Q&O: "With the private sector so weakened by this recession," Barack Obama said in the opening remarks of the first news conference of his presidency, "the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life." Our fifth story on the Countdown: on a day of firsts for the 44th -- first news conference, following first Senate victory, following first Town Hall -- his repeated warning that now could instead be the time of a last... the last chance to ameliorate or reverse the worst economic downturn since the Depression.
Block Party: It was two months ago on this news hour that we obtained and revealed the entire contents of a secret Republican memo... the gist-- that blocking the auto bailout was a chance for Senators to take a, quote, "first shot" against unions, for backing Democrats. Two months later, the entire U-S economy needs a bailout... the un- and under-employed, the middle class and collars blue and white. So, in our fourth story tonight, should it surprise anyone that Republicans are again trying to hurt those who backed Democrats... namely, the country itself?
ODDBALL: Doggie steals bone and puking and donuts.
The Heroes of Flight 1549: Our third story on the Countdown -- barely three and a half weeks after their routine flight to Charlotte, North Carolina hit a flock of birds and ended up in the Hudson River....The crew of US Airways Flight 1549 was back in New York City.
Worsties...see below.
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Leon Panetta (kinda), Michael Steele, and Roy C Smith vie for tonight's top honors.
A-Pology: In 2007 on '60 Minutes', New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez was asked if he had ever used steroids, human growth hormone, or any other performance enhancing substance. He response was a flat "No". Tonight we know he was flat-out lying. In our number one story: Alex Rodriguez... recipient of the two largest contracts in baseball history... on pace to break the career home run record... has now admitted the story is true; he tested positive for performance enhancing-drugs in 2003.