Pollster John Zogby reports in our weekly White House report card that President Obama has some hurdles to clear as he begins the week.

"President Obama enters the week bruised over his drone program and the involvement of CIA Director nominee John Brennan, whose confirmation hearing last week was interrupted with protests. Obama will see Brennan confirmed by the Senate, but in the process a lot of details about a secret policy are being aired. Now little of these 'revelations' are new, but the news is daily and offers Mr. Obama's opponents (and some of his liberal supporters) the opportunity to charge him with hypocrisy. He had been a vocal critic of such operations. Meanwhile, the debate about budget cuts to avoid sequestration is between slower and slowest."

Zogby Advice: "It's great timing for a powerful State of the Union message. Be a combo of Lincoln ('with malice toward none and justice toward all'") and Clinton by stealing the deficit issue and proposing deep cuts by adopting Simpson-Bowles."

Grade -- C