Mark Halperin’s Three Things

Mark Halperin's three things to watch for in politics for Monday, April 27.

1. Watch the politics of the swine flu outbreak. For reasons of policy and politics, the administration was very much in front of the story over the weekend, with top officials urging caution to stop the virus spreading further. President Obama is expected to address the issue in a speech to the National Academy of Sciences this morning. Watch to see how visible members of the administration -- including the president -- are in talking about what’s going on with this illness in the United States and around the world.

2. Watch for more 100 days stories as we approach Wednesday’s milestone. Republicans are struggling to divert attention from the dominant narrative that President Obama has been very successful in his first three months. Watch to see what their strategy is in the next few days and if they can make any progress in making assessments of the president less positive.

3. Watch the economy and the negotiations over the 2010 budget. The administration is hoping to have a budget done by Wednesday, as part of the president’s 100th day victory lap. Watch to see if the House and Senate can make that possible. Also watch to see how the administration handles all the other economic news that’s swirling to show they’re making forward progress in dealing with the nation’s economic problems.