**President Obama
*Today, Obama will announce "the first-ever national emissions limits for cars and trucks," along with a 35.5 miles per gallon standard. Consumers "should expect to pay an extra $1,300 per vehicle by the time the plan is complete in 2016," though a senior White House official said last night that the cost would be a wash with savings in gasoline. AP: "The plan also would effectively end a feud between automakers and statehouses over emission standards -- with the states coming out on top but the automakers getting the single national standard they've been seeking and more time to make the changes."

*The New York Daily News, on yesterday's meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. "Two hours of talks between Obama and the hawkish prime minister didn't produce any breakthroughs -- but U.S. officials said the President made clear Netanyahu must cool his jets, literally -- on talk of taking out Iran's nuclear facilities."

The New York Times adds that Obama for the first time "had seemed willing to set even a general timetable for progress in talks with Iran," giving diplomatic efforts until the end of the year.

*Gov. Jennifer Granholm will be at the White House today for the fuel standards announcement, and the White House was "coy" about whether she might also be interviewed about the Supreme Court.

*The Times also looks into Janet Napolitano's prospects for the bench, writing that her resume looks a lot like Earl Warren's did when he was named to the Supreme Court. "To some, the fact that she has never been a judge makes Ms. Napolitano a long shot for the high court. To others, her success in elected office -- putting pragmatic compromise ahead of ideology or standard partisan lines -- gives her just the kind of real-world experience setting policy and reaching consensus that Mr. Obama might seek to add to a court filled entirely by former federal appellate judges."

**Congress
*A CNN poll finds that Speaker Pelosi's approval ratings are at "roughly the levels Newt Gingrich had in his first year as Speaker of the House."

*"Union groups are targeting one of their close allies in Congress over a controversial proposal to tax employee healthcare benefits. In a coordinated campaign using radio advertising, mail and other pressure mechanisms, three top unions are urging Oregonians to voice their displeasure to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), whose proposal may be stalled in the Senate," The Hill reports.

*"In a bid to defuse political skirmishing over the Bush administration's interrogation methods, CIA Director Leon E. Panetta urged Congress on Monday not to allow the debate to become a distraction from the security threats facing the country," L.A. Times reports.

*Panetta will be on the Hill today, Politico reports.

**Republicans
* Today, RNC chair Michael Steele will say: "The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over," the AP reports. "We have turned the page, we have turned the corner. No more looking in the rearview mirror. From this point forward, we will focus all of our energies on winning the future."

*As Steele hopes to relaunch his RNC chairmanship, Washington Times reports that he hired personal friends at salaries considerably higher than their people in similar posts made. Hawaii Republican Party Chairman Willis Lee: "If certain staff at the national committee are making that much, then the public understandably might think they are examples of cronyism."

*Reid Wilson lists what's on the table: "If the meeting achieves quorum, RNC members will vote on a proposal to label rival Democrats the 'Democrat-Socialist Party'; a resolution calling on members of Congress to forgo earmarks; and a measure thanking Republican members of Congress for voting against bailout and stimulus legislation, while implicitly condemning votes in favor of that legislation by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine)."

*Gallup: "The decline in Republican Party affiliation among Americans in recent years is well documented, but a Gallup analysis now shows that this movement away from the GOP has occurred among nearly every major demographic subgroup."

**Campaign Stuff
*Jonathan Martin has the scoop on efforts by John Coale, a Democratic donor who supported the McCain-Palin ticket last fall, to persuade Sarah Palin to use her PAC to help Hillary Clinton pay campaign debt. "He thought the Clintons could rein in some of the Democratic firepower aimed at her," said a "dumbfounded Republican privy to the discussion who advocated fiercely against the idea." A former Clinton aide hadn't heard of the plan but deemed it "not rooted in anything that would touch on reality."

*Replacing Hilda Solis: Heading into today's special primary election in California, "all eyes are on two Democrats who are considered the frontrunners": former Assemblywoman Judy Chu and state Sen. Gil Cedillo. NPR: "Chu is backed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a gubernatorial hopeful and perhaps the state's most visible Hispanic politician. She has also been endorsed by members of Solis' family, though the former House member has stayed neutral." But the seat is a "Hispanic seat," as Rep. Joe Baca said, and he and other Hispanic members from California are backing Cedillo.

*Californians will also vote on statewide ballot initiatives. "The most contentious measure, Proposition 1A, would create a state spending cap and rainy day fund, which Schwarzenegger has promoted as necessary to smooth out California's budget cycles in the years ahead. But the measure also would extend income, sales and vehicle tax increases enacted earlier this year by one or two years, a provision that has stirred opposition from conservative groups."

*Merrick Alpert, an Air Force veteran and former aide to Vice President Gore, announced that he's challenging Chris Dodd. "You deserve a senator...who represents the interests of the people of Connecticut, not the interests of massive corporate campaign contributors," Alpert said in an announcement video. "Who represents a fundamental change from the culture of corruption that permeates Washington today."

*The NRCC is unveiling today its "Patriot Program" -- a "revamped incumbent retention program designed to help vulnerable House Republicans raise cash for their reelection campaigns -- and warning members that the committee will not bail out those who are insufficiently prepared for competitive races," Politico reports.

*NY Gov: Andrew Cuomo (D) leads Rudy Giuliani (R) by 18 points in a new Rasmussen poll. Giuliani leads Gov. David Paterson by 28 points. Cuomo leads George Pataki (R) by 28 points, and Pataki leads Paterson by 14 points.

*Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) tells WWAY that he hasn't yet ruled out a Senate bid in North Carolina.

*Pat Toomey said in Harrisburg yesterday that he's spoken with Sen. John Cronyn, and "despite earlier statements by Cronyn that Toomey was too conservative to win a general election in Pennsylvania," their chats "are paving the way for GOP support of Toomey's candidacy," the Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad