Obama’s two speeches in one… First part was your typical SOTU; second part was emotional plea to curb gun violence… Obama on the economy, sequester… President also unveils laundry list of economic/educational proposals… Obama heads to Asheville, NC to deliver speech at noon ET… On Rubio’s tough assignment last night and on whether he expanded his party’s appeal… And yesterday’s vitriolic day at the Senate Armed Services Committee.

*** Obama’s two speeches in one: Perhaps the best way to view President Obama’s State of the Union address last night was a tale of two speeches (actually, you could even argue three speeches if you count the sequester portion, which we discuss below). The first part was your traditional State of the Union -- domestic policies proposed, praise for America’s resiliency, and recognition of the country’s military service members. As he did in his inaugural address, Obama also called for comprehensive immigration reform and efforts to combat climate change. But it was the second part that was something you don’t often see in a State of the Union -- an emotional conclusion in talking about his proposals to curb gun violence that ended up overshadowing the rest of the speech. Recognizing the parents of a slain Chicago teenager who performed at last month’s inauguration, Obama said, “They deserve a vote [in Congress].” He continued, “Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek and Tucson and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence –- they deserve a simple vote.” It was powerful stuff, and a reminder that the gun debate (as well as the emotion that goes with it) isn’t going away anytime soon. Yet with Obama asking simply for a vote, it was also a reminder that passing anything won’t be easy. It was actually a fairly low bar for success that the president set. 

Jason Reed / Reuters

President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union speech on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 12, 2013.

*** Obama on the economy, sequester: The top of the president’s remarks were focused on the economy and the ongoing debate over the budget.  Obama warned that the so-called sequester -- the automatic spending cuts set to take place March 1 -- would hurt the economy. “These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness,” he said. “They’d devastate priorities like education, and energy, and medical research. “They would certainly slow our recovery, and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs.” He also noted that Congress had already reduced the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion, and he laid out proposals to curb Medicare spending. And he called for Congress to work together to resolve the budget issues. “Let’s agree right here, right now to keep the people’s government open, and pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America.” Buried in this speech is something that the president didn’t want to advertise, but that was placed in there as a hint to Republicans at where he’s ready to compromise on the deficit: He called for cuts to Medicare equal to what Bowles-Simpson proposed. He never said the number (not popular politically), but he stated the goal. Folks, this is where the compromise in March could happen.  

*** The laundry list of proposals: After opening with sequester and trying to frame the upcoming budget fights on his terms, the president then laid out a series of new initiatives. Universal pre-K. Infrastucture projects. Better training high-school students for technical jobs. Raising the minimum wage to $9.00 per hour. And creating a bipartisan commission to expand voting rights. We’re already hearing many Republicans dismissing these proposals as small bore. And, yes, we had Clinton flashbacks ourselves (remember the school uniforms?). But we’d note that this is a potential trap for the GOP. These are items -- especially the ones on education -- that many Americans care about, and they test REALLY WELL in polls. Republicans may want to claim all the ideas together are “liberal” and “big government,” but individually, these ideas poll test through the roof. They are 65% ideas, not 50%-50% ones. Today, Obama heads to Asheville, NC to begin selling his State of the Union with a speech at noon ET. (There, per the White House, he will tour a local factory to highlight the manufacturing policies he unveiled last night.) Tomorrow, he goes to Atlanta, GA. And on Friday, it’s to Chicago.

*** Rubio’s tough assignment: As we wrote last week, giving the State of the Union response hasn’t always been the best stepping stone to higher office. And with Marco Rubio’s response last night, we saw why. While the president gets to address a packed Congress and recognize individual citizens sitting in the audience, the responder often speaks to an empty room or office. While the president gets applause and opportunities for TV camera cutaways (and thus maybe a chance to take a swig of water), the responder looks straight into the camera with no one else there and with no chance for a break. That’s why the viral moment of Rubio gulping down water -- a moment he’s since joked about -- was so jarring. But even take away that water-gulping moment, Rubio’s speech shows you why the State of the Union response is such a tough assignment and one that’s fraught with peril. When it comes to music concerts, the main act is the final event. But the State of the Union is the only instance we can think of where the main act goes first and the side act is last.

*** Did he broaden the party’s reach? But here’s a separate question we have: Did Rubio broaden his party’s reach? While he’s younger than Mitt Romney and has a more relatable life story, Rubio’s speech was almost a rehash of almost everything we heard from Romney and the GOP in 2012. He accused Obama of believing that the free enterprise system is the source of America’s problems (when the president praised it in his State of the Union); he said that Obama wants to grow the size of the government; and he attacked the health-care law. All of those messages had hundreds of millions of dollars behind them in the 2012 presidential election, and Republicans got just 47% of the vote in the presidential election. There is no doubt that Rubio is a GOP politician with a bright future and plenty of personal appeal. But it also seemed like Rubio was preaching to the Republican choir rather than broadening the party’s reach. It’s a speech that is being very well received among conservatives, but was it a persuasion speech?

*** A vitriolic day at the Senate Armed Services Committee: Besides Obama’s State of the Union and Rubio’s response, the other big political event yesterday was Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be defense secretary passing through the Senate Armed Services by a party-line vote. But the actual vote got overshadowed by something else. The New York Times: “At times, the meeting slipped into an unusually accusatory and bitter back-and-forth, with Republicans like Ted Cruz, a freshman senator from Texas, going as far as to suggest that Mr. Hagel had accepted money from nations that oppose American interests. Saying that he had serious doubts about the source of payments that Mr. Hagel had accepted for speaking engagements, Mr. Cruz declared, ‘It is at a minimum relevant to know if that $200,000 that he deposited in his bank account came directly from Saudi Arabia, came directly from North Korea.’” That back-and-forth added fuel to the fire that the Senate is -- more and more -- turning into the more combative House of Representatives. On the other hand, with Democratic senators and even John McCain stepping in to rebuke Cruz (“No one on this committee should at any time impugn his character or his integrity”), it was a reminder that there’s a line you can’t cross in the Senate. Cruz is cementing himself as someone who doesn’t play by the old rules; that will make him popular with many non-Beltway conservatives. But he’s not making a lot of friends in the Senate (even among Republicans).

*** On the Hill today: The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on comprehensive immigration reform at 9:30 am ET, and Jack Lew’s confirmation hearing to be Treasury secretary takes place before the Senate Finance Committee at 10:00 am ET.

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*** Wednesday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: SOTU reaction and second-term lessons with former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta of the Center for American Progress… An exclusive with former Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) on what he thinks is wrong with Congress, the GOP, politics and more in one of his first national interviews since leaving office… Plus, American Crossroads’ Jonathan Collegio, Priorities USA Action’s Bill Burton and National Journal’s Beth Reinhard join the Gaggle.

*** Wednesday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts interviews Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT), MSNBC Host Al Sharpton, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.  Today’s Political Power Panel includes:  Time Magazine’s Michael Crowley, Democratic Strategist Karen Finney and Republican Strategist John Brabender.

*** Wednesday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include Huffington Post’s Sam Stein, the New York Times’ Mark Leibovich, BBC’s Katty Kay, and NBC’s Chuck Todd.

*** Wednesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council, NBC’s Chuck Todd, the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, NBC News Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss, and Jordan Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

The New York Times calls Obama’s State of the Union “assertive” and “fleshed out the populist themes of his inauguration speech”: “President Obama, seeking to put the prosperity and promise of the middle class at the heart of his second-term agenda, called on Congress on Tuesday night to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour, saying that would lift millions out of poverty and energize the economy.”

The Washington Post: “President Obama challenged Congress on Tuesday night to assist an American middle class squeezed by rising costs and stagnant wages, making clear that he will devote much of his second term to closing the income gap between rich and poor.”

The Wall Street Journal: “President Barack Obama outlined an ambitious agenda in his State of the Union address Tuesday that included raising the minimum wage, increasing spending on infrastructure, attacking climate change and passing gun-control legislation.”

The Boston Globe: “President Obama urged a divided Congress in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to approve new policies to fix a slow-moving economy, overhaul the nation’s immigration system, and tighten gun laws.”

The L.A. Times: “President Obama's State of the Union speech demonstrated a rule for governing in politically divided times: Insert yourself the least where the chance of success is best.”

Susan Page says Obama “has the scars of four tumultuous years in office and the credential of having won re-election. During last year's election and especially since November's victory, Obama has been emboldened on both the battles he chooses and the tactics he uses.” She added, “The agenda Obama outlined had more of the sweep of first-term ambitions than the limits of a second-term cleanup operation.”

As we’ve written previously, Obama is exuding a newfound confidence – from his speech laying out his gun-control proposals to his inaugural speech to the State of the Union.

Politico: “The speech President Barack Obama delivered in his State of the Union address Tuesday night was aggressive — but not nearly as aggressive as the message he was sending to Congress between the lines of what he said. For all the talk about bipartisan cooperation, Obama couldn’t have been clearer: He’s confident his agenda has popular support, he’s not going to compromise too much and he’s prepared to spend as much time going around the country pressing his case as it’ll take. As for the Republican lawmakers who complain that he’s been too rough on them already — he’s just getting started. And Democrats better be on notice, too.”

But Ron Fournier writes: “Rather than go big and bold, President Obama settled Tuesday night for incremental and pragmatic. For all his swagger and political capital, the president subtly acknowledged the limits of what he can accomplish--even while promising in his State of the Union address to create ‘a rising, thriving middle class.’ His speech lacked the moon-shot vibe you’d expect from a president courting greatness.”

The New York Daily News: “Jobs and the economy were supposed to be the focus of his speech, but President Obama’s demand that Congress vote on a series of new gun controls brought down the House at his State of the Union address Tuesday night.”

Roll Call: “Obama Aims to Put GOP on Defense in State of the Union Address.”

Political Wire: “A new CNN/ORC instant poll found that 77% of those watching President Obama's State of the Union had a somewhat or very positive view of the address, while 22% had a negative response. However, Obama was speaking to a relatively friendly audience. Of those who watched the speech, 44% were Democrats and 17% were Republicans.”

National Journal put together word clouds comparing Obama’s and Rubio’s speeches. Jumping out from Obama’s “jobs.” From Rubio’s “more government.”

“President Barack Obama is kicking off three days of travel to rally support for the job-creation and economic proposals he unveiled in his State of the Union address,” the AP notes. “Obama will launch the effort Wednesday in Asheville, N.C., with a visit to Linamar Corp., a supplier of engine and transmission components that has expanded its manufacturing operations. Linamar produces heavy-duty engine and driveline components. In 2011, the company announced that its fourth U.S. manufacturing facility would be at the site of a shuttered Volvo Construction Equipment plant in Asheville. The company has hired 160 workers and will hire 40 more by the end of the year, the White House said. Obama will make stops in Atlanta on Thursday and Chicago on Friday.”

USA Today: Twitter “blew up when the Florida Republican reached for a bottle of Poland Spring water as he was outlining the GOP's vision to help the middle class. His speech text ran for five pages, about half the length of Obama's remarks.”

Rubio paused mid-speech, leaned over out of frame, grabbed a small Poland Spring bottle, took a swig of water, swished it, put it back down, and continued.

More: “Twitter said there were about 9,200 tweets per minute at about 10:43 p.m. ET, after Rubio's sip of water. For a short time, #watergate and Poland Spring were trending on the micro-blogging site.”

Politico’s provocative headline: “Marco Rubio’s drinking problem.” From the story: “[T]he Florida senator appeared a little sweaty and dry-mouthed at mid-speech, taking an awkward swig from a bottle of water that had been placed off-camera. Rubio handled the hullabaloo with some humor, later tweeting a picture of the water bottle.”

The New York Daily News: “Thirsty Sen. Marco Rubio makes waves with awkward grab for water.” From the story: “Thirsty for attention? Or just thirsty? Sen. Marco Rubio made headlines for all the wrong reasons Tuesday night as he delivered the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address. It was supposed to be the moment that propelled Rubio into the top tier of potential presidential candidates. Instead, social media exploded with jokes after Rubio awkwardly paused, reached for a bottle of Poland Spring water and took a swig to douse a case of dry mouth.”

For Rubio and his team’s part, they seem to be rolling with it. Rubio went on ABC this morning and made light of it, taking a drink again. “I needed water; what am I going to do, you know? It happens. God has a funny way of reminding us we’re human.”

On CBS, he said: “I'm just glad the water was nearby. I don't know what I would have done without it."

Rubio brought a bottle of water with him on another appearance, too. This one on FOX. “My mouth got dry and I had to get some water,” he said, noting that he’d rather “take the hit” for getting water than not be able to say the rest of the words in his speech. "My mouth got dry, what can I say ... I brought some with me now." He then took a swig.

Aside from “water-gate,” Politico notes: “Sen. Marco Rubio got a turn on the national stage opposite President Barack Obama Tuesday night, but some of the facts the likely 2016 presidential contender marshaled to make his case played loose with the truth” on the sequester, climate change, Medicare, and Obamacare.

As Matt Yglesias noted on Twitter, Rubio’s “middle-class” neighborhood may also be fiction. As the Huffington Post and the Daily Caller reported last month Rubio put his house on the market for $675,000.

On substance, Roll Call says the contrast between Obama and Rubio was “a stark display of the ideological divide between the parties.” Noting “water-gate,” Roll Call writes, “Regardless of his uneven performance, Rubio offered a clear contrast to the president’s call for enhanced government services and programs, such as an expansion of pre-kindergarten programs and money for new infrastructure improvements.”

AP: “Republicans say President Barack Obama’s second-term agenda will bring more tax increases and increase deficit spending. They’re vowing to promote economic growth to help middle-class families find good jobs. Republicans are responding to Obama’s State of the Union address with fresh appeals to voters on the economy and promises to rein in federal spending with a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.”

And Beth Reinhard notes this overlooked bit from Rubio: “By delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union speech in Spanish, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Tuesday broke through an increasingly powerful language barrier between the political establishment and the nation’s fastest-growing demographic. Rubio pretaped his remarks in Spanish and was the first opposition leader whose official response was broadcast on English and Spanish television networks.”

Politico: “Rand Paul tackled gun control, drone strikes, immigration and — first and foremost — spending cuts in a blistering ‘tea party’ response to the President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.”

Reuters: “U.S. Senator Rand Paul blamed Republicans and Democrats for heavy government spending on Tuesday in an address responding to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech on behalf of the small-government, fiscally conservative Tea Party movement. … Paul's remarks under the Tea Party banner prompted talk of division within the Republican Party. But Paul's speech echoed many themes in the official Republican response to Obama's remarks by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who like Paul was elected in 2010 with strong Tea Party support.”

And this is why inviting Ted Nugent is a problem. He slammed Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin, who was critical of the decision to invite Nugent. Langevin is in a wheelchair from a gunshot as a teenager. Nugent: “He probably has s**t for brains. … “I couldn't be more proud of myself, what I stand for, and for this pompous ass to claim that he cares more about a family that lost a child than I do is a perfect example of the brain dead critics of Ted Nugent.”

“Former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour, one of the most influential players in the Republican party, is privately battling the Club for Growth,” National Review’s Costa reports of Barbour, who is an adviser to American Crossroads, which launched its effort to defeat what they see as fringe conservative candidates. “Last week, at a closed-door retreat in northern Virginia, Barbour told a large gathering of congressional staffers, including several leadership aides, that party officials should discourage donors from funding the high-profile conservative group.”

Barbour told NRO: “We kicked away four or five Senate seats in the last two cycles by nominating candidates who did not have the best chance to win. We ought to talk to Republican donors now, in the off-season before the primaries, and discourage them from donating to organizations that will attack good Republicans.”

The Club for Growth hit back, saying Barbour didn’t seem to so dislike the club when he was thinking about running for president in 2011. Club President/ex-Rep. Chris Chocola: “Haley Barbour is a good guy. When he was thinking of running for President, he was more than pleased to attend the Club for Growth’s winter economic conference, and he had nothing but nice things to say about us! Now that he’s back to his more familiar roles as a lobbyist and Republican Party insider, he is singing a different tune. That’s politics.”

Also… Republican committees are getting together -- with Uncle Sam -- to hit congressional Democrats on spending: “The Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee launched a joint effort today to remind Democrats that even if they don’t want to admit it, spending in Washington is a problem.  Today, Uncle Sam can be spotted around the Capitol handing out flyers … encouraging Americans to remind Democrats that their spending addiction must be stopped. Just this week, the two top ranking Democrats in the House have stated that they don’t think Washington has a spending problem.” (We didn’t know Uncle Sam was a Republican…)

ILLINOIS: Democrats are coalescing around Robin Kelly, the Cook County chief administrator, for the special election to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. The latest is Rep. Jean Schakowsky (D-IL),” Roll Call reports.

NEW JERSEY: Frank Lautenberg on Cory Booker: Do your job. He told the New York Times: “I’m going to finish the work I’m doing. And he should finish the work he is doing instead of traipsing around the country.”

Meanwhile, Booker’s finance director quit. “Her departure comes as questions about Menendez’s campaign finances percolate throughout the political world. A Booker aide said Maltzman’s departure had “absolutely” nothing to do with Menendez,” Roll Call writes.

President Barack Obama challenged Republicans on major tax and entitlement proposals in Tuesday's State of the Union address, unveiling sweeping new initiatives to boost the middle class while taking aim at GOP recalcitrance.

The president traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for the annual speech, where he pressed Republicans to allow his proposals on issues ranging from taxes and entitlements to guns and immigration to move forward. While Obama seemed determined to advance his ambitious agenda, he must race against a window of opportunity that often closes quickly on presidents in their second terms. 

Moreover, the president's plans will have to survive the brier patch of Capitol Hill, where Republicans have strenuously opposed much of Obama’s agenda and are girding for a major springtime showdown on budgets and the swift, automatic spending cuts known as the sequester.

“Let's be clear: deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan,” said Obama, who argued that his second term priorities did not represent “bigger government,” but rather, “smarter government.”

Obama spent much of the first half of his speech challenging Republicans on that central issue after two years of legislating in Washington that saw the government lurch from the brink of a shut down to the brink of a debt-limit default to the brink of automatic tax hikes. 

“Let’s agree, right here, right now, to keep the people’s government open, pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America,” the president said. 

The assertive rhetoric from Obama recalled the themes on which he successfully campaigned for re-election last fall. Tuesday’s speech mostly lived up to its billing by the White House as a coda to the liberal call-to-arms in Obama's second inaugural address on issues ranging from government spending to gay rights and immigration reform.

One issue on which Obama did not campaign -- stricter gun controls -- featured more poignantly in Tuesday's speech. Gun violence has unwittingly become a cornerstone of Obama's second term agenda following the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn. last December.

Gun control is an issue on which Obama faces stiffer Republican resistance, and the president took a much more personal tack in pressing lawmakers to take up his proposals. He turned victims of high-profile shootings in attendance at Tuesday’s speech in urging lawmakers to, at the very least, allow his gun proposals a vote.

"Gabby Giffords deserves a vote," he said, referring to the critically injured former Arizona congresswoman in the House chamber. "The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote."

Obama’s speech on Tuesday was delivered in the same vein; the president embraced proposals that might encounter resistance in this Congress, such as new legislation to address climate change. But, in a reflection of Obama’s newfound feistiness in a second term, the president vowed to take executive action if Congress would not act.

Obama made other proposals he said would bolster the middle class. Among Obama’s proposals were: universal access to preschool for all four-year-olds, increasing the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour by the end of 2015, $50 billion in infrastructure spending, and partnerships to promote cleaner energy and improved manufacturing.

Those initiatives, the president pledged, should not increase the deficit “by a single dime.”

To help finance those initiatives, Obama called for broad individual and corporate tax reforms, as well as savings from entitlement programs like Medicare – changes to which have been a lightning rod in recent election cycles. Those proposals carefully track with Obama's previous demands to close loopholes and deductions to raise new revenue in tax reform.

But Republicans have argued that the matter of new revenue is “settled” following a fiscal cliff deal that saw the GOP relent to higher taxes on household income above $450,000. To that end, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, in the official Republican response, called on Obama to “abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy.”

RELATED: Rubio to frame bitter tax, spending fights in humanizing terms

Obama’s ambitious plans come as he’s asking lawmakers to approve two other major proposals: comprehensive immigration reform that gives undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship, and a series of tighter controls on firearms as part of a broader effort to curb gun violence.

On immigration, the president lauded a bipartisan Senate group’s work on immigration.

Slideshow: State of the Union

Charles Dharapak / Pool / EPA

Click to see pictures from President Obama's State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.

Launch slideshow

“As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts,” he said. “Now let’s get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away."

But for as much as fiscal matters and economic policy have dominated discussion in Washington, Obama devoted a good part of his State of the Union speech to foreign policy – highlighting in particular the planned withdrawal of 34,000 American troops from Afghanistan in the next year, a tangible symbol of how that war is winding to its end.

Obama also used his speech to address some of the emergent national security issues. He condemned North Korea’s nuclear test on Tuesday and pledged to work with Congress to develop rules for the use of unmanned aerial drones in targeting terrorists for assassination. The administration has faced new scrutiny on that latter issue amid the revelation of a new White House memo arguing that the president has wide latitude to target Americans for assassination if they’re deemed to be assisting terrorist actors.

Obama additional announced a new executive order to inoculate U.S. infrastructure from a cyber-attack, by enabling greater information-sharing between the government and its partners and calling for the development of a National Infrastructure Protection Plan within 240 days.

The event, as always, was filled with Washington pomp and circumstance, including lawmakers to arrived hours earlier to reserve prime seats for themselves. Also, in keeping with tradition, outgoing Energy Secretary Steven Chu was kept spirited away from the Capitol to ensure continuity of government in case of a security incident.

This story was originally published on Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:35 PM EST

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will look to jettison Republicans’ caricature as a party of the rich in the official Republican response Tuesday to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

Recommended: Obama says Bolstering middle class must be policy 'North Star'

Rubio, the Cuban-American senator and a rising Republican star, will frame Washington’s bitter fights over taxes and spending in humanizing terms. His remarks seem firmly tied to the broader Republican effort to expand its reach and shirk the image of a GOP that has grown older, whiter and more dominated by men.

“Mr. President, I still live in the same working class neighborhood I grew up in. My neighbors aren't millionaires. They're retirees who depend on Social Security and Medicare. They're workers who have to get up early tomorrow morning and go to work to pay the bills. They're immigrants, who came here because they were stuck in poverty in countries where the government dominated the economy,” Rubio will say, according to English-language excerpts released by his office. (Rubio will also deliver a pre-taped response in Spanish.)

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Florida Senator Marco Rubio speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Aug. 30, 2012 in Tampa.

“Mr. President, I don't oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich. I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors,” the Florida senator will add.

Rubio’s speech will also seize upon anemic U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter of last year to argue that increased revenues would only stifle the sluggish recovery from the 2008 recession.

“Raising taxes won't create private sector jobs. And there's no realistic tax increase that could lower our deficits by almost $4 trillion,” Rubio will say. “That's why I hope the President will abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy."

Recommended: Florida – the state to watch over the next four years

The Republican’s speech sets the stage for this spring’s fight over alternative Democratic and Republican budget proposals, both of which are tied into resolving the so-called “sequester” – the swift, automatic spending cuts that make up part of the “fiscal cliff.” Lawmakers delayed the onset of these cuts until Mar. 1, but lawmakers appear nowhere near a deal to avoid its effects, which would threaten to hamper economic growth and harm national security, according to the Obama administration.

Among other policy specifics upon which Rubio will touch are budgets and entitlement reforms. The first-term senator will call for ratifying a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution – a proposal that has failed before in Congress – as well as changes to Medicare that would shore up the program’s solvency for future generations.

After an angry two-hour debate, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to approve the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense Tuesday, setting the stage for a Senate floor vote on his confirmation, possibly later this week.

The vote was along party lines, 14 to 11, with another likely “no” vote from Sen. David Vitter, R-La. to be added later.

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Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said although some Republican senators strongly oppose Obama’s policies, the vote on Hagel nomination “will not change those policies.”

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Former Senator Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of defense on Capitol Hill Jan. 31, 2013.

Levin added that he saw a risk that the defeat of Hagel’s nomination would leave the Defense Department “leaderless” at a time of budget pressures and when “our military is engaged in combat operations overseas.”

Levin said that especially on the day that North Korea had detonated a nuclear device, a delay in approving the nomination would “send the exact wrong message to North Korea.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., cited Hagel’s service as an Army soldier in the Vietnam War as a prime reason to vote for him. “That told me right there everything I needed to know – that he would not hesitate to defend this country,” said Manchin.

But a leading Hagel opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said confirming the former Nebraska senator as defense secretary “will make military conflict in the next four years substantially more likely” because it would encourage the Tehran regime to accelerate its nuclear weapons development program.

Cruz also insinuated that Hagel might have given as-yet undisclosed speeches to “extreme or radical groups” or received money from foreign sources or from defense contractors in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Senate rules require a cabinet nominee to disclose fees and payments he received in excess of $5,000 in the two years prior to the nomination. Hagel complied with that rule, but Cruz sought information about payments he’d gotten in the five years prior to his nomination.

Coming to Hagel’s defense, Levin countered that the nominee had told the committee that in the past ten years he has not received any compensation from foreign governments or entities controlled by a foreign government.

Following Cruz’s harsh criticism of Hagel, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., charged that “Sen. Cruz has gone over the line” by implying Hagel was too cozy with Tehran regime. “He basically has impugned the patriotism of the nominee."

Cruz then answered Nelson, denying that he’d impugned Hagel’s patriotism and said that instead he had questioned his firmness in dealing with Iran.

Levin told Cruz if he had uncovered evidence that Hagel had not truthfully answered the panel’s questions or requests for financial information, he should provide it to the committee.

Two weeks ago, Hagel delivered an often stumbling and awkward performance in his confirmation hearing before the committee, repeatedly having to retract, clarify, apologize for, or amend his views or the manner in which he phrased them.

Recommended: Amid partisan wrangling, Obama to lay out agenda in State of the Union

The low point came when Levin had to correct Hagel’s clarification on President Barack Obama’s position on Iran’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon.

“It was the most unimpressive performance that I have seen in watching many nominees who came before the committee,” said Sen. John McCain, R- Ariz., at Tuesday’s committee meeting, later adding that Hagel’s testimony was “the worst I have seen of any nominee for office.”

McCain said it was “very disturbing” that Hagel had not answered McCain’s question about the success of the U.S. troop surge in Iraq in 2007.

The Arizona Republican also condemned what he called Hagel’s “gratuitous” rhetorical attacks on President George W. Bush.

Another Hagel foe, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said “there’s the left lane in politics, the right lane, and the middle lane – and when it comes to some of the Iranian-Israeli issues, there’s the Chuck Hagel lane … There are very few people who have been this wrong about so many different things.”

Senate Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., indicated in comments to reporters a few hours before the committee Tuesday that Republican senators might insist on extended floor debate on the nomination, perhaps requiring a cloture vote, needing 60 senators, to end debate.

“I wouldn't be surprised if we do have a cloture vote on the Hagel nomination,” McConnell said.

He added that “Every time the (the Democratic) majority files cloture, they call it a filibuster. Cloture vote actually is designed to end debate and to go to a vote.”

He explained that, “Sometimes cloture is not invoked because there has not been adequate information that been requested, yet received. Sometimes cloture is not invoked because you want to kill a nomination. There are a number of members on the committee who feel the requests for information have not yet been met.”

There are 55 senators in the Democratic caucus so if the Republicans insist on a cloture vote, then five GOP senators would need to join the Democrats in ending the debate and moving to a confirmation vote.

NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Kelly O’Donnell contributed to this story

Updated 6 p.m. ET -- President Barack Obama was set to announce broad goal of reinvigorating America's middle class during his second term at Tuesday's State of the Union address, calling it the "North Star" that guides policy making in Washington in the immediate future.

 "A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs - that must be the North Star that guides our efforts," Obama would tell lawmakers in tonight's speech to a joint session of Congress, according to excerpts released by the White House. "Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation:  How do we attract more jobs to our shores?  How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs?  And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?"

 The top issues for Americans – jobs and the economy – were expected to be the central focus of Obama’s speech, the fourth formal State of the Union address he’s delivered since being elected in 2008. If the country’s struggles to emerge from a severe recession defined Obama’s first term, then the task of returning to the U.S. to a robust pace of growth was arguably the most urgent facing Obama as he enters his second term.

 Obama’s remarks are expected to focus on how to best help the middle class, particularly through investments in programs. The president was set to tell lawmakers these new plans were "fully consistent" with their past budget agreements and that, more importantly, they would not worsen a ballooned federal deficit.

 "Let me repeat - nothing I'm proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime," Obama would say. "It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth."

 That emphasis comes against a spring budget battle between Obama and Republicans on Capitol Hill amid the looming threat of “sequester,” the automatic and swift spending cuts that the administration warns would cripple the economy and harm the national defense. The Jan. 1 fiscal cliff deal put off those cuts for two months, but Democrats and Republicans appear nowhere near a deal to avert the onset of those spending cuts in a few weeks.

 “It's pretty clear to me that the sequester's going to go into effect,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday on Capitol Hill. “I have seen no evidence that the House plans to act on this matter before the end of the month.”

 Related: At least four members of Congress already in seats for State of the Union

With the specter of sequestration hanging over tonight’s speech, Obama’s arguments on taxes, spending and entitlement reform will shape the contours of the fiscal fights in the weeks ahead. Perhaps the biggest open question heading into Tuesday’s speech was whether the president would be as forceful in making his case as he was during his second inaugural address. That speech – a liberal call to arms on the size of government, gay rights, immigration and beyond – was said by the administration to be intended to be paired with this State of the Union address.

Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

President Barack Obama speaks during an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta at Joint Base Myer-Henderson in Arlington, Va., Feb. 8, 2013.

Indeed, elements of that inaugural address are sure to feature prominently in tonight’s speech before a joint session of Congress. Obama has made a comprehensive immigration reform law that provides a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants a centerpiece of his second term agenda. The administration has also pushed for tighter regulations on firearms as part of a broader effort to curb gun violence. The fate of those measures is less certain.

Related: From rock stars, to CEOs and gun victims – a diverse guest list for State of the Union

Foreign policy will receive its due time, too, in Obama’s speech. The president is expected to announce that about half of the troops currently remaining in Afghanistan would return to the U.S. within the next year. Obama will almost certainly address Tuesday’s nuclear weapon test by North Korea during tonight’s speech, as well.

The Senate approved legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act on Tuesday over the objections of a handful of Republicans.

Democrats were joined by several Republican senators in voting to renew the landmark gender and domestic violence law, which lapsed at the end of 2012 after lawmakers in the last Congress failed to reach agreement on a new extension.

Senators voted 78-22 to send their version of the bill to the Republican-controlled House, where it faces uncertain prospects.

Republicans have objected to elements of the reauthorization, most specifically a technical dispute over jurisdiction for Native American tribal authorities in the instances of certain crimes.

Still, proposals like the Violence Against Women Act have become a lightning rod in the realm of gender politics, especially as Democrats cast Republicans during last year’s election as leading a “war on women.” Democrats were all too eager to seize on GOP opposition to a contraception mandate, or controversial statements by Senate candidates Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock about rape.

Perhaps as that political pressure weighs upon Republicans, a group of 17 House GOP lawmakers wrote the party’s leadership on Tuesday urging them to take up the Senate bill passed this afternoon. If those Republicans were to join with every House Democrat in support of the bill, it would be enough to pass the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization in the House.

"Especially in communities like West Virginia where victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in rural and remote communities face unique obstacles in their efforts to escape abusive and dangerous relationships, support provided by VAWA can literally be lifesaving," said West Virginia Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, a relatively moderate Republican who's running for Senate in 2014. "I am urging House leaders to immediately reauthorize this essential Act."

With slain Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton's family looking on, Democrats and Republicans clashed Tuesday over the best ways to reduce gun violence while protecting citizens' Second Amendment rights.

In a packed hearing room, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee, asked victims of gun violence to stand.

"Look about this room," Durbin said, as several dozen people stood up. "The debate we have before us has affected so many lives."

Standing in the second row were Pendleton's mother and father. The high school student was gunned down just weeks after she performed with classmates at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Her mother will watch the State of the Union with first lady Michelle Obama.

The hearing -- and the dozens of gun violence victims who have come to Capitol Hill to watch Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday evening -- are part of an ongoing effort to tighten the nation's gun laws after 20 elementary school children were killed in Newtown, Conn., in December. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have made new laws a priority, but the package faces an uphill battle in Congress. Republicans have largely been silent on the issue, or have otherwise rejected the proposals.

"Constitutional rights are designed to be protected not just when they're popular but especially when passions are seeking to restrict and limit those rights," said Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who has emerged as a vocal critic of new gun laws.

Democrats have sought to maintain public pressure for new gun laws in the wake of Newtown. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chastised a Wisconsin National Rifle Association lobbyist who told a local gathering that the NRA's agenda would be "delayed as the 'Connecticut effect' has to go through the process."

Blumenthal also published an opinion piece Tuesday calling the comments "callous and offensive."

During the hearing, Republicans sought to cast doubt on the effectiveness of gun control laws and questioned whether the government was prosecuting gun criminals using laws already on the books. Cruz and others also sought to cast doubts on the background check system; the NRA has opposed expanding background checks by requiring every gun buyer to have one.

That requirement is expected to be a centerpiece of any gun legislation. Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy plans to start writing that bill later this month.

There is one area with more obvious agreement: gun trafficking. Under current law, trafficking in guns is often defined as little more than a paperwork violation, making it difficult for law enforcement to effectively prosecute people who buy guns and sell them to criminals.

At the hearing, Cruz expressed support for making trafficking a federal crime.

"I think all of us agree that if there are those that with criminal intent or transferring firearms to felons that there should be strict punishment for that. So that may be a productive area of cooperation," Cruz said.

Here’s one of the eternal truths of American politics: The stories never stop, even after a presidential election.

So next month in South Carolina, former Republican Gov. Mark Sanford will run in a primary for his old congressional seat. Yes, that's the same Mark Sanford who was once supposed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail. Instead, he was with his Argentine mistress, sparking quite a scandal.

Then, later this spring in Massachusetts, there will be the race for the Senate seat vacated by new Secretary of State John Kerry. Yet with former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., declining to run, the seat will likely remain in Democratic hands.

And between now and the summer, there will be plenty of other races, legislative fights and controversies across the country to follow.

But as the political world begins turning its attention to the next presidential race -- still more than 1,300 days away -- no state will be more important to watch over the next four years than Florida.

It will be important to watch because of next year's gubernatorial race, which could be a contest between current Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Charlie Crist, a Democrat who once served as the state’s Republican governor.

It will be important to watch because two high-profile Floridians -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Jeb Bush, another former governor -- could very well run for president in 2016. 

And it will be important because Florida, with its growing Latino vote, has emerged as a state that Republicans have to win in order to triumph in future presidential elections.

Demography is destiny in Florida
The Sunshine State consists of different geographic regions, each with their own politics. There’s the conservative-leaning Panhandle, as well as the liberal-leaning southern part of the state (mixed with its fascinating Cuban-American politics).

And then there's that swing I-4 Corridor -- Orlando, Tampa, and St. Petersburg -- although the most recent elections have suggested the region might be less swing (and more Democratic leaning) than in past cycles.

But the most fascinating part of Florida isn't geography; it's its demography.

To understand Florida’s changing demographics and the growing power of the Latino vote, consider these statistics.

In 2012, Barack Obama won just 37 percent of the white vote in the state, which was five points worse than John Kerry in 2004.

But unlike Kerry, Obama won Florida. How did he do it? For one thing, the Latino population increased from 15 percent of Florida’s electorate in 2004 to 17 percent in 2012.

More importantly, Obama won 60 percent of those voters, versus Kerry losing them in ’04. Obama also won a majority of the Cuban-American vote.

That’s the demographic reality now facing the Republican Party, and why some national Republicans like Rubio and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., are working to pass comprehensive immigration reform. (It’s also why Florida has wanted to have an early role in GOP presidential nominating contests.)

As McCain recently said, “The Republican Party is losing the support of our Hispanic citizens."

And if Republicans can’t win Florida in presidential elections, it’s next to impossible to win the White House.

After all, a Democratic candidate winning just the three states of California, Florida and New York gets 113 electoral votes -- more than 40 percent of the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

Scott vs. Crist?
After its losses in 2012, the first test of how the Republican Party is faring in Florida will be its competitive gubernatorial contest next year.

While the race is more than a year away, here are three sets of figures to keep in mind.

The first is 31 -- that’s the percentage of Floridians holding a favorable view of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, according to a December Quinnipiac poll. Compare that with 54 percent for President Obama and 47 percent for Republican-turned Democrat Charlie Crist.

The second number is 8.0 percent -- that’s Florida’s current unemployment rate. It’s a high number, slightly above U.S. average. But it’s down from the 10.9 percent it was when Scott first took office. That’s progress Rick Scott can point to.

The third and final number is 80 -- as in the $80 million Scott spent in his successful gubernatorial bid in 2010. That’s a lot of money, and money Democrats won’t be able to match. And it’s now being reported that Scott could spend as much as $100 million in next year’s race.

In addition to those three sets of numbers, there are three unresolved questions:

-- Does Charlie Crist run? If he does, he’d be the Democratic front-runner, despite his recent conversion to the Democratic Party.

-- Can Scott improve his standing with independent voters? In that December Quinnipiac poll, just 25 percent of independents had a favorable view of the governor.

-- And can Scott and Republicans make better inroads with the growing Latino vote?

2016: Rubio and Jeb
So that’s for 2014. But there’s another story already developing involving the Sunshine State – the 2016 presidential election.

Yes, it’s early. Yes, things are fluid. And, yes, everything right now is speculation. But it’s also clear that freshman Sen, Marco Rubio is more than eyeing a potential presidential bid.

As one Florida Democratic strategist told First Read: “I believe [Rubio] runs in 2016 for the same reason that President Obama ran in 2008 -- you never know when the window opens and closes.”

Rubio has assembled a top-notch staff. What’s more, he’s part of a group of bipartisan senators pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, whose principles are broadly supported by President Obama.

Rubio’s current task is selling this reform to prominent conservative voices like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity. 

And on Tuesday night, Rubio will be delivering the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union on Tuesday, which is a huge platform for the Florida senator.

But here’s the question for him: Does he run if another Floridian -- former Gov. Jeb Bush -- runs? Is there enough space for two Florida Republicans in a potential 2016 GOP primary?

As Buzzfeed recently wrote, “With their shared passion for immigration reform, overlapping donor networks, and long, healthy alliance, Rubio and Bush have put Miami's political class in the improbable position of having two ‘favorite sons’ in the top tier of 2016 speculation — and sources say both men are actively mulling it.

Indeed, there are indications Bush is at least considering a presidential run. Next month, he is scheduled to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC, an annual cattle call that’s a must for potential Republican presidential candidates. And this will be the first time Bush has spoken to this group.

Jeb Bush. Marco Rubio. Rick Scott. Charlie Crist. Demographics. Close races (some decided by hanging chads).

Florida has been the place for some of America’s best political stories for more than a decade. And, it’s safe to say, that will continue over the next four years.

Editor’s note: This article was adapted from a recent speech the author gave at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.

If members of Congress want to be there to greet President Obama as he walks down the aisle of the House chamber for his State of the Union address tonight, they're going to have to save their seats now.

There are currently four members holding their aisle seats for the State of the Union address later today, more than nine hours before the speech is scheduled to take place.

Those members (at the moment): Reps. Al Green (D-TX), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Barbara Lee (D-CA).

But while Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) said on MSNBC Tuesday that members can just leave items in a chair and claim it later, according to a note sent to members from the speaker's office this morning, if a member wants the seat, they have to stay in it the entire time.

"Members are requested to be on the floor and seated no later than 8:25 p.m.," a note from the speaker's office to members read. "As has been the practice in the past, Members will not be allowed to reserve seats prior to the joint session by placement of placards or personal items. Chamber Security may remove these items from the seats. Members may reserve their seats only by physical presence following the security sweep of the Chamber."

There are a number of seats that currently have bags and coats on them in an effort to save them for the address later. It's unclear if Chamber Security will, in fact, enforce this policy.

UPDATED 2:27 PM ET:  House Speaker John Boehner Tuesday repeatedly challenged the president's willingness to go against his own party on issues that include reforms to social programs and spending.

"I think he'd like to deal with it [fiscal problems], but to do the kind of heavy lifting that needs to be done, I don't think he's got the guts to do it,” the Ohio Republican said in a meeting with a small group of reporters for nearly an hour Tuesday morning. “He understands there is a spending problem. He understands that we need changes and reforms, and we need to solve these problems."

When pressed about the severity of that statement, he modified, saying the president does not have the "courage."

Washington is in the midst of yet another fiscal crisis, facing a political showdown over so-called "sequestration," the self-imposed round of across-the-board spending cuts to domestic programs and the Pentagon. The sequester was supported by both the White House and Congress as a way to encourage lawmakers to find common ground. Instead, they have been mired in a stalemate, unable to find an equitable solution for both sides. 

"I am not suggesting that this is easy,” Boehner said, “but what I am suggesting is that he is the President of the United States. This is the biggest threat to our society."

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, repeats his call for President Obama to submit a budget proposal to Congress, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013.

President Obama campaigned on raising taxes on the wealthy and got that in the showdown over the fiscal cliff. He wants more revenue -- from what he says are "loopholes and deductions" for the wealthy. Republicans have balked at that notion, saying he already got all the revenue he was going to get.

The White House has accused Boehner of walking away from "grand bargains," deals to reduce the country's deficits, in both 2011 and 2012 because he could not sell it to his base. Boehner's office vehemently disagrees with that notion, instead pointing the finger back at the president.

Republicans also feel as if they have already given in and do not want to give more, particularly after passing the tax increase and punting on the debt ceiling, voting to suspend it temporarily until the Democratic-controlled Senate passes a budget, something it has not done in years.

But those maneuvers have not been without staunch GOP opposition and misfires. President Obama and Boehner were thought to be, once again, close to a deal when Boehner abruptly announced "Plan B," an initiative pushed by House leadership, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), that would have let tax cuts expire for millionaires. But Boehner pulled the measure after he realized it did not have majority support within his conference.

Instead, Boehner issued a statement urging President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate to pass something to avert the fiscal cliff. Boehner eventually brought the Senate-passed measure to the House floor. It passed without majority GOP support.

On immigration, Boehner claimed in the meeting, "The thing I am most concerned about immigration reform is the president getting in the way. Sometimes I think he'd rather have an issue than a solution. Here's the guy who four years ago said he was going to have immigration reform, and he's done absolutely nothing for four years. I hope the president will play a constructive role."

Democrats say that prior to the 2012 presidential election, they have faced a brick wall of opposition on immigration, despite President Obama's promises, especially from House Republicans. In December 2010, Senate Republicans filibustered the DREAM Act, which would have given a pathway to citizenship for children brought to the United States illegally. President Obama supported the measure, and it got 55 votes, five short of the required 60 to overcome a filibuster.

But since Obama's re-election, in which he won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote, Republicans have sounded a different tune on immigration.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who will give the GOP response and is leading an immigration-reform effort in the Senate, dropped by the meeting as well.

"I didn't mean to interrupt--,” Rubio said, as he looked for a cup of coffee.

When asked if he is feeling any pressure tonight, he gave a big smile and said, "No."

Published at 9:00 a.m ET:  Previewing tonight’s State of the Union: Obama’s last chance to go big… NYT on a bolder, more aggressive Obama… The president’s three economic questions… State of the Union also presents a fresh face for the GOP (Rubio), but it also exposes the party’s lingering warts… Expect Obama to mention North Korea’s nuclear test… Hagel gets his first vote (at committee) today… And drip, drip on Menendez.

*** Obama’s last chance to go big: Here’s a reality about a second-term presidency: You have a narrow window -- at the beginning of the term -- to persuade Congress to do something big. For Ronald Reagan, it was tax reform (which he achieved); for Bill Clinton, it was education reform (which failed); and for George W. Bush, it was Social Security reform (which crashed and burned). And this is perhaps the best way to view President Obama’s State of the Union address at 9:00 pm ET tonight. It is essentially his last chance to lay the groundwork for domestic achievements. In his speech tonight, Obama is expected to push for second term agenda: comprehensive immigration reform, ways to curb gun violence, and his preferences to grow the economy and reduce the deficit. And it’s the issue of the economy where the president will spend a lion’s share of his time.

*** A bit bolder, a bit more aggressive Obama: As the president addresses the nation tonight, the New York Times makes an observation we’ve noted in the past few weeks: Obama, fresh off his re-election, has become a bit bolder, a bit more aggressive president. “[I]t is clear from these personal accounts as well as his public acts, like his bold Inaugural Address, that he has shown an assertiveness, self-possession, even cockiness that contrasts with the caution, compromise and reserve that he showed for much of his first term,” the Times says. “What is not so clear is whether Mr. Obama can parlay this commanding self-assurance — borne of re-election, hard lessons learned and Republicans’ disarray — into victories as he tries to turn Washington away from its obsession with deficit-cutting to a broader progressive agenda. Or will he overreach, alienate some Americans and cement the partisan divide he once promised to bridge?” If Obama’s inaugural address last month was any indication, we can probably expect more new things in tonight’s speech than many might think.

*** The president’s three economic questions: As far as the economic particulars in the president’s speech tonight, we can report that all of his initiatives will fall into three categories to answer three different questions. One, how can the United States create more jobs at home? Two, how does the country get its citizens the skills they need for these jobs? And three, how does the nation help those who are working hard to make a decent living? In essence, this is how the speech will be framed, especially with the looming budget battle over the sequester. For its part, the Republican National Committee is out with a video -- entitled “When in doubt, raise taxes” -- to pre-but Obama’s State of the Union.

*** GOP’s fresh face -- but also lingering warts: Obama, however, isn’t the only one in today’s political spotlight. So is the Republican Party -- with its new hopes and lingering warts. Freshman Sen. Marco Rubio will be delivering the GOP’s response to Obama’s address, and he tells the AP that Republicans want to pursue economic policies to create jobs and cut spending. "We don't just want to be the opposition. We want to be the alternative," he said. The Weekly Standard also reports that Rubio “says he intends to draw on his personal experiences growing up in Florida to explain to the country why Obama’s policies won’t work.” But as the GOP tries to present a new fresh face, tonight’s State of the Union also will highlight many of its current problems. For instance, Rand Paul is delivering the Tea Party’s response to Obama, demonstrating the party’s establishment-vs.-anti-establishment divide. (Wasn’t Rubio supposed to be a Tea Party guy?) In addition, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX), who has already called for Obama’s impeachment, is bringing Ted Nugent to the State of the Union, providing an unnecessary distraction for a party trying to become more popular with swing voters. And National Journal reported yesterday that some House Republicans are objecting to the party’s “GOP en Espanol” to distribute Republican reactions to the State of the Union. The program is now limited to a Twitter handle. Dem-leaning American Bridge has a new video emphasizing the divisions within the GOP. The irony is that you don’t need this video; Republicans are emphasizing their own divisions.

Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

President Barack Obama speaks during an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta at Joint Base Myer-Henderson in Arlington, Virginia, February 8, 2013.

*** Shall … we … play … a … game? Here’s one topic that Obama might NOT have addressed tonight but now most definitely WILL -- North Korea. Per USA Today, North Korea last night “detonated a miniaturized nuclear device at a northeastern test site, state media said, defying U.N. Security Council orders to shut down atomic activity or face more sanctions and international isolation.” In a late-night statement, Obama said, “This is a highly provocative act that … undermines regional stability, violates North Korea’s obligations under numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, contravenes its commitments under the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, and increases the risk of proliferation.” More from the president’s statement: “Far from achieving its stated goal of becoming a strong and prosperous nation, North Korea has instead increasingly isolated and impoverished its people through its ill-advised pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.” It’s also reported that the U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for today.

*** Tonight’s coverage: The State of the Union begins at 9:00 pm ET. But NBC’s coverage kicks off at 8:45 pm ET with a web-exclusive pre-show streaming live on NBCNews.com. The online pre-show and full broadcast will be anchored live from Washington, DC by “NBC Nightly News” and “Rock Center” anchor and managing editor Brian Williams, joined by “Meet the Press” moderator David Gregory, “TODAY” co-host Savannah Guthrie, NBC News political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd, and chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell, as well as Capitol Hill correspondent Kelly O’Donnell inside the House chamber. Also, “TODAY” tomorrow will have an exclusive interview with House Speaker John Boehner.

*** Hagel gets his first vote today: This afternoon, the Senate Armed Services Committee will vote on Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be Obama’s next defense secretary, NBC’s Mike Viqueira reports. And yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said a floor vote would take place Wednesday or Thursday. Yet Roll Call notes that GOP senators are vowing to delay a floor vote. Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jim Inhofe “told the National Review on Monday that he would insist on a 60-vote threshold for Hagel. ‘Hagel may be passed out of the committee, but it’s going to be a long, long time before he hits the floor,’ Inhofe said. ‘We’re going to need as much time as possible, and there are going to be several of us who will have holds.’”

*** A hold can delay -- but not prevent -- a vote: To be clear, however, here’s how what a “hold” is, as defined by the U.S. Senate: “An informal practice by which a senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration. The majority leader need not follow the senator's wishes, but is on notice that the opposing senator may filibuster any motion to proceed to consider the measure.” In other words, a “hold” is a way for a senator to object. The Senate does a lot of work by unanimous consent -- post office namings, votes on political appointees requiring Senate approval. A hold then can slow down Senate business, because a senator is indicating he or she intends to try and require 60 votes for a bill or, in Hagel’s case, a nomination, to advance. In many cases that threat of slowing things down is enough for a majority leader to pull the legislation because it’s not worth the fight, Senate aides told First Read. But if the majority party wants the fight, and the votes are there in the Senate to overcome a potential filibuster, a hold may slow things down, but it can’t prevent approval.

*** Drip, drip on Menendez: Finally, the Bob Menendez story is officially in the “drip, drip” phase, which is never a good place for a politician. Here’s the New York Times from yesterday: “Senator Robert Menendez sought to discourage any plan by the United States government to donate port security equipment to the Dominican Republic, citing concern that the advanced screening gear might undermine efforts by a private company — run by a major campaign contributor and friend of his — to do the work. The intervention with the Department of Homeland Security last month came even though Mr. Menendez has publicly chastised the Obama administration for not doing more to combat the surging drug traffic moving through Dominican ports. And it came shortly after the senator’s friend, Dr. Salomon E. Melgen, arranged to meet with a senior State Department official, accompanied by a former aide to Mr. Menendez, in a related push to protect the port security contract, which is worth as much as $500 million over 20 years.”

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*** Tuesday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer and House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) with a SOTU preview... A Deep Dive into the lessons of modern second term first SOTUs... Plus Politico's Jonathan Allen, The Washington Post's Nia-Malika Henderson, GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson and former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) in the Gaggle.

*** Tuesday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing, anchoring live from Vatican City, interviews  Monsignor Anthony Figueiredo, Papal Scholar Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Faith Father Robert Barron, and author Carl Bernstein.  Other Guests: Richard Engel on North Korea nuclear test, Rep. Tom Cole and Rep. Nita Lowey on State of the Union speech and Sequestration

*** Tuesday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts interviews Asst. Democratic Leader Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. James Langevin (D-RI), and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) on the President’s State of the Union Address.  Today’s Power Panel includes: USA Today’s Susan Page, Fmr. Obama for America National Press Secy. Ben LaBolt and Republican Strategist Chip Saltsman.

*** Tuesday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson, Dem strategist Karen Finney, former Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein, the New Yorker’s Hendrick Hertzberg, and Buzzfeed’s McKay Coppins.

*** Tuesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Georgetown University Dean Chester Gillis, Brennan Center for Justice President Michael Waldman, Politico’s Mike Allen, and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.

*** Tuesday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews top White House aide Cecilia Munoz, Rep Chris Van Hollen, former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett, Presidential historian Michael Beschloss, Dem strategist Chris Kofinis, and Roll Call's Shira Toeplitz.

USA Today: “President Obama delivers his annual State of the Union speech Tuesday night, but it will be months and maybe years before we know how well he did. The success of any State of the Union -- addresses that presidents have been giving for more than 200 years -- depends on the success of the policies and laws that are advocated by the speaker.”

USA Today looks at six State of the Union addresses that were influential: 1. The Monroe Doctrine (Dec. 2, 1823), 2. Gold in California (Dec. 5, 1848), 3. The Civil War (Dec. 1, 1862), 4. The Four Freedoms (Jan. 6, 1941), 5. The War on Poverty (Jan. 8, 1964), and 6. Axis of Evil (Jan. 29, 2002).

The AP: “As President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, he presides over an economy much healthier than the one he inherited four years ago. Yet growth remains slow and unemployment high.”

More AP: “The American public will get a competing mix of rhetoric and imagery in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, a speech that offers a heavy dose on the economy even as it plays out against a visual backdrop dominated by the current national debate over guns. … in the galleries above the rostrum of the House of Representatives where Obama will speak, many of the faces looking down on him will be those of Americans thrust into the politics of gun violence.”

The Hill: “President Obama will use his State of the Union speech Tuesday to turn public opinion against automatic spending cuts and argue that some of the money to replace the cuts should instead come from higher taxes.”

“President Obama is expected to launch a serious second-term push on climate change with his State of the Union address,” The Hill writes. “With climate legislation dead in Congress, green groups are hopeful that Obama will follow the ‘we must act’ mantra of his inaugural address and put the full weight of his executive powers behind their agenda.”

The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent presses Obama to be aggressive. “If Obama makes good on the threat to be aggressive, there will be a great deal of gnashing of teeth among Republicans — and even neutral commentators — about his lack of “bipartisan outreach.” But Obama’s victory demonstrates that there is an emerging majority coalition of minorities, young voters, and college educated whites, especially women, that broadly shares his vision of governing.”

The GOP response: “Republicans intend to cast President Barack Obama’s second-term agenda as more ‘big government’ and offer a series of steps to boost economic growth and reduce the federal debt, countering the president’s agenda with competing visions for the country,” AP writes. 

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, is threatening to delay a confirmation vote for Chuck Hagel to become defense secretary. “I’ll do that for as long as it takes,” he told National Review. “I’m going to make sure there is a 60-vote margin.” He added, “Hagel may be passed out of the committee, but it’s going to be a long, long time before he hits the floor. We’re going to need as much time as possible, and there are going to be several of us who will have holds. … “Each day that goes by will make it more difficult for Democrats who say they are pro-Israel to hold out. I want everyone to be very clear about his past statements and his positions.”

Even Inhofe, however, concedes Hagel will “definitely” make it out of the committee vote which is set to take place Tuesday beginning at 2:30 pm ET. And so everyone’s clear, here’s what a “hold” actually is, as defined by the U.S. Senate: “An informal practice by which a senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration. The majority leader need not follow the senator's wishes, but is on notice that the opposing senator may filibuster any motion to proceed to consider the measure.”

The Senate does a lot of work by unanimous consent, a.k.a. UC. Post office namings, many political appointees requiring Senate approval, for example, are voted on by UC. A “hold,” in other words, is a way for a senator to “object.” It can slow the process down, because a senator is indicating he or she intends to try and require 60 votes for a bill or, in Hagel’s case, a vote, to advance. In many cases the threat of slowing down Senate business is enough for a majority leader to pull the legislation because it’s not worth the fight, Senate aides told First Read. But if the White House wants the fight and the votes are there in the Senate to overcome a potential filibuster, a hold may slow things down, but can’t prevent approval.

The Hill says the squabbling is “threatening the panel’s bipartisan reputation.”

Roll Call: “If President Barack Obama has soured on pointless haggling with congressional Republicans, the feeling is mutual. So after Tuesday evening’s post-State of the Union platitudes about working together have been dispensed with, expect House and Senate Republicans to go their own way, ignoring Obama and his demands as much as possible.” A congressional aide says Inhofe is not encouraging a walkout of the Hagel vote.

John McCain, the term-limited ranking member on the committee, said he would not support such a move.

Menendez watch: “Government watchdog groups say Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) should recuse himself from congressional deliberations on Medicare billing and port security in the Dominican Republic,” The Hill writes. “These groups say Menendez should steer clear of these issues while the Senate Ethics Committee investigates whether he improperly helped a donor who took him on private plane trips to the Dominican Republic.”

UPDATED FEB. 12 11:51 AM ET - Ahead of President Obama’s State of the Union tonight, the National Republican Senatorial Campaign pens a memo noting the many Democrats up for re-election in the Senate would not be a happy with an aggressive, “liberal” push from the president: “The reality is while President Obama and his team burns the political capital that he believes was earned last November, he is lighting an inferno under the electoral prospects for a number Democratic Senate candidates in 2014,” writes Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the committee. “Our team is ready to capitalize.  As the president and Democratic leaders in Congress double-down on their demands for higher taxes to finance even more out of control spending Republicans welcome and look forward to that debate in states like Louisiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, South Dakota, Arkansas, Alaska, and many others.”

More: “Gordon Gecko was big on quoting ‘The Art of War.’ Look at where it got him.  We will thus leave the chest-beating and ancient Chinese military quotes to the President and his advisors.  The upcoming political debate isn’t just about Democrats versus Republicans; it’s about a President who is far more concerned about burnishing his legacy in the liberal movement than with fixing real world problems.”

Democrats responded by pointing to the scoreboard.

"National Republicans are repeating the same failed strategies that cost them two Senate seats in 2012 -- ignoring their unpopular policies, toxic brand and deep divisions in their own party," said Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic counterpart to the NRSC. "In 2012 Karl Rove and the NRSC spent nearly all their resources trying to nationalize Senate races. They can try to mask their own problems by disparaging the president all they want, but if they spend another cycle pretending senate campaigns are a referendum on Barack Obama then they will certainly remain in the minority for the foreseeable future."

MASSACHUSETTS: Looks like the GOP finally found their candidate… “Gabriel E. Gomez, a former Navy SEAL and private equity investor, took out nomination papers Monday to run as a Republican in the special election to replace Senator John F. Kerry, according to the office of Secretary of State William F. Galvin,” the Boston Globe reports.

NEW YORK: “Activists opposed to a controversial gas drilling process are going after Gov. Cuomo’s presidential ambitions, taking out ads against him in a key presidential battleground state,” the New York Daily News writes. “The coalition of more than 135 groups will run an anti-hydrofracking ad Tuesday in an Iowa newspaper. Iowa is the home of the first presidential caucuses. The ads in The Des Moines Register tell Cuomo that ‘America is looking to you’ and demanding that “not one well” be drilled.”

WEST VIRGINIA: “Wild and wonderful…” Roll Call’s Livingston interviews Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, who after previously being rumored to run for the Senate, is going through with a bid in 2014. “I’ve been a bridesmaid here,” Capito said. “I’m really going to do it. I’m going to walk down the aisle.”

Marco Rubio’s rise within the Republican Party, just two years since his election to the Senate, has played out at head-spinning speed.

The 41-year-old, Cuban-American junior senator from Florida, has carefully navigated a choppy political environment in the two years since he was first elected.

And now the Republican rock star gets his moment in the spotlight when he delivers the official response to the State of the Union address delivered minutes earlier by President Barack Obama – another political rock star whose meteoric ascent invites inevitable parallels for Rubio.

Virtually every step of Rubio’s budding career has been scrutinized closely for what it might mean for his future political prospects. And after maintaining a deliberately low profile for much of his first 24 months as a senator, Rubio has begun to embrace the spotlight, including Tuesday’s coveted job of delivering the official Republican response to the president.

Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images

Sen. Marco Rubio speaks at the BuzzFeed Brews newsmaker event in Washington on Feb. 5, 2013.

The intense focus on Rubio reflects the speed of his ascendancy within the Republican Party, an institution in search of a new, compelling leader after losing two consecutive presidential elections by wide margins.

The State of the Union response is generally sought by political leaders hoping to increase their national profile, even though the slot is more often fraught with the risk of political misfortune.

“Marco has to articulate a clear and optimistic vision for growth in America but at the same time present a clear alternative to President Obama's call for a big, centralized government,” said Ana Navarro, a Florida Republican strategist.

But accomplishing that goal could be difficult, even for a well-spoken politician like Rubio.

“It's an opportunity to be seen and heard by the nation but you run the risk that if you bomb, it'll be on your tombstone,” Navarro said. “Marco is an eloquent speaker, an extraordinary orator. But this is the toughest gig in politics, by far. Following the president of the United States at the [State of the Union], which is full of pomp, circumstance and tradition, it's not an easy task.”

Rubio’s importance to the Republican Party is practically assumed at this point. When reports emerged in June that suggested Rubio had been left off Mitt Romney’s short-list of running mates, the GOP presidential nominee had to hastily stage a statement to declare that the Florida senator was being “thoroughly vetted” for the job.

Now, the Floridian has a chance to add another notch his burgeoning political belt.

Rubio has most recently shouldered the burden of selling a comprehensive immigration reform framework – which he helped craft as a member of a bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senatorial group – to skeptical conservatives.

He has made the rounds on conservative talk radio to talk-up the plan, which includes a proposal to give undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship. A similar plan earned President George W. Bush a rebuke from the right. But many of those same critics are now praising Rubio for his work, even if they haven't endorsed the proposal.

Rubio is expected to address immigration in his State of the Union response, but as part of a broader discussion about growing the economy and helping the middle class, according to an aide to the senator.

"He’ll explain why President Obama’s call for big government is bad for the middle class, and why limited but effective government will grow our economy and create jobs," the aide said.

Democrats are casting Rubio’s expected speech as little more than a rehash of staid Republican proposals.

“While the president will offer new ideas and an agenda for the next year to continue to grow our economy and broaden opportunity for the middle class, Sen. Rubio and the Republican Party – despite their desire to learn to be a ‘happy’ party that just needs to smile more – will continue to offer Americans more of the same failed policies that were rejected by the American people last November,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Indeed, part of Rubio’s task involves advancing a broader Republican effort to make the party more appealing to a changing electorate, especially after Obama won 71 percent of the Hispanic or Latino vote in his re-election bid last fall.

Rubio’s popularity in Republican circles is undoubtedly tied to his status as one of the most prominent elected Latino officials in either party. Rubio is writing the remarks himself, per his aide, and will deliver them in both English and Spanish – the first time the same person has delivered the official response in both languages.

(Rubio will tape the Spanish-language version beforehand, and deliver the English version live on national television.)

Still, Rubio’s rise – and, with it, the speculation about whether he’ll run for president in 2016 – comes well before the next election. There are plenty of pitfalls and challenges to sustaining momentum awaiting the Florida senator in the next few years.

But a scant two years of federal experience hasn't always been a limitation when a politician is eyeing the presidency a full four years out from the next election. Just ask Barack Obama.

Here’s this year’s version of “You lie.”

Ted Nugent, the rocker and current gun-rights advocate, will be in attendance at Tuesday’s State of the Union as the guest of Texas Congressman Steve Stockman.

Stockman has said he would consider filing articles of impeachment about President Barack Obama for his gun-control push following the shootings in Newtown, Conn. Nugent is a board member of the National Rifle Association. Many Democrats have invited victims of gun violence to the address.

Stockman will also be livetweeting the address – with the hash tag #youlie, “debunking myths and fact checking,” his office said.

"I am excited to have a patriot like Ted Nugent joining me in the House Chamber to hear from President Obama," said Stockman in a press release of the man who was under Secret Service investigation last year for comments made about the president. "After the Address I'm sure Ted will have plenty to say."

Kevin Tighe / Getty Images Contributor

Ted Nugent performs at Ruth Eckerd Hall on August 6, 2012 in Tampa, Fla.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is bilingual has been at the center of a Senate push on immigration reform, is delivering the official GOP State of the Union response. But Nugent's appearance, and the promise that he "will have plenty to say," has the potential to distract and be a headache for a Republican Party looking to re-brand itself, particularly in tone, after President Obama won re-election this past fall.

More on Ted Nugent from NBCNews.com

Nugent landed in hot water with the agency in charge of protecting the president, because he said in April of last year at a national NRA meeting that if Obama was re-elected, “I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”

In the same set of comments, Nugent called the president, Vice President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “criminals,” said the “government is wiping its ass with the constitution,” and equated Democrats to coyotes who should be shot.

“If the coyote's in your living room pissing on your couch,” Nugent said, “it's not the coyote's fault. It's your fault for not shooting him."

Stockman is also set to unveil what he’s calling, “The Obama Failometer, a ten-foot-long billboard that will objectively measure the failure of Obama's economic policies … The ten-foot-long Obama Failometer billboard will be displayed in the corridor of the Capitol's Cannon House Office building at Stockman's 326 Cannon Office.”

Stockman, who previously served one term in Congress in 1995-1996, is back for the first time since.

This story was originally published on Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:52 PM EST

The committee vote for Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary is set for tomorrow.

Top Republicans on the committee are threatening a walk out, but John McCain (R-AZ) isn't one of them.

“I will not participate in any walkout of tomorrow’s Committee vote – an action that would be disrespectful to Chairman [Carl] Levin and at odds with the best traditions of the Senate Armed Services Committee," said McCain, who previously served as ranking member of the committee.

McCain and Hagel, who both served in Vietnam, were Senate allies until Hagel split with McCain over his criticism of the surge in Iraq, which McCain proposed.

McCain gave Hagel a hard time for that stance during his confirmation hearing, demanding a yes or no answer to whether he was right or wrong about the surge. Hagel refused, and instead said Iraq may have been the worst foreign policy decision since Vietnam.

But, despite that tension, in the days since that uneven testimony, McCain, who says he's leaning against Hagel's nomination, has come to Hagel's defense, arguing against the outright blockage of Hagel's nomination.

Days after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) left open the possibility of filibustering Hagel's nomination, McCain came out against that.

Then, after Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and James Inhofe (R-OK), the current ranking member of Armed Services, said they would try to block Hagel, McCain is saying those efforts go too far.

For Hagel's part, NBC's Michael Isikoff talked to Chuck Hagel’s brother Tom, who says Chuck Hagel will not withdraw. In fact, he’s going to “fight harder.” Tom Hagel says the only way he’d withdraw is if the White House wanted him to, and the White House is sticking by him.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he would hold a full Senate vote on Hagel either Wednesday or Thursday, reports NBC's Mike Viqueira.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this post reported that McCain was going to vote against Hagel, but McCain has not made a final decision. He is, instead "leaning against" Hagel.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a personal six-figure contribution to Americans for Responsible Solutions, the political action committee run by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and her husband Mark Kelly, a source close to the mayor tells NBC News.

As First Read reported earlier, Americans for Responsible Solutions will spend six figures to air a new ad beginning this week. The ad will air in DC and in cities represented by congressional leaders: San Francisco (Nancy Pelosi), Cincinnati (John Boehner), Louisville (Mitch McConnell), and Las Vegas (Harry Reid).

Bloomberg has his own group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, that's pressing Congress to take steps to reduce gun violence. Bloomberg's own Independence PAC has spent nearly $1 million on ads attacking former Democratic Rep. Debbie Halvorson for her "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Halvorson is locked in a Democratic primary for former Rep. Jesse Jackson's seat in Illinois.