Todd Zwillich

Todd interviews Frank Maisano, an energy media relations specialist who works for Bracewell & Giuliani, while standing outside the Congressional hearing room in which BP CEO Tony Hayward had just faced a grilling.

At the request of the Obama administration, BP has set aside $20 billion in escrow to be paid out to individuals and communities affected by the oil disaster on the Gulf Coast. The money will be handed out under the supervision of Ken Feinberg, who handled the victims' compensation fund after 9/11, and who helped to determine what executives at bailed-out banks should be paid.

Chiefs from the five major oil companies, including BP, testified before Congress yesterday. Executives from Chevron, Conoco, Exxon Mobile, and Shell all took pains to distance themselves from BP's negligence during testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “We would not have drilled the well the way they did," said Rex Tillerson, chief executive of Exxon Mobile.

This week Washington is all about oil. Along with testimony from BP CEO Tony Hayward before Congress, Americans will be able to watch President Obama's Oval Office address tonight; and the subject? Oil. The Takeaway's Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich looks at President Obama's first Oval Office speech, and the upcoming Congressional gauntlet to be run by Tony Hayward.

Last night, voters decided the party candidates in four closely watched states: Arkansas, California, Nevada, and South Carolina and seven others. But for many candidates the election battle is only just beginning. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich looks at how the primary winners will fare in November's ballot. Sharron Angle's win in Nevada is both a victory for the Tea Party and for Harry Reid, who has been preparing to face-off against the conservative candidate.

Today's primaries may feel local, but they are getting a national push. Sarah Palin visited South Carolina on behalf of gubernatorial candidate, Nikki Haley. Palin's appearance catapulted the candidate to the head of the polls. Nevada's Senate primary is also a Tea Party election, according to Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich. There, Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle seems positioned to win the primary, which will pit her against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. This bodes well for Reid as Tea Party candidates have a hard time winning national elections.

The Washington Nationals pitcher, Stephen Strasburg was the number one overall pick in the draft last year, and today he makes his Major League Baseball debut. Washington fans are giddy with excitement and the team is selling standing-only tickets to the sold-out ball game. 

As energy legislation makes its way to Capitol Hill, lawmakers are beginning to hint at how they'll work together. Sen. John Cornyn said that he is ready to work with Democrats to deal with some of our environmental concerns. However, it is unlikely that senators like Cornyn will accept the president's comprehensive energy and climate change legislation.

This week is all about "angst," says Takeaway economics editor Charles Hermann. Politically, it's about "watching the women," says Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich. Those are the terms setting the agenda for this week, as we look ahead at news on the economic impact of the oil spill and whether anti-incumbent fever will affect Tuesday's primary elections.

Amid criticisms about slow response times and an unclear chain of command, the question has been asked, "Is This Obama's Katrina?"  In a press conference yesterday - his first since the gulf oil leak five weeks ago - President Obama sent a clear message: I take responsibility.  This is my job.  And things should have moved faster.

As the House and Senate consider efforts to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Todd speaks with Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn,) primary sponsor of the House amendment to repeal; Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Alabama), who says the law's repeal is coming too soon; and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida) who supports it, calling allowing openly gay service members "a common sense proposal."

Today or tomorrow, the House is expected to vote on a repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, preventing gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. It will be a close vote on a divisive issue. Nancy Pelosi has said that she would only bring the repeal to the floor if it had the votes necessary to pass. Todd Zwillich has been trying his best to count heads to see just how much support there is.

UPresident Obama will send 1200 National Guard Troops to the US/Mexico border, an administration official announced yesterday. The president will also request $500 million for border patrol and law enforcement activities. This comes after demands from both Republicans and Democrats to tighten the Southwest border.

Congress is working to push through a lot of big items this week before Memorial Day Recess, including a jobs bill, tax hikes and war funding. The jobs bill incorporates an extension of unemployment benefits and Cobra health subsidies through the end of the year. The bill also encompasses help to fix Medicare, but only temporarily as there's not quite enough money. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains why this might mean a big fight on the Hill. Todd also examines a war bill, which seeks to get away from deficit spending and find cuts to finance the war. Neither of these bills will pass easily.

• Washington Takeout: Congress could vote to repeal 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' this week. Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich explains why Congress and the Pentagon are butting heads about whether now is the right time to make this change.
• Sports Takeout: Venus Williams won her opening match in The French Open, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps the first day's matches. He also looks at the latest in the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals.

After months of debate and attacks from both sides of the aisle, the Senate passed a financial regulatory bill by a 59-39 vote, Thursday. The biggest change in the bill is the creation of an agency whose sole job is to monitor fairness of any product that is bought by the consumer. Next, the Senate and House versions of financial reform have to be reconciled and combined before heading to the president's desk, perhaps as early as the Fourth of July.

Todd interviews newly-minted Rep. Mark Critz (D-Penn), who just won a special election to fill the late Rep. Jack Murtha's seat.

• Washington Takeout: Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich joins us with the latest on the financial reform bill, which seems to be termporarily delayed on Capitol Hill.
• Sports Takeout: Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs. He also looks at yesterday's NBA draft lottery and who the lucky winner was.

It turns out Supreme Court nominees have to fill out job applications just like everyone else. OK, not quite like everyone else. Take a look at Elena Kagan's completed questionnaire from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which this summer will hold hearings to test her nomination to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court.

UPDATE: The Senate will begin its Judiciary Committee Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings on June 28.

To many political strategists, pundits and observers, the results of yesterday’s primary elections may offer key insights to voter behavior in November’s midterm elections. Did yesterday’s results challenge the popular notion that the 2010 elections will be a correction to the Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate? Or was there even bigger surprises in the form of viable, Tea Party candidate?