Washington in 60 Seconds -- So You Think You Can Govern?

Good morning, Capitolists! As the president jets back from the Gulf Coast in time for his prime-time Oval Office speech about the BP oil spill, Congress will have its hands full with oil, wars and proposals that might bring an end to both. Here's what's happening in Washington today, in the next 60 seconds.

- So You Think You Can Govern? President Obama bumps the network TV schedule tonight with his first-ever Oval Office address. The topic, of course, will be the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but the issue will be whether the administration's efforts to avoid the blame for the spill meant it avoided taking control of the sprawling disaster until it was too late. The 15-minute address starts at 8 p.m. Eastern.

- Oil on the Grill. With oil still spewing into the Gulf, it's time for the public flogging of the top five oil company executives before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. CEOs from BP America, Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and ConocoPhillips will raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth to the panel at 9:30 this morning in the congressional equivalent of a perp walk. Every drama needs a villain, Capitolists, and Congress has their men.

- Cap-and-Trade Price Tag. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) will release the estimate today of how much Americans would pay if energy companies had a cap on the amount of carbon they can release into the atmosphere. The cap-and-trade mechanism has been passed by the House and is a key component of a bill from Kerry and Lieberman to reduce American dependence on foreign oil. Backers are crossing their fingers the president endorses the approach in his speech tonight.

- Trouble and Squeak. Our friends across the pond have gotten their bloomers in a knot over President Obama's constant references to "British Petroleum," the former name of BP, a move that Brits have called "anti-British." To calm the row, the American ambassador in London went to the BBC to tell them, no offense, but it's not about you. "While it might seem a bit undiplomatic in terms of the words, trust me, it had nothing to do with the fact it was British or American. It was the fact it's a problem."

- The Politics of War. The Senate Armed Services Committee will get an update from Gen. David Petraeus on the war in Afghanistan today as questions about the pace and cost of the conflict are giving Democrats simultaneous cases of heartburn and cold feet and the emergency war spending bill remains incomplete. This month marks the first time that the U.S. military has more troops in Afghanistan than Iraq.

- The Real Housewife of D.C. And finally, the first lady may have some fans near the New Jersey Turnpike, or at least her guns do. During last night's installment of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," friends of Danielle Staub encouraged the single mom to show a little more skin on a daily basis, telling her, "You got better arms than Michelle Obama."