Baier Bret - Special heart: a journey of faith, hope, courage and love

Washington, D.C.January 6, 20147:02 a.m.

Its Monday morningthe first full week of the New Year. After its traditionaland longChristmas break, Capitol Hill is slowly coming back to life. As I approach the Fox News bureau two blocks from the U.S. Capitol, I look down at my watch and see I am running a few minutes late.

I am here early this morning so I can appear on several local Fox stations across the countrypart of an affiliate outreach project I began about eight months ago. I really enjoy doing these affiliate interviews. Even though Special Report doesnt air for another eleven hours, mixing it up with anchors from coast to coast this early in the morning helps me get my head in the game for the rest of the day. It also gives me a golden opportunity to hear what stories might be resonating nationwide and worth paying attention to on tonights show.

Under the banner all politics is local, D.C., like much of the rest of the country, is being affected by what meteorologists are calling a polar vortex. Its a new phrase for me, but frankly, it seems like just a high-tech way of saying its very cold outside. Fancy terminology or not, weather conditions across the country are getting a lot of attention on all the networks as I enter the bureau and scan the bank of television monitors in the newsroom.

Despite the extreme temperatures, much about Washington seems quite normal this morning. Just six days into the New Year, the 2014 political cauldron is already starting to boil up as both parties jockey for tactical advantage in the November midterm electionsstill a full ten months away. First out of the blocks on Capitol Hill is a measure to extend unemployment benefits; right behind thatan expected fight over raising the minimum wage. Based on political talking points unfurled on the Sunday talk shows, both sides seem quite comfortable hunkering down in their well-worn trenches for some traditional class warfare over income inequalitya topic President Obama has been talking a lot about lately.

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, frequently mentioned as a possible 2016 presidential contender, is facing questions this week over whether he intentionally created a traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge in order to punish a mayor who didnt support his re-election bid.

So-called Bridgegate has also become quite fertile ground for the late-night comics. Combined with the less-than-stellar rollout of President Obamas signature health care plan, it is safe to say stand-up comedians everywhere will have plenty of material to see them through the vortex and well into the spring.

With the Senate confirmation of a new Federal Reserve Chair, a Supreme Court hold on same-sex marriage in Utah, an emerging $1.1 trillion budget bill, an upcoming vote on raising the debt limit and the rise of al Qaeda in Iraq and this promises to be a very busy week. As I sit at my computer checking the newswires, my assistant Katy Ricalde hands me the list of the affiliates Ill be talking with and the precise times they will come to me in the studiothe same studio we use for Special Report every night at 6:00 p.m. ET.

WTXF Philadelphia with Mike Jerrick and Sheinelle Jones at 7:30 a.m. WTVT Tampa with Russell Rhodes at 7:35 a.m. WAGA Atlanta with Gurvir Dhindsa at 7:40 a.m., followed by live hits spaced out every five minutes with Dave Froehlich at KTBC in Austin, John Brown at WOFL in Orlando, Greg Kelly and Rosanna Scotto at WNYW in New York City, Tom Butler at KMSP in Minneapolis, Tony McEwing at KTTV in Los Angeles, Allison Seymour at WTTG in Washington, D.C., Anqunette Q Jamison at WJBK in Detroit, Ernie Freeman at WHBQ in Memphis, Shannon Mulaire at WFXT in Boston, Tim Ryan and Lauren Przybyl at KDFW in Dallas, Natalie Bomke at WFLD in Chicago, and wrapping up with Jose Grinan at KRIV in Houston at 9:20 a.m.