Today: Key Senate Primaries
Voters are headed to the polls today in Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio for key Senate primaries. In Indiana, Republican former Sen. Dan Coats, former Rep. John Hostettler and state Sen. Marlin Stutzman are competing for the GOP Senate nomination. In North Carolina, former state Sen. Cal Cunninghman, attorney Ken Lewis and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall are running in the Democratic primary. And in Ohio, the Democratic nomination is a contest between Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, with Fisher favored to win in the current TPM Poll Average.
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, and the economic daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET. Obama will meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. He will deliver remarks to the Business Council at 11:05 a.m. ET. Obama will have lunch at 12:05 p.m. ET with Elie Wiesel. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama’s morning meetings listed above. At 11 a.m. ET, Biden will chair a regular meeting of senior officials to assess progress in Iraq. At 1 p.m. ET, Biden and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will make a Recovery Act announcement. At 4:30 p.m. Et, Biden will meet with President Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
18 States Refuse To Run Insurance Pools For Preexisting Conditions
The Washington Post reports that 18 states are refusing to administer a stopgap program to provide insurance coverage for people with preexisting conditions, thus forcing the federal government to do it: “The states’ decisions increase the challenge the government faces as it sets out to translate the far-reaching health-care legislation into action, and they hint at the complexities to come.”
Gates Suggests Big Changes Coming For Navy
In a speech on Monday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates suggested that the Navy should rethink the nature of its equipment needs. “Do we really need 11 carrier strike groups for another 30 years when no other country has more than one?” Gates asked. He also added: “As we learned last year, you don’t necessarily need a billion-dollar guided missile destroyer to chase down and deal with a bunch of teenage pirates wielding AK-47s.”
Democrats Wary of Cutting Deals On Financial Reform
Roll Call reports that some Senate Democrats are wary of making a deal with the Republicans on financial reform, and would prefer to again force them to oppose the bill until enough GOP members give in. “Cutting a deal could open the floodgates to a wave of Republican votes on final passage, but there are enough cracks in the Republican dam already that we don’t need a deal to get 60,” said a senior Senate Democratic aide.
Trumka: Dems’ Aggressive Posture Helps Election Chances
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is urging Democrats to to maintain an aggressive legislative stance, saying that this improves their political position for the upcoming elections. “Harry Reid showed some leadership and said if you are going do it again, you are going to stand on the floor for 30 hours and defend the big banks,” Trumka said. “They folded like a two-dollar accordion at that point.”
