This Week’s Agenda: GOP Debate, Economy, Netroots

The GOP will see it’s first major debate with all its prominent players in New Hampshire today. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum are all expected to participate. Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway’s Washington correspondent, is most interested in how Bachmann and Santorum try to “out-conservative” each other to gain the following of those who don’t support Mitt Romney. A topic that will surely be a key part of the debate will be the poor state of the economy. A set of key economic indicators is set to be released this week. Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway  and WNYC, is expecting retail sales to fall, and a stock market finishing down for six weeks in a row is certainly not helping either.   Netroots Nation, the online group that was instrumental in raising money and drumming up enthusiasm for President Obama in 2008, will be holding their meetings later this week.