Mark Halperin’s Three Things

Mark Halperin's three things to watch for in presidential politics for Wednesday, May 20.

1. Watch for reaction to the Iranian missile launch. Iran’s Ahmadinejad announced today that the country successfully tested a missile that can reach far enough to hit Israel and southern Europe. Watch to see how the rest of the world responds and whether President Obama’s day is overtaken by the potential threat coming from Iran.

2. Watch the fallout from Senate Democrats’ decision not to provide the $80 million funding Obama requested to close Gitmo. The press will want to turn this into a huge story about the president’s fellow partisans turning against him, but watch to see how the White House and Democrats on the Hill try to spin it. The president is set to speak on Gitmo tomorrow, so watch for clues on what he’ll say and whether he’ll propose a more specific closure plan that will get Congress’ support.

3. Watch the continued swirl of questions surrounding Nancy Pelosi. Some Democrats are trying to play the issue down and make it go away, but Republicans are still trying to chip away at the Speaker. Watch to see how they try to escalate the controversy and keep it alive and bubbling today.