Politics. On Point.

Interesting 'pool' report today from Brian Hughes of the Washington Examiner as President Obama meets with members of his revamped, reorganized, and restructured Cabinet (we're waiting for the 2013 photograph).  The president aluded to what remains his top priorities going into his second presidential term. Hughes writes in: President Obama on Monday convened the first Cabinet meeting of his second term, highlighting some “familiar faces,” “new faces” and “familiar faces in new positions.” Pool was ushered in to the meeting at 1:08 p.m. and the president’s remarks at the top of the gathering lasted roughly four minutes. Sitting to the president’s right were Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan . To the president’s left were new Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and (outgoing) Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood . Obama singled out Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Hagel, who were recently confirmed by the Senate. ...

President Barack Obama's Monday schedule is shaping up to be yet another busy one. Richard Cordary has been chosen by President Obama to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He is scheduled to make a major personnel announcement in the early afternoon: one that states his nomimation of Richard Cordray to Lead Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. ( Update : View announcement video here ). From the White House blog on the selection: It has been one year since President Obama passed financial reform to help tackle the problems that created the financial crisis that pulled the economy into the worst recession we've seen since the Great Depression, As the President described today , the law did three things, "First, it made taxpayer-funded bailouts illegal, so taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill if a big bank goes under. Second, it said to Wall Street firms, you can’t take the same kind of reckless risks that led to the crisis. And third, it put in plac...