Will a Gun Control Battle Mark the Beginning of a Second Term Letdown for Obama or Further Splinter the GOP?

Congress is back in session after a two week break and is expected to present bills and proposals over the next few days on issues vital to President Obama's second term goals. There are only 10 weeks before the 2014 cycle is expected to take control of the beltway and media, and should Republicans win back the Senate, Obama would face a legislative opposition that would near certainly handcuff the White House agenda over the president's final two years in office. The president stumped for gun control Monday in Connecticut, a state where a horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary at the end of last year rejuvenated the national conversation on the issue. Despite the White House's consistant calls for stricter laws on guns, it appears that both Republicans and several Democrats will not join the president on the issue. Republicans broke some ranks over the weekend on the issue though, with Sen. John McCain saying on CBS's Face the Nation that he doesn't "understand" the announced efforts of Republican Senate colleagues Ted Cruz and Rand Paul to filibuster any gun legislation.

In addition to gun control, the Senate's Gang of Eight immigration reform bill is supposed to come out this week along with more details on the House plan. Despite repeatedly stating that immigration reform would be a major focus of his second term, Obama appears to be a secondary player on the issue that advocates feel is at a make or break moment.

'Real News' opened Monday focusing on the major issues expected to move forward in Washington this week, where the president will be on the final legislation or failure to pass anything at all, and how this all will effect the Obama legacy.