Amy Walter/ABC News

Indulge me, please, as I join many of my political colleagues in paying tribute to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer, who died Monday at age 62.

As many of my peers have shared on Twitter, Facebook and in print, the former Philadelphia Inquirer journalist’s political tome, “What It Takes,” inspired us to take up political journalism.

But, for me, the book that chronicled the lives of the men who ran for president in 1988 represents an era of political journalism that is, sadly, fading away. Cramer focused on the personal stories of the men who wanted to be president, not simply on the process behind the campaigns. Through exhaustive research, Cramer found a way to uncover every nook and cranny of the lives of Joe Biden, Gary Hart, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Bob Dole and George H.W. Bush.

While voting records and campaign war-stories are important elements of a presidential profile, an understanding of where the candidate came from – his childhood successes and failures, his transition from adolescence to adulthood – is the most telling. His chapter on Bob Dole’s recovery from his WW II injuries helped those of us who only knew him as the man with the hand awkwardly clutching a pen truly appreciate what that injured limb meant.

To be sure, Cramer did not set out to make these guys look like saints. Far from it. But he wanted us to understand what made them do what only a tiny fraction of Americans will ever do: wake up one day and say “I can be president.”

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

For 10 years, I interviewed House candidates for the Cook Political Report. The most important part of that hour-long interview was the first 15 minutes where I asked them about their stories. Where did they grow up? What did their parents do? Where did they go to high school?

It was in the telling of these stories that the real person – not the well-practiced politician – was revealed. My favorite example is Stephanie Herseth, then a young D.C. lawyer who decided to move back to her native South Dakota to run for the state’s only House seat. Many, including me, were wary that the Georgetown grad could convince parochial South Dakotans that she hadn’t “gone Washington.”

But during our interview, I learned that she raised pheasants as a kid. As a suburban kid myself, I asked what she did with them. “I sold them to the preserve,”  she said. “Oh,” I said, “so they lived on like a farm?”

Um, no, she said, so people could hunt them.

It was at that moment I realized that Herseth (who won the seat that she eventually lost in 2010) could convince South Dakotans that she was not some city slicker trying to buy a seat in the state.

I will always be thankful to Richard Ben Cramer for helping me to remember the importance of humanity in what can be a very dehumanizing process.

Gary Allen/maine2dcrun.com

Gary Allen, an avid runner and Maine resident, is lacing up his sneakers in an attempt to run from Mount Desert Island to the nation’s capital.

Allen hopes to run about 40 to 50 miles per day to complete his 700-mile trek to Washington, D.C., on  Jan. 21, the day of President Obama’s second inauguration.

The run in the dead of winter might seem treacherous, but  Allen is no stranger to the long runs, having completed 20 Boston marathons from 1979 – 2011. Now, Allen is putting his medals aside to run for a few good causes. His journey will benefit The Wounded Warriors Project, The American Cancer Society, and the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

On his blog, Allen voices his support for the Newtown shooting victims saying, “With the sad news coming out of Newtown Ct, a town I will very likely run thru or very near on my run to DC, I have added Sandy Hook Elementary as one of the causes I am raising funds for. Please give whatever you can. Thank You.”

The website, which allows supporters to sponsor his run, encourages tweeters to use the hashtag #ME2DCRUN to follow his journey to meet Mr. Obama at the White House.

Follow his journey HERE

AP Photo/Getty Images

Hours before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was scheduled to give his state of the state address Tuesday afternoon, a political opponent  claimed the tough-talking governor “prayed and got lucky” that superstorm  Sandy slammed into the Garden State and drove attention away from the New Jersey economy.

In a news conference Monday, Democratic State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who has talked about taking Christie on in the 2013 gubernatorial race, referred to the state’s high unemployment rate and Christie’s jobs record while making the Sandy dig.

“His jobs package is a hurricane. I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came,” said Sweeney, according to NJ.com.

Sweeney then immediately followed up the attack, saying, “I shouldn’t say that. I apologize for saying that.”

Christie’s office responded to Sweeney’s attack by saying, ”It was shocking to hear Sen. Sweeney reduce Hurricane Sandy and its devastation to a heartless partisan attack.”

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

“Ask the thousands of New Jerseyans whose homes or businesses were destroyed or damaged if they view Hurricane Sandy as a partisan political issue, or if this is what they want to hear from their leaders at this time of recovery as we fight for disaster aid in Washington,” Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said in a statement. “No one ‘prayed’ for what New Jersey has endured.”

Drewniak added that Sweeney’s comment was “politics at its worst,” and that Sweeney should be “ashamed” and apologize to the state.

Last week, Christie, who is considered a possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, drew attention for blasting members of his own party for abandoning a $60 billion relief bill for Sandy victims.

Sweeney’s “prebuttal” to Christie’s address this afternoon immediately drew attacks from Republicans around the state and took away from the main focus of the news conference, which was to  draw attention to the state’s 9.6 percent unemployment rate, the fourth highest in the nation.

Sweeney said he has seriously considered  jumping into the Democratic primary to challenge Christie. State Sen. Barbara Buono, who has been in state government for 20 years, has already announced her intention to run. There had been speculation that Newark Mayor Cory Booker would also jump into the race, but Booker  announced a run for U.S. Senate instead. Last week, Christie’s campaign announced it had hauled in more than $2 million in a 36-day period since the governor announced a run for re-election.

Sweeney did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Imag

By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) and AMY WALTER (@amyewalter)

NOTABLES:

• EXCLUSIVE: GABBY GIFFORDS, MARK KELLY LAUNCH GUN-CONTROL GROUP. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly spoke exclusively to “ABC World News” anchor Diane Sawyer about an important new initiative they are launching called “Americans for Responsible Solutions.” ABC’s Alyssa Newcomb reports that the first change the couple hopes to enact is to require a comprehensive background check for the private sale of firearms. “I bought a gun at Walmart recently and I went through a background check. It’s not a difficult thing to do,” Kelly said. “Why can’t we just do that and make it more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to get guns?” Kelly, a recreational hunter, said he doesn’t believe an extended magazine is necessary for the sport. “An extended magazine is used to kill people,” he said, “lots of people.” Finally, the couple hopes to address the issue of how the mentally ill are treated in the United States. Kelly said, “We have to learn how to identify these people and get them treatment. And we don’t do a very good job at that.” The full interview airs tonight on “World News” – two years to the day after Giffords was shot in a Safeway parking lot in Tucson, Arizona. READ: http://abcn.ws/VPYhbT WATCH: http://abcn.ws/ShKe3a PHOTO: http://abcn.ws/VIeMtE

• MORE ON THEIR NEW EFFORT: The couple writes, in a USA Today Op-Ed: “In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary–nothing at all. I was shot in the head while meeting with constituents two years ago today. … Special interests purporting to represent gun owners but really advancing the interests of an ideological fringe have used big money and influence to cow Congress into submission. … Americans for Responsible Solutions, which we are launching today, will invite people from around the country to join a national conversation about gun violence prevention, will raise the funds necessary to balance the influence of the gun lobby, and will line up squarely behind leaders who will stand up for what’s right.” http://usat.ly/UDJN3P

• UPDATE ON GIFFORDS’ RECOVERY: In their interview with Diane Sawyer, Giffords herself, acknowledges that while she has made a remarkable recovery since the Jan. 2011 shooting, she still has a long way to go. “Physical therapy, yoga, speech therapy,” she said. Giffords also has a new companion, a service-dog named Nelson. The former congresswoman, who loved being active outdoors before the shootings, has been able to slowly ease back into some of her favorite activities. She’s been able to ride a horse and hopes to take a bike ride soon with Kelly on a tandem bike he is getting modified.

• BLOOMBERG WORKING WITH BIDEN’S GUN TASK FORCE. ABC’s Arlette Saenz reports: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the country’s most outspoken proponent of new gun laws, told reporters today his office is advising Vice President Joe Biden’s task force on gun control legislation. “We sent some of our people down to Washington, and we had some people on the phone to give Joe Biden our ideas,” Bloomberg said at a press conference in New York City this morning. A spokesman for Bloomberg confirmed the New York City mayor has spoken with Biden about gun legislation since the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Bloomberg is promoting a number of legislative and executive initiatives to develop new gun laws.   He is calling for legislation that would require criminal background checks on all gun sales, limit high capacity magazines and “military style assault” weapons, and make gun trafficking a felony. http://abcn.ws/Zz85NH

THE NOTE:

In the tug-of-war over the fiscal cliff both sides had to find room to compromise, but in the first ABC News-Washington Post poll since the deal was struck, President Obama appears to be winning the war for public opinion.

Overall, 52 percent of Americans said they approve of the president’s handling of the negotiations to avert the cliff, compared to 37 percent who disapprove. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner’s ratings are upside down, with 31 percent approving of his performance on the cliff talks and 51 percent disapproving.

“Boehner lacks majority approval for his work on the fiscal cliff talks from any group,” notes ABC News polling analyst Greg Holyk. “And while Obama breaks even on intensity of sentiment, strong approval of Boehner’s performance falls to the single digits.”

Of the deal itself — which raised income tax rates on wealthy Americans but put off some tough choices on other fiscal matters for just a matter of months — 45 percent in today’s ABC News-Washington Post poll said they approve of the agreement while 38 percent disapprove. Another 17 percent of Americans remain undecided.

More findings from the poll:

–Among Democrats, 81 percent approve of President Obama’s handling of the talks, including 44 percent who approve “strongly.”

–Among Republicans, Speaker Boehner received 38 percent approval overall, and just 10 percent strong approval.

–Political independents split about evenly on the deal itself (40 percent approve, 44 percent disapprove and 16 percent don’t know) and on Obama’s handling of negotiations, but most (52 percent) disapprove of Boehner’s performance.

Full ABC News-Washington Post poll results: http://abcn.ws/U0nCRI

NOTED!

ABC’s AMY WALTER: For those of us who are true political junkies, Richard Ben Cramer’s tome on the election of 1988, “What It Takes’, is our bible. Unlike political journalism of today, however, it focused more on the profiles of the men who wanted to be president and less on the process of campaigning. Cramer dug into their past, tracking their childhood scars and successes and reminding us of the humanity involved in this sometimes dehumanizing experience.

ABC’s RICK KLEIN: You can’t understand Chuck Hagel or John Kerry without understanding Vietnam. And you can’t understand President Obama’s foreign policy and national security mission for his second term without understanding what Vietnam means to the two men who will (Senate-willing) be the most prominent parts of his team. It’s not just the vision of Hagel and Kerry that the president is seeking — it’s their credibility during a time of winding down wars, downsizing the military, and confronting new threats in what all three men hope will be non-traditional ways. That will be the clear subtext in confirmation hearings, particularly Hagel’s, as Obama turns to two former colleagues for backup on Defense.

IN THE NOTE’S INBOX:

–INAUGURATION UPDATE: The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of Medgar Evers, has been selected to deliver the invocation and Rev. Louie Giglio, the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, has been selected to deliver the benediction at the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony of President Obama and Vice President Biden on Jan. 21. “Vice President Biden and I are honored that Myrlie Evers-Williams and Rev. Louie Giglio will participate in the Inaugural ceremony,” President Obama said today. “Their voices have inspired many people across this great nation within the faith community and beyond. Their careers reflect the ideals that the Vice President and I continue to pursue for all Americans – justice, equality, and opportunity.”

THE BUZZ:

with ABC’s Chris Good (@c_good)

CHUCK HAGEL PUSHBACK: GROUPS SAY HE’S ANTI ISRAEL, ANTI GAY. Now that President Obama has announced Hagel as his pick despite all the backlash against him, pushback from Israel and gay groups  has begun anew. The Bill-Kristol-counded Emergency Committee for Israel posted a new website attacking Hagel — www.chuckhagel.com. The Anti-Defamation League, a group founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, doesn’t sound too excited. The group’s president, Abraham Foxman, released a statement that read, in part: “I trust that the confirmation process will provide an opportunity for Senator Hagel to address concerns about his positions, which seem so out of sync with President Obama’s clear commitment on issues like Iran sanctions, isolating Hamas and Hezbollah and the president’s strong support for a deepening of U.S. Israel strategic cooperation. I particularly hope Senator Hagel will clarify and explain his comments about the ‘Jewish Lobby’ that were hurtful to many in the Jewish Community.” Hagel’s 1998 anti-gay comment about an ambassadorial nominee hasn’t faded, either. The gay GOP group Lob Cabin Republicans took out a full-page A7 ad in today’s Washington Post, surfacing a timeline of Hagel’s anti-gay record. http://abcn.ws/Wp4afs

HAGEL: REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS REACT. The new Cabinet nominee has his supporters, detractors, and those in the middle. Colin Powell: “”I wholeheartedly endorse President Obama’s nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense.” Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Chuck Hagel, as a former colleague and a patriot with a decorated service record, has earned the right to nothing less than a full and fair process in the Senate. I look forward to fully studying his record and exploring his views.” GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor: “Senator Chuck Hagel is the wrong man for the job at such a pivotal time.” http://abcn.ws/ZzhXqT

KARZAI TO THE WHITE HOUSE. With the U.S. withdrawing troops from Afghanistan on its 2014 timeline, Afgha president Hamid Karzai will come to the White House on Friday. The White House announcement, via ABC’s Devin Dwyer: “President Obama will host President Hamid Karzai and his delegation at the White House for bilateral meetings on Friday, January 11. President Obama looks forward to welcoming the Afghan delegation to Washington, and discussing our continued transition in Afghanistan, and our shared vision of an enduring partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.”

JOHN BRENNAN TO FACE QUESTIONS ON INTERROGATION. The Hill’s Carlo Munoz reports: President Obama’s pick to head the CIA could face a rough road to confirmation in the Senate due to his involvement in the ‘enhanced interrogation’ techniques of the George W. Bush administration. The president on Monday announced he would nominate John Brennan, the White House’s counterterrorism chief, to lead the top spy agency following the recent departure of David Petraeus. … Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he has ‘many questions and concerns’ about Brennan’s role in overseeing the interrogation programs, ‘as well as his public defense of those programs. I plan to examine this aspect of Mr. Brennan’s record very closely as I consider his nomination,’ said McCain in a statement Monday.” http://bit.ly/VQdg5K

FIRST CONTESTED GOP PRIMARY SHAPES UP. Via National Review’s Jim Geraghty, the Elk Valley Times reports: “Jim Tracy, who currently represents state senatorial district 14, announced his candidacy for Congress Wednesday at the famed Reeves-Sain Pharmacy in Murfreesboro. Tracy, a small business owner and conservative state senator, said he was running for Congress because government is both financially and morally bankrupt, and in order to get America back on the right track, the country needs leaders of character and integrity with a core belief in conservative principles serving in Congress. ‘I am running for Congress because our government is broken–morally and financially,’ said Tracy (Rep., Shelbyville). ‘I am a conservative in word and deed. I have lived my life both personally and professionally in a way that is consistent with my core conservative values.’ … Tracy will face incumbent Dr. Scott DesJarlais in the August 2014 primary.”http://bit.ly/XI6AMN

CLINTON BACK TO WORK, PLANS TO TESTIFY. The LA Times’ Morgal Little reports: “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to work Monday, following a lengthy absence caused by a series of health-related concerns.Clinton will be leaving her post shortly, with Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) expected to take her place. But before that happens, the State Department confirmed that she intends to testify on the consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya, as the sitting secretary. ‘The expectation is that the sequence will work out such that she’ll be able to testify,’ State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Monday, emphasizing that Clinton’s testimony will be delivered ‘while she is still sitting secretary of State.’” http://bit.ly/XI6AMN

 Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

WHO’S TWEETING?

@RonBrownstein: We will all remember the great Richard Ben Cramer who raised campaign reporting to a literary level never again equaled, not even close. RIP

@NKingofDC: Yep, “What It Takes” still awes. But Richard Ben Cramer also wrote one of the best baseball stories ever and won his Pulitzer overseas. Wow.

@GarrettNBCNews: When I got the embed job I was told to read “What It Takes,” and if I didn’t love it, quit. A true classic. RIP Richard Ben Cramer

@GovernorOMalley: I’m deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Richard Ben Cramer. He was a great American, great Marylander & a dear friend.

@jdickerson: Just pulled down my copy of What it Takes in honor of Richard Ben Cramer. RIP pic.twitter.com/gRIMfFe0

image credit: Nati Harnik/AP Photo

The pushback against Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s new nominee for secretary of Defense, has been swift and sustained.

Almost as soon as Hagel’s name was floated on background as a likely nominee, Israel and gay-rights advocates sprang to criticize the former Republican senator and noted Iraq war critic. He voted against Iran sanctions, and the Republican Jewish Coalition aired a long list of grievances that reads like a point-by-point antithesis of what staunch Israel backers would look for in a Cabinet official: with his name missing from a series of lawmaker letters, Hagel was on the wrong side of issues from Hezbollah to Hamas to Iran’s nuclear program, the RJC said.

And in 1998, Hagel made an anti-gay comment about ambassadorial nominee Jim Hormel, opposing him as “openly aggressively gay.” Hagel apologized last month.

Now that Obama has announced Hagel as his pick despite all the backlash against him, that backlash has begun anew.

The Emergency Committee for Israel, the Bill-Kristol-founded Israel group that typically takes a hawkish line and airs campaign ads against Democrats, has posted a new website attacking Hagel — www.chuckhagel.com — urging readers to call their senators and oppose his nomination. The site hosts a trove of opposition research on Hagel’s votes, plus the ad ECI already aired opposing Hagel on cable TV in the Washington, D.C., area last month.

The Anti-Defamation League, a group founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, doesn’t sound too excited. The group’s president, Abraham Foxman, released a statement that began with the conciliatory note of respecting Obama’s prerogative, but continued with criticism.

“I trust that the confirmation process will provide an opportunity for Senator Hagel to address concerns about his positions, which seem so out of sync with President Obama’s clear commitment on issues like Iran sanctions, isolating Hamas and Hezbollah and the president’s strong support for a deepening of U.S. Israel strategic cooperation,” Foxman wrote. “I particularly hope Senator Hagel will clarify and explain his comments about the ‘Jewish Lobby’ that were hurtful to many in the Jewish Community.”

Hagel’s 1998 anti-gay comment hasn’t faded, either.

The gay GOP group Lob Cabin Republicans took out a full-page A7 ad in today’s Washington Post, surfacing a timeline of Hagel’s anti-gay record.

But Hagel also has his defenders, as well as those who might just be willing to hear him out, among gay-rights groups and Israel lobbyists.

Notably, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which gained prominence in the gay-rights community during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal push, released a measured statement from Executive Director Allyson Robinson, stating that “if confirmed, [Hagel] will be an effective leader for the Pentagon,” while calling on him to fully endorse gay rights in the military.

Compiled by ABC News’ Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen and Carrie Halperin

INAUGURATION
ABC News’  Mathew Lartonda: “Oops: Ticketmaster Mixup Sells Out Obama Inaugural Ball Early” After an inadvertent early sale of tickets to events surrounding President Obama’s second inauguration, some of the celebration festivities sold out even before they were supposed to go on sale. Public sales for the inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the day’s parade were scheduled to be released this morning on Ticketmaster. But in an email to waiting buyers released by the vendor today, Ticketmaster admitted that sales inadvertently went up Sunday, a day early. LINK

BRENNAN
The Wall Street Journal’s Siobhan Gorman:  “A Trusted Adviser on Terror” In choosing Brennan to be the next CIA director, Obama is turning to a trusted deputy and architect of the administration’s war against radical adversaries. In choosing John Brennan to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, President Barack Obama is turning to a trusted deputy and architect of the administration’s unconventional, covert war against radical adversaries. LINK

CHUCK HAGEL
The Hills’ Jeremy Herb: “Obama nominates Hagel for Pentagon, picking fight with GOP” President Obama on Monday nominated former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to be the nation’s next Defense secretary despite warnings of a tough confirmation fight from some Senate Republicans. “Chuck Hagel is the leader that our troops deserve,” Obama said from the White House. “He is an American patriot.” LINK

The Washington Times’ Shaun Waterman: “Bipartisan blows stand 
between Brennan and 
post at helm of CIA” Republicans are suspicious of John O. Brennan’s refusal to link the words “Islamic” and “terrorism” in the same breath as President Obama’s chief counterterrorism adviser. Democrats complain that he supported torture against suspected terrorists when he served in the CIA during the George w. Bush administration. LINK

The Boston Globe’s Bryan Bender: “In Chuck Hagel and John Kerry, a wariness of war” President Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense, coupled with his pick of Senator John F. Kerry for secretary of state, puts two Vietnam veterans known for their deeply cautious approach to the use of military force at the helm of American defense and foreign policy, providing a window into a world view that would be a centerpiece of the next four years. LINK

The Washington Post’s Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten: “Chuck Hagel nomination creates rare partisan fight over Pentagon post” The nomination of former senator Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon has set in motion a highly unusual campaign-style brawl over a Cabinet post long considered above politics. Supporters and opponents are raising money and building political organizations in anticipation of a grueling and contentious Senate confirmation process. LINK

HILLARY CLINTON
The Los Angeles Times’ Morgan Little: “Clinton returns to work, plans to testify on Benghazi attack” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to work Monday, following a lengthy absence caused by a series of health-related concerns. Clinton will be leaving her post shortly, with Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) expected to take her place. LINK

DEBT-CEILING
The New York Daily News’ Kristen A. Lee: “Trillion-dollar coin could let President Obama bypass debt-ceiling impasse” Could another standoff over the nation’s debt ceiling be avoided with some loose change? Advocates for a new trillion dollar platinum coin don’t find that idea so outlandish. New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler is the most prominent politician arguing that minting a trillion dollar coin to pay some of the nation’s debt is a better option than another fight over raising the U.S. debt ceiling that could result in default. LINK

JOHN BRENNAN
Politico’s Josh Gerstein: “Brennan pick revives leaks dispute” The bitter election-year battle over alleged White House leaks of national security secrets is heating up again — this time fueled by President Barack Obama’s pick for CIA director. Obama’s nomination of counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the CIA is reviving long-simmering claims that the president’s aides leaked classified information to bolster his reelection chances. LINK

OTHER / A.I.G.
The New York Times’ Ben Protess and Michael J. De La Merced: “Rescued by a Bailout, A.I.G. May Sue Its Savior” Fresh from paying back a $182 billion bailout, the American International Group has been running a nationwide advertising campaign with the tagline “Thank you America.” Behind the scenes, the restored insurance company is weighing whether to tell the government agencies that rescued it during the financial crisis: thanks, but you cheated our shareholders. LINK

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                                                                                         (Image Credit: AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Vice President Joe Biden, cabinet members and senior staff are preparing to hold meetings this week with a number of groups focused on the problem of gun violence.

Officials in the vice president’s office say Biden will hold meetings with victims’ groups and gun-safety organizations Wednesday, and he will meet with advocates for sportsmen and women and gun ownership groups, including the National Rifle Association, Thursday.

In addition to such groups, Biden will meet with representatives from the entertainment and video game industries and hold conference calls with elected officials across the country.

Gabby Giffords Fights Back on Gun Violence

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is set to meet with teacher, parent and education groups while Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will meet with mental health and disability advocates.  Senior staff will continue to meet with a wide array of groups working on gun control.

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com.

Officials in the vice president’s office say Biden will make recommendations to the president about how to proceed with new gun legislation shortly after he concludes the meetings with the groups.

A spokesman for the NRA confirmed to ABC News that a representative from the group will attend the meeting with Biden on Thursday.

“We got an invite late Friday from the WH.  We are sending a representative to hear what they have to say,” Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the NRA, said via e-mail.

A week after the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the NRA called for placing armed police officers in every school.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is a major supporter of new gun legislation, told reporters Monday that his office is advising Biden’s task force, which was formed in the wake of the massacre last month at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The Washington Post reported this weekend that Biden’s task force is considering a broader approach to gun legislation than simply reinstating the assault weapon ban.

Some of the options under consideration include a comprehensive background check program, a more in depth national database for the sale of weapons, creating stronger penalties for people who carry guns near schools and developing stronger mental-health check programs.

This post has been updated.

President Obama Taps Chuck Hagel for Defense, John Brennan for CIA (full wrap from Devin Dwyer and Jon Karl) – http://abcn.ws/Zz6sj8

Who is Chuck Hagel? – He’s a two-time purple heart recipient, Vietnam veteran and Nebraska native son. He’d be the first man who saw combat as an enlisted man to become Secretary of Defense. But critics are concerned he’s not strong enough in his support for Israel and fault him for opposing the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. (Chris Good & Sarah Parnass) http://abcn.ws/VKoKbu

Hagel says what he thinks: he backed McCain over Bush in 2000. His silence backed Obama over McCain in 2008.  He’s that rare breed of  politician who seems capable of equally aggravating powerful people on both sides of the aisle.

This was the strongest statement against him today – “Senator Hagel’s views and inflammatory statements about Israel are well outside the mainstream and raise well-founded doubts that he can be trusted to manage the special relationship the United States shares with our greatest Middle East ally.” (Eric Cantor) http://abcn.ws/ZzhXqS

Side note – serving with Obama on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was, in hindsight, a good resume builder. (Biden, Kerry, Hagel).

This reporter recalls his upbraiding of colleagues during the debate over the surge.

“If you want a safe job, go sell shoes,” he said at a senate committee hearing in one memorable moment. http://abcn.ws/Wp0nPx

Here’s how John Ullyott, a former Republican SASC spokesman and former Marine officer describes Hagel:

“He was respected as a colleague in the normal Senate tradition, but was somewhat of a Lone Wolf and did not forge the deep personal relationships with his fellow Republicans that would translate into a ready reservoir of support for his nomination.     On top of that, his outspokenness and blunt criticism of several Republican priorities at a critical time, including Iraq and Iran, while sincere and heartfelt, have left him without a natural platform of enthusiasm for his confirmation.”

Blunted so far by Hagel’s nomination is what’s sure to be a vigorous debate over John Brennan and his involvement in Bush administration policy on “enhanced interrogation techniques” and his development of the Obama drone policy, too. Stay tuned to this space for more on that real soon.

Panetta’s Legacy - ABC’s Arlette Saenz reports President Obama’s decision to nominate Chuck Hagel as defense secretary marks the end of a a short but very active tenure for the current Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, a man who has held a breadth of official jobs in Washington – from Congressman to White House Chief of Staff and CIA Director – even as he split time between the nation’s capital and his family’s walnut farm in Monterey, Calif.

At the president’s press conference today announcing his replace, Panetta joked he was going back to that farm to take care of “another kind of nuts.” http://abcn.ws/ZzcUXl

Bloomberg Taking Aim at Gun Violence with Biden’s Task Force – The New York City Mayor sent some of his guys “down to Washington” to push Bloomberg’s ideas on gun laws to the VP. (Arlette Saenz) http://abcn.ws/Zz85NG

Supreme Court Returns Today With Gay Marriage, Affirmative Action, Voting Rights in View - ABC’s Ariane de Vogue reports  justices are already working behind the scenes writing and reviewing draft opinions for cases they heard this fall. http://abcn.ws/Zz6FTl

Greta Van Susteren ‘On the Record’ with ABC – The Fox News host talks about conducting an interview with the President of Romania without a translation and Bo the First Dog’s fashion choices. (Kaye Foley) http://abcn.ws/Zz7GuD

The Secretary Returns – The State Department released a photo of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton back on the job today after she spent weeks sidelined by illness. To celebrate her return, colleagues gave her a standing ovation – and some football gear. (Luis Martinez & Sarah Parnass)

Oops: Ticketmaster Accidentally Sells Out Obama Inaugural Ball – Every single ticket was snatched up before they were even scheduled to go on sale, thanks to a mixup Sunday when the ticket sales company was testing its email list. (Matthew Larotonda) http://abcn.ws/TYyAaj

U.S. Spends More on Immigration than Other Criminal Enforcements – A report released today shows that dollar-for-dollar, immigration is by far the federal government’s top priority when it comes to federal criminal enforcement. Adjusted for inflation, the federal budget for immigration enforcement has grown from $1.2 billion in 1986 to $17.9 billion in 2012, with stark increases since the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002. Meanwhile, apprehensions at the border have fallen to levels not seen in more than 40 years. In the 2011 fiscal year, apprehensions dropped to 340,252, the lowest level since 1970. Net migration from Mexico has dropped to zero and may be going in reverse, meaning that more Mexican immigrants may be leaving the United States than are entering it. While enforcement plays a role in that decline, the migration numbers have also been affected by a sluggish U.S. economy, a growing Mexican middle class and shrinking fertility rates among Mexican women. More from Univision’s immigration editor Ted Hesson:http://abcn.ws/SgDqTf

PRO HAGEL

Colin Powell, Former Secretary of State

“I wholeheartedly endorse President Obama’s nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense.

Chuck Hagel has been a friend and colleague of mine for over twenty years.  He is a fellow Infantryman who demonstrated his courage in Vietnam.  He served his country as a dedicated official in the Department of Veteran Affairs and as a respected legislator.  He was also a successful businessman.

Chuck displays his courage in many ways. You can always count on him to analyze a difficult situation and take a position that reflects his best judgment.  I believe that more than ever we need that kind of independent and bold leader who thinks in and out of the box. He is the kind of leader needed by the Department of Defense to deal with the strategic and resource challenges it will be facing over the next several years.

He will be a splendid successor to Secretary Leon Panetta, who has done a superb job in guiding the Pentagon.  I urge the Senate to hold prompt hearings and to confirm this distinguished American as soon as possible.”

Jan Scruggs, President and Founder of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

“I would have to say Chuck Hagel is the sort of person who you would want in your fox hole.”

“I think it is an outrage to see a patriot like this attacked  by these people, to be accused of [being anti-Semitic, which he is not, anti-Israel which he is not,” Scruggs told ABC’s Martha Raddatz Monday. “This is somebody who lives to serve our country. He was willing to give his life for our country. Not everyone is willing to do that.

“This is the guy you want for secretary of defense, and he will be the secretary of defense.”

RESERVING JUDGMENT

Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator  (D-New York) 

“Chuck Hagel, as a former colleague and a patriot with a decorated service record, has earned the right to nothing less than a full and fair process in the Senate. I look forward to fully studying his record and exploring his views.”

 Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator  (D-West Virginia)

“The President – like any elected executive – should have the utmost consideration in putting a staff together, and I intend to do that. I haven’t met or spoken with either Senator Hagel or Mr. Brennan, but both of these men have served our country with honor and distinction. I look forward to talking with them, hearing their views and giving their nominations my full consideration. In particular, I am eager for the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearings to take place, because I will have the opportunity to ask West Virginians’ commonsense questions about how we can make our country and our world safer.”

AGAINST HAGEL

Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader (R-Virginia)

“I am profoundly concerned and disappointed by President Obama’s nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense. Recent reporting has made clear that Senator Hagel’s views and inflammatory statements about Israel are well outside the mainstream and raise well-founded doubts that he can be trusted to manage the special relationship the United States shares with our greatest Middle East ally.

“Senator Hagel’s incendiary views of Israel are only the tip of the iceberg. On Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and defense spending, Hagel’s reported views call into question his judgment about the most important matters facing our national security. Taken together, Hagel’s views represent a call for a broad retreat from the preeminent role America has played, and must continue to play, in the world during a period of profound tumult and instability.

“Hagel opted for political expediency in opposing the surge in Iraq, and supported a retreat that would have ceded victory to al Qaeda and Iran. The nomination of a man known primarily for opposing sanctions and military action against Iran strongly suggests that all options are not on the table. Hagel’s nomination telegraphs weakness in the Middle East and defeatism in Afghanistan, where our Afghan partners will surely be concerned, and our Taliban and Iranian adversaries will surely be emboldened.

“There has been widespread and bipartisan opposition to this potential nomination, and the President’s willingness to move forward despite these concerns only reinforces the signal that he agrees with Hagel’s extreme positions. Senator Chuck Hagel is the wrong man for the job at such a pivotal time.”

 Rob Portman, U.S. Senator (R-Ohio)

“I am surprised and disappointed President Obama has chosen to move forward with Senator Hagel’s nomination given the significant concerns that both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have expressed about Senator Hagel’s positions and past votes on issues regarding some of our closest allies and most pressing national security threats.  I believe Senator Hagel should get a fair look and an opportunity to defend his record, his past comments, and his current beliefs, but I don’t understand why the Administration is looking to pick yet another political fight instead of working with Congress to solve some of the very real problems we face as a country.”

David Vitter, U.S. Senator (R-Louisiana)

“I’ll be a no vote on the Armed Services Committee and on the floor,” Vitter said.  “Given Chuck Hagel’s statements and actions on a nuclear Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, I think his confirmation would send exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies alike.  Israel, our strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a lot of threat and uncertainty right now; Hagel would make that even worse.”

“We sent some of our people down to Washington, and we had some people on the phone to give Joe Biden our ideas,” Bloomberg said at a press conference in New York City this morning.

A spokesman for Bloomberg confirmed the New York City mayor has spoken with Biden about gun legislation since the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Bloomberg is promoting a number of legislative and executive initiatives to develop new gun laws.   He is calling for legislation that would require criminal background checks on all gun sales, limit high capacity magazines and “military style assault” weapons, and make gun trafficking a felony.

On the executive side, Bloomberg is pushing for President Obama to make a recess appointment for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,  for the Department of Justice to prosecute people who have failed background checks due to lying, and for the president to order all federal agencies to send data to a national background check database.

In the wake of the massacre which left 20 children and seven adults dead in Newtown, Conn., last month, Obama appointed Biden to spearhead efforts to craft recommendations for gun legislation.

The Washington Post reported this weekend that Biden’s task force is “seriously considering measures backed by key law enforcement leaders that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, strengthen mental health checks, and stiffen penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors.”

Bloomberg today expressed confidence that Biden will develop a package of recommendations that will help curb gun violence.

“I think all of us know that Joe Biden is not a shrinking violet, particularly when it comes to crime and the gun problem in this country and the number of murders,” Bloomberg said. “I think what we’ve got to do to first is try to do everything we can to help Joe Biden.”