Weekend preview: The Republican retreat and the future of bipartisanship

Coming off President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union and testy exchanges Friday between Obama and House Republicans, the GOP will try to continue to build its campaign momentum this weekend as Capitol Hill awaits the president’s Monday budget request.

On Friday and Saturday, The Hill’s Molly K. Hooper is reporting live from the House Republicans’ retreat in Baltimore. With the agenda titled “Congress of Tomorrow 2010,” lawmakers will be putting their heads together with high-profile political operatives with an eye to achieve gains in this year’s midterm elections. Highlights will include Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, fresh from giving the GOP’s response to Obama’s State of the Union address, who is set to address the GOP lawmakers on Saturday.

Also this weekend on TheHill.com:

• Just how close did Democrats come to passing healthcare reform by the State of the Union deadline? Senate reporter Alexander Bolton has the surprising revelation, plus insight on where those negotiations could end up now.
• Obama called for bipartisanship in his State of the Union, as well as when he addressed House Republicans on Friday in Baltimore. But will this play out in legislative action, particularly as the sun set on two party-line votes just the day after Obama’s first State of the Union? Senate reporter J. Taylor Rushing has the story.

And log on to The Hill Monday morning for a preview of the president’s budget request, which comes as the White House comes under added pressure to chip away at the deficit.

Read these stories and much more — plus continuous news updates in the Blog Briefing Room, Twitter Room, Hillicon Valley and E2-Wire — over the next few days at TheHill.com.