seat.

Former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman (R) -- who served as George W. Bush's budget director -- is the sole Republican so far vying for the seat.

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
The White House is expected to announce the deployment of more than 10,000 additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan "within the hour," according to Pentagon officials. The Pentagon will follow with details on numbers and identification of troops to be deployed.

The troop deployment to Afghanistan will be announced as a "remissioning," meaning many, if not most, of the forces were already scheduled to deploy to Iraq but will now be diverted to Afghanistan. 

That will reportedly include two Marine combat battalions and one Army combat brigade. According to one Pentagon official, because this "remissioning" will, in fact, redirect troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, it will be politically characterized as a "drawdown" of U.S. military forces in Iraq, permitting the White House to claim in this one announcement that President Obama is making good on two campaign promises -- withdrawing forces from Iraq and sending additional forces to Afghanistan.

If he hasn't already, Defense Secretary Gates is expected to sign the deployment order today to send the more than 10,000 U.S. Marines and soldiers to Afghanistan in the spring.

*** UPDATE *** According to senior Pentagon and military officials, President Obama today authorized the deployment of 17,000 additional forces to Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Gates, however, either has or will sign the actual deployment order for 12,000 forces, 8,000 Marines and 4,000 soldiers for Aghanistan.

The deployment order for the additional 4,000, most support personnel, will be signed at a later date when those individual units and troops are identified. The 17,000 number was in one of the earlier orders that was sent up chain of command then back down again a couple weeks ago.