Game on! President Obama set the date for his jobs plan announcement… for exactly the same time as the NBC/Politico Republican Debate, a week from today at 8 PM. Well, we said “Go big or go home,” didn’t we? And this is a big, bold move. His formal request to the Speaker’s office was met with an equally formal reply. In short, Boehner’s response: Move it to Thursday. We’ll break down this political tug-of-war with NBC Political Director Chuck Todd and Politico Editor-in-Chief John Harris.
Then: The Left’s fear and loathing of Rick Perry. He’s got extreme positions on social issues, a “hands off” recommendation for the federal government, and Former President George W. Bush’s mannerisms and swagger. So what does the Left despise more: all of the above, or the idea that he could win? We’ll ask Politico’s Jonathan Martin and The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank.
Up next: Not even Irene can stop the partisan bickering over the federal deficit. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is calling for budget cuts to offset the federal dollars spent on the nation’s recovery. But with the death toll is over three dozen, and millions still without power, is this any time to play political games? msnbc Political Analysts David Corn and Michael Steele will weigh in.
Speaking of funding… a commission created by Congress announced today that as much as $60 billion in U.S. funds has been wasted in Afghanistan and Iraq. And that there’s more waste to come. According to Sen. Claire McCaskill, that’s nearly a third of the total spent on contracting for the wars. Where do we go from here? Associated Press reporter Richard Lardner has the details, tonight on Hardball.