Mark Halperin’s Three Things

Mark Halperin's three things to watch for in politics for Thursday, April 30.

1. Watch the administration’s continued response to the swine flu. Vice President Biden said on “Today” this morning that he would advise family members to avoid “confined places,” getting off message from the less cautious stance President Obama and others have been conveying for the last few days. His office responded with a statement attempting to clarify his remarks, but expect more discussion of what he said throughout the day. Also watch to see what other news comes out about the illness today.

2. Watch to see how the Republican Party tries to rebuild now that Obama’s first 100 days are over. Arlen Specter’s switch to the Democratic Party has only heightened debate about the GOP’s direction, so watch to see how party leaders attempt to rebrand and whether their actions actually unite the party or just cause more division.

3. Watch the economy. It was the biggest story during the first 100 days and will continue to dominate the headlines with lots of news in the private sector and continued questions about the bank stress tests. Watch to see what steps the administration takes to frame the recovery they say is taking place and to do more to put the economy back on the right track.