Poll: Majority Backs Kagan For SCOTUS
A new CNN poll finds a majority of Americans, 54%, say that Elena Kagan should be confirmed to the Supreme Court, with 36% opposed. Said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland: “Kagan’s nomination is getting virtually the same support that every Supreme Court nominee received in the past two decades, with one exception, Harriet Miers, the last nominee with no judicial experience.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. He will meet at 10:45 a.m. ET with Gen. Ray Odierno. He will depart the White House at 11:30 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 11:45 a.m. ET, arriving at 12:40 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh International Airport. He will deliver a a speech on the economy at Carnegie Mellon University at 1:35 p.m. ET. He will depart from Pennsylvania at 3 p.m. Et, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 4 p.m. ET, and back at the White House at 4:15 p.m. ET. Then at 7 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will host a concert honoring Paul McCartney, who will be the awarded the 3rd Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will be in New York City. He will meet in the morning with senior advisers. At 1 p.m. ET, he will attend an event in Manhattan for Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY). At 2:45 p.m. ET, he will visit the Brooklyn Bridge, and deliver remarks promoting the stimulus program. At 7:15 p.m. ET, the Vice President and his wife Dr. Jill Biden will attend Sesame Workshop’s 8th Annual Benefit Gala, where they will be honored for their work on behalf of military families.
Electoral Angst Creates Crowded Ballots
The Associated Press reports: “More than 2,300 people are running for the House and Senate in the midterms, the highest number in at least 35 years, according to data provided to The Associated Press by the Federal Election Commission, which began tracking candidates in 1975. Frustration, particularly on the right, with President Barack Obama and his Democratic agenda appears to have contributed to the surge. The field is heavily Republican, with almost twice as many GOP candidates as Democrats, and several hundred independent and third-party challengers.”
Scott Brown: ‘I Am Not Quite Sure What All The Surprise Is’ About My Votes With Dems
The New York Times profiles Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who became a hero to conservatives with his upset victory in a January special election — and has ended up voting with the Democrats on some key issues. “Listen, I have always said I don’t work for Mitch McConnell and I don’t work for Harry Reid, I work for the people of Massachusetts,” Brown said in an interview. “I am not quite sure what all the surprise is, and people wondering kind of like, ‘wow, he’s independent.’ I have always been this way. I am going to look at each and every bill and look at the merits of it.”
AMA To Launch Massive ‘Doc Fix’ Campaign
Roll Call reports that the American Medical Association will launch a multimillion-dollar ad campaign against Congress’s failure to rescind a 21% cut in Medicare physician payments. “Senators need to hear from people in their home states to avoid a health care crisis caused by the Senate’s inability to take action on this critical issue,” said AMA President J. James Rohack, in a statement. “The AMA will not sit silent while Senate inaction guts Medicare’s physician foundation.”
Hispanic Caucus Wants Napolitano To Cut DHS Ties With Arizona Police
The Hill reports that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to sever ties with Arizona police, due to the state’s new anti-illegal immigration law. “The federal government should not be an accessory to the unconstitutional actions of the Arizona state government,” said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) in a statement, which was co-signed by CHC Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) and Immigration Task Force Chairman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL). “By continuing to work with Arizona police departments operating under SB 1070, the Department is implicitly condoning the shameful tactics authorized by the new law.”
