The Week Ahead: All hail Sir Paul

Washington will be fairly quiet this week, with Congress out of town
for Memorial Day recess.

One note of excitement: Sir Paul McCartney will be in town to receive
the 3rd annual Gershwin prize for Popular Song from the Library of
Congress. He’ll be honored at the White House Wednesday night and play
in a concert that will air this summer on PBS.

{mosads}Meanwhile, first lady Michelle Obama will be in Nevada Tuesday for
appearances around the state with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-Nev.), who’s facing a tough reelection campaign.

And the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D)
begins Thursday. His team of lawyers has subpoenaed a long list of
political names to appear but doesn’t expect all of them to show up. A
judge already ruled President Barack Obama doesn’t have to testify.

Tuesday, June 1

— Another quiet primary night before June 8’s big crop of races. One
thing to watch for is how Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Parker
Griffith (Ala.) does in his primary. The national party didn’t clear
the field for him when he switched, and local Republicans are said to
remain bitter over the hard-fought 2008 campaign when then-Democrat Griffith beat their candidate.

— Michelle Obama heads to Nevada for appearances with Reid. She’ll
deliver the keynote address at the 2010 Women’s Summit in Reno and
then she and Reid will head to Las Vegas, where she’ll help launch “Let’s
Move Outside!”, an administration effort to promote outdoor physical
activity.

— The Brookings Institution hosts a forum asking: “Is Government
Broken?” Speakers are from Brookings, Demos, Common Cause, Everyday
Democracy, OMB Watch and AmericaSpeaks; topics include election and
campaign finance reform and governance reform. The event will run from 1
p.m. to 5 p.m.

— The Library of Congress hosts a 5 p.m. press conference with Paul
McCartney about his Gershwin prize for Popular Song.

Wednesday, June 2

— The Obamas host McCartney at the White House, where the singer will
receive his award. The event, which includes a concert, will be taped
to air on PBS stations July 28.

Thursday, June 3

— Gen. Keith Alexander, the first chief of the U.S. Cyber Command
and director of the National Security Agency, will speak about
cybersecurity and the new command at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. The Cato
Institute is sponsoring a noon forum on the capital gains tax at the
Rayburn House Office Building.

— Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), the son of Football Hall of Fame
coach George Allen, delivers an address on “What Washington Can Learn
From the World of Sports” at noon at the Heritage Foundation.

— The American News Women’s Club holds the 16th Gala and Helen
Thomas Award Dinner, featuring Eleanor Clift, contributing editor at
Newsweek and recipient of the Helen Thomas Award for Excellence in
Journalism, at the National Press Club at 6:30 p.m.

— Blagojevich’s trial begins.

Friday, June 4

— Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a “Chefs Move to Schools” initiative that includes chefs who have adopted a school to help
educate children about food and nutrition. It will be held at the White
House at 12:30 p.m.