HIGHLIGHTS

The Supreme Court opens its term today. The big question for the big court is likely to be a challenge to the constitutionality of the health care overhaul of 2010. The court hasn’t yet agreed to take one of the many cases against the law, but experts believe it will do so later this year. The docket already has a GPS surveillance case with broad implications: Police attached a GPS to a suspected drug dealer’s car without getting a search warrant.

Also, this week will mark the quarterly celebration of Trickle Out Economics, in which candidates release (or don’t) details of their fundraising. Friday was the end of the quarter and the reports will be made public in a couple of weeks. In the next few days we can expect to see good news from the presidential contenders come out early and bad news not at all.

And the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction has nothing scheduled, but don’t believe it. It will meet, probably in private session, sometime this week.

TODAY

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) will have a pen-and-pad (no cameras!) talk with reporters.

TUESDAY

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will appear before the Joint Economic Committee to offer his outlook on the economy. Things could get interesting as economic weakness persists and Republicans, at least in the presidential field, begin targeting Bernanke as part of the problem.

West Virginia voters go to the polls today to decide who will complete the rest of  Sen. Joe Manchin’s gubernatorial term. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) has the advantage over wealthy businessman Bill Maloney (R), but many undecideds remain.

WEDNESDAY

Quinnipiac University, home of the Bobcats and a respected polling institute, releases a national poll on the Republican presidential primary.

Rep. Ron Paul (Texas), the persistent Republican presidential contender, speaks at a National Press Club lunch. Alas, it is sold out.