From NBC's Savannah Guthrie and Domenico Montanaro
The administration's Web site showing how stimulus money is spent, state-by-state, is up and running today, per the White House.

"Today, the White House launched www.recovery.gov -- an unprecedented step to increase transparency in government," the White House said in a press release. "The website features a searchable database, allowing Americans to see how and where their tax dollars are being spent. Following the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the website will include a state-by-state report on the impact of law as well a breakdown of spending in the bill by sector.

From NBC's Mark Murray
This news might not help New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) re-election prospects this year. According to a review by the Newark Star-Ledger, Corzine "spent all or part of 105 days outside of New Jersey in 2008... That is more absences than in either of his first two years as governor, and appears to be the most since Republican Christie Whitman was governor in the 1990s."

More: "When Corzine leaves the state, he must formally transfer power to Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex), who serves as acting governor. Copies of those transfer letters enabled The Star-Ledger to count Corzine's absences. The counts do not include some of Corzine's visits to Manhattan, where his girlfriend Sharon Elghanayan lives. Early in his term, the attorney general's office said such visits would not trigger gubernatorial succession."

And: "Among Corzine's out-of-state trips in 2008 were the Democratic National Convention in Denver, campaign stops for Clinton in Nevada and Obama in Florida, a trade mission to Israel followed by a few days of vacation there, and visits to his family in California and Illinois. The governor was out of state for all or part of 17 days in each of the months of July, August and December, the records show. But in September and October, when panic over the economy began to peak, Corzine spent all but five days in New Jersey."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Another busy week: Congress might be on recess, and many other Americans might be easing back to work after a long holiday weekend. But for the Obama White House, there is no rest for the weary -- even after the president's quick Chicago getaway. Today, beginning at 2:40 pm ET in Denver, President Obama signs the stimulus into law, around the same time as his administration receives restructuring plans from the auto industry. On Wednesday, he travels to Phoenix to unveil his plan to reduce home foreclosures (per the New York Times, it will "include a mix of government inducements and new pressure on lenders to reduce monthly payments for borrowers"). And on Thursday, Obama heads to Canada for his first international trip as president. This week's road trip isn't by accident; Obama and his team are trying their best to avoid Washington's echo chamber. They are clearly frustrated that, despite solid poll ratings for both the president and the stimulus plan, they are not winning the inside-the-Beltway message war. So what do you do? You leave the Beltway. Don't be surprised to start hearing the phrase "Washington Republicans" vs. "Florida Republicans" or "Colorado Republicans," etc. The White House likes to brag how it successfully ignored the Washington echo chamber during the presidential campaign. Well, that was easy working from Chicago; it's much harder when actually living in DC.

Video: President Obama heads to Denver to sign the $787 billion economic stimulus bill.  NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports.

*** 28 days later: With yet another fast and furious week, it's still a bit jarring that today begins just the fifth week in the fledgling Obama administration. That's right: In less than a month, we've seen their highs (the inauguration, the impressive East Room news conference, the stimulus' passage), their lows (the Daschle and Gregg withdrawals, zero House GOPers supporting the stimulus), and something in between (the tepid reaction to Geithner's financial stability plan). That the past month could seem more active than the Bush White House's last two years is a challenge for Obama, as well as the 24-7, live-blogging, always-Twittering media that covers him. For the administration, how do you convince the public that are no easy fixes to all the challenges -- the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan -- even as you're racing to take on so much at once? For the press, how do we find the time to evaluate, assess, and provide perspective given that we've never given a new administration such close scrutiny?

*** Stuck in the middle with you: In these first few weeks, we're noticing a pattern on decisions the administration wants to put off, but doesn't want to look like they are putting off. So they're trying to find some sort of middle ground. For instance, on the auto bailout, the president created a task force to begin looking at the situation. It looks responsive, but doesn't give away where the administration really is on the issue of, say, the idea of a GM or Chrysler bankruptcy. Then there's the Afghanistan decision; the troop approval that's coming is not a large number for now. So it puts off a policy announcement, but appeases folks for now. Ditto on GITMO.

*** Who's attending and who's not: Going back to the stimulus, notice how few (if any) actual members of Congress are traveling to Colorado to attend today's bill signing. Rather, the attendees will be Vice President Biden, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D). Of course, had the president wanted congressional presence, he would have asked for it. Read into THAT what you will… It seems like another opportunity to show Obama as non-Washington, no?

*** Mr. Bipartisan: Meanwhile, John McCain has conducted yet another interview in which he argues that Obama has failed to live up to his promise of bipartisanship. You've got to give McCain credit; the guy knows how to continue to grab headlines. During the Bush years, he was the go-to Republican for Democrats who were looking to prove they could work with a Republican and find middle ground. Now, he's serving as the one-man judge and jury on whether something's bipartisan or not, despite running a hyper-partisan presidential campaign (remember that fellow Bill Ayers?). It's going to make the Obama White House crazy, but McCain's got enough of a following to pull this off for a few months. He still will have to actually work with Obama on some legislation to keep his bipartisan mojo for the long term.

*** An Em-Burris-ing omission? If Sen. Roland Burris was thinking about running for his Senate seat next year, does the news over the weekend -- that he filed an affidavit to amend what now seems like incorrect testimony about his contacts with Blagojevich associates -- put an end to that idea? Maybe, maybe not. After all, this is the same person who ACCEPTED a Senate appointment from a governor who was damaged by corruption charges, who was about to be impeached, and who eventually became a political laughingstock. In the long run, this is a break for Democrats, who can now begin recruiting publicly for a primary challenger. Remember that in addition to being tainted by Blago, Burris has lost several past attempts for statewide office, including one for governor in 2002. Senate Democrats hardly gave the Illinois senator a vote of confidence regarding his omission. "Clearly, it would have been better if Sen. Burris had provided this information when he first testified," said the top spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Ouch.

*** Coleman suffers blow: Norm Coleman's tall hurdle to overturn Al Franken's 225-vote lead got even taller on Friday, when a three-judge panel threw out most of the categories of rejected absentee ballots that Coleman's folks were hoping to reopen for a second look. The ruling essentially reduces the pool of ballots from which Coleman needs to net at least 226 votes to beat Franken. Folks, the writing is on the wall here. But Republicans are more than content to see this trial go on and on and on because 1) it temporarily denies Democrats a 59th Senate vote, and 2) it creates the slim possibility that the legal wrangling could somehow force a do-over election.  
 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 105 days
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The Denver Post previews today's bill signing. "So is Colorado the 'before' picture, or the 'after' picture? President Barack Obama will sign the $787 billion stimulus package at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, at a time when Colorado represents a little of both. Home prices have shrunk and unemployment is up; Colorado-based companies have seen their stock prices plummet, and falling sales tax revenues plague local governments. Conversation on the street tends to turn to joblessness, fears of salary cuts, investment losses and health care costs."

"But Obama will be making his grand national gesture in a state where two of his pet industries of the future are thriving on new ideas and ambition, and which are ready to spend money as soon as he caps his pen. The stimulus includes billions in credits and grants meant to promote green energy production and independence from Middle East oil, and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, has long made those ideas key to his vision of creating Western jobs." 

The Washington Post notes some liberal misgivings about the stimulus. "Liberal Democrats recognize the package's scale and accomplishment, and they have defended it against Republican attacks. But they also wonder whether Obama could have used the opportunity of a large congressional majority and a moment of economic emergency to pass a bigger package, with a better chance of boosting the economy and with more of his priorities intact. As Obama moves on to issues such as health care and energy, liberals are debating how to ensure that the stimulus outcome does not define the outer boundaries of his agenda, so that future legislation is not limited, as the stimulus was, by the demands of centrist senators such as Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)."

But the Post also writes that mayor of big cities are embracing the legislation. "Across the country, urban leaders and advocates say the stimulus plan that President Obama is to sign Tuesday will create jobs in cities and blunt the impact of the economic crash. But they hope the funding package only begins to hint at the ambitious urban policy agenda Obama has articulated." 

That's also true for many Republican governors, the New York Times adds. "President Obama must wish governors could vote in Congress: While just three of the 219 Republican lawmakers backed the $787 billion economic recovery plan that he is signing into law on Tuesday, that trifling total would have been several times greater if support among the 22 Republican state executives counted. The contrast reflects the two faces of the Republican Party these days."

"Leaderless after losing the White House, the party is mostly defined by its Congressional wing, which flaunted its anti-spending ideology in opposing the stimulus package. That militancy drew the mockery of late-night television comics, but the praise of conservative talk-show stars and the party faithful. In the states, meanwhile, many Republican governors are practicing a pragmatic -- their Congressional counterparts would say less-principled -- conservatism." 

Bill Clinton said in an interview on TODAY that Obama is "off to a good start," and then he added later, "Did any of them seriously believe that if I had been president and my economic team had been in place the last eight years, that this would be taking place."

Stu Rothenberg analyzes what's left of Obama's political capital. "All of this means that the public's honeymoon with Obama is alive and well and likely to last for an extended period, but that not everyone in the public eye will be so lucky. The underlying weakness in the economy, and the crucial growing pessimism both in financial circles and the country at large, will certainly take a political toll on some officeholders in the near term. The public will want its scapegoat before the end of the year if no economic turnaround appears."

Donna Brazile, writing in Roll Call, expresses her doubts on bipartisanship because "it's just not" in Republicans' "DNA." "Even with two consecutive elections that increased their majority and decimated the GOP, it's naive for Democrats to believe that Republicans would go along to get along. It's just not in their DNA. Case in point: Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire."

The New York Times previews the plan Obama will unveil tomorrow in Arizona to reduce home foreclosures. It will "include a mix of government inducements and new pressure on lenders to reduce monthly payments for borrowers at risk of losing their houses, according to people knowledgeable about the administration's thinking. The plan … is expected to include government subsidies for reducing a borrower's interest rate, which a lender would have to match with its own money."

The Washington Post: "General Motors and Chrysler raced to save their place in the American auto industry yesterday, putting the final touches on plans to curb production, cut jobs and pare brands in hopes of securing billions of dollars in additional federal aid. The plans they are scheduled to submit today to the Obama administration call for a broad restructuring of their operations at a time the industry is suffering one of its steepest declines in decades. But as detailed as the plans are, they are more of a starting point than an end." 

The New York Times has more: "G.M. will file what is expected to be the largest restructuring plan of its 100-year history on Tuesday, a step it must take to justify its use of a $13.4 billion loan package from the federal government. The plan will outline in considerable detail, over as many as 900 pages, how G.M. will further cut its work force, shutter more factories in North America and reduce its lineup of brands to just four, from eight, according to executives knowledgeable about its contents. The remaining core brands will be Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick."

In Japan, NBC's Andrea Mitchell sat down with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and discussed North Korea, the state of the world economy, what the U.S. can do, reaction from around the world as well as human rights. On North Korea, Clinton said, "It would not be helpful" for North Korea to test another long-range missile. "They entered into some agreements through the six party talks that we expect them to fulfill. They are also requirements on any nation that is contemplating a space launch that they haven't complied with." But when asked about enforcement, Clinton toed the line. "Well we'll wait and watch to see what they actually do. I don't want to telegraph any action. I want to make it as clear as I can as I have on numerous occasions that if the North Koreans do decide to fulfill their obligations and achieve denuclearization and end proliferation there are opportunities awaiting them which I think would be very attractive."
 
Asked whether this economic crisis was "made in America," as many around the world charge, Clinton said, "Well, it hit first in the United States, and it hit deeply… Globally there were many decisions that contributed to the slow down that has affected every part of the world, But, I think what is important now is that we work together… The passage of our stimulus bill was a very strong sign that the United States is taking seriously our obligation to try to grow our way out of this difficulty. But we're going to have to have partners."
 
And asked about fears and criticism around the world about potential American protectionism, the top U.S. diplomat, struck a, well, diplomatic tone: "It's a natural reaction, it's human nature. People are scared, and I fully understand that and that's universal. When you see your jobs disappearing when you are not sure that the business you work for is going to remain in business. People naturally get a kind of defensive attitude, but we can't let that interfere with the job No. 1, which is to grow this economy again. Each country will have to take steps internally to try to stimulate demand and to look at how to diversify our own economies. But, collectively we can't do anything that will slow down the recovery. So it's a balance, and everybody's walking that."

Per the Wall Street Journal, "Clinton announced a Feb. 24 summit in Washington between President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, as Washington and Tokyo seek to forge a more coordinated response to the global financial crisis. Mr. Aso will be the first foreign leader to meet with Mr. Obama in the White House."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets with the Pope tomorrow in Rome. The Hill calls it "a move likely to stoke more controversy about whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights are in line with the church...." 
 
Sen. Carl Levin is showing he's not going to be a fall-in-line Democrat. (Do those actually exist?) Levin "criticized the Obama administration's delay in choosing a group to oversee the auto restructuring, saying that it has made a key deadline more challenging to meet."

The New York Daily News' DeFrank reports that Dick Cheney "launched a last-ditch campaign" to get Scooter Libby pardoned, and that when former President Bush didn't do so, Cheney was "furious." 
 
Fox News interviewed Bristol Palin, who talked about being a pregnant teen. During the campaign, the AP reported, "The two have been considering getting married next summer, 'but that could change,' she said during a short interview outside her Wasilla home." 
 
During the interview, Bristol said, "Eventually we'd like to get married."

Sarah Palin, who advocated abstinence-only during the campaign, made a surprise appearance in the interview and said with baby Tripp, "Get beyond the ideal of abstinence. Hey, life happens."

MINNESOTA: The big news from Friday in the never-ending recount: "Dealing a blow but not a knockout to Republican Norm Coleman's hopes, the judges in the U.S. Senate election trial on Friday tossed out most of the 19 categories of rejected absentee ballots they were considering for a second look, making it clear that they won't open and count any ballots that don't comply with state law," the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote. "On its face, the ruling looked to be a victory for DFLer Al Franken, whose lawyers had urged the judges to turn down 17 of the 19 categories and said Friday that they had very nearly done it."

However, "Coleman's attorneys saw it differently, saying that the ruling leaves untouched about 3,500 of the 4,800 rejected absentee ballots they want the court to open and count, enough to make it possible for Coleman to overcome Franken's 225-vote certified recount lead."

And now… "Coleman's lawyers want judges in the U.S. Senate election trial to reverse their recent ruling and consider counting rejected absentee ballots similar to others that previously were tallied… In a letter to the judges Monday, Coleman's lawyers argued that the standard for counting any remaining rejected absentee ballots 'must be consistent with the standards this court has already applied to other ballots' and with standards used by counties for counting thousands of absentee ballots. Friday's ruling will 'exacerbate inconsistencies and inequities,' the letter said. Ginsberg said in a statement that it could create a 'widespread equal protection problem.'" 

ILLINOIS: It never is a good thing when members of your own party are troubled by your actions or omissions. The New York Times: "Several Democratic lawmakers from Illinois said Monday that they were troubled by revelations about Roland W. Burris, the state's newest senator and a fellow Democrat. And at least one called for Mr. Burris to come before the state legislature and explain himself. 'We all have a lot of questions,' State Representative Jack D. Franks said. 'He wasn't forthcoming, and that's the bottom line. I feel betrayed. The real problem here is the question of trust for the citizens of Illinois. We were supposed to rise to the occasion and, again, Illinois becomes the laughingstock for the nation.'"

More: "At a Presidents' Day dinner in Peoria, Mr. Burris again denied any wrongdoing. He said he had been treated unfairly by Republicans and by the news media. 'The media now is almost destroying my character,' Mr. Burris said." (Excuse us: Did the media force him to file an affidavit to amend previous testimony that now seems to be incorrect?) 

VIRGINIA: In Norfolk, VA, today, gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran (D) unveils the latest component of his health-care plan, which is focused on preventative care and reducing infant deaths.

Also today, Terry McAuliffe (D) hosts a grand opening at his statewide headquarters in McLean, VA -- tomorrow [We incorrectly noted earlier that it was today]. And Creigh Deeds (D) hosts a press conference in Richmond, responding to action on his legislation to reform Virginia's redistricting process.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Per a House leadership source, H.R. 1 -- the stimulus legislation that Congress passed on Friday -- was delivered to White House at 12:46 pm ET today.

President Obama will sign the legislation into law tomorrow in Colorado.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The revelation that Illinois Sen. Roland Burris had more contact with Blagojevich's people than he was possibly letting on during that Illinois House testimony may be just what Democrats want.

Several Democrats have privately fretted that Burris, who has lost several attempts at higher office, would be a weak 2010 candidate. He has lost in primaries in several statewide runs in the past 20-plus years, and his being appointed by Blagojevich automatically makes him vulnerable against a strong GOP challenger, like, say, Rep. Mark Kirk.

But now, this may be enough to: (1) Seriously hurt Burris' chances of surviving primary challenges from strong Democratic challengers like Lisa Madigan, Jan Schakowsky, Jesse Jackson Jr. or others, and (2) Embolden those Democrats and give them prime oppo ammo.

This might clear the way, early enough for Democrats to feel they have a better chance of holding the seat. Of course, Republicans would argue, Blago gives them an easy talking point that will sully any Illinois Democrat in 2010.

We won't be publishing our morning First Read note today, although we'll be updating the blog as news warrants. Happy holiday.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Harold Ford Jr. for Commerce Secretary? It's something a few Democrats around town are pushing and, according to sources, the idea of appointing the former Tennessee Congressman is being given serious thought by folks high up in the Obama administration. [NOTE UPDATE BELOW]

On paper, Ford checks a lot of boxes for a an easy-to-confirm nominee for this post: He's a pro-business Democrat (remember, this is Commerce Secretary so the job is to be a promoter of business); he's a former member of the Congressional Black Caucus (you'll recall this whole kerfuffle over control of the census under a Judd Gregg-led Commerce Dept. was started by complaints from the CBC); and he's a practiced spokesperson on TV (the Geithner rollout this week is a reminder that the administration doesn't have enough solid media savvy members of his team who can sell the administration's policies.).

There is one, potential, gigantic problem: Ford's current place of employment -- Merrill Lynch. Given the current views of Wall Street, Ford's nomination could come under immediate fire and he'd have to disclose exactly what his job was with ML etc. and whether he was one of the 700 million dollar bonus recipients before Merrill completed its sale to Bank of America in late 2008.

***UPDATE: Ford's folks tell me that he never received a bonus in his time at Merrill Lynch nor was he involved in developing or selling anything having to do with mortgage securities. Ford's job was simply business development and advising clients on domestic or int'l issues. Bottom line: no one close to Ford believes he has a Merrill problem.

From NBC's Mark Murray
With zero House Republicans voting for the stimulus -- and with just three Senate Republicans expected to vote for it later this afternoon -- it's worth noting that 28 House Democrats and 12 Senate Democrats voted for the final passage of Bush's big tax cut in 2001. (And remember, too, that Bush had barely won the presidential election the year before.)

The size of that 2001 tax-cut package? $1.35 trillion.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
The Senate has set the time to start the final vote on the stimulus bill for 5:30, but the bill won't be officially pass until as late at 10 p.m. 

Here's why:
-- It takes 60 votes to pass. (On the last procedural/test vote, there were 61.)

-- Sen. Kennedy will not be voting today. That's brings the aye number down to 60, still enough for passage, BUT… .

-- Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is currently in Ohio, attending his mother's memorial service. She died earlier this week. He's represents the must-have 60th vote for final passage. He will not be back in Washington until much later tonight.

-- As a result of all of this, Majority Leader Harry Reid will hold the vote open until Brown flies back from Ohio. Depending on his flying time and other factors, that could be as late as 10pm, we're told.

-- Until Brown makes his way into the chamber, the bill has NOT passed. It is however, accurate to report that with 59 votes counted, "the bill is expected to pass later tonight pending Sherrod Brown's return from his mother memorial service in Ohio."

-- So for several hours tonight, we could be looking at a virtually empty chamber, waiting for Brown to arrive from the airport.

From NBC's Abby Livingston
The New Yorker recently quoted Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Barney Frank saying, "Everybody likes to say 'I told you so.' I have found personally that it is one of the few pleasures that improves with age. I can say 'I told you so' without taking a pill before, during, or after I do it."
 

Video: Barney Frank on economic woes and new populism.

And this morning at a breakfast with members of the press, he did just that.
 
Among those he is sore with is Hank Paulsen, saying that the former Secretary of the Treasury's biggest mistake was, "He refused to use any of the TARP money on home foreclosure mitigation." Frank later added, "Hank Paulsen, on the whole, did a very good job," but he "lost sight of the rest of the country and pissed them off entirely."
 
Frank fears that public anger over the execution of the first TARP funds will tie the government's hands in dealing with the crisis. He stressed that the TARP money will be paid back, drawing a "distinction between the hundreds of billions spent [on] the TARP and the hundreds and hundreds of on Iraq, which isn't coming back," later adding that the biggest ongoing economic threat facing the United States was open-ended military spending.
 
With the TARP funds, the government is not looking to make a profit, but rather, get the credit system functional, Frank said.

"We're not Warren Buffet," he said. "We're not trying to maximize what we make. We're trying to stimulate this thing. There is some element of subsidy."
 
Touching on the news about Sen. Judd Gregg's decision to not join the Obama cabinet, Frank called it "inexplicable."

On companies -- surviving off the TARP tab -- who maintain naming rights of professional sports stadiums, Frank called their decisions "pure ego." (Citigroup still maintains its sponsorship of the to-be-unveiled New York Mets baseball stadium, Citi Field.)
 
Staying with the sports theme, last fall, Speaker Pelosi called Frank the Democrats' "quarterback" through the financial crisis. Frank's Monday morning quarterbacking days are over, though, for now.

Now that Democrats control both ends of Pennsylvania Ave. and that Frank himself runs the House Finance Committee, he's the Sunday afternoon quarterback, and the ball is in his hands.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Here's your quick down-and-dirty guide to the House vote on the stimulus.

There were seven Dems joining Republicans in opposition: Colin Peterson (MN), Gene Taylor (MS), Peter DeFazio (OR), Bobby Bright (AL), Parker Griffith (AL), Heath Shuler (NC) and Walter Minnick (ID).

Video: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi described the passing of an economic stimulus bill as 'transformational' for the U.S. economy.

Peterson (MN) has been here for years, and Dems are just happy to have him among their number, since he comes from a Republican majority district. He frequently sides with Republicans.

Taylor out of Mississippi, ditto.

Defazio is a liberal upset with the cuts that the Senate made, and angry that three Republicans over there had so much sway. He is on the Transportation Committee, and many folks from that group thought that road, bridge, etc., construction was left short.

Bright and Griffith are freshman from Alabama in swing districts.

Shuler is in a similar situation in western North Carolina. 

Minnick is a freshman from conservative Idaho.

On the other hand, Dems this time brought a few Blue Dogs back into the fold, including Allen Boyd and Jim Cooper.

But how did Republicans defy the odds and keep every one of their number in line?

There is the obvious fact that the old breed of "Main Street," Chamber of Commerce-style Republicans, is getting scarce (matter of fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce supported the measure), and that the vast majority of House Republicans are fiscal conservatives, at the least.

We are told that two Republicans from high-unemployment Michigan, Fred Upton and Candice Miller, were targeted by the White House. Upton was quite conspicuous at the side of President Obama in neighboring Indiana this week, and the president called his name from the podium when he spoke.

But both Upton and Miller were convinced to vote against the bill after their party included a provision to help boost car sales in its alternative. That alternative failed, but it provided enough cover for them after a similar measure was stripped from the final version of the legislation.

We are told that Joseph Cao of Louisiana was one of the last possibilities for a switcher, but that GOP leadership pointed out that he would be out there alone, and so he relented. Dems, are at this moment, writing his political obituary.

The theory on Jim Gerlach, he of the 59% Obama district, is that he wants to run for governor of Pennsylvania, and he is protecting his right flank.

Mark Kirk of Illinois is also said to harbor statewide ambitions.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The House just approved the compromise $787 billion stimulus plan (the Congressional Budget Office recalibrated the price tag) by a 246-183 vote.

Once again, not a single House Republican voted for the bill.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira

When we last left the auto bailout story, GM and Chrysler were the beneficiaries of a stop-gap loan from the taxpayers, via the TARP.

The money came on the condition that the companies present a plan on how they would move forward and remain viable, especially if they are to come back to the federal treasury in search of further assistance.

In view of all this, Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank have written the CEOs of both companies in order to lay down some markers.

Their letter, released publicly:

Dear Mr. Nardelli and Mr. Wagoner:
As the February 17 deadline approaches for the automobile companies to submit restructuring plans to the federal government, we are writing to stress the importance of your submitting a credible restructuring plan that results in a viable industry, with quality jobs, and economic opportunity for the 21st century, while protecting taxpayer investments.
 
In October of last year, Congress approved the Bush Administration's request to provide $700 billion in taxpayer assistance to stabilize the financial system, following warnings by the Administration that inaction would lead to a financial catastrophe. The Bush Administration's lack of transparency in implementing this initiative, and its failure to address the foreclosure crisis head-on (the root cause of the financial crisis), resulted in significant public skepticism about large-scale government interventions to rescue private corporations.

Amidst this public skepticism, the House of Representatives in December passed legislation that authorized taxpayer assistance to the auto industry. This legislation, which the Senate failed to pass, served as the basis for the Bush Administration's December initiative to provide loans to the automobile industry from the TARP.
 
Mindful that 1 in 10 American jobs is related to auto manufacturing, our national security depends on the industry's technologies and manufacturing capacity, and our competitiveness in the global economy depends on its pursuit of excellence.
Though we recognize that our economy faces significant challenges, Congress and the American people believe that your restructuring plan must include the following:

A documented assessment of your company's ability to ensure long-term viability as you retool for the future, including a target market size;

A commitment that the sacrifices necessary to turn the industry around will be shared equitably by all stakeholders;
A commitment to protecting and sustaining the health and pension benefits that have defined "quality" American jobs and allowed millions to enter the middle class;

A demonstrated commitment to restructure your company's debt in a manner that protects the interests of the taxpayers;

An additional assurance that taxpayers benefit as corporate conditions improve and shareholder value increases; and,

A demonstration of your ability to achieve or exceed the fuel efficiency requirements set forth in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and the emissions standards adopted by California and other states, if they receive Federal approval, and become a long-term global leader in the production of fuel-efficient and advanced technology vehicles.
 
We trust that your restructuring plan will demonstrate to the world that you are willing to make the tough decisions that modernize your operations, restructure your debt, enhance your competitive status in the global marketplace, and protect American jobs for the future. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Best Regards,
NANCY PELOSI BARNEY FRANK

From NBC's Pete Williams

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been released from a New York hospital and is recovering from surgery at her home in Washington, a Supreme Court official says.

But the court today revealed a remarkable discovery made by her doctors when they performed surgery for pancreatic cancer.

The surgery followed the discovery of a tumor, which showed up on a CAT scan of Justice Ginsburg, part of a routine medical checkup in late January.

According to her doctors, during the surgery to remove that tumor, which turned out to be benign, they discovered a previously undetected and even smaller tumor.

It was that smaller tumor, one they did not know existed, that turned out to be cancerous.

Her doctors say Justice Ginsburg's lymph nodes showed no sign of cancer, and they do not believe the pancreatic cancer spread.

Nonetheless, her surgeon removed Justice Ginsburg's spleen and part of her pancreas.

The cancerous tumor is described as "TNM Stage 1".

Ginsburg's associates say she remains determined to be at the Supreme Court when the justices return to the bench on Monday, Feb. 23.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Obviously, I'm one of the newbies here in the White House press corps, so maybe I'm unfamiliar with the ways of how this place works. I have to say, nothing is more frustrating than covering an actual event here at the White House if you at all believe in anything remotely having to do with the First Amendment.

For instance, today, the president gave a speech in the East Room to the business council, an audience of dozens of CEOs and major business leaders in America. As per usual, we're allowed to watch the event behind a ropeline. Ok, standard procedure for any event for any candidate, let alone a president. But unlike public events, here at the White House, when the event ends, we get no access to the audience unless the audience happens to amble up to the ropeline and chat with the press.

Today, it was so bad that we were kept behind closed doors so that these CEOs and other business leaders could leave without accidentally mingling with us poor press peons. Once the CEOs were clear and escorted downstairs, then we were let out of our East Room pen. And it's not like we could rush over to the east side of the White House and find anyone left to interview about their role on this business council. By the time, a member of the press leaves out the one exit they can come in and out of, those guys and gals would be history. I'm sure most of them had cars at the ready to quickly get them to their next meeting.

When asked about why we were kept from mingling with the CEOs, the White House press office said it was simply a crowd issue, they didn't want us and the CEOs to be bumping into each other. Yes, there's a possibility that we could hold each other up from moving, creating some hallway gridlock. But we're all grown-ups and it's not like we're a crowd of thousands or even hundreds.

Seriously, is this the picture the White House wants? CEOs who come to the people's house and then get rushed out so they don't have to deal with press questions?

This beat has a lot of limitations; security takes precedent over access to much of the inner-workings of this place and it's understandable in many instances. But public events like the one the president held today ought to allow the press a tad more access to these guests who are apparently involved in some of the people's business of the day. Just because a previous admin has "always done it this way" doesn't mean it's the way things should continue to be done.

Message control is something every White House wants but sometimes when a White House attempts to control a message too much, they can irritate the press to the point that we all stop even paying attention to their message of the day. Just ask the previous occupant.

*** UPDATE, RESPONSE TO COMMENTORS: "This isn't about us not having access, this is about ANYONE having access... if it's NOT us, it's the public!...Beat us up all you want, but this isn't about us whining, it's about us not even being able to do the job you want us to do and that is be the people's questioner here. But, of course, having a respectable debate on this issue with some is impossible. The irony, of course, is that many of you would be just as upset about the lack of access as I am if the occupant of the White House were someone else.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Ken Strickland
The U.S. House has just begun procedural debate on the stimulus conference report. Following this debate and a procedural vote, general debate on the conference report will take place. It will last roughly two hours.

A final vote will occur in the 1:00 pm ET. It's expected to pass, of course. Then it's on to the Senate, but we don't have an exact time the chamber will start the final vote on the bill.  Majority Leader Harry Reid said it would happen either late afternoon or early evening.

Reid also has said he will hold the vote open, probably for a few hours, to accommodate Sen. Sherrod Brown, who will be attending a memorial service for his mother. She died in Ohio earlier this week.

Because Sen. Ted Kennedy will not be voting today, Brown's vote is absolutely critical, since it will take 60 votes for passage. The last procedural vote yielded 61; without Kennedy, it's down to 60 assuming everyone votes the same (and that Judd Gregg votes against the measure).

Yesterday, Reid said Brown may not be able to get back to Washington until 8:00 pm. So there will likely be a scenario where at Nightly News time, the are 59 votes while they wait for Brown to fly back and be the final decisive vote for passage.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** This Judd's (not) for you: Just when you thought the news was getting a bit stale -- after the deal on the stimulus -- came the latest twist and turn on the Obama White House's four-week-old rollercoaster ride. Despite his gracious words at his press conference yesterday, Republican Judd Gregg's decision to withdraw his nomination to be Commerce secretary was a blow to the administration. One, it became the latest nomination problem for Obama (Daschle, Killefer, and Richardson), and the second one at Commerce. Two, it undermined the president's bipartisan outreach (Gregg would have been the third Republican to serve in the cabinet, and the one with the most conservative credentials). And three, it enabled Republicans to immediately politicize the withdrawal. House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a statement pointing to Gregg's concerns "about the congressional Democrats' trillion-dollar spending bill," even though Gregg had praised the stimulus after being tapped for the job. And RNC chair Michael Steele explained Gregg's withdrawal to FOX, saying that the White House was "basically high-jacking the Census process."
 

Video: Gregg withdraws as commerce secretary nominee, citing differences over the stimulus package passing through Congress. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports.

*** It's not you; it's me: Perhaps the biggest fallout from yesterday's Gregg news is the realization that outside Collins, Snowe, and Specter, Obama isn't going to receive much support from Republicans, no matter how many of them he tries to appoint to his cabinet, how many times he has them over for drinks at the White House, and how many times he meets with their conference. Of course, Gregg is an ideological conservative and was always an odd fit in the president's cabinet. And he said in his statement yesterday that he was uncomfortable with the size and shape of the stimulus package, as well as the fact the White House had taken responsibility for managing the Census from the Commerce Department. We also know this: Gregg blindsided Team Obama with his final decision. The White House knew Gregg was getting cold feet, but figured they'd know before he issued his press release, which came out just as Obama was campaigning in Peoria, IL for his stimulus. That's what clearly annoyed them, and why White House press secretary Robert Gibbs fired off a pretty hot statement reacting to Gregg's decision. A lot of the inside-the-Beltway finger-pointing is being aimed at Gregg (after all, he's the one who withdrew, right?). But, given the other cabinet snafus, just how is this going to be perceived outside of Washington?

*** Can it be all that bad when everyone's happy? The irony of Gregg's departure is that it has pleased virtually everyone on the right and left. (How many times does that happen?) Here are some of the reactions from the left…Kos: "I've got an idea about what Obama should do with that post…Nominate a f%$%& Democrat." Firedoglake: "Darn. We'll have one less Republican in Obama's cabinet." And here are reactions from the right… Larry Kudlow blogging on National Review Online: "Three hats off to Judd Gregg for withdrawing his nomination for commerce secretary." Added Shannen Coffin on NRO: "It is good that he saw the light, and his withdrawal further undermines Obama's empty claims of bipartisanship." There was a big grassroots campaign on the right over the Census, and it does seem as if congressional Republicans are relieved. Gregg was no moderate, and Obama getting him to serve in the cabinet would have been a huge bipartisan coup -- which is why GOPers were so crabby about census and so relieved after he pulled out.

Video: Speaking at the Caterpillar factory in Peoria, Ill, President Obama says that his stimulus plan will bring jobs back.

*** Gregg wasn't the only disappointing news for Obama yesterday: By the way, Obama's Peoria visit wasn't just spoiled by the news about Gregg, but also by the CEO of Caterpillar. Obama had been talking up the CEO's pledge to hire more workers back. Then 30 minutes after the president's speech, the CEO backs off of that pledge -- and even hints at more layoffs... Team Obama ought to be oddly happy that Gregg news stepped on the disappointing Caterpillar visit. The good news for the White House is that Congress will pass Obama's stimulus today, giving the president a huge victory as we noted yesterday. As the White House is undoubtedly learning, every day is a new day… Per NBC's Mike Viquiera and Ken Strickland, the House vote will come first thing this morning, while the Senate will take up the measure in the afternoon or evening.

*** So which party has the corruption problem? Meanwhile, at what point do Democrats -- who once pledged to end an era of GOP corruption -- begin laying down the law to their own members? Per Bloomberg's Tim Burger, "During a decade in Congress, California Representative Grace Napolitano has pocketed more than $200,000 of political contributions by charging as much as 18 percent interest on money she loaned to her own campaign. The … Democrat made the $150,000 loan in 1998, when she was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Through Dec. 31, her campaign committee has used donations to pay Napolitano $221,780 of interest while reducing the principal by just $64,727, a review of her Federal Election Commission filings shows." Allegations of ethical misconduct by Democrats is starting to add up: Blago, Richardson, Rangel, etc. Indeed, this Bloomberg story is a reminder of just how easy it is for ethically-challenged pols to get into Congress, and in some cases survive unpunished. There are examples on both sides of the aisle, sadly enough.

*** Off the record: In other news, former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe stepped into it yesterday by speaking at the National Press Club -- but declaring his remarks be off the record. What important information did he want to keep away from the press? Nothing that many of us didn't already know. The Washington Post's Milbank, who got attendees to reveal what was said, has the skinny on Plouffe's remarks. "On Sarah Palin: 'She was our best fundraiser and organizer in the fall.' On the primary victory over Hillary Clinton: 'Really by February 17, mathematically, the night of the Wisconsin primary, it's over.' On the New Hampshire primary: 'Our sense was if we won Iowa that would be enough to shoot us past her. . . . We should have found a way to remove the pressure to win.'" 
 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 109 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 116 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 263 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 627 days

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The reaction from Obama: "It comes as something of a surprise, because the truth, you know, Mr. Gregg approached us with interest and seemed enthusiastic," the president said in an interview with the Springfield (Ill.) Journal-Register. "Later, he told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that he was glad Gregg 'searched his heart' and changed course now before the Senate confirmed him to the Cabinet post… "'Clearly he was just having second thoughts about leaving the Senate, a place where he's thrived,' Obama added." Obama's reaction echoes, in some ways, the White House's, which first issued a tough first statement and then toned it down.

The Washington Post says the episode "underscored how burdensome Cabinet selection has become for the new administration, which has watched nearly half a dozen of its top appointees withdraw or face embarrassing scrutiny over the past several weeks. The slip-ups have caused the White House to revamp its vetting process and have slowed down confirmations for nominees already in the pipeline. And now Obama is left with two key openings -- at the departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services -- and more questions about his personnel choices."

The Boston Globe on Gregg: "The stunning move further erodes Obama's effort to forge a bipartisan approach to governing and enables Gregg -- who had recused himself from all Senate votes while his nomination was pending -- to vote against the stimulus bill."

Will Gregg vote for the stimulus today? The Washington Post: "He has refused to say how he will vote. His Republican friends expect him to oppose the measure, giving them the symbolic victory of a former Obama insider voting against the legislation."

The New Hampshire Union Leader reminds us that "Gregg insisted he would not accept the nomination if Republicans would lose a crucial filibuster vote in the Senate. After confidential talks between the White House, Gregg and New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, Lynch then named a Republican placeholder. Lynch, a Democrat, upset some in his party when he named J. Bonnie Newman, a former chief of staff for Gregg, to the Senate."

The Hill calls Gregg's withdrawal a "stunning blow." Gregg's reason: "'irresolvable conflicts' over two of the young administration's most controversial policies. He cited the stimulus package and a dispute over control of the 2010 Census as prompting his dramatic withdrawal, a move that pushed the White House into full damage-control mode."

But keep this in mind, as AP's Babington writes: "Quick, who headed the Commerce Department under President George W. Bush? No disrespect to Carlos M. Gutierrez, but commerce secretary is not one of Washington's more glamorous jobs… White House aides would draw more attention at a Georgetown cocktail party or Dupont Circle restaurant… But the job is giving a disproportionately big headache to President Barack Obama, who now must try a third time to fill it. Don't be surprised if he picks a lower-profile nominee, because his two rather ambitious choices have backfired."

Back on the trail? The AP reports that Obama "plans events in Denver and Phoenix next Tuesday and Wednesday to promote his stimulus plan, his version of the financial system bailout, and a yet-to-be-unveiled plan to stem home foreclosures."

Per the Washington Post's Cillizza, Obama adviser David Axelrod "had harsh words for some of former President Bush's closest advisers during an interview with the Post's Lois Romano yesterday, dismissing as 'intramural stuff' the critiques offered by the former Administration. 

Here's the full interview with Romano.

The RNC has released a series of Valentines that mock the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders.

Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday night that it is important to maintain a "chemical balance" in Afghanistan regarding the number of troops in the area, NBC's Lauren Appelbaum reports. Towards the end of his speech, Mullen told a story about a battalion commander who had created such a balance in an area near the Pakistan border. "The lesson I took from listening to him was the need to make sure, as we introduce more forces, that we understand the chemistry that's working there and we understand the potential to imbalance that chemistry with footprints and with a potential view that are you here to help us or are you going to occupy our territory, which is a critical question that all of us have to keep in mind," he said during the evening session of the 20th annual Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflict Symposium. "And the future in Afghanistan needs to be focused on the Afghan people, on those tribal leaders, and our relationship with them."
 
On Iraq, Mullen said the country is "a whole lot better," in part because of special forces and "the merger of intelligence and operations as we have never seen it or done it before." Mullen: "We are in a position right now, as many of you know, that Iraq has gotten a whole lot better and you've either read that or you've been there and you know that."

"President Barack Obama's massive, $790 billion economic stimulus plan is on track for a Friday vote in the House, Democratic leaders say, after a 24-hour delay caused by late, lingering controversy," the AP writes. "The Senate could vote on the package of spending and tax cuts later in the day or over the weekend, sending the measure to Obama's desk and awarding him a crucial victory."

The battle to frame the stimulus continues. The Washington Post: "The compromise stimulus bill adopted by House and Senate negotiators this week is not free of spending that benefits specific communities, industries or groups, despite vows by President Obama that the legislation would be kept clear of pet projects, according to lawmakers, legislative aides and anti-tax groups."

"Stimulus advocates say the GOP complaints are overheated and generally focus on projects that Republicans dislike for ideological reasons. Chad Stone, chief economist at the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, defended the bill. 'The overwhelming bulk of what is in the package is effective and well-designed stimulus,' he said."

For all the talk of small, outrageous items, the Boston Globe looks at how people will actually benefit from the stimulus. "There's almost something for everyone in the $789 billion stimulus package that Congress could approve as soon as today. Help would come in a variety of ways, from an $800 tax credit for working families to a tax break if you buy a new car or a new home. Higher-income families would be spared a tax increase. But the unemployed and low- to middle-income families stand to benefit the most."

Per a release, Organizing for America and the DNC say they've launched a new Web site that highlights stories from ordinary Americans who have been affected by the economic crisis.

By the way, Leon Panetta was confirmed by the Senate yesterday, "placing the nation's top spy agency in the hands of a government veteran valued for his skills as a lawmaker and policy manager rather than an expert at intelligence-gathering and analysis."

And how worried is Rep. John Murtha over the recent FBI raids? "He has expressed no concern whatsoever," Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) said in an interview with The Hill.