On the Sunday shows this week, what to expect from Tuesday's State of the Union address.
DAN PFEIFFER: "We need to show the American people that we can get something done."
And, once again, Republican leaders dig in their heels on the debt ceiling.
MITCH MCCONNELL: "We ought to discuss adding something to his request to raise the debt ceiling that does something about the debt."
With the president's State of the Union Address two days away, much of the political chatter in Washington concerns what will be on Obama's 2014 agenda. His senior adviser, Dan Pfeiffer says, for one, Americans will see a president much more willing to work around obstacles in Congress and take his own executive action.
PFEIFFER: "He's going to look in every way he can with his pen and his phone to move the ball forward ... He's not going to tell the American people that he's going to wait for Congress. He's going to move forward in areas like job training, education, manufacturing on his own." (Via CNN)
And another Obama confidante, Press Secretary Jay Carney, sat with ABC "This Week" for his first Sunday show appearance since taking the job in 2011. Carney and his team at the White House have taken criticism lately, most notably from New York Times editor-in-chief Jill Abramson.
ABRAMSON: "It is the most secretive White House that I have ever been involved in covering." (Via Al Jazeera)
CARNEY: "What I would tell you is that you and your colleagues and my former colleagues in the press absolutely have to be beating on us and others to get as much information as you can. I strongly disagree with that statement. I know from experience that it's wrong." (Via ABC)
After the last fight over raising the federal debt ceiling almost led to default, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said his Republican Party would not go down that road again. But now, McConnell says the GOP should still try to get something out of a debt ceiling deal. (Via National Journal)
MCCONNELL: "I think for the president to ask for a clean debt ceiling when we have a debt the size of our economy is irresponsible ... Some of the most significant legislation passed in the last 50 years have been in conjunction with the debt ceiling." (Via Fox News)
President Obama and his advisers have already refused to negotiate over raising the debt ceiling — a legislative move that simply pays off bills the government has already racked up. On Sunday, Dan Pfeiffer compared Republican demands on the issue to a "ransom."
