Obama Announcing New Strategy Against Al-Qaeda In Afghanistan
President Obama will be rolling out the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan today, involving the deployment of another 4,000 military advisers to Afghanistan to help train the Afghan army, and an increase in spending of 60 percent from the current $2 billion per month rate. New benchmarks will also be imposed on the Afghan government, with Obama reportedly telling Congressional leaders: "The era of the blank check is over."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be speaking from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at 9:25 a.m. ET, delivering remarks about the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. At 10:25 a.m., he will speak at the installation ceremony of Attorney General Eric Holder at George Washington University. At 12 p.m. ET, he will meet with a group of leaders from financial institutions. At 6 p.m., he will depart from the White House, headed for Camp David.

Biden's Day Ahead -- Travel to Latin America
Joe Biden is traveling to Latin America today and over the next few days, where he will visit Chile and Costa Rica to consult with Latin American leaders regarding the upcoming Summit of the Americas in mid-April.

NYT: Financial Reform Battle Lies Ahead
The New York Times says that the Obama administration has a long road ahead of it in implementing Tim Geithner's financial reform proposals. Industry groups are already mobilizing to block new restrictions and win new protections -- and there is likely to be a battle on the government side, as well, as different regulatory agencies jockey for position under a new regulatory regime.

Paul Ryan Flips On Bonus Tax Vote
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told the Politico and C-Span that he has changed his mind on his vote for the bonus tax, saying that it was brought to the floor in a rush and he did not know that some legal scholars believe it to be unconstitutional: "Now, that I know -- which I didn't at the time -- that this is unconstitutional, I wouldn't have voted the same way."

DSCC Donates Madoff Money To Relief For Victims
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has announced that they have gotten rid of $100,000 in contributions from Bernie Madoff. The money was sent to Irving Picard, the trustee appointed to liquidate Madoff's assets and process claims from Madoff's victims.

Louisiana Sec. of State Still Weighing GOP Primary Against Vitter
Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne (R) told reporters earlier this week that he is still considering a challenge to Sen. David Vitter in the Republican primary: "I have not decided to run, nor have I ruled out the possibility that I may run." Dardenne said that Vitter's recent incident at an airport, involving a door alarm and a reportedly angry exchange with an airport employee, has prompted more calls from supporters to get in the race.

Conservative Group Has New Ad Against Obama Health Plan
A new group called Conservatives for Patients' Rights is rolling out this new ad against President Obama's health plan, slated to air on CNN and Fox News:

The ad likens the health plan to the AIG bonuses: "Isn't it amazing folks in Congress were shocked the plan THEY passed allowed those huge bonuses for AIG?" says group chairman Rick Scott, a former healthcare executive. "Now some in Congress want to raise taxes and spend $634 billion for the President's healthcare overhaul -- without even seeing all the details of his plan. They just never seem to learn."