From NBC's Ken Strickland
As Congress prepares to vote on a budget that would include a procedural tool allowing Democrats to effectively shutout Republicans and pass sweeping health-care reform, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today extended an olive branch across the aisle. 

"Make no mistake -- we are determined to reform health care this year." Reid said in a letter to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. "Our strong preference is to do so by working alongside you and your caucus." 

Congress on Wednesday is expected to pass its budget, which will include a procedure measure known as "reconciliation" allowing Democrats to pass health-care legislation with a simple 51-vote majority. That would leave Republicans powerless to stop it (there are 58 Democrats.) Almost all major legislation moving through the Senate requires 60 votes to break filibusters, but bringing health care under reconciliation would make it filibuster-proof.

Today, Reid suggested Senate Democrats would resist using it -- in the short term -- if Republicans worked with them constructively in drafting a health-care bill. "The budget we will vote on this week gives us nearly six months to work together toward a comprehensive reform bill," he wrote. "Let's use that time to work together in our common interest rather than against each other and against the interests of the American people."

The Majority Leader never used the word "reconciliation" in his letter, but pushed back on Republicans who've already denounced the procedure as the antithesis of bipartisanship. Reid told McConnell the Senate must not "be sidetracked by squabbles about arcane Senate procedure, as some in your party seem intent to do."

From NBC's Ken Strickland
On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to mark President Obama's first 100 days in office by passing a budget that outlines most of his spending and political priorities. While the budget is a non-binding resolution that doesn't even require the president's signature, its implementation will likely set the stage for Congress to pass a sweeping health-care reform bill in a filibuster-proof manner.

A procedure tool, known as "reconciliation," would allow Democrats to pass health-care legislation with a simple 51 vote majority, leaving Republicans powerless to stop it. (There are currently 58 Democrats.) Almost all major legislation moving through the Senate requires 60 votes to break filibusters, but bringing health care under reconciliation would make it filibuster-proof.

While there has been much consternation over reconciliation -- some Republicans have equated using it to a declaration of political war -- it will be months before there could possibly be any REAL fireworks. Democrats say if Republicans come to the health=care negotiating table and work with them on passage, they'll keep reconciliation in the holster.

Other significant items this week include the likely confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius to Secretary of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, after eight hours of debate.  Republicans have forced Democratic leaders to muster 60 votes for her confirmation.

And on Thursday morning, Secretaries Clinton and Gates appear before the Appropriations panel to make the case for the president's $83 billion war funding request. We expect some tough questions on not only Iraq and Afghanistan, but also on Pakistan and GITMO, for which money is also earmarked.

From NBC's Christopher Wilson
Mary Ann Glendon, a conservative Harvard law professor who was U.S. ambassador to the Vatican under George W. Bush, has announced that she will not be accepting the Laetare Medal at the University of Notre Dame's commencement ceremony on May 17. In her letter to Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, Glendon stated that she would no longer be accepting, citing the conflict with President Barack Obama's presence as both a commencement speaker and a recipient of an honorary degree. 
 
Glendon is staunchly anti-abortion, and she expressed disappointment that Notre Dame was awarding someone -- in this case the president of the United States -- whose position on abortion is so starkly different from Catholic Church's and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops'.
 
"I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree," she wrote. "This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops' express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions 'should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles' and that such persons 'should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.' That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution's freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it."
 
Glendon also pointed to statements by Father Jenkins -- "We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about", he said -- which she thought attempted to turn the commencement ceremony into a sort of debate on the issue. 
 
"It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame's decision -- in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops -- to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church's position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice."
 
The Notre Dame campus has been buzzing since the announcement last month that Obama would be at the Class of 2009's graduation. Anti-abortion groups have already stated they plan to be out in force at the May 17th ceremony, while the Notre Dame student body prepares for more unwanted attention as the end of the semester approaches. 
 
The Laetare medal (pronounced Lay-tah-ray) was established in 1883, and is considered one of the oldest and prestigious awards that can be given to an American Catholic. It's given out annually at the University of Notre Dame commencement ceremony. Previous recipients include President John F. Kennedy, Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day, and fictional American president Martin Sheen, who received the award last year.

*** UPDATE *** "President Obama is disappointed by former Ambassador Mary Glendon's decision," Spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki, "but he looks forward to delivering an inclusive and respectful speech at the Notre Dame graduation, a school with a rich history of fostering the exchange of ideas.  While he is honored to have the support of millions of people of all faiths, he does not govern with the expectation that everyone sees eye to eye with him on every position, and the spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues is part of what he loves about this country."

From NBC's Athena Jones

President Obama used a speech to the 146th annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences to tell Americans that a potential swine flu epidemic was "not a cause for alarm."

He said the issue demonstrated the need for a renewed emphasis on scientific research and education -- both high priorities for his agenda. "If there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it's today," he said. "We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States, and this is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert. But it's not a cause for alarm."

Video: Obama addresses the swine flu outbreak at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting.

Mexico has reported over a thousand suspected cases of swine flu, an influenza virus that originated in pigs. There have been some 20 confirmed cases in the United States.

The president said that the Department of Health and Human Services had declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to make sure enough resources were available to respond effectively; that he was getting regular updates on the situation; and that the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control, and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano would be offering regular updates to the public.

"One thing is clear -- our capacity to deal with a public health challenge of this sort rests heavily on the work of our scientific and medical community," he said.

Repeating a common theme in his address, Obama argued the country was falling behind the rest of the world when it came to supporting scientific research and educating students in science and math. And he reiterated his commitment to depoliticizing research.

The nearly 40-minute speech also touched on health-care reform and clean energy, announcing funding for an organization called the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy to conduct research in the field and repeating his commitment to caps on carbon emissions.

Obama also announced plans to participate in a campaign to encourage students to consider careers in science, mathematics, and engineering. And he said the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation would be launching a joint initiative to more students to pursue these careers.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The Democratic National Committee has unveiled a new TV ad it will air tomorrow and Wednesday to mark President Obama's first 100 days in office. The ad recounts Obama signing his economic stimulus into law, as well as the Lily Ledbetter Act and S-CHIP.

The DNC says the ad will run on national cable and in DC (read: it's a relatively small buy).

It ends with Obama saying, "Now is the time to act boldly and wisely -- to not only revive this economy but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jump-start job creation, restart lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down."

[Youtube:mRLGya_tzkg]

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** On Napolitano's shoulders: If you hadn't realized it, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano might have the toughest public relations job in Washington these days. Already, she has found herself on the frontlines of some very tricky issues. First, it was border security and the Mexican drug war; then it was the infamous memo about the rise of right-wing hate groups that her department wrote; and now it's swine flu. This is the ultimate job in government where you have to have a thick skin, because you only are in the news when the news is bad. (Here's the latest on swine flu: U.S. officials have declared a health emergency as 20 cases of the flu have been confirmed in the United States. In Mexico, there have been more than 1,600 illnesses and 103 deaths.) Indeed, the flu frenzy seems to be falling on Napolitano's shoulders, given -- as Politico writes -- that HHS secretary-designate Kathleen Sebelius hasn't been confirmed yet (due to GOP concerns over abortion) and that we have an acting CDC director. If there was one subject area this administration wished they could have waited a few more weeks before dealing with its first mini-crisis, it was something in the public health arena.

Video: Napolitano discusses the U.S.'s response to the swine flu.

*** A Hallmark holiday: The White House has been quick to call the 100-day mark nothing more than a Hallmark holiday -- a meaningless marker somehow they are stuck acknowledging. And yet, it's NOT acting as if this is a burden. If anything, the White House is embracing it to take a victory lap of sorts. Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. Yesterday, on the 97th day of his presidency, Obama went golfing with friends and colleagues at Andrews Air Force Base. It's doubtful he would have golfed (taking a brief few hours off), even on a Sunday, if he didn't feel confident his first 100 days are going well. But a few issues have knocked the president off stride. Most recently: whether to turn the page on the issue of enhanced interrogation methods used during the Bush administration. Obama is keeping a light public schedule today and tomorrow -- today he delivers remarks to the National Academy of Science's annual meeting at 9:00 am ET, he hosts the University of Connecticut's national championship women's basketball team, and then attends a dinner with foreign economic, finance, and environmental ministers -- and the White House seems intent on letting us in the media observe this 100-day mark. That said, we will hear from the president in a pretty big forum on Wednesday, his 100th day in office: a primetime news conference.

Video: Robert Gibbs talks about Obama's first 100 days in office.

*** Another disappointing loss for the GOP: Although the late Friday concession, as well as the nearly four weeks of overtime, might have lessened the sting, let's make no mistake: The Republicans' loss in NY-20 was yet another blow to an already-bruised GOP. It had the registration advantage, it had the better-known candidate, and it was expected to benefit from a Republican base fired up after the first several weeks of the Obama administration. As the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman told First Read a week before the March 31 contest, "I think Republicans will have to do some introspection if they lose this race… If there is any district in New York they should be able to get back, it is this one." But they lost this contest, even though it was by the narrowest of margins. The GOP now controls just three out of New York's 29 congressional seats, and it doesn't have a single congressman from New England. This is the lowest level the GOP has been in New York State -- ever. It's stunning.

*** A tough 100 days: In fact, as the 100 days polling and analyses continue to trickle out, the GOP better be glad we in the national media are so obsessed with President Obama. Because if we turned our attention to the GOP, it would be ugly for a lot of leaders. The first 100 days of the Republicans being in the minority on every level of government have gone about as badly as possible. Leadership vacuums are being filled by leaders of the past -- not the future -- and the Washington Republicans are in a battle for the soul of the party with grassroots conservatives. It's an ugly time for the GOP. Of course, Democrats have had their bad moments in semi-recent history. Still, you don't recover in months; it sometimes takes years. Republicans ought to hope it doesn't take decades.

*** Patient Minnesotans running out of patience? Speaking of close political contests that have gone into overtime, a new Minneapolis Star Tribune poll finds that 64% of Minnesotans believe Norm Coleman should accept the results of the recently concluded recount trial, which found Al Franken ahead by 312 votes. By comparison, just 28% think Coleman's appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court is "appropriate." As we mentioned on Friday, that court decided that it wouldn't begin hearing oral arguments from Coleman and Franken until June 1. That seems ridiculously long at this point. At what point does Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is trying to step up as a national leader and who isn't always worried about the partisan food fights of the past, throw in the towel?

*** Bubba and the Macker: If the swine flu weren't dominating today's news, this would be a heavily covered event: Bill Clinton stumps today for Terry McAuliffe in Virginia. The dynamic duo makes two stops -- first in Richmond at 9:30 am ET and then in Roanoke at 12:15 pm. The stops come as the Washington Examiner reports this news: "A network of donors who aided Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful presidential campaign is shoveling six-figure donations into Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial war chest, taking advantage of no-limit giving rules to pump up his bid for Virginia's top job." 
 
Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 2 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 36 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 43 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 190 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 554 days

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The Los Angeles Times: "Federal officials declared a public health emergency Sunday as eight cases of swine flu were identified in New York and one was announced in Ohio, bringing the U.S. total of confirmed cases to 20. In a briefing at the White House, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richard Besser, warned Americans to prepare for a widespread outbreak, yet urged the public to remain calm."

"We have an outbreak of a new infectious disease that we are approaching very aggressively," Besser said, per USA Today.

The Washington Post adds, "In Mexico where the infection is suspected of causing as many as 103 deaths and more than 1,600 illnesses, Masses were canceled and a high-profile soccer game was played before an empty stadium as officials urged the public to take precautions."

"Diplomats from the world's biggest greenhouse gas polluters including the United States, China and India are set to take part in a forum on Monday at the U.S. State Department aimed at getting a U.N. agreement to curb global warming. The two-day meeting of so-called major economies is meant to jump-start climate talks in advance of a December deadline, when the international community meets in Copenhagen to find a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which limits climate-warming greenhouse emissions and expires in 2012. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to make opening remarks."

As for the ongoing torture story… "In appearances on Sunday morning talk shows, Obama advisers sought to portray the president as constitutionally removed from the question of whether anyone should be prosecuted for breaking the law," the Washington Post says. "'The president doesn't open or close the door on criminal prosecutions of anybody in this country because the legal determination about who knowingly breaks the law in any instance is not one that's made by the president of the United States,' [Robert] Gibbs said" on Meet the Press.

Gibbs also told David Gregory on Meet the Press that Obama is not open to a so-called "Truth Commission" "to investigate Bush-era interrogation policies."

The Washington Post: "Chrysler announced last night that it has reached an agreement with the United Auto Workers leaders to modify the union's labor contract and to reduce the amount that the company owes a retiree health fund. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and union members have yet to ratify the deal. The agreement comes as the storied American automaker is seeking to fend off bankruptcy and liquidation. If it is approved by union members, the deal would be a significant step toward that restructuring of the company that President Obama has said is necessary to ensure its future. Once the company reaches agreements with the UAW and its creditors, it plans to partially merge with the Italian automaker, Fiat."

The New York Times, in a front-page piece, profiles Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Under his watch, the paper writes, "the Federal Reserve and Treasury have assumed an unprecedented role in the banking system, using unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money, to try to save the nation's financiers from their own mistakes."

Whoa. This report of a doctor shortage is a HUGE problem, no?

"Who would ever have thought that Michelle Obama would be transformed from a potential campaign liability into America's newest sweetheart and No. 1 cover girl, every bit as popular as her husband," the AP says, adding, "It's not unusual for a first lady to be more popular than the president, but that usually happens further along. That it has happened so quickly for Mrs. Obama says a lot about how perceptions of her have changed."

And Vice President Biden was on "60 Minutes" last night for a lively interview. When asked how he felt about doing the interview, Biden joked, "It's not you I'm afraid of," Biden replied. "It's me!!" Obama on Biden: "He's pretty fearless in offering his opinions. He's oftentimes willing to make the contrarian argument. The one that runs against conventional wisdom. And really forces people to think and defend their positions, and that ends up being very valuable for me."

USA Today sees Obama's first 100 days in office as a sharp break from Bush's presidency.
"Bush focused on the Iraq war; Obama has placed more of an emphasis on Afghanistan. Obama wants the government to have a role in reshaping the nation's health care system; Bush preferred to take smaller steps so individuals could buy private health insurance. Then there's personal style; the cool, African-American lawyer from Chicago, and the back-slapping white rancher from Texas. 'It's Mars and Venus,' says Thomas Mann, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., think tank. 'It's hard to find a more different contrast between the presidents.'"

Video: Jon Meacham and Doris Kearns Goodwin reflect on Obama's first 100 days on "Meet the Press."

E.J. Dionne says Obama defies labels. "Barack Obama is a detached man who has inspired fierce loyalties, and a cool man who has aroused both warm feelings of affection and a fiery opposition. He loves to engage conservatives, yet few of them have chosen to engage him. He is seen as too moderate by parts of the left, but the right thinks he has a radical, statist agenda. Wall Street's critics believe Obama's approach to rescuing the financial system amounts to coddling the bankers and financial scammers who got us into this mess. But many on the Street say Obama doesn't understand them and fear he is a secret populist who would displace finance as the dominant force in the U.S. economy."

The New York Times' Zeleny travels to Anderson, IN to see how Obama's stimulus -- as well as his presidency -- is being received.

The New York Daily News has a list of 100 things that have marked the president's first 100 days.

"There's no way to render a sound verdict in just 100 days," the Daily News adds. "The next three years should settle if the centrist, conciliatory, unifying change Obama promised creates a monumental political shift lasting deep into the 21st century - or if his lofty aspirations overreach and founder. But this we already know: Obama's engaging opening act has captivated most Americans, judging by the polls."

Here's a good Reagan vs. Obama comparison from longtime political veteran reporter Dick Polman.

Check out this Florida-specific article on how Obama has targeted Florida in his first 100 days.

"Dr. Frank Page, one of the key conservative evangelicals on President Obama's Faith Council tells The Brody File that when it comes to the social issues surrounding President Obama's presidency he has been disappointed and not very encouraged by the first 100 days in office."

"Democrats hope to put an exclamation point on President Obama's first 100 days in office this week by winning final approval of a $3.5 trillion budget that could trigger a war with Senate Republicans," the New York Times says. "The leadership would like the members of the formal House-Senate conference committee to officially sign off on the agreement today and be ready for votes in the House Tuesday and the Senate Wednesday. Though the president does not sign the budget, the administration still sees the Congressional action as a fitting way to celebrate Mr. Obama's 100th day in office since it encapsulates many of his major initiatives on health care, energy, education and transportation."

"Nancy Pelosi didn't cry foul when the Bush administration briefed her on 'enhanced interrogation' of terror suspects in 2002, but her team was locked and loaded to counter hypocrisy charges when the "torture" memos were released last week," Politico writes, adding, "But Pelosi's allies were less prepared to confront the fallout from her convoluted answers during three sessions with reporters last week — answers that raised new questions and handed Republicans a fresh line of attack on a speaker at the height of her power."

"House and Senate Republicans intend to ramp up their attack of the Democratic-sponsored clean-energy legislation this week in an effort to brand the measure a 'national energy tax,'" The Hill reports. "According to a GOP leadership aide, the Democrats' American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 that minority party members refer to as 'cap and tax' offers them a 'huge opportunity, and we will use it to hammer that tax message in a communications offensive over the next four weeks -- that this bill amounts to a national energy tax that will destroy jobs and increase costs for every single American.'"

There was a little tension between President Obama and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor at that meeting of congressional leaders last week, Politico says. On a letter written by Republican leaders on bipartisanship: "Obama brought up the letter and noted that not a single House Republican had backed his economic stimulus bill. According to a firsthand account of the meeting, Cantor took exception: 'With all due respect, Mr. President, we offered you ideas on the stimulus plan directly, and they were ignored completely.' Cantor suggested that if he were to view the stimulus negotiations through a partisan lens, he would argue Democrats started the 'party of no' name-calling about the same time that Obama was meeting with House Republicans to discuss the stimulus plan.

More: "In response, the president reminded Cantor that Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) had urged House Republicans to unite in opposition to his stimulus plans even before they had met with him to discuss it. … Obama asked Cantor to present him with a list of places where the federal government could save more money. The self-described conservative eagerly agreed. 'You can expect us to have something very soon,' Cantor said, explaining that he's 'looking for wherever there is waste or duplicative spending.'"

"For Congressional Republicans, these first 100 days of the Obama administration must feel like 1,000," the New York Times noted on Sunday. "Driven deep into the minority, they have run up against a highly popular Democratic president and chafed under the rein of emboldened House and Senate Democrats. They have been marginalized, criticized and categorized as the Party of No."

But: "Only 614 more days until 2010 and a new Congress."

The Wall Street Journal writes about Republicans trying to make a political comeback in New Mexico. "Democrats control both houses of the New Mexico legislature, the governorship, all statewide offices and all the state's congressional seats. But the party has been roiled by scandal in recent years, with a steady drumbeat of corruption investigations, indictments and convictions. 'We're trying to sell the notion to the public that a real two-party system will reduce corruption and allow better oversight,' said Harvey E. Yates, Jr., the new chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party."

MINNESOTA: According to a new Minneapolis Star Tribune poll, "64 percent of those responding believe Coleman … should accept the recount trial court's April 13 verdict that Democrat Franken won the race by 312 votes. Only 28 percent consider last week's appeal by Coleman to the Minnesota Supreme Court 'appropriate.'"

More: "Large majorities of those polled said they would oppose any further appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Should Coleman win at the state Supreme Court, 57 percent of respondents said Franken should concede. And 73 percent believe Coleman should give up if he loses at the state's highest court."

NEW YORK: The Hill's Wilson does an autopsy of sorts on NY-20: "A fundamental urge for change and a subpar get-out-the-vote program doomed Assemblyman Jim Tedisco's (R) congressional campaign, according to sources close to his bid… Tedisco strategists recognized after the fact that their absentee ballot program fell well short of Democratic efforts… Still, Republicans maintain Tedisco's effort shows some progress. While Democrats painted the district's registration figures as evidence of a rock-ribbed Republican area, the district voted overwhelmingly for Gillibrand in 2008 and gave a majority of its votes to Obama."

But here's what we wrote on Friday: "While it would be incorrect to read too much into this election -- even though it was fought over national issues, including Obama's stimulus -- there is no doubt that it's a disappointing loss for the Republicans, who enjoyed a significant voter-registration advantage in this district, as well as the fact that Tedisco (the former minority leader of the New York State Assembly) was the better-known candidate at the beginning of the race, and that he was leading in polls until the last week or so. That said, Obama narrowly won this district in last year's presidential election, and Gillibrand won it in 2006 and 2008. But before Gillibrand's victory in 2006, Republicans had controlled the seat for 28 years."

NORTH DAKOTA: Is Byron Dorgan Obama's biggest potential problem? "I'm not in Washington, D.C., to serve President Obama or to serve any interests other than the interests of this country or the interests of this state," Dorgan said in an interview with Politico. "North Dakotans know — they know that I'm fiercely independent." Dorgan's up for re-election in 2010.

From NBC's Mark Murray
President Obama just released a statement on the Democrats' victory in the first congressional contest of his young presidency. Don't miss the statement's tie-in to his stimulus, which Murphy supported and Tedisco opposed.

I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Congressman-elect Scott Murphy for his victory in New York's 20th Congressional District. With this hard fought win, Scott has shown he is willing to fight the tough battles on behalf of the people in his district.

As a candidate, Scott courageously championed the economic plans we need to lift our nation and put it on a better path, and he will continue to do so in Congress. With his proven record of creating high paying jobs and standing up for Upstate New York, Scott will bring to the nation's capitol the change New Yorkers need.

Video: President Obama's 100th Day, Congress takes up credit card legislation, and Meet the Press.

Leave a question in the comments section of this post, and we'll pick out a few. Tune in next week to see if we pick yours.

From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
Republican Jim Tedisco just conceded to Democrat Scott Murphy in the special congressional in upstate New York that first took place on March 31, giving Democrats their first congressional victory of the Obama presidency and giving Republicans a disappointing loss.

As of the last unofficial count, Murphy had been leading Tedisco by 401 votes in this race to succeed Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who left her congressional seat to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.

While it would be incorrect to read too much into this election -- even though it was fought over national issues, including Obama's stimulus -- there is no doubt that it's a disappointing loss for the Republicans, who enjoyed a significant voter-registration advantage in this district, as well as the fact that Tedisco (the former minority leader of the New York State Assembly) was the better-known candidate at the beginning of the race, and that he was leading in polls until the last week or so.

That said, Obama narrowly won this district in last year's presidential election, and Gillibrand won it in 2006 and 2008. But before Gillibrand's victory in 2006, Republicans had controlled the seat for 28 years.

Democrats are eagerly spinning Murphy's victory as a vindication of Obama's policies. DNC chairman Tim Kaine released this statement: "Scott Murphy's long-awaited victory is proof positive that Americans, even in this heavily Republican district, support the President and want him to succeed and the result is a repudiation of the failed policies of the past touted by Republicans."

Added Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: "Scott Murphy's victory in this district where Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 70,000 represents a rejection of the obstructionist agenda and scare tactics that have become the hallmark of House Republicans."

*** UPDATE *** Pete Sessions, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, just released this statement: "After a long, hard-fought race, the final result of the New York special election reinforces what our party has known since November -- we have our work cut out for us when it comes to winning in Democrat-held districts. In defeat, there will always be disappointment, but we should not ignore some of the encouraging signs that came out of this race."

*** UPDATE 2 *** Here's Tedisco's statement: "This was a close campaign every step of the way. Ultimately, it became clear that the numbers were not going our way and that the time had come to step aside and ensure that the next Congressman be seated as quickly as possible.  In the interest of the citizens of the 20th Congressional district and our nation, I wish Scott the very best as he works with our new President and Congress to address the tremendous challenges facing our country."

*** UPDATE 3 *** You had to see this one coming... The DNC's up with a brand-new Web video, hitting Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele for upping the stakes in NY-20

*** UPDATE 4 *** And this just in... Steele's response to the loss in NY-20:

Jim Tedisco ran a tough but an ultimately unsuccessful race in a district that has been carried by a long line of Democrat candidates including President Obama, former Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Clinton, Sen. Schumer and former Gov. Spitzer. The Republican Party must be competitive in districts like NY-20 if we are going to regain our Congressional majorities. While we were unsuccessful in this race, the combined efforts of our candidate, the national and state parties and NRCC show that the GOP is going to invest the resources necessary to regain our majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 Um. Okayyy...

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday played one part schoolteacher, one part grandma, one part elected official .

On Bring Your Son or Daughter to Work Day, Pelosi moved away from the podium and sat to take questions from children of staffers, members of Congress and, of course, reporters.

"Why did you join them and not us?" asked one wily boy. "And, by them, I mean the Democrats and, by us, I mean the Republicans." 

After guffaws from the crowd -- and from Pelosi -- the speaker said she was glad he identified with a party and that he's involved. But she couldn't resist taking a shot at Republicans.

"I hope the next generation takes back" what used to really be the "Grand Ol' Party," Pelosi said, turning toward the cameras with a smile.

Pelosi was asked 12 other questions from the kids -- she took only eight from the adults afterward -- before handing out chocolates and coins with the image of the Capitol on them.

"Why do you have chocolate and flags?" asked a sandy-haired, blue-eyed boy, who couldn't have been more than 3 before bashfully sitting back down.

Acknowledging the flags behind her and chocolates in front of her, Pelosi saw through the boy's question.

She took it as a hint to stop with the questions already and hand out those chocolates.

From NBC's Mark Murray
In the latest issue of National Journal, Kirk Victor notes that Obama's presidency hasn't been a complete boon to organized labor. Obama hasn't made the Employee Free Choice Act, or card check, a top priority; his economic team is made up mostly of pro-market advocates; and it's a still an open question how influential the union champions in his administration (Vice President Biden, Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis) are.

But as Victor writes, organized labor hasn't been too displeased with the young Obama administration. "Despite that list of concerns, in discussions with union leaders in Washington and in the nation's heartland, one hears hardly a peep of protest. Invariably, union activists tick off the positive things that Obama has done" -- like issuing executive orders that have benefited labor and signing the economic stimulus into law.

And this news today should make organized labor happy. First Read has learned that Mary Beth Maxwell -- executive director of the pro-labor American Rights at Work and a person whose name was floated as a potential Labor secretary -- will join the Labor Department as a senior adviser. Maxwell also will work on Biden's middle-class task force.

*** UPDATE *** Indeed, here's AFL-CIO president John Sweeney's statement on the hire: "It is a great day for America's working families who gain yet another strong advocate in the Obama administration."

From NBC's Mark Murray
The never-ending recount in Minnesota keeps on going and going... Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Minnesota Supreme Court won't begin hearing Norm Coleman's (R) appeal until June 1.

Here is the timeline that the court's five justices set:
-- Coleman must file his brief in the case no later than next Thursday
-- Al Franken has until May 11 to do this
-- Coleman then has until May 15 to file a reply brief.
-- and the justices will hear the appeal on June 1, at 10:00 am ET

From NBC's Mark Murray
Here's also a look at numbers that Obama inherited, and where they are now.

Unemployment Rate
When Obama took office: 7.6%
Now: 8.5%

Dow Jones Industrial Average
When Obama took office: 8,281
Now: 8,084  (as of 12:18 pm ET today)

Number U.S. of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (per NBC's Courtney Kube)
When Obama took office: about 172,000
Now: 177,000

From NBC's Mark Murray, Harry Enten and Athena Jones
Today is President Obama's 95th day as president, but it's as good of a time as any to begin looking at his first 100 days -- numerically:

-- he's conducted 10 press conferences (Wednesday's will make it 11)
-- he's given at least 10 major speeches
-- he's held seven town halls (Wednesday's will make it eight)
-- he's embarked on 13 different trips (Wednesday's will make it 14)
-- he's signed 13 bills into law
-- he's signed 19 executive orders
-- he's, according to our friends at PolitiFact, kept 27 promises, broken six, and compromised on seven others
-- and he's thrown out ZERO first pitches at Major League Baseball games

Note: All other recent past presidents -- Bush 41, Clinton, and Bush 43 -- threw out Opening Day pitches during their first 100 days.

Note 2: By Wednesday, the only modern presidents who will have conducted more press conferences in their first 100 days than Obama are Truman (14) and Clinton (13).

Note 3: Of Obama's domestic trips, only three have been to states that weren't battleground states in 2008, and one of those exceptions -- Arizona -- will most likely be a battleground in 2012.

From NBC's Harry Enten
As we approach President Obama's official 100th day in office, his approval rating in the Gallup poll is average compared with past American presidents -- or is it?

Going back to Eisenhower, Obama's 65% approval rating in the most recent daily Gallup poll is equal to the average Gallup approval for the 10 preceding presidents. Kennedy and Johnson had approval ratings in the low 80s at their 100-day mark. President Ford, in the wake of Watergate and the pardon of President Nixon, had the lowest approval rating at 48%.

But when we look only at presidents in the past 40 years, Obama is near the top. His approval is 7-10 points higher than the approvals of the last three presidents. Since Nixon, in fact, only Reagan's 68% is higher than Obama's current approval rating currently possessed by Obama.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Torture story rages on: Here are the latest developments in the raging political firestorm over torture and controversial interrogation tactics… U.S. officials tell NBC's Jim Miklaszewski that the Pentagon and military are preparing to release as many as 2,000 photos -- including several dozen that apparently show alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. The photos, which have not been seen publicly, would be the first visual evidence of possible prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, and they are being released in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU. (Per Mik, one U.S. official said the photos are "not as bad as those from Abu Ghraib," but "they're not good.")… Also, we can report that at yesterday's White House meeting with congressional leaders, President Obama signaled he's not inclined toward establishing an independent commission to investigation the torture allegations. What's more, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs added that Obama wasn't in favor of a special prosecutor, either.

Video: The Pentagon is preparing to release new photos that show alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention facilities. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.

*** Plenty of questions: Still, despite what Obama said, Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently didn't back down from supporting a "truth commission" on the matter at the private White House meeting. Can the Obama administration calm the forces of investigation in Congress by promising that his attorney general will investigate? Or is this a case where he can't really stop Congress from investigating something? And what will the prison abuse photos, set for release next month, do to this argument? Will the public outcry increase to the point where a commission is inevitable?

*** Irreconcilable differences over reconciliation: There was another headline out of Obama's meeting yesterday with congressional leaders: We're told the president made it clear -- to the chagrin of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell -- that he was pretty much determined to roll health care into the budget reconciliation process. According to sources, Obama said he didn't want to see his health-care plan go down simply because he had only 59 votes in the Senate. McConnell apparently thanked the president for his candor, but warned him that he won't get much bipartisan support if he goes down that path. However, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) said that Democrats have the right to push health-care reform via reconciliation because they "won the election." See below for more on that…

*** Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, climate change -- oh my: Today's big political event is Al Gore's testimony on energy and climate-change legislation that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is currently considering. But get this: According to The Hill, Newt Gingrich, an ardent opponent of cap-and-trade, will testify after Gore. You might want to heat up some popcorn… This could be entertaining. Also today, President Obama will deliver remarks on higher education at 1:30 pm ET.

*** Tedisco to concede? Late yesterday, there was some chatter that Republican Jim Tedisco might soon concede to Democrat Scott Murphy in the extremely close NY-20 special election. In fact, local Capital News 9 has a piece with this headline: "Sources say Tedisco concession likely," although the actual story doesn't advance that claim. Just asking, but if Tedisco does concede, does that put any extra pressure on Norm Coleman in Minnesota? The latest count has Murphy leading Tedisco by 401 votes.

*** Poll watch: A second-straight national poll shows a plurality of Americans believing the country is on the right track. Per the National Journal/AllState survey, 47% think the country is headed in the right direction, versus 42% who think it's on the wrong track. The poll also shows that 61% approve of Obama's job, and that plenty of people are uncertain about the state of the economy. Ron Brownstein writes in National Journal's cover story that "fully 64 percent of adults said they think that today's economy presents them with more financial risks that could endanger their standard of living than their parents confronted."

*** Putting the "Lone" in the Lone Star State: As one of your Texas-born authors knows quite well, Texas is not only a state; it's a state of mind. But we never thought we'd see this: A healthy minority of Texans -- as well as a majority of Texas Republicans -- say they want to secede from the union. According to a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, 37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry's recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States. Wow, just wow. Imagine the outcries of patriotism (or lack thereof) if Massachusetts or New York hinted at secession during the Bush years. Realize that Perry is the GOP's most senior governor, and he leads the country's second largest state. Perry, of course, is expected to face off against against the more moderate Kay Bailey Hutchison in a GOP primary next year, and maybe his statement about secession was a brilliant move…

*** Off-message alert: Rep. Paul Ryan (R) saying yesterday that Democrats have the right to push health care via reconciliation because they "won the election" was the latest in what was a day of two parties off message. Speaker Pelosi held a press conference on bringing sons and daughters to work, and it turned into a press assault on torture -- what she knew and when she knew it. (That's all still unclear, by the way.) She reiterated her call for an independent commission, but her counterpart in the Senate says he's against it. Of course, Reid's and Pelosi's comments are a reflection of local politics: Reid is up for re-election in 2010 in a purple state, and Pelosi is from, well, San Francisco.

*** Obama and the BCS, Part II: Yesterday, we gave President Obama a little grief for seeming to backtrack on his stance for a playoff in college football when he invited the Florida Gators to the White House to celebrate their national championship -- despite earlier stating that USC, Utah, and Texas had legitimate claims to the title, too. Well, in his remarks to the Gators, Obama did hold true to his position that college football needs reform. "I don't want to stir up controversy. You guys are the national champions," he said yesterday, per the White House. But he added, "I'm not backing off the fact we need a playoff system. But I have every confidence that you guys could have beat anybody else. And so we'll see how that plays itself out." 
 
Countdown to Obama's 100th day: 5 days 
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 39 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 46 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 193 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 557 days

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The New York Times: "The White House and the Democratic leadership in the Senate signaled on Thursday that they would block for now any effort to establish an independent commission to investigate the Bush administration's approval of harsh interrogation techniques… Meeting with the Democratic leadership on Wednesday night, Mr. Obama said a special inquiry would steal time and energy from his policy agenda, and could mushroom into a wider distraction looking back at the Bush years, people briefed on the discussion said. Mr. Obama, they said, repeated much the same message on Thursday at a bipartisan meeting with Congressional leaders."

The Washington Post recounts the White House's internal deliberations to release the so-called torture memos. "As President Obama met with top advisers on the evening of April 15, he faced one of the sharpest policy divides of his young administration. Five CIA directors -- including Leon E. Panetta and his four immediate predecessors -- and Obama's top counterterrorism adviser had expressed firm opposition to the release of interrogation details in four "top secret" memos in which Bush administration lawyers sanctioned harsh tactics."

Video: David Gregory joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the political firestorm over torture and controversial interrogation tactics

"On the other side of the issue were Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair and White House counsel Gregory B. Craig, whose colleagues during the campaign recall him expressing enthusiasm for fixing U.S. detainee policy… Obama requested a mini-debate in which one official was chosen to argue for releasing the memos and another was assigned to argue against doing so. When it ended, Obama dictated on the spot a draft of his announcement that the documents would be released, while most of the officials watched, according to an official who was present. The disclosure happened the next day."

Here's Eric Holder yesterday: "I will not permit the criminalization of policy differences," he testified yesterday before a House committee. "But it is my duty to enforce the law."

President Obama today talks about rising tuition costs. He also "faces a dilemma as he's expected to issue a proclamation on the 94th anniversary of the start of what most scholars regard as the genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks."
 
"Legislation to recognize the World War I-era killings of Armenians as genocide has quickly passed the 100 co-sponsor mark as Armenians mark Genocide Remembrance Day on Friday," The Hill reports. "But it remained to be seen how President Obama would mark the day after a campaign promise that he would recognize the genocide, yet didn't use the word in reference to the 'tragic history' on his recent trip to Turkey."

The New York Times on Obama's meeting yesterday with credit card companies: "Seizing on the growing unpopularity of credit card companies, President Obama on Thursday threw his support behind legislation moving swiftly through Congress that would restrict the ability of banks to impose higher fees and interest rates on consumers."

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been a target for Republicans after a Homeland Security "a recent intelligence analysis from Napolitano's agency saying veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan could be susceptible to right-wing recruiters or commit lone acts of violence." Napolitano has "defended the assessment while acknowledging that some of it should have been rewritten." But that hasn't stopped Republicans, particularly conservatives in the House from lashing out.
 
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH): "Secretary Napolitano has an awful lot of explaining to do," Boehner said, charging that the report pertains to "about two-thirds of Americans," who "go to church" and more. "This is -- this is bizarre."
 
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN): "Has this Homeland Security secretary gone absolutely stark raving mad? She needs to come before Congress. She needs to answer a few questions."
 
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX): "I think the appropriate thing for her to do would be to step down."
 
Rep. John Carter (R-TX): "Janet Napolitano should resign or be fired."

The New York Times advances the Jane Harman-NSA story. "The director of the Central Intelligence Agency concluded in late 2005 that a conversation picked up on a government wiretap was serious enough to require notifying Congressional leaders that Representative Jane Harman, Democrat of California, could become enmeshed in an investigation into Israeli influence in Washington, former government officials said Thursday. But Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told the director of the agency, Porter J. Goss, to hold off on briefing lawmakers about the conversation, between Ms. Harman and an Israeli intelligence operative, despite a longstanding government policy to inform Congressional leaders quickly whenever a member of Congress could be a target of a national security investigation."

The reason: "to protect Ms. Harman because they saw her as a valuable administration ally in urging The New York Times not to publish an article about the National Security Agency's program of wiretapping without warrants."

In an interview yesterday with First Read on Wednesday, former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta and other staffers from the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress wanted to "reset" the conventional wisdom that comprehensive energy legislation wouldn't occur this year. Podesta said the real action right now is in the House, with the House Energy and Commerce Committee considering the Waxman-Markey energy framework. The prospects of the legislation passing the Dem-led committee is high, and Podesta argued that since the committee is more conservative than other House panels (with Dem members on it hailing from Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana), there's a greater chance that what will pass there will be more acceptable to the Senate.

In addition, Podesta said he expects the debate on the House floor to occur in the summer. Obviously, he believes that finding 60 votes in the Senate will be harder than being able to pass it in the House, but he said it's still doable in the Senate. They divide Senate targets into two groups: 1) the moderate/conservative Democrats and 2) the Republicans -- like Collins, Specter, Snowe. The goal is 60 votes. Still, Podesta admits that health-care is a more likely goal than energy -- and as someone who saw that health-care debate in the 1990s, he jokes, "Who would have thought that getting health care is easier?"

Politico looks at Obama's approach to Congress. "Under his model, Obama laid out a broad vision of his legislative goals — but put up little resistance when Congress rewrote the details. Doing so allowed him to stay above the fray, avoid the mess involved with legislating and get seriously involved only when things flew out of hand or internal conflicts threatened to derail an aspect of his legislative agenda… While his approach has allowed him to build trust with Congress, not taking a firm position on the details has allowed congressional Democrats to bicker among themselves and has given the GOP an opportunity to occasionally create a wedge between congressional Democrats and the new president."

"In the five-week stretch leading up to Memorial Day, the Senate will tackle a hefty legislative agenda that includes bills to rein in predatory practices in the housing and credit card industries and a reform of government procurement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Thursday," Roll Call writes. "Reid also said the Senate will take up a House-passed bill that would impose new regulations on the tobacco industry, calling the measure 'way, way overdue.'"