The Washington Post: "House leaders have cut the cost of their health-care overhaul to around $871 billion over the next decade, Democratic sources said Tuesday night, and were working to line up votes for the package with the aim of bringing it before the full House early next month. The $871 billion estimate -- well under the $900 billion limit set by President Obama -- is the latest of several versions scored by congressional budget analysts, according to a Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks. The measure would include a government-run insurance plan that pays providers at rates tied to Medicare, the aide added."

"Top Senate Democrats intend to try to strip the health insurance industry of its exemption from federal antitrust laws, according to congressional officials, the latest evidence of a deepening struggle over President Barack Obama's effort to overhaul the health care industry," the AP says. "If enacted, the switch would mean greater federal regulation for an industry that recently has stepped up its criticism of portions of a health care bill moving toward the Senate floor."

Per NBC's Carroll Ann Mears, here's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday on health care: "We've had some very good meetings today. The one we started at 6:00 pm, we just wrapped it up with the two chairmen, the President's chief of staff, Nancy-Ann DeParle and staff in different areas of expertise has been extremely rewarding. We're not completely to the point where the two bills are put together but we're making a lot of progress."

More Reid: "What we do every night is pick a number of issues that everyone knows ahead of time -- what we're going to talk about. We did that today. We're going to do it tomorrow. I've been very satisfied. There have been no loud voices. The staffs have been working very well together. The two senators who are chairman of these major committees are working together. For example, today Chairman Baucus wanted to make a presentation but his staff gave it to the help committee staff first so there are no surprises. I feel very good about where we are and where we're going."

She ain't Olympia Snowe. Roll Call looks at how the other senator from Maine, Susan Collins -- a former state insurance regulator (appointed to that job by her husband) -- hasn't been swayed by Snowe's overtures toward to White House on health care and is skeptical of reform legislation making its way through both houses. "Susan Collins is as conservative a Senator as can be elected from Maine," a former GOP Senate leadership aide said. "She is wired differently than Sen. Snowe. Susan Collins will over-think every aspect of this, but will do what's in her gut in the end."
 
In her own words (yesterday): "Both of the Senate bills would have the unintended but very real effect of actually driving up the cost of health insurance for middle-income families," Collins said. "That is the opposite of what most people want to have occur, but it's what I believe would be the result. ... Neither bill takes strong enough steps to reform the health care delivery system to lower the cost of health care. The cost of health care is the major barrier for the unemployed. It's the major reason that small businesses and middle-income families are struggling."

"Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) locked Republicans out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee room to keep them from meeting when Democrats aren't present," The Hill writes. "Towns' action came after repeated public ridicule from the leading Republican on the committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), over Towns's failure to launch an investigation into Countrywide Mortgage's reported sweetheart deals to VIPs."

"Sarah Palin is going to sit down with Oprah Winfrey," the AP reports. "Harpo Productions announced Tuesday that the former governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate will appear on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' on Monday, Nov. 16. According to Harpo, the interview will be Palin's first about her new book, 'Going Rogue: An American Life,' and it will be the first time Palin and Winfrey will meet." 

"Some Republicans are worried that just opposing Democratic initiatives instead of offering alternatives will put the party in an untenable political position in the 2010 election," The Hill's Wilson writes. Check out this quote from Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher, of California: "Unfortunately, I see a lot of Republicans simply involved in political games."  More: "The Republican leadership in the House right now is constantly trying to play a political game to get a headline, and I don't think that is going to take us anywhere." 

Video: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will join Oprah on November 16th to discuss her new book, "Going Rogue".

Welcome to the spin zone: "Republicans believe their war against President Barack Obama's health care overhaul drive will be buttressed by two events mostly outside the president's control: the election of a Republican governor of Virginia and the unavoidable necessity of raising the debt limit… And Republican Congressional sources talk as if they already have the Virginia gubernatorial contest locked up. They stand ready to use a GOP victory in a moderate state carried by Obama to spook moderate Democrats whose support for health care reform is not a sure bet." (And so New Jersey no longer matters, eh?) 

"South Carolina Republicans found an unfortunate way to praise their U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, extolling how, like wealthy Jews, the senator is 'watching our nation's pennies,'" the New York Daily News notes. "That description came in an op-ed over the weekend written for The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg by a pair of county GOP chairmen, Edwin Merwin and James Ullmer. The chairmen's opinion piece was first flagged online by the liberal TPM.com. 

What they said: "There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves… By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation's pennies and trying to preserve our country's wealth and our economy's viability to give all an opportunity to succeed."

FLORIDA: A Quinnipiac poll shows Republican Marco Rubio cutting into what was a 29-point Charlie Crist lead in the GOP primary to just 15, 50%-35%. "The results resemble a reported Chamber of Commerce poll that had Crist up 44-30 and stirred talk of some unrest in the centrist governor's camp," The Hill writes. "And it is good news for a Rubio campaign that has been trying to prove to potential donors and endorsers that it is for real."

NEW JERSEY: Former President Bill Clinton's two appearances with Jon Corzine yesterday prompted the Philadelphia Inquirer to come to a similar conclusion about political heavyweights' involvement in faltering campaigns: "With two weeks to go in the campaign, these celebrity endorsers aren't trying to change minds: They're aiming to inspire the Democratic faithful to work hard." Introducing Clinton, Corzine said: "[Clinton] won in 1992, he won in 1996, and he's going to help somebody win in 2009."

As Corzine received the support of "Democratic rock stars," Christie opted for some more low-key appearances: "Christie was in Mercer County, where he held another kitchen-table event with voters to talk about taxes and assert that Corzine's policies have made things worse. Christie's camp also turned up pressure on Corzine to release information detailing his charitable donations from 2008, following the revelation that the multimillionaire governor gave $87,000 last year to the church of the Rev. Reginald Jackson, the influential head of the Black Ministers Council."

Car troubles have been a constant refrain in the New Jersey race, but not quite like this: Independent Chris Daggett's driver left a loaded gun in a car the nominee rented.

NEW YORK: "President Obama last night headlined a Manhattan rally where he offered such a tepid endorsement of fellow Democrat Bill Thompson for mayor that even the candidate said he didn't think it went far enough," the New York Post notes. As expected, Obama dropped Thompson's name at the DNC fundraiser in NYC last night, but, also as expected he didn't offer an endorsement for Thompson as he runs against incumbent mayor/billionaire Mike Bloomberg. "Our great city comptroller, our candidate for mayor, my friend Billy Thompson, is in the house," Obama said, his final acknowledgement after naming a string of officials. Asked if he thought Obama mentioning his name was an endorsement, Thompson said, "No, do you consider that an endorsement?"

VIRGINIA: The Richmond Times-Dispatch writes that gubernatorial nominees Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell "broke little new ground" in their final debate last night, sticking to the themes that have dominated their campaigns. Deeds accused McDonnell of not introducing "a single bill to create jobs" while a member of the House of Delegates and said McDonnell was "more interested in promoting a social agenda," citing McDonnell's controversial graduate thesis. McDonnell, as he has before, "held up a blank sheet of paper to signify his belief that Deeds has no [transportation] plan. Neither candidate expressed support for the public insurance option, now being debated in Congress, but Deeds "said he is not ruling out a public option and said Virginia must consider alternatives to reduce costs and increase coverage."

NBC's Chris Donovan, a careful debate watcher, notes that the candidates had an audio problem and instead of pausing the event to fix it for TV viewers, in the Washington, D.C. area, they cut away from the debate for Inside Edition.

Stumping for Deeds yesterday, Bill Clinton "offered the small-by-late-October-standards crowd an extended discourse on why Deeds' situation is not necessarily as bad as it seems." He used the underdog theme "to rally the crowd with visions of a defiant, beat-the-odds victory -- 'the greatest comeback in the history of American politics, folks," as [Clinton friend Terry] McAuliffe hyperbolically put it." However, "having some of the most celebrated names in Democratic politics reminding supporters that you are in need of a political miracle is not exactly where a candidate would like to be exactly two weeks from Election Day."

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Darfur activist groups said they support President Obama's plans to engage the Sudanese government by using both sanctions and incentives, but urged him not to offer rewards until President Omar Hassan al-Bashir offers tangible evidence of cooperation in bringing peace to the war-torn Darfur region.
 
In a press release unveiling his Sudan policy yesterday, Obama said, "If the government of Sudan acts to improve the situation on the ground and to advance peace, there will be incentives. If it does not, then there will be increased pressure imposed by the United States and the international community."
 
The Save Darfur Coalition, a worldwide activist group, released a statement yesterday saying it "cautiously welcomed" the Obama administration's new strategy.
 
"Its success will depend on implementation backed by sustained presidential leadership," said Jerry Fowler, Save Darfur's president, in the statement. "Incentives should not be provided before there is concrete and lasting progress on resolving Sudan's interlocking crises, opening political space for Sudanese to determine their future and protecting human rights."
 
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs yesterday deflected questions about the White House engaging with someone it believes committed genocide, saying only, "What we're trying to do is seek a comprehensive solution to this problem that -- again -- addresses both the humanitarian crisis that has happened and is ongoing in Darfur."
 
Last month, anti-genocide organizations criticized Obama's special envoy for using language seen as overly conciliatory to Khartoum.
 
Sudan special envoy J. Scott Gration was quoted in the Washington Post last month saying, "We've got to think about giving out cookies... Kids, countries -- they react to gold stars, smiley faces, handshakes, agreements, talk, engagement."
 
Sam Bell, executive director of the Genocide Intervention Network, responded to Gration's saying, "If Washington is going to start taking war criminals at their word, despite the long list of Khartoum's broken commitments, an even larger tragedy will soon unfold."
 
Fowler of Save Darfur added that in order to support Obama's approach, his group needs "to see substantial personal involvement from President Obama" in keeping an international spotlight on improving conditions in Darfur, including "making Sudan a priority when he goes to China next month." China is a big investor in Sudan's oil industry, and has resisted U.N. Security Council resolutions against Khartoum in the past.

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
New York Governor David Paterson's poll numbers remain near record low levels while former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's odds in potential gubernatorial match-ups improved in the past month, a Siena College research institute poll found.

Paterson's favorable/unfavoratble rating is 27 to 61 percent, down slightly from 29 to 59 percent last month. Only 15 percent are prepared to elect Paterson Governor, while 72 percent favor 'someone else,' the institute reported. In a primary matchup, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo would beat Paterson 70 to 20 perecnt, the poll found.

"By every measure, voters continue to keep Governor Paterson in the electoral cellar, and by every measure, Paterson?s numbers are within a handful of points or less of his all time record lows," said Siena New York pollster Steven Greenberg.

In a general election, Giuliani would win over Paterson 56 to 33 percent. Against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the former mayor leads 53 to 36 percent, widening an eight-point lead from last month. Giuliani now trails Cuomo by only seven points, versus 13 last month.

From NBC's Pete Williams
Despite a plea from the Obama administration to stay on the sidelines, the U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to jump squarely into the legal battle over bringing Guantanamo detainees into the United States. 

It's the first time the court has agreed to review an Obama policy in the war on terror. 

The court said it will hear a constitutional challenge brought by 13 Chinese Muslims now held at Guantanamo Bay but no longer considered enemy combatants. They've asked, and the U.S. has agreed, that they not be sent back to China out of fear that they'd be tortured. But, so far, no other country has agreed to take them. Given all that, a federal judge ruled a year ago that because the government had no basis on which to detain them, and with no other country willing to take them, they should be released into the United States.

At the urging of the Bush administration, a federal appeals court reversed that order, ruling that the federal courts have no authority to order Congress or the administration to admit anyone to the country. Only the executive branch and Congress, the appeals court said, have the authority to decide who's admissible and who's excludable.

Today, the Supreme Court agreed to take up an appeal by the 13 Muslims. The Obama Justice Department had urged the justices to stay out of the fight. The appeals court got it right, argued Obama Solicitor General Elena Kagan. The fact that the 13 are stuck in Guantanamo, she said, is not because they're unlawfully detained. Instead, it's because the federal government doesn't want to let them in, and that's not the business of the federal courts.

From NBC's Winston Wilde
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan today said he needs a fuller picture of the potential costs of Sen. Johnny Isakson's (R-GA) first-time homebuyer's tax credit extension before the administration can get behind it.

"We understand the urgency, and in the next few weeks, we'll have data that will allow us to sit down with you and talk of an extension," Donovan said.

Isakson's proposal would take an $8,000 credit for new homebuyers, set to expire at the end of November, and extend it through June 30, 2010. Isakson said that the Congressional Budget Office score is $16.7 billion if the tax credit is extended, and would enable the housing industry to make it through the winter (historically the three worst months of the year for home buying) and the spring (historically the three best months in the year).

Isakson, who testified along with Donovan before the Senate Banking Committee today, said that without approving the extension, America "will have a drastic and awful situation, worse than what we have now." Donovan didn't see quite so "catastrophic" a decline as a result of a failure to extend the tax credit. 

From NBC's Mark Murray
The political parties today released their fundraising numbers for September and the 3rd quarter. The Republican National Committee reported raising $8.7 million in September and a combined $22.9 million for the 3rd quarter. By comparison, the Democratic National Committee reported slightly more than $8 million last month and $24.2 million for the quarter.

So the RNC had the best month, and the DNC had the best quarter. In fact, the DNC says that this is the first quarter they've outraised the RNC since 2004. Of course, it helps having an incumbent president raising money for you, as he's doing tonight.

From NBC's Luke Russert
In his weekly off-camera pen-and-pad session on Capitol Hill, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer expressed anger and frustration with Republican attacks that President Obama's lack of a clear, concise policy regarding the war in Afghanistan is putting American troops at risk, "My Republicans colleagues, of course, abandoned their focus on Afghanistan for seven years and let it drift and did not resource it properly and did not succeed."

Hoyer continued, "For the Republicans who essentially diverted the attention from defeating terrorism, to Iraq on the incorrect assertion that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, frankly don't move me mightily, as you can tell."

When pressed again on whether or not troops in Afghanistan can be safest if the commander-in-chief hasn't outlined a comprehensive understandable strategy, Hoyer again shifted blame to Republicans and what Democrats widely consider their past history of failure in Iraq. "Let me reiterate: We were under-resourced in Iraq for at least five and half years. McCain said so. I said so. Hagel said so. Where were they? They were in charge. Where were they? They under resourced very badly Iraq."

Hoyer then claimed that Democrats have so far tackled the Afghanistan issue better than the Bush administration, "However, we have more people in Afghanistan today than we did under George Bush. And we are taking the fight more vigorously to the Taliban and to Al-Qaeda. In Pakistan on the border and in Helmand Province in where the fights are toughest."

He added, "[General] McChrystal has now made recommendations as to in light of the facts of Afghanistan in what we need. But we have more people than Mr. Boehner and his party put in Afghanistan in the last five and half years."

Hoyer concluded by defending Obama's delay in making a decision about Afghanistan strategy, "He correctly believes this is a critically important decision for him to make and he wants to make it correctly ... when he decides the right policy that be can successful he will resource it properly."

From NBC's Athena Jones
Per an administration official, President Obama tomorrow will visit a small business in Maryland, where he will announce a package of initiatives that will increase credit to small businesses.

The proposal will increase the caps for existing Small Business Administration loans and give smaller banks better access to TARP funding to encourage more lending to small business.

Video: Jared Bernstein, chief economist and economic policy adviser to Vice President Biden discusses President Obama's plan to announce an increase in credit and lending to small businesses.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The reaction is starting to roll in from Afghan President Hamid Karzai's statement that he will accept a runoff after allegations of voter fraud in the contested Afghan election.

President Obama said he welcomed Karzai's decision and added that "this is an important step forward in ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will." He also got in a nod to Karzai's main rival, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) echoed those sentiments, but he got in the following as well: "It is unrealistic to expect Afghan governance to improve significantly without improved security.That is why it is essential to implement the properly-resourced counterinsurgency strategy that General Stanley McChrystal and our senior commanders have called for, and that is why I continue to urge President Obama to provide our military and civilian leaders in Afghanistan with the resources they need as quickly as possible."

Video: Sen. Bob Casey, D- Pa., discusses whether the delay in the Afghanistan elections will affect the timing of President Obama's decision on troop deployments.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said over the weekend that the White House wouldn't make a decision on troop levels or a change in strategy until after the new election. The runoff is set to take place Nov. 7th.

Full statements after the jump...

*** UPDATE *** Also below are Sen. John Kerry's full remarks at Karzai's decision. Kerry, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, played a vital, behind-the-scenes role in Afghanistan in trying to get this decision.

President Obama:

I welcome President Karzai's statement today accepting the Independent Electoral Commission's certification of the August 20 election results, and agreeing to participate in a second round of the election. This is an important step forward in ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will. 

While this election could have remained unresolved to the detriment of the country, President Karzai's constructive actions established an important precedent for Afghanistan's new democracy. The Afghan Constitution and laws are strengthened by President Karzai's decision, which is in the best interests of the Afghan people.  

I congratulate the Afghan people on the patience and resilience they have shown throughout this long election process. Given Afghanistan's recent history, it is extraordinary that they were able to overcome threats and violence to express their democratic right to choose their leader. Insecurity in the country prevented some Afghans from voting, but it is a testimony to the bravery of the Afghan people that so many of them did come out to vote in the first round under tremendously difficult circumstances. 

I commend both the Independent Electoral Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission for carrying out their mandates. Throughout this process, the United States has been interested above all in the strength and independence of those institutions, and the need for them to fulfill their mandate on behalf of all Afghans.

I congratulate President Karzai and Dr. Abdullah, who both earned the support of voters from across the country. I also commend all of the other Presidential candidates who made this such a vibrant campaign.

It is now vital that all elements of Afghan society continue to come together to advance democracy, peace and justice. We look forward to a second round of voting, and the completion of the process to choose the President of Afghanistan. In that effort, the United States and the international community are committed to partnering with the Afghan people.

Sen. John McCain:

I am very encouraged that President Hamid Karzai has accepted the ruling of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission and committed himself to a run-off election, as required by Afghan law and the Afghan constitution.  This is an important second chance for the people of Afghanistan to have their voices heard, and it crucial that the United States and our allies support our Afghan partners in ensuring that this new election is as free and fair as possible, serves the interests of the Afghan people, and enhances the legitimacy of Afghan governance.

As we focus on these events in Kabul, we must not forget that Afghan citizens will ultimately judge the legitimacy of their government as much or more by its performance at all levels – by its capacity to provide protection, justice, and basic services and to crack down on corruption. It is unrealistic to expect Afghan governance to improve significantly without improved security. That is why it is essential to implement the properly-resourced counterinsurgency strategy that General Stanley McChrystal and our senior commanders have called for, and that is why I continue to urge President Obama to provide our military and civilian leaders in Afghanistan with the resources they need as quickly as possible.

Sen. John Kerry:

Thank you very much. I am honored to be here today for what I believe is an important moment for the future of Afghanistan. With the nation facing extraordinary challenges, a time of real uncertainty has been transformed into a time of great opportunity. I am especially pleased to stand with two friends, Kai Eide, whose diligence and persistence were critical throughout the election process, and President Hamid Karzai, who has shown genuine leadership with his decision today.

In August, Afghans showed their commitment to a democratic future when millions cast their ballots -- many for the first time, often at great risk and sometimes paying a terrible price. The challenges of holding this election in an incredibly difficult security environment cannot be overstated. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those who risked -- and in some cases sacrificed -- their lives so that others could exercise their rights. As one might expect in the midst of conflict, it was far from a perfect election -- but that does not in any way diminish the commitment and sacrifice that made this election possible.

Since then, there has been no clear resolution, leaving many Afghans with legitimate doubts about the future. Today, President Karzai showed statesmanship by deciding to move forward, and to strengthen the country by embracing the Constitution and the rule of law. His agreement to hold the runoff will allow the national leadership to govern with legitimacy. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah has made the same decision. Both have demonstrated their dedication to building a lasting democracy.

Even as we recognize this occasion, we are all mindful of the difficult work ahead. The decisions made and actions taken over the next months will be what really give meaning to this moment. The future of Afghanistan will ultimately be determined by Afghans civilians and through good governance --not soldiers or the international community. If this is to be a real turning point, we must strengthen the capacity of the government at every level to provide for its citizens. President Karzai has committed to pursuing reform wherever necessary to better meet their needs, and the United States and the international community must be true partners in this effort.

Today, Afghanistan recommits to the democratic process with the understanding that the mark of any healthy democracy is a clear process with an uncertain outcome. I am grateful to President Karzai for his personal hospitality over these last five days, for the seriousness of purpose he brought to lengthy and sometimes difficult deliberations, and for his openness to ways of resolving differences.

Now we commend a moment of promise for President Karzai, Dr. Abdullah and most importantly the Afghan people, who took a significant step towards the better future that we all hope to build. Thank you.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The optics problem: The Obama White House is in one of the periods many presidencies go through, when no matter what you do, it doesn't seem to play well. Fundraising is one of those issues right now. As we noted yesterday, the president is spending an inordinate amount of time this week campaigning and raising money. It's just two weeks before some crucial elections, so it's only natural he'd be spending time on the money/campaign circuit. But with so many policy balls in the air (health care, jobs and Afghanistan), none of it looks good. And last week, he went from touring New Orleans' Katrina areas to a glitzy San Francisco fundraiser. What's more, the president today is raising money in the media's backyard -- New York City -- and he's drawing even more attention to the issue, especially since some Wall Street types are attending today's dual fundraisers for Bill Owens (the Democrat running in NY-23) and for the DNC. 

*** When the C.W. is wrong: Of course, there's another practical political problem that has gone under the radar: The Democratic Party is NOT raising money like it did two and four years ago, and the president -- because of the lobbyist restrictions he's put on fundraising for his appearances -- is not the big draw presidents usually are. Here's the unintended consequence: The president has had to do MORE fundraisers than his predecessors and is still seeing his party get outraised in a number of places. This is a classic case of the C.W. having this one wrong: Barack Obama isn't the fundraising juggernaut as president he was as a candidate. Remember, he's not raising money for himself, and he's putting a lot of restrictions in place whenever his image is used as a draw. By the way, not only are Democrats struggling on the fundraising front, but one of their best sources of fundraising support is Wall Street. And as the New York Times points out today, Wall Street is no longer giving the party the cash it used to 1) because of the government's bailout and 2) because it hasn't been too happy about the reform measures moving through Congress.

*** Karzai; Gates vs. Rahm? Turning to Afghanistan, today's news is that Karzai has conceded "that he fell short of a first-round victory in the nation's disputed presidential election, and agreed to hold a run-off election with his top challenger on Nov. 7." Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gates seemed to offer a subtle contradiction to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on the issue of whether a decision on troops and a new strategy could be made while the country was still in election turmoil. "We're not just going to sit on our hands, waiting for the outcome of this election and for the emergence of a government in Kabul," he said, per the AP. More: "The outcome of the elections and the problems with the elections have complicated the situation for us. But the reality is, it's not going to be complicated one day and simple the next," he said. "We're going to have to work with this going forward, and I believe the president will have to make his decisions in the context of that evolutionary process."

*** A game-changer? Wow, did the Washington Post pump up a very minor uptick when it comes to the public option. Last month in the Post/ABC poll, 55% supported the idea (in the way they worded it); this month, that number is 57%. But today's headline ("Public option gains support") is all public option advocates will need. Will the poll be a turning point in the Senate/White House merger negotiations as they wrestle with whether to include some form of a public option in the bill that's offered on the floor? To be fair, this is the fourth time when majorities in the Post/ABC poll have favored the public option. Perhaps that is what the paper was trying to point out...

*** Obama vs. the Chamber: A day after environmental activists staged a hoax -- pretending that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was reversing course to support the climate-change legislation moving through Congress -- the Washington Post takes a look at the rift between the Chamber and the Obama White House, especially after the Chamber's opposition to the health-care legislation and climate bills. "Instead of working through the Chamber, President Obama has reached out to business executives, meeting repeatedly with small groups of CEOs in his private White House dining room. He also has dispatched top aides Valerie Jarrett and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to corporate boardrooms… Meanwhile, the Chamber is fighting back with its own public relations agenda, launching multimillion-dollar ad campaigns to resist several of Obama's top priorities."

*** The GOP's gender gap: As part of the NBC/MSNBC focus this week on women in the workplace and society, First Read takes a look today at the Republican Party's struggles with female voters and whether the upcoming gubernatorial election in Virginia will be an improvement for the GOP. In last year's presidential election, Obama won female voters by 13 percentage points (56%-43%), while he won the male vote by just one point (49%-48%). This year's Virginia race, which the Republican Bob McDonnell is leading, has emphasized women's issues. Democrat Creigh Deeds seized on a graduate thesis McDonnell wrote when he was 34 years old, in which the Republican, among other things, said that feminism and working women were "detrimental" to the American family. McDonnell has responded by pointing to his working daughters, including one who had served in Iraq. The Deeds campaign has hoped that the thesis story would hurt McDonnell among Virginia females, who make up about 54% of the state's electorate. So far, though, the gambit hasn't worked…

*** 2009 watch: Speaking of that Virginia race, it's now exactly two weeks until Election Day 2009… Bill Clinton stumps for both Creigh Deeds (at 12:30 pm ET in Northern Virginia) and Jon Corzine (at 8:00 pm ET at Rutgers University)… Deeds and McDonnell square off tonight in Salem, VA for their final debate… The New York Times drops a potential bombshell on Chris Christie, alleging that the U.S. attorney colleague whom Christie had loaned $46,000 helped the Republican candidate in his bid for governor. For instance: "In March, when Gov. Jon S. Corzine's campaign requested public records about Mr. Christie's tenure as prosecutor, Ms. Brown interceded to oversee the responses to the inquiries, taking over for the staff member who normally oversaw Freedom of Information Act requests." … This story comes as a new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll finds Corzine and Christie tied among likely voters at 39% each; independent Chris Daggett is at 14%.

Countdown to Election Day 2009: 14 days
Countdown to MA Special Primary: 49 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 91 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 378 days

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"Under heavy international pressure, President Hamid Karzai conceded Tuesday that he fell short of a first-round victory in the nation's disputed presidential election, and agreed to hold a run-off election with his top challenger on Nov. 7," the New York Times reports. "Flanked at a news conference in Kabul by Senator John Kerry, the head of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Kai Eide, the top United Nations official in Afghanistan, Mr. Karzai said he would accepting the findings of an international audit that stripped him of nearly a third of his votes in the first round, leaving him below the 50 percent threshold that would have allowed him to avoid a runoff and declare victory over his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah."

The Washington Post: "Karzai's acceptance of another round of voting, after weeks of resistance, should enable the Obama administration to proceed with a high-level review of its faltering Afghanistan war strategy, a process that has been hamstrung by the delay in determining who its Afghan government partner will be. The White House has been under increasing congressional and public pressure to make a decision on whether to send tens of thousands of more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, as requested by the top American commander there."

Before his fundraising day in New York City, President Obama meets with Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki at the White House.

"Vice President Joe Biden is traveling to Central Europe to reassure leaders who are nervous that the Obama administration's courting of Russia means a reduced commitment to their security. Biden's trip Tuesday comes in the aftermath of the administration's decision to rework a missile defense plan devised by the Bush administration and opposed by Russia. Leaders in Poland and the Czech Republic, where the system was to have been based, had hoped it would offer a permanent U.S. presence and deterrence against potential Russian bullying."

According to a new Washington Post/ABC poll, 57% of respondents support a public option. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public. Americans remain sharply divided about the overall packages moving closer to votes in Congress and President Obama's leadership on the issue, reflecting the partisan battle that has raged for months over the administration's top legislative priority. But sizable majorities back two key and controversial provisions: both the so-called public option and a new mandate that would require all Americans to carry health insurance."

Michelle Obama will be on the Jay Leno show on Friday.

Finally, remember that Hillary Clinton debt? Well, her campaign still owes slightly less than $1 million -- all of it owed to Mark Penn's polling firm.

"The White House and Democratic leaders are offering doctors a deal: They'll freeze cuts in Medicare payments to doctors in exchange for doctors' support of healthcare reform," The Hill reports. "At a meeting on Capitol Hill last week with nearly a dozen doctors groups, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the Senate would take up separate legislation to halt scheduled Medicare cuts in doctor payments over the next 10 years. In return, Reid made it clear that he expected their support for the broader healthcare bill, according to four sources in the meeting." 
 
More Rangel trouble: "Embattled House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) was the top recipient of bundled campaign contributions from lobbyists during the third fundraising quarter of this year, new reports show." 
 
Only 34% of Californians approve of Nancy Pelosi's job. That's rough, but it's higher than her national numbers. 
 
John Boehner's heading to New Hampshire for a Nov. 13th state party fundraiser.

Mitt Romney continued criticizing Obama on foreign policy -- this time to Israel lobby AIPAC yesterday. "In pursuit of a peace process, the United States today has exerted substantial pressure on Israel while putting almost no pressure on the Palestinians and the Arab world," Romney told the group at its summit in San Diego. 

(Did Romney forget about Obama's Cairo speech?)

FLORIDA: Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) endorsed Marco Rubio.

MAINE: The Boston Globe previews the ballot initiative fight over gay marriage in Maine. "Just six months after Governor John Baldacci signed a law legalizing gay marriage in Maine, voters will decide whether to preserve it, making the state the latest battleground in the national fight over same-sex marriage. For both sides, the Nov. 3 ballot initiative, Question One, is seen as a crucial juncture. Opponents want to show that momentum has shifted to their side, building on last year's California vote to approve a ban on gay marriage. Supporters - with victories in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Iowa - are eager to demonstrate that California was a temporary setback… [T]he outcome for either side is far from assured."

NEW JERSEY: The New York Times has this: "When news broke in August that the former United States attorney, Christopher J. Christie, had lent $46,000 to a top aide in the federal prosecutor's office, he said he was merely helping a friend in need. He also said the aide, Michele Brown, had done nothing to help his gubernatorial campaign. But interviews with federal law enforcement officials suggest that Ms. Brown used her position in two significant and possibly improper ways to try to aid Mr. Christie in his run for governor."
 
(1) She "interceded to oversee the responses to the inquiries, taking over for the staff member who normally oversaw Freedom of Information Act requests"; and (2) "In mid-June, when F.B.I. agents and prosecutors gathered to set a date for the arrests of more than 40 targets of a corruption and money-laundering probe, Ms. Brown alone argued for the arrests to be made before July 1. She later told colleagues that she wanted to ensure that the arrests occurred before Mr. Christie's permanent successor took office, according to three federal law enforcement officials briefed on the conversation, presumably so that Mr. Christie would be given credit for the roundup." 
 
A new Monmouth/Gannett poll shows Corzine and Christie now tied with 39% each. Independent Chris Daggett gets 14%. (The poll was conducted Oct. 15-18, surveyed 1,004 likely voters statewide and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.)

And Corzine's got this to deal with: "Corzine donated $87,000 to an influential umbrella group of African-American churches whose leader recently endorsed him, it was reported yesterday."

NEW YORK: "President Obama swoops into New York today to raise $3 million for his party - but it may be Democratic mayoral candidate William Thompson who strikes gold. Thompson, facing an uphill fight against Mayor Bloomberg in the Nov. 3 citywide election, is expected to get a shoutout from the commander in chief at a Manhattan fund-raiser, a source told the Daily News."

The AP says that with Obama raising money for Bill Owens, the Democrat in the NY-23 special election, and the DNC tonight and Corzine tomorrow, he "puts his political standing on the line by investing his own time, and the White House is carefully calculating when he can afford to spare it," as Democrats try to line their coffers now in anticipation of a tough midterm election next fall.

VIRGINIA: Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell will debate one last time tonight, at Roanoke College at 7 p.m. 
 
Deeds' campaign manager Joe Abbey said yesterday that while Democratic voters haven't yet shown up in polls, "if they show up at the polls on Election Day, then it will be 'game over.'" The Washington Post reports that Deeds has been "unable to accomplish… awaken[ing] loyal Democrats who voted in droves for President Obama a year ago but are unexcited about Deeds." The Post also cites what it characterized as his unease with public appearances. "When he shares the stage at events, his speech is routinely shorter than the warm-up act. When crowds chant his name as he takes the microphone, he often begs them to please stop. Unlike most politicians, he seems to mean it." 
 
Neither candidate may have to worry about voters physically showing up to the polls. The Washington Times reports that absentee voters represent a "crucial vote" in the Virginia election, which "represented more than half the margin of victory" when Bob McDonnell defeated Deeds in the 2005 attorney general's race.

From NBC's Winston Wilde
DNC members today marched up to the doors of the RNC -- with mops in hand. The DNC members shouted "Grab a mop!' and implored RNC Chairman Michael Steele to come out and receive his delivery.

The mops were a reference to President Obama's response to his GOP critics at the DNC fundraiser in San Francisco last week. "Why don't you grab a mop? Why don't you help clean up? ... Grab a mop -- let's get to work!"

Three mops had bows on them, and were left at the front door of the building as a gift.

From Andrea Mitchell and Libby Leist
Aides to Sen. John Kerry tell NBC News that he returned to Kabul tonight to continue negotiations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. And Kerry will be in place tomorrow for an anticpated announcement by Karzai about the election results. Hillary Clinton said this afternoon she was "encouraged" that Karzai will abide by the constitution and accept the Electoral Complaints Commission results that left him with 48% of the vote.

Kerry spent the day in Islamabad before returning to Kabul, where he had spent the weekend. Aides say Kerry spent a lot of one-on-one time with Karzai on Saturday and Sunday, including dinner both nights.

Kerry has been coordinating closely with the State Department. A senior State Department official said, "We have been telling Karzai ... to accept the results. That will be imporant."

If there is a runoff, the official said, the administration expects Karzai will win. Secretary Clinton, Kerry and the U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry have made it clear to Karzai that he will have U.S. support if he agrees to tackle corruption, the official said.

The official said the election mess must be sorted out in the next three to four weeks before the Winter season starts and that a runoff election would take two to three weeks to complete.

"There is still enough time barely to have a credible election," the official said.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
An official at the Vienna talks says it is not clear yet whether Iran will agree to proceed with the International Atomic Energy Agency's proposal to ship their low-grade enriched uranium to Russia for reprocessing.

Iranian officials met with the U.S and other western diplomats today in Vienna -- shortly after Iranian television declared that Iran would not agree to deal with France because of past disputes with France. 

France, in recent weeks, has been taking a harder line on the Iran talks than the other U.S. allies.

Today's meetings lasted about two hours and 45 minutes. 

They are due to resume at 10:00 am tomorrow -- to go into greater depth and see if they can reach an implementation agreement on what was proposed in Geneva.

 

From NBC's Kelly Paice
As part of NBC's focus this week on the role of women in today's society, the Center for American Progress held a women's forum today to discuss its new report, developed in partnership with California's First Lady Maria Shriver, called "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything." This detailed study examines how women's roles in society -- from business to government to the home -- have evolved in recent years.
 
The liberal-leaning Center and Shriver said they were inspired to understand today's American working woman based on two recent developments: 1) for the first time in American history half of all U.S. workers are women, and 2) mothers are the primary breadwinner or co-breadwinner in two-thirds of American families. The report proclaims that "the battle of the sexes is over," and it's more about negotiations between the sexes in today's society.

But the study also finds that, as a nation, America has not come to terms with the evolving role of the work-life balancing woman. "Our leading institutions -- government, businesses, faith, and media -- have not kept up with the modern American family. For example, both our basic labor standards and our social insurance system are based on supporting 'traditional' families, where the husband works and the wife stays home to care for children." 
 
At today's event, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis -- herself the first Latina to ever hold that position -- spoke about what her office is doing to work toward adapting to the times of the modern working woman. "It is important to look at how women can succeed, because helping them succeed will help their families succeed," she said.
 
Yet Solis also recognized that women are still not complete equals in the workforce, stating: "Women are still not getting enough equity in pay." In fact, the Shriver study highlights that a woman today earns an average of 77 cents to every one dollar a man earns. The Labor secretary also pointed out that advancement and economic security for women is a main goal of President Obama's, as the first bill he signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. 

With more women in the workforce than ever before, the report states that men now agree with women that government and businesses need to provide flexible work schedules, better child care, and paid family and medical leave in order to adjust to changing times. In fact, the study found that over 80% of men and women agree that businesses that fail to adapt to the needs of modern working families risk losing good workers, and that businesses that support and retain women have healthier bottom lines.
 
So how are men reacting to this ever-changing role of American women? The study found that 70% of men today are comfortable having women work outside the home, and three-quarters of Americans view the rise of women in the workplace as a positive development for society.
 
Despite these advances, a majority of women still share the view that they carry the primary responsibility of being the caregiver in the family. The Shriver study found that 85% of women agree that in cases where both partners have jobs, it is the woman who takes on more responsibility for the home and family.
 
The research of this report will be presented to the president and members of Congress, and a discussion of the findings will include the project leaders testifying before Congress. Shriver will also appear at the upcoming The Women's Conference 2009 with Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.

From NBC's Bobby Cervantes
As colleges across the nation face difficult decisions about budget and faculty cuts, the latest issue of Newsweek explores the not-so-new idea of a three-year college degree.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), an education secretary under President George H. W. Bush and former president of the University of Tennessee, highlights Hartwick College, a small liberal arts school in upstate New York.

Alexander writes, "[B]y eliminating that extra year, three-year degree students [at Hartwick] save 25 percent in costs. Instead of taking 30 credits a year, these students take 40."

A four-year degree, he adds, also means that students accrue more unnecessary debt and are held back from entering the workforce or graduate school.

From NBC's Pete Williams
Formally announcing its new guidelines to prosecutors on medical marijuana, the Justice Department says "the focus of federal resources should not be on individuals whose actions are in compliance with existing state laws."

In a written statement, Attorney General Eric Holder said, "It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal."

The guidelines contain examples of conduct that would show when individuals are not in clear compliance with state law and may indicate illegal drug trafficking activity -- including unlawful use of firearms, violence, sales to minors, money laundering, amounts of marijuana inconsistent with purported compliance with state or local law, marketing or excessive financial gains similarly inconsistent with state or local law, illegal possession or sale of other controlled substances, and ties to criminal enterprises.

From NBC's Mark Murray
In advance of President Obama campaigning for Creigh Deeds next week in Virginia's upcoming gubernatorial contest, Team Deeds has just announced that Bill Clinton -- along with Terry McAuliffe, whom Deeds defeated in the Dem primary -- will stump for Deeds tomorrow in Northern Virginia.

Democrats are trying to do everything they can to narrow a race that Republican Bob McDonnell is comfortably leading, according to the polls.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The liberal group Progressive Change Campaign Committee is airing a new TV ad in Nevada, which urges Harry Reid to support a public option in the health-care negotiations. The ad asks: "Is Harry Reid strong enough?"

[Youtube:cgj0FbPxSiY]

As Senate majority leader, Reid is tasked with forging together the Senate Finance Committee health-care bill (which doesn't contain a public option) and the Senate HELP Committee bill (which does). Today's New York Times writes that Reid "could choose to leave more contentious elements out of the measure he brings to the floor and allow backers of the public option, for instance, to try to add it through an amendment. If they can assemble the necessary votes, it would be a triumph; if they lose, they would have had their chance."