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Congressional Dems Reach Budget Agreement
House and Senate Democratic negotiators agreed Monday night to a budget outline for 2010, including the parliamentary ability to pass health care legislation without the threat of a Republican filibuster. The $3.5 plan also includes funds for clean energy and other domestic programs, and a tax increase for individuals making more than $200,000 or couples making more than $250,000 per year.

Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with FBI Director Robert Mueller and other senior officials at FBI Headquarters, at 10:45 a.m. ET. He will then deliver remarks to FBI employees at 11:10 a.m. ET. At 2 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. At 3:05 p.m. ET, he will present the National Teacher of the Year Award in the Rose Garden. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with Defense Sec. Robert Gates, and at 7:30 p.m. ET he and the First Lady will attend a reception for Cabinet secretaries in the Blue Room.

Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will be in Texas today. At 12 p.m. ET, he will visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline Center in Austin. Afterwards he will attend a Democratic National Committee lunch. He will then travel to Houston, to attend a Democratic National Committee dinner, and will return to Washington in the evening.

Sebelius Expected To Be Confirmed Today
The U.S. Senate is set to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary today. Her nomination has been vigorously opposed by anti-abortion groups, but she is expected to clear the 60-vote cloture threshold after a morning debate and an afternoon vote — and then she will have to immediately get to work to deal with the swine flu outbreak.

CBS/NYT Poll: Obama Approval Near Record High At 100 Days
A new CBS/New York Times poll gives President Obama an approval rating of 68% to disapproval at 23%. The approval number is behind only Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy at similar points in their presidencies. The poll also finds that 68% of respondents see him as a different kind of politician, to only 25% saying he is a typical politician, with the reasons for this figure relating more to perceptions of his governing style rather than his policies.

WaPo: Proposed Cuts In Weapons Systems Facing Opposition
The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration’s planned restructuring of defense spending — involving cuts in certain weapons systems and net spending increases in other areas — is facing opposition from defense contractors and labor unions. Said Jeff Goen, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers chapter in Marietta, Georgia: “It doesn’t make sense that our government is looking at trying to save or create jobs at the same time it’s talking about cutting something like this.”

Bill Clinton Campaigns For Terry McAuliffe
Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail in Virginia yesterday, stumping for his friend and former Hillary campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe in the three-way Democratic primary for governor this year. “The press says, ‘Oh, well, Terry McAuliffe has raised millions of dollars for Bill Clinton. He has to show up.’ And that’s absolutely true,” said Bill. “But here’s what I want to tell you: I am here today for reasons that go way, way beyond that.”

Fox Network To Not Carry Obama Press Conference
The Fox network has announced that it will not be carrying President Obama’s Wednesday night press conference, instead broadcasting a regularly scheduled episode of Lie to Me. This marks the first time during the Obama presidency that a broadcast network has declined to provide air time — but perhaps a shrewd business move, cornering the market on viewers who want to watch something else.

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