Mark Halperin’s three things to watch for in presidential politics for Friday, January 23.

1. Watch the New York Senate drama. Gov. David Paterson is set to announce his choice to replace Hillary Clinton today at 12 pm ET in Albany. Reports this morning say that Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from upstate, will be the governor’s choice and that she’s accepted the seat. Watch to see reactions to her appointment. Also watch for more information about why Caroline Kennedy dropped out of consideration for the job.
2. Watch the real-world economy. There’s likely to be even more bad economic news coming out today. Watch to see what happens on that front and how the Obama administration responds.
3. Watch to see how Republicans on Capitol Hill deal with the new Obama administration. The party’s congressional leaders will be part of a bipartisan meeting today at 9:45 am ET with the president and vice president to discuss the economic recovery package. Watch to see what comes out of that meeting and whether Republicans can create a strategy to deal with an administration that’s very popular and moving very fast.