The Early Word: Calculations - NYTimes.com The Early Word: Calculations Peter Baker delves into how President Obama's re-election chances played into his decision to shift the nation's approach on counterterrorism, a process that resulted in the changes the president announced last week. Mr. Obama plans to nominate three judges to the federal appeals court in Washington, despite facing roadblocks to confirmation in the Senate, where Republicans - who would rather eliminate the vacant seats at the court - wield enough power to stall or kill some nominations, Michael D. Shear writes. At 9 a.m., Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, is scheduled to deliver remarks to a conference of physician assistants in Washington. She is expected to lay out strategies for meeting the needs of new patients entering the system under the new health care law. Starting at 10 a.m., the Supreme Court will begin issuing orders and opinions. The attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., will deliver keynote remarks to 70 new citizens at 11:15 a.m. during a special naturalization ceremony in the Justice Department. After touring areas of the New Jersey coastline still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, President Obama will return to the White House for a meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at 4:30 p.m. in the Oval Office. At 5:30 p.m., he will speak at an event in the East Room for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.