Palin To Headline Tea Party Rally In Boston
Sarah Palin will headline a Tea Party rally today at Boston Common, marking the tax season in the same city that was the site of the original Boston Tea Party in December 1773. A crowd of up to 10,000 is forecast for the event — but notably absent will be Republican Sen. Scott Brown, whose upset victory in the January special election was credited in part to these same conservative activists.
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. They will meet at 10:45 a.m. ET with the Congressional leadership of both parties, to discuss financial reform. Obama will meet with senior advisers at 12:30 p.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:15 p.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama’s morning briefings, and will then join the president to meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). At 1:15 p.m. ET, Biden will meet with representatives from American and international nuclear industries. At 3:15 p.m. ET, Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Later, Obama and Biden will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At 5:15 p.m. ET, Biden will meet with Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA).
Pawlenty Quietly Begins Capitol Hill Outreach
CQ reports that Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) has begun reaching out to Republican members of Congress for his potential presidential campaign, having attended a recent meeting on Capitol Hill with his own Congressman, GOP Rep. John Kline, and several other GOP members. “It’s important for Tim to meet people, not only for a possible run in 2012, but the reason for the PAC is to help Republicans in these races,” Kline said. “It’s importantly for Tim and his team to look around the country and see where the PAC might be helpful.”
GOP Seeks United Front On Financial Bill
Roll Call reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is trying to keep a united front among Republicans, to oppose the financial reform bill being formulated by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT): “With both sides revving up a messaging war that could provide fodder on the campaign trail this fall, lobbyists say the two parties are in a game of chicken over who is going to blink first on caving on regulatory reform. ‘McConnell is trying to keep moderates in his camp for as long as possible,’ one financial services lobbyist said.”
LaHood Announces Pro-Biking, Pro-Walking Transportation Funding Policy
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has announced that the government’s new policy will give bicycles and walking an equal consideration with conventional roads in allocating money for projects. “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized,” LaHood wrote on his government blog.
