From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
A U.S. Army spokesperson confirms that Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta is not going to re-enlist when his tour is up in mid-June.

Giunta, the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, had hinted for several months that he was keeping his options open and considering going to school. But he decided last week to use his GI benefits and get his undergraduate degree.

Giunta and his wife, Jenny, will move to Fort Carson, CO, later this year. No word yet on which school he will attend, but he will be close to Colorado State University.

The death of the DLC… The Dean way triumphed over the Clinton/From/Lieberman way… What the “Draft Jeb” movement means… And what the GOP excitement over its VP field says… Scott, Kasich, and Walker vs. Jeb, W., Thompson, and Engler… Wadhams drops re-election bid to head CO GOP.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The death of the DLC: Just five years ago, a handful of Democratic presidential hopefuls -- including Hillary Clinton -- gathered at a high-profile Democratic Leadership Council confab in Denver. Yesterday, however, Politico’s Ben Smith broke the news that the centrist DLC, which helped Bill Clinton win the White House in 1992, is on the verge of closing its doors. In recent years, a few things particularly hurt the group: its founder, Al From, endorsed Joe Lieberman in the ’06 general election in Connecticut; its current chairman, Harold Ford Jr., mulled New York Senate primary challenge against Kirsten Gillibrand -- from the right; and CEO Bruce Reed left the group twice to pursue jobs in the Obama administration. But what hurt the DLC more than anything else was that it never figured out how to survive when Bill Clinton was no longer the Democratic Party’s center of gravity.

*** The Dean way triumphs over the Clinton/From/Lieberman way: The DLC was a Bill Clinton organization, pure and simple. Al From and Bill Clinton were attached at the hip in the run up to 1992, and at times it was a rough ride. Then-DNC Chair Ron Brown and then DLC Chair Bill Clinton were known to trade a barb or two. But Clinton prevailed and essentially took over the Democratic Party for over a decade, sometimes with the DLC and From in the passenger seat -- and sometimes in the trailer attached to the fender. The DLC tried to survive without Clinton or at least survive UNTIL another Clinton. But when Hillary didn’t win the Democratic nomination in ’08 -- and when Joe Lieberman became its ideological standard bearer -- the organization lost its relevancy. What's more, the DLC struggled to be relevant once IN power. It's an easy path to preach when the Democrats were out of power, but once in power or when the country became disaffected with the right (like 2006 and 2008), the Howard Dean way (begun in 2004 and mastered by Team Obama in 2008) triumphed over the Clinton/From/Lieberman way. By the way, is it a coincidence that the same day we learn the DLC is about to close its doors we also find out that centrist California Rep. Jane Harman (D) is leaving Congress to head the Woodrow Wilson Center? Harman will sit down for an exclusive interview on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” in the 1:00 pm ET hour.

*** Conservative split on Egypt: Bill Kristol, in the Weekly Standard, pens an essay pushing back on other skeptical conservatives (and even calls out Glenn Beck by name) for fear-mongering over what's happening in Egypt. The issue, of course, for many concerned Middle Eastern foreign policy activists is the fear of the unknown in Egypt and what it means for Israel in particular. Here's Kristol's lecture: "Let’s hope that as talk radio hosts find time for reflection, and commentators step back to take a deep breath, they will recall that one of the most hopeful aspects of the current conservative revival is its reclamation of the American constitutionalist tradition. … An American conservatism that looks back to 1776 cannot turn its back on the Egyptian people. We should wish them well -- and we should work to help them achieve as good an outcome as possible."

*** What the “Draft Jeb” movement means: Last week, we noted how the potential 2012 GOP field reminds us of the 2004 Dem field -- Romney = Kerry, Thune = Edwards, Gingrich = Gephardt, etc. And we made one other comparison: that Jeb Bush would probably be Hillary Clinton, circa '03-'04, as the candidate whom some activists want but probably won't get (at least this cycle). Lo and behold, National Review’s Rich Lowry listed eight reasons why Jeb should run for president in 2012. The question we have about a Jeb Bush candidacy: After conservatives used the Tea Party movement to re-brand conservatism and the GOP after George W. Bush's candidacy, how eager are Republicans to returning to the Bush brand? But more than anything else, this “Draft Jeb” movement may say less about Jeb and more about the GOP’s frustration with its ACTUAL potential presidential field.

*** And what the GOP excitement about its VP field says: Another sign that the GOP is unhappy with its field is when there’s more excitement around potential VP possibilities. Per Politico, “It’s almost as if there is more excitement over the deep pool of vice presidential prospects than over the emerging roster of presidential candidates, which is largely composed of white, male, former and soon-to-be-former governors, none of them from the biggest battleground states. On the vice presidential level, Republicans are already gushing over the sheer diversity of the candidates—unprecedented in terms of race, gender, geography and political experience—who could fill out the 2012 ticket.” Of course, not since 1960 has a VP nominee directly helped a candidate win the presidency. By the way, this excitement over "who's No. 2" might also be a compelling reason to push Jeb to run now. Rubio, Ryan, N. Haley, S. Martinez, Christie, etc. will all be "ready" to go national on their own in 2016.

*** Scott, Kasich, and Walker vs. Jeb, W., Thompson, and Engler: Speaking of the Tea Party and Florida governors, it was striking -- though not surprising in retrospect -- that Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) yesterday unveiled his budget to Tea Party groups instead of state lawmakers. As one of us pointed out yesterday, it was yet another sign how ideologically conservative the new crop of GOP governors is (Scott, John Kasich, Scott Walker). In fact, they're more conservative than the prominent GOP governors of the '90s like Jeb Bush, George W. Bush, Tommy Thompson, and John Engler. The conservative movement's ideological warriors were in the House in the '90s; now they’re in the governor's mansions (and sitting in the attorney general posts as well). In the '90s, the governors were the pragmatic conservatives; these days those GOP pragmatists are in the Senate (think Graham and Lamar, an ex-governor, by the way). 

*** Wadhams out in CO: The Denver Post reports, “Dick Wadhams on Monday unexpectedly dropped his bid for re-election as chair of the Colorado Republican Party, warning GOP leaders that their chances in 2012 could be ‘severely undermined’ by a strategy aimed solely at uniting conservatives.” More Wadhams: “‘The ability of Colorado Republicans to win and retain the votes of hundreds of thousands of unaffiliated swing voters in 2012 will be severely undermined,’ he said. Wadhams on Monday added that [the front-runner to replace him, Ted] Harvey ‘sees everything through the lens of a safe Republican district in Douglas County, and Colorado is more diverse than that.’”

Countdown Chicago’s mayoral election: 14 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 273 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 363 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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The Boston Globe's top headline: "Obama woos, exhorts business."

The New York Times adds, "President Obama urged American businesses on Monday to 'get in the game' by letting loose trillions of dollars that they are holding in reserve, saying that they can help create a 'virtuous cycle' of more sales, higher demand and greater profits that will put people back to work. 'If there is a reason you don’t believe that this is the time to get off the sidelines — to hire and invest — I want to know about it. I want to fix it,' Mr. Obama said in a speech to business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce."

High taxes? Are you sure about that? "As a share of the nation’s economy, Uncle Sam’s take this year will be the lowest since 1950, when the Korean War was just getting under way," the AP writes. "And for the third straight year, American families and businesses will pay less in federal taxes than they did under President George W. Bush, because of a weak economy and a growing number of tax breaks for the wealthy and poor alike."

Politifact says Obama’s statement to Bill O’Reilly that he hasn’t raised taxes is false. “The idea that Obama did not raise taxes is just plain wrong. He signed legislation raising taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products soon after taking office; that money goes to pay for children's health insurance programs. The law went into effect in 2009. He also signed the health care law, which includes taxes on indoor tanning that went into effect last year. (Regular PolitiFact readers will remember our fact-check of reality TV star Snooki and her complaint about the new tax last year.) The new health care law also includes a tax on people who decide not to have health insurance, as an incentive for them to get coverage.”

That said, Politifact also notes that Obama hasn’t raised income taxes; in fact, he has cut them.

It's Robert Gibbs' last week. "Gibbs said Monday that this is his last week as press secretary before he moves out of the White House and Jay Carney, former spokesman for Vice President Joe Biden, takes over," The Hill writes, adding, "The timing of Gibbs's departure means Carney's first big task will likely be selling Obama's budget, which comes out Feb. 14."

"It was 'completely inappropriate' for Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly to ask President Obama about the people who 'hate' him, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Monday," The Hill reports.

"The Federal Election Commission has asked Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) for more information about her fall campaign finance report, the results of which could lead to legal or financial penalties," Roll Call writes. "A darling of tea party activists across the country, Bachmann raised more than $13 million during her 2010 re-election campaign." But some of the expenses may not have been itemized and some necessary reports may not have been filed.

Rand Paul isn't keeping his head down and learning the rules like most freshmen senators. Instead, The Hill writes, "He has pushed a proposal to cut $500 billion in federal spending over the course of a single year… He was the first Senate Republican to publicly dismiss as insufficient a proposal by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to cut $32 billion from the federal budget for 2011." And: "Paul has called for steep cuts in defense spending. Picking a fight with the pro-Israel lobby, he is seeking an end to all foreign aid, including aid to the U.S. ally." More: "Right-wing senators have taken note of Paul, with some observers saying they are following his lead."

Over in the House, "Barely a month into the new Congress, Democrats are mocking House Republicans for what they say is a less-than-ambitious legislative agenda," The Hill writes. "The GOP majority is bringing only a handful of bills to the floor this week, and none would be characterized as major legislation. Four of the five measures will be considered under a procedure generally reserved for non-controversial legislation; the fifth is a resolution that merely instructs committees to review federal regulations for their impact on job growth."

California Rep. Jane Harman (D) will announce her resignation from Congress today, as NBC's Andrea Mitchell first reported yesterday. Here's Roll Call: "A torrent of spending is expected in a multicandidate field that will be the first Congressional race under the state's new top-two primary format. The top two finishers in the all-party primary would advance to the special general election, unless one candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote. The timing isn't set, but the election most likely will take place before summer begins."

The New York Times: “Representative Jane Harman, Democrat of California, is leaving Congress to become president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, party officials said on Monday. Her seat, in a Democratic-leaning district of Los Angeles County, is likely to be filled by a special election.”

“From its highest levels to the grassroots, the GOP is buzzing over Marco, Bobby and Susana, as well as more than a half-dozen other junior Republican officeholders who have captured the party’s imagination in ways that the current 2012 presidential field hasn’t come close to doing,” Politico writes. “It’s almost as if there is more excitement over the deep pool of vice presidential prospects than over the emerging roster of presidential candidates, which is largely composed of white, male, former and soon-to-be-former governors, none of them from the biggest battleground states.”

BARBOUR: “Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is increasingly likely to embark on a campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, a source close to the Republican told CNN Friday. ‘We have definitely shifted gears, there is no question about that,’ the source said. ‘He's running until he says he's not.’”

Politico’s Ben Smith recalls a campaign ad from Haley Barbour’s 1982 Senate race that may be a tough act to follow if it resurfaces in a potential 2012 presidential run: an endorsement from President Ronald Reagan.

“The Wall Street Journal announced today that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour will be a featured participant at the Journal's upcoming ECO:nomics conference, which brings together leading CEOs, entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry experts who operate at the intersection of business and the environment,” Stock Markets Review reports.

JEB BUSH: The National Review makes its case for why Jeb Bush should run for president in 2012, not 2016 as he has suggested he would.

GINGRICH: “Former GOP U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Democratic former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley will be the speakers Friday at the Salina [Kansas] Chamber of Commerce annual meeting,” the AP reports.

HUCKABEE: “Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee visited the [Israeli] Knesset on Monday and warned that Islamic fundamentalism could threaten not only Israel but the entire world,” the Jewish Press writes.

“Family Leader president Bob Vander Plaats said reports that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was confirmed to participate in the [Presidential Lecture] series in June were premature,” the Des Moines Register reports. “I probably misspoke,” Vander Plaats said.

PAUL: “Rep. Ron Paul will deliver an address to Iowa-based conservative group The Family Leader, and spend a day traveling around the state, an early sign that the Texas Republican is mulling another presidential run,” The Daily Caller reports. “The libertarian-leaning Paul joins a growing list of prospective Republican presidential candidates, including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who are scheduled to address the group during the next few months.”

PAWLENTY: “Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty introduced himself Monday to an influential segment of the Iowa Republican caucus electorate Monday as a devout, but approachable, Christian,” the Des Moines Register writes. “As governor, he held Bible studies and cites scripture, as he did Monday during the event at Pella Christian High School. But Pawlenty, a Baptist who was raised Roman Catholic, said he tries to affirm his beliefs without condemning others’.”

Politico’s Ben Smith: “Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty hasn't picked fights on social issues like gay rights. But [ThinkProgress’] Wonk Room notes that he expressed support in Iowa for blocking the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't tell by witholding funds for implementing the repeal, an option favored by some Congressional Republicans.”

NEVADA: “More potential GOP candidates have traveled to Israel this year — three — than to Nevada,” Politico wrote yesterday, asserting that “there’s already evidence that the state again is being treated like chopped liver… Nevada’s niche as the ‘first in the West’ primary will give the candidates an opportunity to show they can play in the libertarian-leaning swing region… Not every candidate may want that opportunity, however. Nevada Democratic consultant and lobbyist Billy Vassiliadis said Angle’s win in the 2010 U.S. Senate primary showed that Nevada Republicans have strong tea party leanings. Given that, and given the large amount of residual Romney loyalty, he said, other candidates might be hesitant about campaigning in the state.”

From NBC's Pete Williams
Two of the newest members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Republican Mike Lee of Utah, share a distinction appropriate to that committee. Both were U.S. Supreme Court clerks.

Blumenthal clerked for Justice Harry Blackmun, and Lee was a clerk for Justice Samuel Alito. 

But how many other U.S. senators have clerked for Supreme Court justices throughout American history? 

A) 0
B) 2
C) 3
D) 5

The correct answer is below. But before getting to it, it's worth noting how many former Supreme Court clerks have gone on to become justices on the high court. Three members of the current court have that distinction -- John Roberts clerked for William Rehnquist; Elena Kagan clerked for Thurgood Marshall; and Stephen Breyer clerked for Arthur Goldberg. Among former justices, Rehnquist clerked for Robert Jackson; John Paul Stevens clerked for Wiley Rutledge; and Byron White clerked for Fred Vinson.

Now to the answer: It's zero. Remarkably, Lee and Blumenthal become the first U.S. senators ever to serve as Supreme Court clerks, according to a check with the court and the Senate historian. It's a fact first pointed out by Legal Times, noted in introducing an interview with Sen. Lee in its Feb. 7 issue.

President Obama is introduced by U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue before speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington today.

From NBC's Athena Jones
In remarks that echoed a past president's "ask not" appeal to the nation, President Obama called on business leaders to invest in American workers and to help the government create a "virtuous circle" that will boost economic growth.

The speech before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was the latest move in an unofficial campaign to improve the administration's relationship with the business community. In recent weeks, the White House has promised a review of federal regulations, brought on former Commerce Secretary and J.P. Morgan executive Bill Daley as chief of staff and created a new jobs council headed by GE CEO Jeff Immelt.

"We can and we must work together," the president told the group. "But as we work with you to make America a better place to do business, I'm hoping that all of you are thinking what you can do for America? Ask yourselves what you can do to hire more American workers, what you can do to support the American economy and to invest in this nation."

Obama's exhortation to companies to ask themselves how they could help accelerate growth recalled the "ask not what your country can do for you" line from John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address.

The focus on what he called the government's and businesses' "mutual responsibility" to secure America's future came as the president addressed an organization that has been a thorn in the side of this White House almost since the beginning. The Chamber was active in fighting some of the president's biggest domestic achievement so far, the health care and financial regulatory overhauls, and helped support Republican candidates in the mid-term elections -- at times drawing the ire of some of its members for its partisan positions.

The president defended his administration's work on health care and financial regulation in today's remarks and as if to make light of past tensions, he joked at one point that if only he had crossed Lafayette Park -- the small patch of land separating the White House from the Chamber building -- bearing a fruit cake upon moving in, their relationship might have gotten off to a better start.

Beginning with his State of the Union speech, the president has spent more time recently talking about America's need to "out-innovate" and "out-educate" other countries to better compete in the global marketplace -- topics he stressed again today, along with the need to spur hiring by rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. The White House also wants to see the corporate cash U.S. companies have sitting on the sidelines -- estimated at nearly $2 trillion -- invested to create jobs here at home.

"If I've got one message, my message is now is the time to invest in America," Obama said, prompting applause. "I know that many of you have told me that you are waiting for demand to rise before you get off the sidelines and expand, and that with millions of Americans out of work, demand's risen more slowly than any of us would like. We're in this together. But many of your own economists and salespeople are now forecasting a healthy increase in demand. So I just want to encourage you to get in the game."

Obama touted the tax cut deal he signed into law in December -- which many analysts have estimated could boost economic growth this year and which includes a provision allowing companies to expense 100 percent of capital investments this year -- as well as the free trade agreement reached with South Korea, which must still be approved by Congress. And he repeated a commitment to reforming the tax code and to bring down high corporate tax rates in particular.

In welcoming Obama this morning, Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue also spoke of the importance of working closely together.

"Let me also reaffirm the American business community's absolute commitment to working with you and your administration to advance our shared objectives," Donohue said during his brief introductory remarks. "First and foremost is the compelling need to strengthen our free enterprise economy, create jobs and put Americans back to work. Our focus is finding a common ground to ensure America's greatness in the 21st century."

Gov. Rick Scott during a business conference in Hollywood, Florida last week.

This afternoon, new Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) will be unveiling his budget -- not before lawmakers in the state Capitol, but before local Tea Party activists.

The Palm Beach Post: "Gov. Rick Scott will roll out his budget this afternoon at a tea party event in Eustis, a rural community north of Orlando. Scott promises his plan not only will whack $3.62 billion in spending to fill Florida's budget deficit but also will include tax breaks for businesses." 

The Orlando Sentinel adds, "Scott is expected to announce cuts of about $5 billion from the state's current $70.5 billion budget... It's certain it will require deep and unpopular cuts in education, social services and other government spending. Scott also wants to cut $2 billion in corporate-profits and school property taxes."

George W. Bush of Texas, Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, and John Engler of Michigan became the faces of Republican governors in the 1990s, and they were conservative -- yet practical -- governors. (Yes, Bush's governorship was more pragmatic than his presidency.)

But the new faces of Republican governors -- Scott in Florida, John Kasich in Ohio, and Scott Walker in Wisconsin -- are more ideological warriors than pragmatists.

That benefited them in the 2010 midterms, when the political winds were at the GOP's back. The question is what happens if the winds shift, especially in these presidential battleground states.

Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif. on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 2010.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
NBC News has learned that Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., is expected to announce tomorrow that she will quit Congress to become the president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

Harman will succeed the current leader, former Rep. Lee Hamilton, who has led the bipartisan think tank for 12 years.

Her California district is reliably Democratic. A special election will have to be called to replace her.

Harman, who has served as a senior foreign policy and intelligence voice in the Democratic caucus, was first elected to the House in 2000.

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Shawna Thomas reports that Harman's departure comes as a surprise to rank-and-file Democrats, as well as to their leader in the House. A source confirms that Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi didn't know about Harman's intention until she was informed today. 

White House and U.S. Chamber put aside their differences, for now… Why they both need each other, and why the 2011-2012 legislative calendar encourages the détente… Obama’s speech to U.S. Chamber takes place at 11:30 am ET… Speaking of adversaries putting aside their differences, Obama sat down yesterday with FOX’s Bill O’Reilly… “Placate the opposition” week?... Sarah Palin, media ombudsman… And when Reagan becomes all things to all people.

AP

President Obama greets audience members after speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington today.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Truce? In the last election cycle, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent millions against Democratic candidates and President Obama’s health-care legislation, while the White House criticized the business group for, among other things, failing to disclose its donors. Now? Obama today delivers a speech at the Chamber. Many are casting it as the White House appeasing an adversary, even if just temporarily. But the same can be said of the Chamber, too. The AP writes, “The White House and the Chamber now are highlighting areas of common ground and expressing a joint commitment to creating jobs. Obama has stressed his new economic agenda, featuring competitiveness, innovation, energy and entrepreneurship. Disagreements linger and are no less vehement, but they no longer are the subject of loud legislative battles and big dollar advertising campaigns by the Chamber.”

*** Why they both need each other: Part of this détente is due to the White House’s realization that Obama can’t win re-election if he’s perceived as anti-business (even though that charge doesn’t pass the smell test with the Dow above 12,000 and with corporations raking in big profits). Similarly, the Chamber probably realizes that it can’t be seen as anti-Obama if there’s a good chance he remains president for the next six years (as several high-profile companies have quit the group since it launched its attacks on the Obama White House and its legislative priorities). So in that respect, the speech today is as important to the Chamber as it is to Obama. But much of the truce is also the reality of the 2011-2012 legislative calendar. “Having achieved his principal goals on health care and financial regulation (while failing on capping carbon emissions), Mr. Obama has moved toward less polarizing priorities,” CNBC’s John Harwood writes in the New York Times. “And Republicans’ new strength on Capitol Hill requires that any substantive action have bipartisan support.”

*** Time, history, and Taft: Obama’s speech to the U.S. Chamber takes place at 11:30 am ET. And the Chamber emails First Read these facts: 1) “The Chamber has hosted nearly every president in our 98 year history (including Kennedy during our 50th anniv in 1962).” 2) “The idea of the U.S. Chamber actually came from a president: President William Howard Taft, [who] in a message to Congress on December 7, 1911, addressed the need for a ‘central organization in touch with associations and chambers of commerce throughout the country and able to keep purely American interests in a closer touch with different phases of commercial affairs.’”  

*** Obama vs. O’Reilly: Speaking of adversaries putting aside their differences, the president sat down with FOX’s Bill O’Reilly before the Super Bowl yesterday in what has become a tradition of Obama granting an interview to the network broadcasting the big game. What Obama said about Mubarak and Egypt: “Only he knows what he’s going to do. But here’s what we know -- is that Egypt is not going to go back to what it was. The Egyptian people want freedom.” When O’Reilly responded that the U.S. can’t force Mubarak to leave, Obama answered, “But what we can do, Bill, is we can say that, ‘The time is now for you to start making a change in that country.’” And then O’Reilly asked Obama about his harshest critics. “Even the folks who hate you, they don’t know you… What they hate is whatever funhouse mirror image of you that’s out there. And they don’t know you. And so, you don’t take it personally." Interestingly, the tone of the interview was more adversarial than the questions themselves.

*** Sarah Palin, media ombudsman: After speaking Friday night in California to mark Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday, Sarah Palin sat down with CBN's David Brody to talk about Obama's handling of the crisis in Egypt ("This is that 3am White House phone call and it seems ... that that call went right to the answering machine") and what she might do differently if she runs for president ("I would continue on the same course of not really caring what other people say about me or worrying about the things that they make up"). But then she said this about the political media: "I think much of the mainstream media is already becoming so irrelevant because there is not balance... There is not truth coming out of the mainstream media, and I know that first hand... I want the mainstream media, and I’ve said this for a couple of years now, I want to help ‘em. I have a journalism degree, that is what I studied." Could it be the one thing that TRULY animates Palin and fires her up is media criticism? Of course, she does what many partisan media critics do: use some outlier opinion/activist media slight to attempt to define the entire practicing MSM. Still, it clearly fires her up. Watch out Mr. Bozell; she may be after YOUR job, not Obama’s!

*** Reagan becomes all things to all people? And don’t miss this take, via Politico, on the celebration marking Reagan’s 100^th birthday. “On the eve of what would have been his 100th birthday, Ronald Reagan is entering the final stages of a civic canonization that leaves even some of his most fervent admirers uneasy. The longstanding conservative icon, lampooned in life by the left, is being elevated into the pantheon of American leaders who transcended partisan politics. What worries the right about this is that by being sculpted in marble, Reagan may be stripped of the traits that made him so revered among conservatives and despised by liberals. In other words, if the 40th president is all things to all people, he means nothing to anyone.”

Countdown Chicago’s mayoral election: 15 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 274 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 364 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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President Obama, in his interview with Fox’s Bill O’Reilly before the Super Bowl denied that he’s moving to the center: "I haven't -- I didn't move to... I'm the same guy," he said. He explained, "Over the first two years of my presidency, we had a complete disaster. Right? We had a complete crisis. The financial markets were breaking down. We were slipping into a Great Depression. And we had to take a bunch of extraordinary steps in order to make sure that the economy was growing again, which it is now, growing. Making sure that the private sector was creating jobs again. It's now doing that."

The AP tees up Obama’s speech at the U.S. Chamber. “After two years of vociferous conflict over health care and financial regulations, the two have entered into something of a detente. President Barack Obama has scheduled a speech Monday at the Chamber, a first for him. Not four months ago, he had attacked the huge, Republican-leaning trade organization for failing to disclose donors to its $32 million congressional political campaign, ‘Their lips are sealed,’ Obama said at the time, ‘but the floodgates are open.’”

“Their bitter fights overshadowed areas of solid agreement, including the Chamber's support of Obama's 2009 economic stimulus plan and the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler. Obama played a populist hand, referring to bankers as "fat cats," rebuking corporate lobbyists and casting the insurance industry as an antagonist in the health care debate.”

The New York Times: "The budget that President Obama will release next week reflects scores of 'tough calls' that cut deeply into programs that the president supports, in keeping with his proposed five-year freeze on a broad category of domestic spending, according to the administration’s budget director. In an Op-Ed article in The New York Times on Sunday, the director, Jacob J. Lew, gives three examples of those calls: proposed cuts for programs that support community organizers, a job the president once held; that clean the Great Lakes; and that finance community development. Together, they would save $775 million."

The Boston Globe profiles Elizabeth Warren and her challenges as head of the new consumer protection agency, especially with the administration’s shift in tone toward big business: “The Obama administration has shifted from bashing Wall Street ‘fat cats’ to courting some of the same groups that fiercely opposed Warren and her agency. That has left Warren with a pair of challenges: being a tough industry watchdog in what is now characterized as a business-friendly administration and trying to quickly assemble and manage an agency when her skills are rooted in the proverbial ivory tower at Harvard Yard. ‘I know there are plenty of people with a handful of rocks — people just like me in my former life as an academic — watching this consumer agency every step of the way,’ Warren said.”

Turning to the situation in Egypt… “After days of efforts to nudge Mubarak off the stage, if not necessarily out the door, the White House was compelled to shift its approach last week after both the Egyptian president and his top aides made clear that he intends to stay,” the Washington Post says.  “Mubarak's defiance was followed by a convulsion of violence in Cairo, then a period of hopeful calm as progress toward negotiations appeared to gain momentum, then renewed uncertainty as that effort faltered while Clinton flew. With the Muslim Brotherhood's agreement Sunday to enter talks with Mubarak's newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman, optimism has reasserted itself.”

More: “While acknowledging that violence could erupt again, U.S. officials and Middle East experts credited the administration with establishing useful parameters - in essence, that the government must avoid violence and that Suleiman and the opposition must talk, and quickly - that have helped to prevent, for now, the country's slide into anarchy.”

The New York Times zeroes in on Mubarak. "The question of whether Mr. Mubarak will yield power willingly — and how and under what timetable he might do so — are driving the Obama administration’s national security team to assess and reassess their strategy in dealing with him. It is being watched intently by the antigovernment protesters in Cairo, much of the Arab world and even by members of his own government." 

House Speaker John Boehner speaks during a January news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

The Hill says the “run of GOP unity is about to end.” Speaker John “Boehner faces a defining moment in his Speakership as he and his lieutenants navigate a trio of major bills: a short-term measure to fund the government, the longer-term budget blueprint, and legislation raising the federal debt ceiling beyond its present $14.3 trillion limit,” the paper writes.

"Responding to solicitations from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), businesses have asked Congress to roll back or preempt more than 150 rules governing their industries," the Washington Post writes. "In many cases, businesses are seizing the opportunity to reopen regulatory debates that they previously lost. In his new role as chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa will begin a series of hearings Thursday, an effort aimed at fulfilling the new GOP House majority's goal of making federal regulations friendlier to business."   

“After struggling to defend health care reform for much of the past two years, Senate Democrats are growing confident that they’ve finally hit on a unifying formula: Attack Republicans for trying to take patients’ rights away and use the GOP’s own lines against them,” Roll Call writes. “So far, at least, it appears to be working. Senate Democrats were able to stick together last week as Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) attempt to repeal the health care law went down in a party-line vote.”

The Boston Globe’s Glen Johnson notes that while John Kerry’s spokesperson was trying to tamp down speculation that he’s auditioning to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, his “appearance on ‘Meet the Press’ made clear he's certainly not some backbencher when it comes to the Obama administration's conduct of foreign policy… Perhaps most interestingly, Kerry spoke with authority as he distanced the administration from the recent comments of the US special envoy to Egypt, former Ambassador Frank Wisner.” Johnson also looks at who could replace Kerry as senator from Massachusetts if he’s picked for Secretary of State.

“New Jersey's two US senators are trying to bring the proposed Trans Hudson tunnel back to life,” AP writes. “Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, both Democrats, said they'll announce their plan today for a tunnel to replace the one killed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in October because of the expense.”

Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe of Blue Dogs’ communication with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, "There has really been no communication whatsoever. We still do not have any connection between the Blue Dogs and leadership." 

Ronald Reagan’s centennial’s “timing also has given an array of potential Republican candidates for the 2012 White House—including Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and Rick Santorum—the perfect stage to praise the 40th president and seek to claim his mantle,” the Wall Street Journal writes.

DANIELS: The Indiana governor writes an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal criticizing President Obama’s health care reform law, calling it a “massive mistake.”

AP

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich attends the centennial birthday celebration for former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, in Simi Valley, Calif, on Sunday.

GINGRICH: “Gingrich visited Reagan’s birthplace Friday as part of his participation in the events celebrating the 100th anniversary of Reagan’s birth,” the Quad City Times writes. “While touring the apartment where Reagan was born, Gingrich said it reminded him of his own roots in Pennsylvania.”

“Newt Gingrich’s political groups raised more than $4.2 million in the last three months of 2010, bringing the former House speaker’s total to $14.5 million for the year — a sum that far eclipses his potential rivals for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination,” Politico writes. (But Gingrich’s groups are 527s, which – unlike PACs -- allow him to raise unlimited sums.)

HUCKABEE: “Mike Huckabee will attend the Iowa Family Policy Center’s “Presidential Lecture Series” in June — a possible sign he is leaning towards a run,” Politico writes. “The event will come after the first round of official debates in May – which Huckabee says he will not participate in – and is expected to host many of the leading Republican contenders.” (A sign that he won’t run: an Alaskan cruise Huckabee is making that same month.)

PALIN: In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody, Sarah Palin criticized President Obama for his handling of the situation in Egypt saying that this was his, ‘3am White House phone call’ and, ‘that call went right to the answering machine….’ In addition, she declared that, ‘much of the mainstream media is already becoming irrelevant’ and she says since she has a degree in journalism she wants to help them do a better job.”

How’s this for Ronald Reagan optimism? “Sarah Palin opened a celebration of Ronald Reagan this weekend by declaring that the United States was lurching toward a ‘road to ruin,’ saying the nation had become so weighed down by debt and excess government that a new direction was urgently needed in Washington,” the New York Times writes.

Palin also said she doesn’t know that the U.S. can trust the protesters’ motives. 

PAUL: Ron Paul says the U.S. should repeal the Patriot Act in an op-ed in The Hill. He writes, “We must not allow the out-of-control Department of Homeland Security to impose an East-German like police state in the U.S. where neighbors are encouraged by Big Brother or Big Sister to inform on their neighbors.”

PAWLENTY: “As former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty continues a whirlwind tour promoting his new memoir and testing the 2012 presidential waters, he's taking great care in courting a key political constituency: evangelical Christians,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes.

SANTORUM: Roll Call: “Even as his popularity sags at home, the two-term Pennsylvania Senator has quietly outworked the prospective Republican field in three critical early-primary states, benefited from a growing national grass-roots fundraising network and caught the attention of one of the nation’s most respected conservative pundits. Santorum is making a case to be taken seriously in the nation’s premier 2012 electoral battle. And absent the likes of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, he may just have a shot.”

THUNE: The Des Moines Register notes that John Thune “recently declined an invitation to speak at a Pottawattamie County Republican event, and has done little outreach in Iowa.”

CALIFORNIA: “A legislative effort is underway to move the California primary back where it started — to June, on the last day of the 2012 nominating season — as a way to save tens of millions of dollars,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “If the bill is passed and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not taken a position, California would join other cash-strapped states that have decided to forgo the added cost — and any added attention from presidential candidates and the political press corps — by ceding their early spot on the calendar.” 

IOWA: “The Iowa caucuses have long drawn criticism for taking place in a state too rural, old and white to winnow U.S. presidential aspirants. The contest tentatively set a year from now -- Feb. 6, 2012 -- will present another anomaly for President Barack Obama’s would-be Republican rivals: less economic distress in Iowa than in the nation as a whole,” Bloomberg writes. “That will shape the candidates’ sales pitches, potentially putting more emphasis on the federal deficit than sluggish job growth that has dominated the national debate for two years.”

“A string of prospects have visited Iowa in the past few weeks, dropping hints about their plans. Yet the three Republicans at the top of national presidential preference polls have left few clues in Iowa.

What's up with Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee?” the Des Moines Register asks.

ILLINOIS: “The Illinois Republican Party will hold a nonbinding presidential straw poll Nov. 5, three months before Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire hold their first-in-the-nation caucus and primary,” Roll Call writes.

OHIO: The Cincinnati Enquirer recounts all the recent visits to the state by potential presidential candidates. 

A look at The Week Ahead in politics.

The unrest in Egypt continues. What impact will that have on the White House? CPAC kicks off, President Obama addresses the Chamber of Commerce, commemorations for what would have been Reagan's 100th birthday, and the Super Bowl. Who's playing again?

From NBC's Courtney Kube
A senior U.S. official confirms that there is evidence today of fracturing and growing fissures within the leadership of the Egyptian government.

"There is a debate going on inside the inner circle" of the Egyptian leadership, the official said.

The official declined to speculate whether the members of that "inner circle" are influential enough and the fracturing strong enough to force President Mubarak to step down, saying only that "it's just not sustainable."

The official added that even without the rumblings within the government, the situation in Egypt is not economically sustainable. As the protests continue, "the economy continues to grind down," the official said.

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
A year-and-a-half ago, this reporter wrote about the potential pitfalls of patronage appointments for ambassadorships -- big-money fundraisers who get plum posts – and President Obama’s continuing of the tradition.  

Well, one of those appointments has apparently come back to haunt the administration.  

Cynthia Stroum, a Seattle-based Obama fundraiser, who bundled in the top range of $500,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, quit her post Monday. Yesterday, an internal State Department report was released and, based upon that, the AP described her tenure as a “disaster” and “abysmal.”

“The report says her tenure of about one year was fraught with personality conflicts, verbal abuse and questionable expenditures on travel, wine and liquor,” AP writes. It adds, “[T]he report paints a picture of a corrosive atmosphere at the small embassy, with the ambassador running roughshod over staff, threatening to read their e-mails, largely concerned about job-related perks and involved in improper purchases. The situation was so bad that the inspector general recommended that the State Department dispatch medical personnel to Luxembourg to test the stress levels of embassy employees.”

More: "The bulk of the mission's internal problems are linked to her leadership deficiencies, the most damaging of which is an abusive management style," the report said. "She has followed a pattern of public criticism of colleagues, including (deputies), who have not performed to her satisfaction."

And it alleges that the State Department ignored the problems: “It is unfortunate that an impression is being created among officers and local employees at this mission that this kind of behavior may be routinely tolerated by Department of State leadership, particularly for non-career ambassadors."

And, get this: The report also said that “at least four staffers quit or sought transfers to Iraq and Afghanistan during her tenure, unusual steps for diplomats assigned to a modern, Western European capital.”

You know there are big problems when your employees request transfers to war zones -- from Luxembourg.

Luckily for the White House, it’s Luxembourg.

But as Barbara Bodine, a lecturer at Princeton’s Wilson School and former ambassador to Yemen, said in the 2009 story: “The complexity of problems is not a job for amateurs — even a talented amateur.”

Is today the day of departure in Egypt?... Another mixed jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 9%, but economy added just 36,000 net jobs in January… Reagan the pragmatist (and Obama, too)… Potential 2012 GOP field (a la 2008 Dem field) is likely to agree on the big issues but disagree on the small stuff… And Sunday’s “Meet the Press” has John Kerry and James Baker.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Day of Departure? “Tahrir Square filled again with vast crowds of anti-government demonstrators Friday, demanding for the 11th day the immediate ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak,” the Washington Post reports. So far: “Friday's gathering was calm and orderly, without the beatings, bloodshed and widespread arrests of foreign journalists and observers that had sparked outrage the day before.” And it appears the Egyptian army is trying to protect the protestors. Last night, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen said on the “Daily Show”: "In discussions I've had with their military leadership, they have reassured me that they have no intent to fire on their own people. They have taken steps to try to quell the violence." The Obama administration is discussing various scenarios, and the one they hope ends up being the plan is Mubarak leaving sooner rather than later (even though initially all former ambassador Frank Wisner asked of Mubarak earlier this week was to announce he would not run again and that his son would not run either; as one official put it, Wisner went 2-for-2 on the "asks" he made of Mubarak).

*** No single option: In addition, the hope is that the Army steps in to help with a transitional coalition government. However, administration officials say there is no single option. One senior official told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell last night: "There are a number of possible scenarios. We have had a number of conversations with the Egyptians. It's wrong to suggest there is a single plan that we have discussed with the Egyptians.” But they do want Mubarak out ASAP. Here’s more that we can report: The administration also is trying to get other world leaders to lobby Mubarak to leave, and they are having some success with European leaders. By the way, where are the United Nations and the Arab League in all of this? Once again, these institutions, designed to be backstops in a time of crisis, aren’t effective in trying to resolve what we’re seeing in Egypt. And the United States has been filling this role.

*** A mixed jobs report: The AP with the breaking news: “The unemployment rate dropped sharply last month to 9%, the lowest level in nearly two years. But the economy generated only 36,000 net new jobs, the fewest in four months. The January report illustrates how job growth remains the economy's weakest spot, even as other economic indicators point to a recovery that is strengthening. Friday's report offered a conflicting picture on hiring. Unemployment fell because the Labor Department's household survey determined that more than a half-million people without jobs found work. The department conducts a separate survey of businesses, which showed tepid job creation. The two surveys sometimes diverge. Severe winter weather likely reduced the number of jobs created. Harsh snowstorms last month cut into construction employment, which fell by 32,000, the most since May."

*** Reagan the pragmatist: As the political world marks what would be Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday on Sunday, we’ve read and heard plenty about the nation’s 40th president. About his impact on conservatism and today’s Republican Party. About the parallels between his presidency and Obama’s. And about his sunny, optimistic demeanor. But one important aspect of Reagan’s presidency has received less attention: his pragmatism. As an avid reader of National Review and an opponent of Medicare, Reagan was unquestionably a conservative. But he also increased taxes, increased the deficit, signed into law an amnesty for illegal immigrants, and negotiated with the nation considered to be America’s enemy. “In office, Reagan's willingness to take what he could get led to compromises on welfare and education bills when he was governor and on Social Security and tax reform when he was president,” Reagan biographer Lou Cannon has written.

*** Obama the pragmatist, too: This pragmatism, in fact, is where you can draw comparisons with President Obama, even if they’re hardly ideological soul mates. While Reagan read National Review and railed against Medicare, Obama’s background is unquestionably liberal (community organizer, liberal record in the Illinois state Senate). But like Reagan's, Obama’s presidency so far has contained several pragmatic moves -- reaching the tax-cut deal with Republicans, crafting a health plan that could win support from both Bernie Sanders and Kent Conrad, and waving the white flag on closing Gitmo. Although those moves disappointed some in his base -- and forced him to break some campaign promises -- they go to the heart of what Cannon said about Reagan: a willingness to take what you can get.

*** Reagan and the 2012ers: The potential GOP 2012ers have plenty events tied to Reagan’s upcoming birthday. Today, Newt Gingrich (R) screens his documentary, “Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny” in Sterling, IL, near Reagan’s birthplace at 4:30 pm ET… Then, tomorrow, Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Rep. Mike Pence (who isn’t running for president) speak at an Illinois GOP fundraiser celebrating what would have been Reagan’s 100th birthday… And Sarah Palin headlines a banquet at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, CA… Also, Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) today is in Chicago at a policy luncheon, where he speaks around noon ET. By the way, here is MSNBC.com’s slideshow of Reagan. (*** UPDATE *** An earlier version of this post incorrectly said the Illinois Reagan fundraiser is today. It is tomorrow. It's been corrected.)

*** Agreeing on the big stuff… : When you now look back at the 2008 GOP presidential field, what is striking was its ideological diversity. You had someone who supported abortion rights (Rudy Giuliani), a candidate who had previously defended Roe v. Wade and embryonic stem-cell research (Mitt Romney), another person who backed comprehensive immigration reform (John McCain), and even another who opposed the Iraq war (Ron Paul). But four years later, no matter who ends up running, the 2012 GOP field will be much more homogenous. All will oppose abortion and the health-care law. All will probably favor extending the tax cuts for the wealthy and the war in Afghanistan. And all will probably oppose comprehensive immigration reform.

*** … And disagreeing over the smaller stuff: Indeed, the field is shaping up to be very similar to the 2008 Dem presidential field, which agreed on the big issues (Iraq, Bush tax cuts, universal health care). What they ended up fighting over were other things -- like resumes, narratives, past votes, and the details. (Of course, it's now ironic that the most heated domestic policy disagreement between Obama and Hillary Clinton was over the individual health-insurance mandate.) That's why the Massachusetts health law potentially looms so large for Romney. Ditto John Thune's TARP vote, Tim Pawlenty's lack of pizzazz, Jon Huntsman's work in the Obama administration, and Haley Barbour's Mississippi roots. The GOP battles won't be over the big ideas and policies. Rather, they'll be over the smaller stuff.

*** “Meet” this Sunday: On “Meet the Press” this weekend, NBC’s David Gregory will interview Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, as well as former Bush 41 Secretary of State James Baker, on the situation in Egypt. There also will be a special roundtable on Reagan’s 100th birthday, with Baker (who also served as Reagan’s chief of staff), Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, and Willie Brown.

*** “Meet” at Brookings: Also, as part of the “Meet the Press at Brookings” series, NBC’s David Gregory yesterday moderated a panel of Middle East experts at the Brookings Institution on the escalating situation in Egypt. What happens if Egypt descends further into chaos and instability? Former CIA intelligence analyst and Middle East expert Ken Pollack said, “Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which is a critical element of Al-Qaeda, are probably right now, if they haven’t already done so, thinking this is our moment, this the revolution we have been trying to create for 30 years in Egypt. And my guess is that like Lenin through that sealed train through Germany in World War I, they are trying as hard as they can to get their people back to Egypt to stir up the situation.”

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“Even though Mr. Mubarak has balked, so far, at leaving now, officials from both governments are continuing talks about a plan in which Mr. Suleiman, backed by Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, chief of the Egyptian armed forces, and Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, the defense minister, would immediately begin a process of constitutional reform,” the New York Times reports. “The proposal also calls for the transitional government to invite members from a broad range of opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, to begin work to open up the country’s electoral system in an effort to bring about free and fair elections in September, the officials said.”

“Senior administration officials said that the proposal was one of several options under discussion with high-level Egyptian officials around Mr. Mubarak in an effort to persuade the president to step down now.”

NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports on a scene in the White House that sounds like it’s right out of the TV show “West Wing.” Call it "Press Secretary School.” Incoming White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, in preparation to replace Robert Gibbs, has been conducting mock press briefings, with press staffers such as Gibbs and deputies Bill Burton and Josh Earnest conducting the grillings.

The dumbest narrative of the year so far? Politico: “First Lady Michelle Obama’s Charlotte barbecue gaffe meant the usual biting debate between Washington's sharpest political operatives wasn't about Republicans or Democrats on Thursday — it was about where to find the best baby back ribs in North Carolina.” And there was this dig in yesterday’s story: “The gaffe was enough to make you wonder whether the White House had simply cut and pasted Southern clichés to create the first lady's announcement.” 

(Let’s be real: If you’re from Chicago or DC and you go to Charlotte, BBQ there is probably going to be a lot better than most anything you’ve had before.)

It’s all about “Reaganing”: “U.S. senators plan to salute President Ronald Reagan on Thursday as part of a week's worth of festivities celebrating what would have been the former President's 100th birthday on Feb. 6,” the New York Daily News writes. “Senators will deliver speeches honoring the 40th President from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and more than two dozen members of the House are expected to do the same on Feb. 9.”

In an interview with Bloomberg News, John McCain, who recently met with President Obama at the White House said he could work with Obama “going forward on issues like immigration reform and enhanced rescission,” per The Hill. McCain said, “I think it's pretty clear that the president has really pivoted to a much more centrist position, which I think makes it much more for us easier to work with him.”

Irony Alert: Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), who serves on the House Financial Services Committee (!!!), filed for bankruptcy.

Guess who introduced Rep. Allen West (R-FL) at the grand opening of his West Palm Beach office? Mark Foley.

“The House Rules Committee on Tuesday will meet to mark up a resolution that instructs 10 House committees to review existing and pending regulations that are hurting job creation and economic growth,” The Hill writes.

While Republican congressional leaders have mostly deferred to President Obama to set the tone on the situation in Egypt, “the party's potential presidential hopefuls have taken a range of different tacks — some more confrontational — on a crisis that could dramatically alter U.S. foreign policy beyond Obama's administration,” the AP writes. “Some, led by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, are assailing Obama as they try to draw a sharp line with the Democrat on what could end be a major issue in his 2012 re-election campaign. But the critics have given few — if any — hints about what they would do differently.” 
 
Sen. John McCain “says he has no plans on making an endorsement in what could be a crowded primary field in 2012,” Politico writes. “that means he could end up withholding an endorsement from one of his Senate colleagues, John Thune, who is weighing whether to jump into the race. And he may not even get behind Sarah Palin, his own 2008 running mate, if she becomes a candidate.”

BUSH: “Jeb Bush's status as Republicans' favorite 2012 non-candidate has brought him to the cover of National Review next week, with the magazine's John Miller examining his staying power and the impact he's had on education policy,” Politico writes. “In the story, which reports that ‘Jeb is quietly building a legacy as something other than the Bush who didn’t reach the Oval Office,’ the former Florida governor again rules out running for president in 2012,” Politico writes. 
 
“So what about 2016?” reporter John Miller asks Bush in the article. “‘I sure hope a Republican is running for reelection then,’ he said. ‘But I’ve learned never to say never,’” according to Politico. 
 
HUNTSMAN: “Jon Huntsman doesn’t own his own domain name, and he also doesn’t own ObamasAmbassador.com. Former DNC new media operative Matt Ortega does — and he’s already used it to install a screen-filling black-and-white photo of Huntsman, the ambassador to China, standing in front of President Barack Obama. Ortega’s goal: reminding the Republican primary voters who can’t stand Obama that Huntsman took a job working for him,” Politico writes. http://politi.co/gTpMrp

The Washington Post’s Rubin notes that Huntsman will have problems with the right, particularly on spending and cap-and-trade.

PALIN: “Sarah Palin has declined to serve as the keynote speaker at [CPAC], the annual conference that has become a who's who of social conservatives and politicians seeking to curry favor with that influential wing of the GOP,” CNN writes.

ROMNEY: Stu Rothenberg, in his Roll Call column from yesterday, describes Romney as “a very frail front-runner.” Rothenberg says he still faces the challenge of being Mormon, because he did poorly in 2008 in Iowa and South Carolina, states with numerous evangelical voters. Health care is a “huge problem” as is the “flip-flop label” and his tack to the right. Rothenberg also notes that Jon Huntsman is “another headache Romney doesn’t need.” And not because he’s Mormon also, but because as one “insider” told Rothenberg, “Donors are going to love Huntsman.”

Stu concludes: “Romney’s strengths remain, and if history is any guide, he should begin the 2012 Republican race as the favorite. But his weaknesses seem even more glaring than they did just three years ago, and that’s why the GOP race now looks wide open.”
“It’s premature to predict a Republican nominee in the 2012 presidential race, but of the two Utah favorite sons who could be in the hunt, GOP strategist Karl Rove gives Mitt Romney an edge over Jon Huntsman Jr,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports. “’You’d have to say that Romney, of the two, has the advantage, having run before and built a network around the country. But it’s early, and who knows?’ said Rove.”

SANTORUM: Speaking in Myrtle Beach, SC, Rick Santorum assailed the power of the courts: “I would sign a bill tomorrow to eliminate the 9th Circuit [Court of Appeals]. That court is rogue. It's a pox on the western part of our country,” Santorum said. 
 
IOWA: “Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is disavowing today’s column by Washington Post political guru David Broder suggesting that the Hawkeye State Republican is ‘generally counted in the Pawlenty camp’ for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination,” the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes. “Tweeting from his official Twitter account today, Branstad says ‘Gov. Branstad welcomes all 2012 contenders, and is remaining strictly neutral.’ That’s followed by a link to the Broder column, with the disclaimer ‘Not accurate.’”

MASSACHUSETTS: Barney Frank (D) says he’ll run for reelection, “increasing the possibility of a battle — the first in 30 years — between two sitting Massachusetts congressmen over a single congressional district,” the Boston Globe reports.

From NBC's Political Unit
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he thought Elena Kagan should recuse herself from any health-care ruling, since she was the Solicitor General for this administration. The Solicitor General argues the government's cases before the Supreme Court.

So would she? NBC's Pete Williams stops by the Boiler Room to provide some context. And what would happen in a 4-4 tie on the Supreme Court?

Thanks to Beverly in Chicago for the question about Justice Sotomayor and if she'll recuse herself. (Pete answers that one, too).

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Edited by Alexandra Moe. Shot by Alexandra Moe and Ali Weinberg.

From NBC's Shawna Thomas
In the last two weeks, there's been a slowly bubbling uproar over H.R. 3, legislation to prohibit taxpayer funding of abortions, introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). The bill seeks to eliminate the need to keep passing the Hyde Amendment, the current language that bans the use of federal funds for abortion, by codifying the ban into permanent law.

The controversy: Multiple human rights groups have said the exception clause in the bill seems to redefine "rape" -- therefore making it more difficult, perhaps illegal, for women who are subject of rape or incest who rely on government funding for health care to obtain an abortion.

SEC. 309. TREATMENT OF ABORTIONS RELATED TO RAPE, INCEST, OR PRESERVING THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.

The limitations established in sections 301, 302, 303, and 304 shall not apply to an abortion--

(1) if the pregnancy occurred because the pregnant female was the subject of an act of forcible rape or, if a minor, an act of incest; or
(2) in the case where the pregnant female suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the pregnant female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself

At issue is the term "forcible rape," which according to one reproductive-rights lawyer has no definition in federal code and appears to be a step backwards in how sexual assault is defined in the country. Also at issue is limiting the incest exception to minors.

Today, Smith's office confirmed it is rewriting the exception clause to match the language in the Hyde Amendment, which states:

SEC. 508. (a) The limitation established in the preceding section shall not apply to an abortion-
(1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or
(2) in the case where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed.

President Obama examines a light unit during a tour of a lab on the Penn State University campus in State College, Pa., Thursday.

From NBC's Scott Foster
STATE COLLEGE, PA -- President Obama came to Penn State University here today to focus on the economy by unveiling a new initiative that would encourage American businesses to invest in building upgrades to reduce their energy consumption.

While the White House has been forced this week to deal with the crisis in Egypt, today's visit to Central Pennsylvania is part of a renewed push by the administration to create clean-energy jobs through investments and innovation.

The president has proposed tax credits for small businesses to invest in new technologies that would cut down energy use.

Here at the university, scientists and engineers backed by $129 million in funds from federal government are working on cutting-edge technology that would reduce energy consumption in both residential and commercial buildings.

The Penn State research program is part of an "Energy Innovation Hub" that aims to reach a 20% reduction in energy use in commercial buildings by 2020.

Obama argued that not only will the program reduce carbon pollution, but it will also create so-called green jobs.

"Making our buildings more energy efficient is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to save money and combat pollution and create jobs right here in the United States of America. And that's what we're going to do," he said.

Seeking to drive home his argument, the president explained, "That may not sound too sexy until -- you know energy efficient buildings -- but listen: Our homes and our businesses consume 40% of the energy we use."

The plan builds on last year's "Homestar" program that provided rebates to homeowners to make similar energy-saving improvements.

Today, Obama explained that these incentives will boost manufacturing jobs. He cited several companies, including a window manufacturing plant in Maryland and a lighting company in North Carolina that have expanded their workforce because of similar initiatives.

To pay for the tax credits the administration in its' upcoming budget proposal would eliminate subsidies for oil companies.

"It's time to stop subsidizing yesterday's energy," he said. "It's time to invest in tomorrow's. It's time to win the future."

From The NBC Political Unit
Since taking over the House, Republicans have focused on health care, abortion, and other issues not directly related to jobs and the economy. That has spurred criticism and calls of hypocrisy from the left. NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro take a look at what it means.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Shot by Ali Weinberg; Edited by Domenico Montanaro