National GOP Targeting Reid -- And Bailouts -- With New Ad
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is running its first ad of the 2010 cycle -- against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in the Reno media market. The ad also cements the GOP's new message as the anti-bailout and anti-stimulus party, as opposed to the leadership's pro-bailout policies last Fall:

The GOP successfully took out the previous Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, back in 2004. The Dems made a similar play against Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in 2008, but only managed to keep him to a 53%-47% win.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama is holding a series of meetings this morning, receiving his regular daily briefing, an economic briefing, conferring with senior advisers, and meeting with business leaders. At 11:15 a.m. he will be speaking on the economy after his meeting with business leaders. At 3:30 p.m. he will be meeting with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Minnesota Trial Keeps Going
Today is the third day of the Minnesota election-contest trial, scheduled to reconvene at 10 a.m. ET. Norm Coleman's legal team is expected to continue their argument that Coleman voters have been unfairly disenfranchised compared to Franken voters, due to election officials in GOP areas being more strict on the matter of improperly-rejected absentee ballots.

House Voting Today On Stimulus
The House of Representatives will be voting some time later today on an $825 billion stimulus package. Democrats are expected to vote overwhelmingly for the mix of public spending and tax cuts, while the Republican leadership has signaled their opposition.

Illinois Senate Hears Blago Tapes
The Illinois state Senate yesterday got to hear Rod Blagojevich's own voice on the FBI wiretaps, in a trial that Blago himself is boycotting as unfair. "It sounds like a couple of organized crime figures out preparing to break some kneecaps," said GOP state Senator Dan Cronin. "It's just horrible. It's nauseating. It's sickening."

WaPo: RNC Race A GOP Referendum On Bush
The Washington Post reports that much of the opposition to RNC chairman Mike Duncan, who faced five different opponents, has come down to conservative resentments against the man who picked Duncan: Then-President George W. Bush. "Most of us strongly supported the Bush administration through the entire two terms," said RNC member Curly Haugland of North Dakota, "but in the last few months, this bailout and the abandonment of capitalism really kind of sealed it."

Bunning: Yes, I Am Running Again
Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is firing back at Republicans who are spreading the idea that he hasn't been working on his re-election campaign -- such as his own co-Senator Mitch McConnell. "He either had a lapse of memory or something when speaking to the Press Club last week when he said that he didn't know what my intentions were," said Bunning.

Jill Biden Starts New Teaching Job In D.C. Area
Jill Biden began her new job yesterday at Northern Virginia Community College, as an adjunct professor teaching two English courses. "A lot of them either didn't know that she is the wife of the vice president, or act any differently," said spokeswoman Courtney O'Donnell.