Happy Hour Roundup
* The nomination of Hilda Solis as Labor Sec gets held up yet again — this time because of something her husband did. Well, it’s an improvement — at least this time it’s only the nominee’s spouse who has the tax troubles. Labor sources I talk to are cautiously optimistic and think she has at least a passable chance at surviving.
* The White House announces that President Obama is holding a nationally televised news conference on Monday, and the stimulus package is likely to dominate.
* Obama plans to meet tomorrow at the White House with families and victims of the 9/11 and U.S.S. Cole terror attacks, reports WaPo’s Michael Shear.
* This comes as administration officials are apparently holding brainstorming sessions to come up with a replacement phrase for “war on terror.”
* ABC News’ Jake Tapper mixes it up with White House press sec Robert Gibbs, and conservatives are happy.
* Steve Benen was right! Obama’s new, tougher tone is already being criticized by pundits as insufficiently “bipartisan.”
* And Glenn Thrush says that DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen is secretly happy that a GOP official committed the gaffe of admitting that the GOP insurgent minority is taking its cues from … the Taliban.
I am a Democratic District Leader from NY (outside the beltway). The party has got to get people who pay their taxes.