
By Rebecca Blatt
Incoming Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will attend President Obama's State of the Union address next week at a time when she is trying to repair the city's relationship with the White House.
Mr. Obama has distanced himself from Baltimore's current Mayor Sheila Dixon. He took office shortly after Dixon was indicted on corruption charges. She will step down next month as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Rawlings-Blake, Dixon's successor, is hoping to establish closer ties to the Obama administration. She attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting at the White House this week, and a spokesman says she will attend the State of the Union as a guest of Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).
President Obama is expected to visit Baltimore Friday to address House Republican Conference members during a retreat. This will be his first visit to the city since taking office.
David Hawkings, political columnist at Hawkings Here for Roll Call, talks about the latest behind a Virginia lawmaker's push to get a high-skill immigration bill in the House.

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