"President Barack Obama is considering a scaled-down version of the war plan advanced by his top Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. officials say," the AP says. "Such a narrowed military mission would increase American forces to accomplish the commander's broadest goals of protecting Afghan cities and key infrastructure. But with fewer troops, the strategy likely would cut back on McChrystal's ambitious objectives, amounting to what one official described as 'McChrystal Light.' ... A stripped-down approach would signal caution in widening a war that is going worse this year than last despite intense U.S. attention and an additional 21,000 U.S. forces sent there on Obama's watch."

Per the Washington Post, "President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle."

More: "Obama made the request in a meeting Monday with Vice President Biden and a small group of senior advisers helping him decide whether to expand the war. The detail he is now seeking also reflects the administration's turn toward Afghanistan's provincial governors, tribal leaders and local militias as potentially more effective partners in the effort than a historically weak central government that is confronting questions of legitimacy after the flawed Aug. 20 presidential election."

The New York Times looks at the challenge the shortage of the swine flu vaccine presents for the Obama White House. "The shortage, caused by delays in the vaccine manufacturing process, has put the president in exactly the situation he sought to avoid — one in which questions are being raised about the government's response."

Busted? "Dozens of lobbyists were invited to a Democratic National Committee (DNC) fundraiser Tuesday night with a Cabinet member even though President Barack Obama has sworn off taking money from lobbyists," The Hill reports. "A DNC official said it was a mistake that lobbyists were invited to a small gathering with Lisa Jackson, Obama's administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The official said a review of attendees indicates that no lobbyists attended the event."

Regarding that Northwest flight that flew 100-plus miles past its destination, the Wall Street Journal writes: "The Federal Aviation Administration violated its own rules by taking more than 40 minutes to alert the military after losing communication with a Northwest Airlines flight last week, according to officials familiar with internal reviews under way at several federal agencies."

The Washington Post previews the House health-care bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi will outline this morning. "The House legislation aims to provide health insurance of one form or another to almost all Americans at an expected cost just below $900 billion over 10 years, without increasing the federal budget deficit for at least 20 years, House Democrats said. Pelosi (D-Calif.) was awaiting official data Wednesday night from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

The New York Times adds, "The cost would be offset by new taxes and by cutbacks in Medicare, so the bill would not increase the federal budget deficit in the next 10 years or in the decade after that. The new bill, like an earlier version, retains a surtax on high-income people, but increases the thresholds. The tax would hit married couples with adjusted gross incomes exceeding $1 million a year and individuals over $500,000 — just three-tenths of 1 percent of all households, Democrats said."

The bill will have a public option, but it won't be that "robust" version, per The Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi is to unveil a health overhaul bill Thursday that includes the public health insurance option favored by her party's centrists. Pelosi (D-Calif.) will introduce a plan similar to what a group of Blue Dog Democrats negotiated in July to get a healthcare bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The proposal calls for the officials who run the public plan to negotiate rates individually with physicians and hospitals."

Turning to the Senate side, Roll Call writes: "In his quest to pass health care reform, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is pursuing a potentially risky, step-by-step strategy that banks on momentum from the debate and a hard push from the White House to get the bill over the finish line this year."

Climate change has taken a backseat to health care for now, but at some point it will come to the fore. "Senate Democrats are hopeful that despite their acrimonious past, Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) can find middle ground on climate change legislation before electoral politics kills the issue for good next year," Roll Call says. "Boxer and Baucus will be at the center of the looming climate change debate." 
 
There's no crying on the House floor... "Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) broke down in tears several times on the House floor Wednesday afternoon as he read letters from people who said their loved ones died because they were uninsured. The letters were sent to Grayson through namesofthedead.com -- a Web site he unveiled on the House floor last week to call attention to the number of people who have died because they did not have access to health care."

Stu Rothenberg on the '09 elections: "If George W. Bush were still in the White House, Deeds almost certainly would be elected governor of Virginia, so it's a little difficult to swallow the argument that national politics has nothing to do with the Virginia results. But it's also important to note that Virginia Republicans united behind their nominee and that McDonnell has kept his focus on jobs, taxes and transportation, rather than stressing social issues." In New Jersey, "[T]he result in the Garden State will say little or nothing about Obama."
 
And NY-23, "has become a two-way race between the Democratic nominee and the Conservative Party nominee… Owens deserves to be favored in the race, if only because of the presence of a credible Republican and a credible Conservative Party nominee. Democrats could win two out of the three races, but only because multicandidate contests might allow Corzine and Owens to sneak through with a minority of the vote.
 
"A win is a win, but even if that happens, it's not great news for Democrats for 2010. In fact, Democrats might be better off were Hoffman to win the special election in New York. Yes, that outcome would prevent Democrats from expanding their House majority, but a Hoffman win might embolden the Club for Growth and encourage conservatives to take on other Republicans who aren't entirely pure. And encouraging a bigger GOP civil war is something that could help Democrats win more than a single additional seat in the House."  

Nathan Gonzales looks at hyped House recruits who have flamed out. 
 
MASSACHUSETTS: The biggest issue distinction between the candidates the Boston Globe can find so far is on PAC contributions. 
 
NEW JERSEY: Gov. Jon Corzine has outspent opponent Chris Christie almost 3 to 1 over the course of the gubernatorial campaign, PolitickerNJ reports. He has raised $24.1 million so far and spent $23.6 million of it. $22.6 million of the total come out of Corzine's own pocket. Christie has "maxed out on matching funds," having raised a total of $11.7 million and spending $8.8 of it. Independent candidate Chris Daggett has raised $1.3 million and spent $1.2. "The totals do not include heavy spending by outside groups or money raised or spent by the candidates after October 20." 
 
During a word-association portion of a Monmouth University focus group, which included 10 white state residents between ages 30 and 70, Corzine was paired mostly with negative associations: "corrupt," "crooked," "too liberal," "incompetent," and "it's probably not fair, but Carla Katz." Christie received more positive connotations, like "law enforcement," his take-downs of "crooked politicians" and his being "aggressive" and "ambitious" in a positive sense.  He did get some negative responses, however, including "untrustworthy" and "science fiction" -- a reference made by one panelist in what he saw as Christie's overly vague plans.  
 
NEW YORK: "If his poll numbers stay in the tank, Gov. Paterson will 'reassess' in early 2010 his decision to run for election, the Daily News has learned."
 
NY-23: Mitt Romney didn't explicitly endorse Doug Hoffman, but on FOX he said, "I have chosen not to endorse the Republican candidate in New York's 23rd District. and that should speak a certain amount of volume. I can't endorse our candidate in that race." 
 
RNC chairman Michael Steele announced his support for the embattled GOP candidate in the special election, Dede Scozzafava. Steele told MSNBC, "I support the Republican nominee, as the Republican Party chairman, and that's the way it should go."

VIRGINIA: A Virginia Commonwealth University poll released yesterday showed Bob McDonnell leading Creigh Deeds 54% to 36%.

From NBC's Norah O'Donnell and Matt Glick
Levi Johnston, the estranged father of Sarah Palin's grandson, told CBS in an interview that -- among other things -- Palin had joked about her son Trig, who has Down's Syndrome.

Palin has released this statement through her spokesperson Meg Stapleton, which appears to refer to Levi's agreement to pose for Playgirl magazine:

We have purposefully ignored the mean spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family. We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied. Trig is our 'blessed little angel' who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life. Even the thought that anyone would refer to Trig by any disparaging name is sickening and sad. CBS should be ashamed for continually providing a forum to propagate lies. Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies - those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention."

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Congressman Roy Blunt (R-MO) criticized the Obama administration's handling of the swine flu virus breakout in overtly political terms today, linking shortages of the vaccine to America's "onerous regulatory and legal environment."
 
"Overseas manufacturers, particularly in Europe, are creating H1N1 vaccines at a much faster rate because they don't contend with the same inflexible regulatory environment that our domestic manufacturers face," Blunt said in a statement released by his office. "Only now, as flu season hits, do we find out that we don't have enough H1N1 vaccines to treat the most vulnerable Americans."
 
The Washington Post reported yesterday that only about 16.5 million doses of the swine flu vaccine have become available so far. In July, the Obama administration said 80 to 120 million doses would be available by October.
 
"The American people expect the federal government to protect them in the face of a pandemic," Blunt continued.  "If the current administration cannot manage what is a basic responsibility of the federal government, how can they be expected to micro-manage doctor-patient relationships? Is this what we can expect from government-run health care?"

*** UPDATE *** A Republican operative reminds First Read that Democrats have used the swine-flu vaccine as a weapon against Republicans, too.

*** UPDATE II *** Now the Missouri Democratic Party reminds us that Blunt voted AGAINST the supplemental appropriations bill providing funding for the vaccine.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
It appears that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top House Democrats will hold an event tomorrow morning to announce the outline of the House health-care bill that they will move to the floor.

And it looks like the "robust" public option is a bust: The measure is not expected to include the reimbursement rate to medical professions based on Medicare, plus 5%. Instead, it will include a public option based on rates negotiated region by region.

The event is tentatively scheduled for 10:00 am Thursday on the west front of the Capitol.

If you haven't been following this debate, "robust" vs. "not robust" may seem like a small distinction. After all, the bill WILL have a public option.

Video: Companies like Verizon and J.P. Morgan Chase argue that the public option could drive up health care costs.

But liberals have been fighting tooth and nail to have it based on "Medicare plus 5." They insist that this will be the best way to introduce price competition into the "exchange" of plans, where those who do not get employer-based coverage can go to shop for a plan. They call this "robust."

But moderates, many from rural areas, have balked. They say that their constituents will suffer from the lower rates, because that will make it harder to attract doctors. They say their hospitals will suffer shortfalls as well.

Progressives have been very frustrated with Pelosi and leadership. They think they should have pushed harder. But leadership says the votes simply aren't there. So the progressives will be ultimately faced with a choice of either voting nay and killing the whole thing, or going along. Pelosi is betting they won't bring down the whole bill for the sake of the "robust" public option.

The Senate public option favored by Harry Reid is also based on negotiated rates, by the way.

Tomorrow's event is not a done deal yet. Word leaked out after the speaker's staff sent out an e-mail to allied groups asking for attendance out on the steps tomorrow morning. Republicans got their hands on it and helpfully sent it all around to reporters.

Besieged by reporters moments ago, progressive leader Lynn Woolsey, a California congresswoman, was noncommittal about her support for the non-robust plan.

From NBC's Athena Jones
WASHINGTON -- Inspiration, trailblazer, uniter were all words used to describe former Massachusetts Sen. Edward William Brooke as congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle gathered Wednesday in the Capitol Rotunda to honor the first African-American to be elected by popular vote to the U.S. Senate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader John Boehner and Sen. John Kerry joined President Obama at a ceremony to present Brooke with the Congressional gold medal, the highest civilian award presented by the legislative branch. It was an award made possible by legislation introduced by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, a lifelong friend of Brooke's. Kennedy's widow Vicki Kennedy, was in the audience for today's presentation.

The first black president -- a man who made history himself last November -- lauded Brooke as a man who spent his life breaking barriers and bridging divides across the country.

"Today's honor bears a unique significance, bestowed by this body of which he was an esteemed member, presented in this place where he moved the arc of history, surrounded by so many -- myself included -- who have followed the trail that he blazed," Obama said.

The president told the story of Brooke's "unlikely" journey, from growing up in a neighborhood so segregated that black residents needed a note from a white resident just to pass through, to fighting heroically in his segregated Army unit in World War II to establishing his own law firm after being rejected by Boston's "old line" firms, and he noted that he wasn't discouraged from running for statewide office as a black, Republican, Protestant in a state that was largely white, Democratic and Catholic.

"It was, to say the least, an improbable profile for the man who would become the first African-American state attorney general, and the first popularly elected African-American senator," Obama said. "But that was Ed Brooke's way -- to ignore the naysayers, reject the conventional wisdom, and trust that ultimately, people would judge him on his character, his commitment, his record and his ideas. He ran for office, as he put it, 'to bring people together who had never been together before.' And that he did."

Obama hailed Brooke's ability to build a "fan base" of people of wide-ranging political ideologies like feminist activist Gloria Steinem, Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, Kennedy, McConnell, Mitt Romney and former President George W. Bush -- and said it showed he was a "coalition-builder."

He drew the biggest applause when he spoke of the need to set aside political differences after the campaign season and work together, to embrace what he called Brooke's spirit "to compete aggressively at the polls, but then work selflessly together to serve the nation we love. To look for the best in each other, to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and to remember that we're here for a purpose far greater than the sum of our own hopes, needs and ambitions."

The biracial president from Hawaii, a son of a Kenyan student and a white woman from Kansas who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, broke barriers with his own campaign, a campaign in which he promised to be a uniter who favored pragmatism over ideology and who pledged to change the way business is done in Washington.

According to the latest NBC/WSJ poll, he has so far fallen short. When asked whether Obama was "uniting the country," only 38% of respondents agreed compared with 57% in April. On the question of "changing business as usual" 38% agreed compared with 47% in April, while on the more general question of "achieving his goals" 37% of respondents agreed that he was, compared to 60 percent in April.

From NBC's Mark Murray
First Read has confirmed that former Vice President Dick Cheney will back Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) in her gubernatorial primary against incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), according to her campaign.

Cheney is set to appear at a fundraiser and campaign event in Houston for Hutchison on Nov. 17.

Per the AP: "The former vice president is popular with conservative activists and could help Hutchison bolster support among them."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The World Series between the New York Yankees and Amtrak Corridor rival Philadelphia Phillies kicks off tonight.

And New York Gov. David Paterson and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell have laid down their bets -- weekend getaways for a fan of the other team.

"The state with the losing team will offer a weekend vacation to a resident of the state with the winning team," according to a Paterson press release. "Accommodations, meals and tickets for the vacation package will be donated by the respective companies, organizations and venues hosting the trip. The losing city will host the all-expenses paid weekend getaway. ...

"If the Yankees win, a New Yorker and guest will enjoy the luxury accommodations at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, be treated to dinner at the Prime Rib, VIP access at a cultural event, as well as brunch at Parc in the inviting Rittenhouse Square during an all-access VIP weekend. If the Phillies win, a Pennsylvania resident and guest will stay at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers and will dine at the award winning 21 Club in midtown Manhattan. Transportation will be provided by Amtrak between Philadelphia and New York."

The governors aren't the only politicos making a wager. The U.S. senators from both states are offering up cheesesteaks or cheesecakes. Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania have offered to export a supply of cheesesteaks if the Yankees win. If the Phillies win, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York will send over some cheesecakes from famed Brooklyn restaurant, Junior's.

The mayors of both cities have also announced their bets today -- participation in a service project in the other's city, wearing that city's team uniform. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would travel to Philly "and paint a mural on the side of a Philadelphia recreation center," Bloomberg NEWS reports. "If the New York Yankees prevail, [Philadelphia Mayor Michael] Nutter will be at the Albert Einstein Intermediate School in the Bronx painting open spaces."

And the wagers don't end there. New York's and Philadelphia's famed produce markets -- Hunts Point (NY) and Philadelphia Regional -- have offered to send a truckload of produce to the a food bank in the winning city.

No word on what Mets fans are supposed to do in all this.

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll surveyed more than 1,000 adults across the country. We followed up with a handful of these respondents, to get their thoughts on President Obama, Afghanistan, health care, and more. Below are some excerpts from these interviews, and here's a Web video with their comments.  

On Obama the President
Andrew Maxwell, California: If I have one criticsm of the Obama administration it's that they're too tepid. Ultimately they're worried about political atmospherics too much.
 
Rosalind Godin, Maryland:  I know he inherited a lot of problems from the previous administration and I know it's going to take a lot of time to correct some of those problems.
 
Brian Gross, Maryland: We are seeing some of the same old tried and unproven solutions to things, so I dont think the last ten months have been incredibly productive... I was very excited at the prospect of someone who could be a bridge builder. I haven't seen a lot of bridges being built right now.

Kenneth Kroenlein, Colorado: The thing I really appreciate about Obama's approach to date has been the diplomatic tact he's taken. He's made a real effort to open channels of communication to Iran, to North Korea and these are potentially very dangerous states. It's very important to have opened dialogue so that we can really establish a base line in case there is trouble.
 
In general, he has done the best he can once his feet are on the ground. It's more important to get something done that's effective as opposed to worrying about lofty goals.
 
Carolyn Johnson-Josey, Georgia: I think he was elected for four years and they want him to do everything that he campaigned for in ten months... Just give him time and he will stand by all of his campaign promises that he gave to us.
 
On Obama the person
Kroenlein: He has done pretty much what I expected him to do since he took office and has sort of increased the amount of trust I have for what he will do in the future.
 
Johnson-Josey:  My opinion have not changed about Obama because he's a man of integrity, he's an honest and trustworthy person.
 
On health care reform
Maxwell: I personally support a strong public option because I think we can't be ruled by for-profit private insurers because they have no check.
 
Kroenlein: In trying to push through health care, he's not giving a specific plan to Congress and telling Congress, this is the bill you have to pass. He gave Congress the opportunity as the legislative branch to fulfill its role, which is to craft this kind of legislation.

On the economy
Maxwell:  I think there are some players on the economic team at the moment that helped get us into this mess.
 
I do believe that there was a serious economic crisis. Something had to be done and there could have been a global meltdown. But  it's unfortunate that it had to be done the way it was because ultimately I do agree that Main Street has suffered and the banks are largely doing fine.
 
Gross: I don't think [the administration] necessarily appreciates the relationship between the engine of the small business owner to put people to work in the community, to pay them a great wage and start building from the bottom up, rather than focusing so much attention on reconstructing the top down.
 
I think that its going to be very difficult to turn the situation around in the next 24 months; the only thing I'm hoping for is that we don't have a double dip, that something happens or the confidence is lost in a certain sectors that we head down again.
 
Kroenlein: By throwing the stimulus money into the economy [Obama] made that dip much shallower, I feel, that it would have been.
 
On Afghanistan policy
Maxwell: It's the worst possible time to be committing this much money and and people to this problem, but ultimately removing soldiers from Afghanistan does not put us in a good posture versus Pakistan...Afghanistan has been very similar for 2,000 or 3,000 years and just because we're the largest, mightiest country in the world, we're not going to solve that problem.
 
Gross: The best solution in Afghanistan will be for our elected officials to listen very closely to the trained professionals: the generals and the people who are on the ground doing what they do best.
 
Kroenlein: To a large extent [Obama has] let generals fight the wars because that's what they're good at doing, and he's tried to work on getting the political side of things working.
 
Johnson-Josey: Everybody wants to rush him into sending more troops to Afghanistan but he want to weigh the situation and I'm sure when the time comes, he'll do what he has to do.

On Congress
Maxwell: Congress, I think, gets too bogged down in the process. I think they let the media play them. And they often play to the media themselves.I think the voters delivered a lot to Democrats in the last election I don't see unformity among Democrats. Not that that's anything new, but it seems to be bogging them down and they're not doing enough.
 
Godin: [Congress] didn't step in fast enough in certain instances -- like the mortgage crisis. That started at least four years ago.
 
Gross: I am distressed that both parties are spending a bit more time positioning and maneuvering as far as strategy and who can make the other people look worse and make their position look better, rather than getting down to the business of actually solving stuff.

On bipartisanship
Maxwell: I think it's important to have good policy, not good political atmospherics. And personally I think [Obama] probably spends too much time thinking about bipartisanship.
 
Gross: [Democrats and Republicans] have got to get out of this ideological bickering on both sides, and get down to what is important for the American people. Because right now Im just tired of the finger pointing on both sides.

Kroenlein: I really wish I saw more Republicans or Democrats crossing the aisle, just, worrying about what's best for the constituents rather than what the party line is.
 
Johnson-Josey: [President Obama] has done everything he could to be a bipartisan president, but [Congress] won't let him.
 
On Same-Sex Marriage
Maxwell: I don't think he's he's done enough in terms of a of promoting gay rights or equal rights at this point... but I think that there's just a lot of really meaty problems before us and a lot of the things that would be interesting to various identity groups aren't going to be taken care of right away. So he's being pragmatic and I think that's ultimately a good long term approach.
 
On Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Godin: I was really pleased when I heard that he was getting rid of the Don't Ask Don't Tell because to me that was, it didn't matter to me whether somebody was gay or not gay.
 
Kroenlein: Given the number of very large, very dramatic issues that he's been trying to deal with during his presidency, I am willing to give him a little leeway on some of these other promises that he hasn't gotten around to dealing with yet.

From NBC's Kelly Paice
Republican Sen. John McCain, along with four of his colleagues on the Hill, yesterday introduced a bipartisan post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act, which expands and modernizes the current Troops to Teachers (TTT) program with the goal of having more troops continue their service in the classroom.
 
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, said that America has the strongest military in the world and the experiences troops have can reach "beyond the battlefield and into schools and classrooms" with this program.
 
The original program was established in 1994 to help servicemembers attain their teaching certification, and since its inception has brought nearly 10,000 troops into classrooms across the nation.
 
However, Bennet outlined that under the current TTT program, many servicemembers are not eligible to participate due to a service requirement of six years. He says that this new bill makes some "much needed and common sense changes" -- such as reducing the length of service requirements from six years of active duty to four years, or at least 90 days of continuous active duty since 9/11, so that younger veterans returning from today's wars will be able to participate.
 
Wisconsin Rep. Tom Petri (R) called the new bill a "win-win situation," saying that the program allows troops to "inspire good role models" and to use their leadership skills and military experiences to enrich students' experiences in the classroom. Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney (D) added, "I think they [troops] will bring a thoughtful, broadminded view that no college degree could give."
 
In order for participants to receive a $5,000 stipend for teaching certification and training, they are required to teach in an economically disadvantaged school for a minimum of three years. There is also the option of receiving a $10,000 bonus in lieu of the stipend if the servicemember chooses to teach in a "high need" school -- a school where "at least 50% of the students are from low-income families." This bill intends to increase the number of schools across the nation in which participants can receive a stipend even if not teaching in "high need" classrooms, as the current program requires.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was welcomed to Pakistan by a car bomb explosion in Peshawar -- as well as word of the latest terror attacks in Afghanistan.

Just as Clinton was embarking on a trip to emphasize that the U.S. was not only focused on security and terror -- but also wanted a broader relationship with Pakistan -- the terror attacks brought home the brutal reality of Pakistan's dilemma: Under pressure from the U.S., the government has launched its long delayed attack against insurgents in tribal areas. But the extremists have responded with a spate of attacks, undermining the legitimacy of the government and angering Pakistanis frustrated by the lack of security.

Video: A massive car bomb rocks a crowded market in Pakistan hours after Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrives in the country.

At a news conference today with Pakistan's foreign minister, Clinton said that she wanted to turn the page on the U.S. relationship with Pakistan and build on mutual respect and shared responsibilities. "While we may disagree from time to time as friends and partners do" Clinton said, she vowed to do more thru people to people diplomacy.

Clinton also announced a major U.S. program to help Pakistan deal with country-wide electricity shortages.

Asked about today's attacks, and what he would say to Pakistanis who say "Is it worth it?"
the foreign minister said, "We will not buckle. We will fight you. We will fight you because we want peace and security in Pakistan. You are on the run and you know that."

Clinton said that the U.S. has lost a number of brave American soldiers in Afghanistan in recent months. She added, "As the foreign minister said, this is a fight that can not be avoided. These attacks on innocent people are cowardly. If the people behind these attacks are so sure of their political beliefs, let them join the political process... They know they are on the losing side of history, but they are determined to take as many people with them as their movement is exposed for the nihilistic and empty effort that it is."

She said she commends the government of Pakistan for taking on this fight, but that while she is here she wants to try to correct misconceptions -- and reach out to as many people as possible.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel will be at the White House event this afternoon where he'll be named by the president as co-chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.

Sources confirm this account in the trade pub, Foreign Policy.

According to THEIR report, Hagel will be charged with "overseeing the work of the intelligence agencies for the president and unvestigating violations of the law" by folks in this community.

Hagel never did endorse John McCain in the 2008 campaign and Hagel's wife was a donor to Obama. It was a poorly held secret that Hagel preferred Obama over McCain. It's been surprising that it's taken the White House this long to find a place for Hagel as he'd been one of those Republicans long rumored to join the administration in some capacity.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Business as usual: We're soon coming up on the one-year anniversary of Barack Obama's presidential win. And one of the messages he used during the two-year campaign -- with much success -- was that he stood for changing the ways of Washington. But a year later, according to the latest NBC/WSJ poll, Washington is about as unpopular as it ever was. In the survey, just 23% say they trust government, which is the lowest number on this question in 12 years. What's more, nearly half of respondents (46%) support building an independent political party to compete with the Democrats and Republicans. And nearly six in 10 (57%) blame both Ds and Rs for the partisanship in Washington; 24% blame only the Republicans and 17% blame the Democrats. "I was hoping that business as usual was going to stop with the Obama administration," said poll respondent Brian Gross of Poolesville, MD, "and so far I just haven't seen that." As we've asked before: Does the president need to do something symbolic to show he's trying to change the D.C. culture? Maybe veto a bill with earmarks?

*** Obama, The Man vs. Obama, The President: President Obama hasn't been immune to this anger at Washington, although he remains the most popular politician in the poll. His job-approval rating remains at 51% for a third-straight survey, 56% have a favorable view of him, and a combined 74% say they like him personally. Indeed, our poll -- which measured the president on 16 different attributes -- makes it clear that the public likes Obama the man much more than Obama the president. His high scores on personal qualities (such as being easygoing and likeable, being inspirational and exciting, improving America's image around the world, etc.) averaged in the low 60s. But his grades on professional attributes (being a good commander-in-chief, uniting the country, changing business as usual in Washington, and achieving his goals) averaged in the low 40s. In fact, just 38% gave him high marks for uniting the country, which is a 32-point drop (!!!) from our January 2009 poll. To borrow that line from the '80s, "Where's the beef?" The potentially good news here for Obama is that he has time to boost his professional scores, especially if/when health care passes.

*** A tipping point? But it's as if Obama is at a tipping point right now. So far, his personal ratings have held up, and the public has only taken it out on him professionally. The more pessimistic the country gets the more likely he'll see erosion on those personal qualities. Then again, his strong personal ratings give him some latitude and provide an opportunity to improve the professional scores. A signed health care bill, a decision on Afghanistan, progress on the jobs front are all events that could move the numbers. Another thing: If you were trying to find words to describe our NBC/WSJ poll, you might choose "unstable stability." The numbers are pretty stable, but the public is feeling anything but…

*** Time to resurrect that dog food metaphor? While impressions of Obama's professional performance are mixed, the same can't be said of the Republican Party at large. Put simply, the GOP's brand is still a mess. According to the poll, just 25% have a positive opinion of the party (compared with 42% for the Dem Party), which ties the GOP's low-water mark in the survey and which is a worse score than it ever had during the Bush presidency. (Honest question: Can the party still blame Bush for their problems if their numbers have gotten lower since he left the scene?) In addition, only 23% approve of the way in which congressional Republicans have handled health care (compared with 43% for Obama). And looking ahead to the 2010 midterms, 46% prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 38% who want a GOP-controlled Congress. Last month, Dems held a 43%-40% advantage. Also, don't miss this: Despite being out of office and (relatively) out of the news, Sarah Palin's fav/unfav in our poll has dropped from 32%-43% in July to 27%-46% now. In fact, her numbers now are nearly identical to Nancy Pelosi's (26%-42%). By the way, both Palin and Pelosi are more popular than the Republican Party.

*** On Afghanistan: Today's big headlines are out of Afghanistan, where NBC's Brian Williams has been reporting from for past couple of days. One, October has been the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the country. Two, several U.N. workers were killed in Kabul after an early morning attack by the Taliban. So what are Americans views on Afghanistan? Per our poll, by a 47%-44% margin, respondents support increasing the troop level there, which is a reversal from last month, when 51% opposed an increase and 44% supported it. Also, as Republicans criticize Obama for waiting to announce his troop decision -- Dick Cheney recently said the president was "dithering" -- almost six in 10 (58%) say they support delaying a decision until after Afghanistan's run-off election on Nov. 7. And when presented with four different approaches to Afghanistan, the most acceptable (at 55%) was sending 10,000 more troops to the country, while the least acceptable (at 43%) was Gen. McChrystal's recommendation of 40,000 more troops. To put it another way, it's more acceptable to Americans to send more troops (10,00 in this case) than not sending ANY more troops. This finding also was noteworthy: 62% said they had more confidence in the generals on the ground to make the right decisions on military strategy, versus 25% who said they had more confidence in the president.

*** On health care: The NBC/WSJ poll also shows that opinions on the health-care debate haven't changed much over the past month. Only 38% percent believe that Obama's health plan is a good idea, compared with 42% who said it's a bad idea, which is virtually identical to last month's score. But what has changed -- slightly (and within the margin of error) -- is the opposition to a public option. Last month's poll found that Americans OPPOSED it by a 48%-46% margin. But now they SUPPORT it by a 48%-42% score.

*** More pro-gay, more pro-life, and more pro-gun: Besides all these numbers, perhaps the most interesting findings in the NBC/WSJ come on a series of questions about social issues. On the one hand, the percentage of respondents believing that abortion decisions should be left to a woman and her doctor has dropped from 55% in 2007 to 51% now. On the other hand, the opposition to gay marriage also has dropped, from 62% opposed in 2004 to 49% now. And also decreasing is the public's support for gun-control measures. In 1991, three-quarters of Americans supported banning the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles. Yet this past April, 53% favored it, and in this new poll 49% say they support the ban. So as much as we in the media and both parties try to fit Americans into neat red-blue boxes on social issues, it isn't that easy.

*** Have Republicans found their Ned Lamont? With Joe Lieberman back in the news, here's a question we pose to folks: Has conservative Doug Hoffman in that NY-23 special congressional election become the GOP's Ned Lamont? Well, supporting Hoffman over the more moderate GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava certainly has become a Republican litmus test of sorts for 2012, much like supporting Lamont over Lieberman was back in '06. The only difference to us is how FAST Republican politicians like Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty have backed Hoffman. Remember that the Democratic establishment (including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama) didn't start supporting Lamont until after he had won the Democratic nomination over Lieberman in that 2006 Senate contest. RNC Chair Michael Steele said on "Morning Joe" that he was supporting the Republican candidate in the race, Scozzafava.

*** Holding your nose while voting in NJ: In the latest Quinnipiac poll measuring the New Jersey gubernatorial contest, Jon Corzine's (D) lead over Chris Christie (R) has narrowly increased from 41%-40% to 43%-38%, but that's margin of error movement. Chris Daggett, meanwhile, remains in the low teens (13%). Now among Daggett supporters, 43% of them say Christie's their second choice, while 27% picked Corzine. Other polls have had this breakdown differently. Christie's fav/unfav is still upside down at 37%-42%; Corzine's is a tad worse, 41%-52%; and Daggett sports the ONLY net positive rating at 21%-16%. By the way, Corzine's job rating is UNDER 40 -- at 39%. The state legislature in the state has an even LOWER approval rating at 26% (will that translate to down ballot churn?) Now, here's the best explanation in this poll why Corzine's ahead. He's got a net positive rating on the question of being honest and trustworthy (46%-44%), while Christie has a net NEGATIVE rating on this question, 37%-39%.

*** Obama's day: At 11:00 am ET, President Obama delivers the Congressional Gold Medal to former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Brooke (R). At 2:10 pm, the president signs the National Defense Authorization Act into law. And then at 6:05 pm, he delivers remarks at an event commemorating the enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Countdown to Election Day 2009: 6 days
Countdown to MA Special Primary: 41 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 83 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 370 days

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President Obama rallied yesterday for Creigh Deeds, the embattled Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee, who finds himself trailing his Republican opponent, Bob McDonnell, by double digits in most recent polls. With Election Day only a week away, Obama, the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Virginia in 44 years, spoke of the difficulty of getting elected in Virginia, but urged the crowd at Norfolk's Old Dominion University that the race was not yet over.
 
"Let's just be straight here," Obama said. "Let's be honest. This is going to be a tough race. We've got a tough economy, and even if it wasn't a tough economy it's always tough in Virginia." But, he added, "I'm urging you to cast aside the cynics and the skeptics and anyone who says this race is as good as over. Because the final word doesn't belong to them -- it belongs to you. And nobody knows that better than I do."

The New York Times on Obama and Virginia: "While the president has only tepidly engaged in the contest, the outcome is seen by many as at least some kind of a test of Mr. Obama's popularity, considering he was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia in 45 years." And although press secretary Robert Gibbs yesterday told reporters that "the notion that this [election is] somehow a referendum on President Obama is just not the case," at the rally the president "linked himself directly to the Democratic candidate. 'We have just begun to deliver on the change you voted for, and we need a partner like Creigh Deeds to help us finish what we started,' Mr. Obama said."

Here's our take on the latest NBC/WSJ poll: "As the Obama administration decides whether or not to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds that a plurality of Americans now backs a troop increase, and a strong majority supports waiting on a decision until after the country conducts its presidential runoff election next month. Also, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid moves forward crafting a Senate health-care bill that contains a public option -- with a state "opt out" -- the survey shows support for a government-run insurance plan is at its highest level since the debate began and opposition is at its lowest level."

Video: As President Obama weighs whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, a new NBC/WSJ poll suggests that the American public would support the decision.

"Perhaps most revealing, the poll highlights the public's disgust at Washington, with the number trusting government at its lowest level in 12 years and with nearly half of Americans favoring the creation of a new political party." 

Here's the Wall Street Journal's: "Americans are growing increasingly pessimistic about the economy after a mild upswing of attitudes in September. But Republicans haven't been able to profit politically from the economic gloom… The survey found a country in a decidedly negative mood, nearly a year after the election of President Barack Obama. For the first time during the Obama presidency, a majority of Americans sees the country as being on the wrong track."

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that the debate in the Obama administration is no longer about WHETHER to send in troops, but HOW many. "President Obama's advisers are focusing on a strategy for Afghanistan aimed at protecting about 10 top population centers, administration officials said Tuesday, describing an approach that would stop short of an all-out assault on the Taliban while still seeking to nurture long-term stability. Mr. Obama has yet to make a decision and has other options available to him, but as officials described it, the debate is no longer over whether to send more troops, but how many more will be needed."

First Lady Michelle Obama will be at Game 1 of the World Series tonight.

Roll Call on the Lieberman news yesterday: "Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) told his Democratic colleagues nearly a year ago that they would 'not regret' letting him keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. But after Lieberman signaled Tuesday his willingness to filibuster the Democrats' top legislative priority this year -- health care reform -- leaders may feel the need to remind him of his own words in order to avoid another vote on punishing one of their own." 

Video: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., reacts to Sen. Joe Lieberman's decision to join the Republican filibuster and block the health care reform bill.

"Senate GOP Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) on Tuesday said he supports the idea of allowing states to decide whether to opt in to a publicly run health plan. Kyl told The Hill he remains opposed to the Senate Democrats' plan, which is being scored by the Congressional Budget Office… Kyl's statement could offer the seeds of a compromise with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), though a bipartisan accord is unlikely." 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and others will be on the Hill today for a hearing on NFL players and brain injury. Goodell is expected to say "that while the research by the University of Michigan was "a telephone survey and not a true medical diagnosis," the number of players reporting memory-related problems is a concern. In written testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, he said the NFL will offer free follow-up medical work to 56 players who reported dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other memory-related problems in the survey. Goodell said the league also will reach out to the players to see whether they are receiving money from the 88 Plan, which provides up to $88,000 a year to former players suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, regardless of the cause."
 
With the help of former NFL players, the "Members" team beat the Capitol Police, 32-26 in their flag football game.

First Read has learned that Sarah Palin could be heading to Iowa on Nov. 21 to be the featured speaker at the Iowa Family Policy Center's fall fundraiser.

Here's the take from TheIowaRepublican.com: "In an ironic twist, Palin's appearance would occur just across the street from the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson Jackson Dinner, which will be held at Hy-Vee Hall. The Iowa Family Policy Center was originally scheduled to hold its event at Hy-Vee Hall, but IFPC was asked to relocate once the Iowa Democratic Party confirmed Vice President Biden as its keynote speaker. As a consolation, the Iowa Events Center reportedly offered IFPC Action the 16,000 seat Wells Fargo Arena at a greatly reduced rate." 

FLORIDA: The Washington Times has a little fun at Charlie Crist's expense for ducking Obama's visit to the state earlier this week. It is worth noting that when Obama went to Louisiana, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal WAS there to greet the president.

NEW JERSEY: A new Quinnipiac poll shows Jon Corzine leading Chris Christie 43%-38%, with independent Chris Daggett at 13%. An Oct. 14 survey had Christie ahead of Corzine, 41%-40%. Of those who said they supported Daggett, "38 percent say they might change their mind: 43 percent say Christie is their second choice, while 27 percent say Gov. Corzine is number two."  
 
New Jersey is in World Series corridor, sandwiched between New York and Philly. As a result, "The World Series will have a very serious impact on this campaign because nobody's going to be focused," said Brigid Harrison, a political scientist at Montclair State University and a Phillies fan. Time on newscasts usually devoted to the gubernatorial race will now be all about the Yankees and Phillies --although the new focus may be a boon for wealthy candidate Jon Corzine, who can afford airing commercials in pricey game-time slots. 

NEW YORK: "The floodgates have officially opened on the Republican leaders who are trying to hold together Member support, or at least minimize outright opposition, for the party's nominee, Dede Scozzafava, in next week's special House election in upstate New York," Roll Call writes. "On Tuesday, former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) spurned the leadership by endorsing Doug Hoffman's third-party campaign in the New York special election, following the lead of Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), who announced his support for Hoffman on Friday. Other national conservative GOP leaders, such as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.), have also endorsed Hoffman, and Thompson is now appearing in a Hoffman TV ad that began airing Tuesday."
 
And Hoffman appears to be the DCCC's main target now. "They're running neck and neck," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Ryan Rudominer said of Hoffman and attorney Bill Owens, the Democratic nominee. As a result, the party is shifting its advertising attacks from Scozzafava to Hoffman, with a $245,000 ad buy this week criticizing Hoffman as out of touch and for supporting 'failed' economic policies. The DCCC also raised the specter of Hoffman winning a seat in Congress to solicit funds Tuesday."

Also, a new Dem-leaning ad is whacking Hoffman.  

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and City Comptroller Bill Thompson squared off for their second and final debate -- and it was a nasty one. The New York Daily News: "One pointed exchange came when [Bloomberg was] asked ... whether he was out of touch with New Yorkers. 'I don't think so,' Bloomberg said. 'That's not what the public sees. The public sees someone who cares and does understand their problems and is trying to do something about them.' Thompson was more blunt: 'I think everybody recognizes that the mayor is out of touch.'"

From NBC's Mark Murray
Here's another set of numbers we're releasing from today's upcoming NBC/WSJ poll, which comes out later tonight: Only 23% say they trust government "just about always" or "most of the time," which is the lowest number on this question in 12 years. 

What's more, nearly half of respondents (46%) support building an independent political party to compete with the Republicans and Democrats.

And nearly six in 10 (57%) blame both Republicans and Democrats for the partisanship in Washington; 24% blame the Republicans only, while 17% point their finger at the Democrats.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
For all those trying to understand what Lieberman's talk of filibuster ACTUALLY means, we turned to our Senate wise-man Ken Strickland, who explained it in football terms, essentially this way:

Right now Lieberman's with Reid. Reid needs a first down. And Lieberman's with Reid for that first down. Reid doesn't have enough votes quite yet for that first down, but Lieberman's with him -- for now.

And that first down is getting the bill to the floor, i.e., getting 60 senators to vote for cloture, in other words, 60 senators who would allow the bill to get to the floor.

Lieberman would not vote for the final version of the bill if it contains a public option, but he is ok with allowing debate and amendments to be added.

Point is, Reid needs first downs before he can get to the red zone or even the end zone. And right now, he doesn't even have the votes for that first down. So let's not get too far ahead of ourselves and try to predict what will happen in the red zone -- if Democrats carry the ball that far.

*** UPDATE *** For those wondering about the TPM analysis. It's correct, and we linked to it in an earlier post. As we were trying to explain, there are TWO procedural hurdles: (1) On the front end to allow it to get to the floor for debate, and then (2) On the backend, AFTER debate and before a vote.

Lieberman would not filibuster on the front end, but he would on the back end. The front end is the more important one.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Sarah Palin is weighing in again from her perch as conservative sage, urging voters to support Chris Christie in New Jersey, Bob McDonnell in Virginia and... the Republican Governors Association.

"Like other independent Americans, I don't always see eye-to-eye with Republican political committees, so when I tell you that the Republican Governors Association has my complete support and confidence in its campaign efforts back East, know that I really mean it," Palin wrote. "The RGA is helping lead the conservative comeback beginning this year, and its involvement in the East Coast races is significant. I hope you'll support these efforts, which are vital to the cause for America's freedom and prosperity."

By the way, the former Alaska governor apparently penned the 589-word Facebook "Note" from a freshmen girls basketball game.

Boring game? No. She was "struck by the sight of America's future right in front of me -- these tenacious young women full of energy and intensity. I want them to realize every opportunity this great, free nation can provide. ... The young student athletes I'm watching right now are counting on us to do the right thing -- to fight for what is right for America today and into their future. Electing candidates with common sense and respect for freedom is one way we can fight for what is right."

Still, it couldn't have been THAT great a game if she's writing this from there. Nonetheless, the RGA isn't complaining. Think there'll be a spike in contributions in their next FEC report, coinciding with Oct. 27th.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
After surveying a number of Democratic centrists today, it's clear that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is still short of the 60 votes he needs to even get the healthcare on the floor.

Passage is another issue.

Still firmly uncommitted to vote with Reid are Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

"I'm not going to make up my mind until I've actually seen the bill," Nelson said.

Landrieu said, "I'm very skeptical about what he outlined yesterday for a number of reasons."

When asked directly if she'll vote with Democrats to bring the bill to the floor, she only said, "I'm going to continue to work on a principled compromise."

Senators, who seem inclined to vote with Reid on that first procedural vote, but reserved the right to vote against the final bill, were Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Mark Pryor (D-AR), and Evan Bayh (D-IN).

"I've got an open mind on that," Bayh said. "That's not my stumbling block."

Lieberman said, "I'm going to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed to the healthcare debate, because there has to be a healthcare debate."

Pryor added, "My inclination is to support the process ... that it get to the floor and see where it take us from there."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Liberals have one more reason to love to hate Joe Lieberman.

Politico's reporting that the independent Connecticut senator who caucuses with the Democrats -- and backed the Iraq war and staunchly supported John McCain's presidential bid -- said he would vote with a potential Republican filibuster of Majority Leader Harry Reid's bill because it includes a public option.

Here are the quotes:

"We're trying to do too much at once. To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don't think we need it now."

He'd vote against a plan with a public option "even with an opt-out because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line. ... I've told Sen. Reid that if the bill stays as it is now I will vote against cloture."

Which Democrat handed him a gavel again?

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports that Senior aides to Lieberman just confirmed to us again that "Senator Lieberman is strongly inclined to vote with Reid on cloture but would likely oppose a bill with a public option." 

That means Lieberman plans to join Democrats on the first vote to get the bill to the debate stage on the Senate floor. Then if a public option remains, Lieberman would likely go against the Democrats and vote no.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Talking Points Memo on what Lieberman might do... 

Lieberman is saying that he's pretty much OK with letting senators offer amendments--try to change the legislation, move it in any direction they deem necessary. But when that process is all over, and Harry Reid wants to hold an up or down vote on the final product, Lieberman's saying he'll join that filibuster, if he's not happy with the finished product. Point blank.

From NBC's Mark Murray
As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid moves forward crafting a Senate health-care bill that contains a public option -- with a state "opt out" -- the latest NBC/WSJ poll shows support for a government-run insurance plan at its highest level since the debate began.

According to the poll, 48% say they favor a public health plan administered by the federal government that would compete with private insurers, compared with 42% who oppose it. That's a shift from last month, though within the margin of error, when 48% opposed the public option and 46% supported it. And it's a 10-point swing from August, when 47% were in opposition and 43% were in favor.

In another question asked a different way -- is it important to give people a choice of a public option? -- a combined 72% answered that it was either "extremely important" or "quite important," while just 23% said it was "not that important" or "not at all important." Those numbers are virtually unchanged from last month.

The NBC/WSJ poll, which was conducted Oct. 22-25, has a margin of error of +/- 4.4% on these two questions. The full poll will be released on Nightly News, and MSNBC.com, beginning at 6:30 pm ET.   

From NBC's Betsy Cline
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) predicts next week's gubernatorial race in Virginia will be an "overwhelming victory" for Republican candidate Bob McDonnell. Republicans, he said, will use the win to address the American people about restoring balance in Washington.

In 2008, Virginia voted for President Obama by six percentage points, the first time the state had gone Democratic is a presidential race in 44 years. In a Washington Post poll released this morning, McDonnell leads Democrat Creigh Deeds by 11 points. Cantor called the change a "stunning turnabout," attributed to McDonnell's focus on jobs and fixing the economy.

Cantor said the Virginia race is a referendum on the Democrats' policies over the past year. "We've seen the intensity grow across the Commonwealth," Cantor said, "and it's premised on the rejection of the policies and over-reach seen on Capitol Hill."

Several other Republican members joined Cantor at a news conference following their closed conference meeting. Their message was clear: the Democrats' health care proposal is bad for taxpayers and for seniors.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) suggested starting from scratch on health reform.

"It's time to stop all this, hit the reset button, and start over in a bipartisan way," Boehner said.