In reality, it's not quite so simple. A quiet concern in the White House is the logistical difficulty of getting Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd, both of them long absent with serious health issues, to the Senate floor to cast a vote. This is putting additional pressure on conservative Democrats like Evan Bayh to toe the party line, and raising the importance of Olympia Snow and Susan Collins, considered to be the two most gettable Republicans on issues like health care.

The event is another sign that the Obamas will have a more youthful, energetic approach to life in the White House than Washington has seen over the past eight years – one where the president hosts roughly two dozen Republicans and Democrats for drinks and economic stimulus chit-chat.

A Fox News report cited unidentified campaign sources who said Palin did not know Africa was a continent and could not name the three countries in NAFTA -- the United States, Canada and Mexico. "I think if there are allegations based on questions or comments that I made in debate prep about NAFTA or about the continent versus the country when we talk about Africa there, then those were taken out of context, and that is cruel and mean-spirited, it's immature, it's unprofessional, and those guys are jerks," Palin said. It's not fair and it's not right," she said.