Weekend preview: Jobs, jobs, jobs

Capitol Hill left plenty of unfinished business going into Presidents Day, thanks in part to the two snowstorms that walloped Washington in quick succession.

A day after Blizzard No. 2, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that he would drastically cut back on the $85 billion jobs bill Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced only hours earlier. Reid’s move essentially overruled the powerful chairman in his effort to push a $15 billion proposal after Democrats complained of too many concessions to the GOP. This weekend, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton explores how Reid has drawn a line in the sand on the bill — just after losing the Democrats’ supermajority with the swearing-in of Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).

Over at the White House, Senior Economist Christina Romer said Friday that history will judge the $787 billion stimulus package as a jobs saver, despite public frustration with a lagging economic turnaround. But where the administration promised at the time that the stimulus would keep the unemployment rate at 8 percent, Democrats are keeping mum on how many jobs the Senate’s new employment bill will create. The Hill’s Walter Alarkon looks at the party’s expectations for the jobs legislation.

Also on The Hill this weekend:

• Will the GOP’s message of change work coming from party veterans jumping back into the game? Campaign reporter Sean J. Miller delves into this question.
• Business & Lobbying writers Jim Snyder and Silla Brush analyze the numerous openings at the top of some of the biggest K Street firms.
• Vice President Joe Biden is in Vancouver for the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and will make the news-show circuit Sunday morning. Log on to The Hill to see what Biden — and his predecessor, Dick Cheney — say on the shows.

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.