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The barnstorming is a build-up to Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 20, following his two-week Hawaiian vacation, in the face of a Congress that has its own agenda. The Republicans take control of both houses for the first time in Obama’s presidency on Jan. 6, and will seek to put the president on the defensive by undoing his policies on issues ranging from immigration to health care. (Wilber, 1/4)

In the first few weeks of January, the Republicans plan to hold votes on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and to try to repeal Mr. Obama’s chief legislative policy, the Affordable Care Act ... “The president is eager to get to work, and looks forward to working with the new Congress on policies that will make sure middle-class Americans are sharing in the economic recovery,” the White House said. “There are a number of issues we could make progress on, but the president is clear that he will not let this Congress undo important protections gained — particularly in areas of health care, Wall Street reform and the environment.” (Schmidt, 1/3)

During the worst days of the Obamacare rollout last year, Kathleen Sebelius kept her spirits up by thinking about … Medicare. As the Obamacare website was crashing and conservative interest groups were shining the spotlight on canceled health plans, the embattled Health and Human Services secretary flashed back to the fierce battles over the creation of Medicare in the 1960s, when the American Medical Association fought its passage ... Now, she says, when the AMA speaks out about Medicare, it’s when the doctors are trying to prevent their Medicare payments from being cut. The lesson for future political leaders who might be thinking about the next ambitious social programs? Don’t shy away from them. (Nather, 12/29)