From NBC's Libby Leist
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters she has spoken to U.S. negotiator Bill Burns to get a readout of the P5+1 talks and the bilateral U.S.-Iran meeting on the sidelines. Burns told Clinton that a number of issues were put on the table. Clinton said, "Now, we have to wait and see how quickly and whether Iran responds."

She called the day "productive," but added, "We want to see concrete actions AND positive results, and I think today's meeting opened the door, but let's see what happens."

Also at the press availability with the Vietnamese foreign minister, Clinton was asked about the Afghanistan meeting at the White House yesterday and whether the meeting changed her opinion at all about the Afghanistan war.

Clinton would not bite at all. She said rather abruptly, "We are in the middle of a process that is very rigorous and focused on answering those questions, and I think I'll wait til that process is over."

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
As far as Alan "Die Quickly" Grayson goes, don't expect that resolution of disapproval to hit the floor.

Yesterday Rep. Tom Price, the leader of the House conservative caucus, prepared a resolution demanding that Grasyon apologize to the House. The resolution was never formally taken up by the House, and there was the possibility that Price would try and bring it up today on the floor.

He will not, and here's why, according to an e-mail from his spokesman, Brendan Buck:

"No resolution will be introduced today. Mr. Grayson's actions on the floor were an embarrassment to this Congress and warrant an apology both to his colleagues and, more importantly, to the people of his district who he insulted on the House floor. It is the job of the Speaker to ensure the House runs with proper decorum, and we would hope that she would not tolerate such behavior. As Mr. Grayson has shown no remorse for his antics, we have called on the Speaker to take the appropriate action to resolve this matter. Any future decision on a resolution will rest on the ability of the Speaker to control her members."

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
In an interview with NBC's David Gregory, Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) declined to "nitpick" President Obama's first eight months in office, although he did offer some specifics on how he would have governed differently had he been elected. He also offered his views on Sarah Palin's new memoir, "Going Rogue."
 
On Obama's health-care plans, McCain said that the administration has "overlearned the Clinton experience," where President Bill Clinton and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton put forth a detailed package, which "in their view was picked apart by the opposition."
 
"This administration has yet to come up with a specific proposal from the president," McCain said. "We read in the media, and hear there is a plan being developed in the White House, but we have not seen it yet."

He explained how he would have built a health-care plan. "I would probably start with what we could agree on and then add on rather than have an encompassing proposal that obviously has led to the kind of gridlock we're in," McCain said. 
 
When asked by Gregory how America would be different with a President McCain in the White House, the senator responded, "I'd love to answer that question and spend a couple hours on it" and proceeded not to answer the question. "I respect the results of the election."
 
McCain also offered his views on the debate over troop levels in Afghanistan: "I am confident that we can succeed if there are sufficient resources to do so... I really think we are faced with choices, only two. And if we don't do what is necessary and implement half measures, I'd just say get out."
 
On the current tone of discourse among politicians and commentators, McCain criticized the "continuous news cycle. There are people on both sides making very extreme comments and statements. What happens when you do that? You quickly rise from obscurity to notoriety, and some people obviously enjoy that."
 
McCain was also asked what parts of his former running mate Sarah Palin's new memoir, "Going Rogue," he was looking forward to reading.

"The part I'm looking forward to most is the part where it energized our campaign and put us-- the selection put us ahead in the polls," McCain said, adding he looks least forward to "some of the disagreements that took place within the campaign." He praised Palin, saying that he thinks she "will play a significant role in the Republican party in the future."

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said his committee could finish voting on amendments as early as tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. That sets the stage for a final committee vote sometime next week.

The reason why the final vote wouldn't happen until next week is because Baucus promised the members they would get to review the bill's preliminary cost estimate -- or "the score" -- from the Congressional Budget Office before the final vote. (Put another way, Republicans have demanded to see the numbers before they vote.) Amendments that have been agreed to will likely change the bill's cost.

Last night, Baucus say it would take two-to-three days for the CBO to come up with the preliminary numbers, hence, pushing the final vote until some time next week. That would be the vote when all eyes look to Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME) to see if she will support the bill.

Today's amendments will likely focus on how the bill is financed, tweaking or killing provisions dealing with taxes, fees and penalties.

By the numbers (courtesy of the chairman):

• 107: As of last night, the committee has considered 107 amendments. (That doesn't mean 107 votes though. Some have been debated and then pulled to be offered later on the floor.)
• 15: It's been 15 years since the committee has worked this long "marking up" a bill
• 7: This is the seventh day of the "mark up" -- voting on amendments

From NBC's Chuck Todd
The White House is confirming the news that Mark Lippert, chief of staff to National Security Adviser, Gen. James Jones, is leaving the White House altogether and replacing him is Denis McDonough. McDonough had served as director of strategic communications for the National Security Council.

Replacing McDonough in the press role at NSC is international affairs White House speechwriter Ben Rhodes. McDonough and Jones have become very close, and Jones has become a familiar face to the White House press corps on foreign trips. 

Here's the president's statement:

"I will miss Mark and his counsel, his excellent work at the NSC, and his good cheer. At the same time, I was not surprised when he came and told me he had stepped forward for another mobilization, as Mark is passionate about the Navy. I support his decision. He is a close friend, and I admire and respect his devotion to our country and answering the call to active duty service. He will always have a senior foreign policy position in this White House, when he chooses to return to civilian life."

Lippert's been trying to leave this role for some time, wasn't the perfect fit, according to sources in the know. The White House offered him the post of director of the White House Office of Military Affairs (which has been vacant since the resignation/firing of Louis Caldera for the Air Force One flyover in New York, but Lippert turned it down. He'll be going back to the Navy.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it's time for everyone, including Democrat Alan Grayson, to cool it.

"We have to have a debate that is not distracting" from what they are trying to accomplish in health care, she said, adding later, "The points have been made."

But she isn't calling on Grayson to apologize. Instead, she accuses Republicans of holding Grayson to a higher standard than they do their own members. Several accounts over the last 24 hours have noted similar rhetoric used by Republicans during the health-care debate.

A reporter at her weekly news conference was going through the whole Grayson litany as a prologue to a question. But when he got to "knuckle-dragging neanderthals," a quote from Grayson on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show late yesterday, Pelosi cut him off.

"Let's not go through all this," she said, exasperated. It came off as funny, and the room erupted in laughter.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
GENEVA, Switzerland -- The talks between the P5+1 and Iran have ended and, per a senior U.S. official, all parties have agreed to a second round of talks by the end of the month.

The U.S. and Iran had their first meetings, direct talks -- in 30 years -- during a lunch break in the group session.

Deputy U.S. Spokesman Robert Wood confirmed that "On the margins of the meeting this morning Undersecretary of State William Burns met with the Iranian representative Saeed Jalili."

Prior to the direct talks during the lunch break, the opening plenary session was a restatement of previous positions by both sides, according to sources inside the meeting.

A U.S. official tells NBC News, "The morning session was their first encounter since July 2008, so it was largely a statement of the positions of the Iranians and the P5+1, which included the need for unfettered access to Qom, and the need for concrete steps to demonstrate that the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful."

Here's some color and details on the lunch, according to a U.S. official inside the talks:

The lunch was buffet style. Officials from the P5+1, as well as the Iranians, dined and mingled. Some ate while seated; others stood at tables. They mostly collected in the backyard of the Villa le Saugy, with a view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps. Many different groups would huddle together, quietly discussing issues in sidebar conversations.

Some menu items: Trout almondine, sliced, cold Sablefish, assorted cheeses and meats, cooked chicken with sauce, rice salad with olives, potato salad, tomato salad with olive oil, carrot salad. For dessert, there was chocolate mousse and creme brulee. For drinks, there was lots of strong coffee, wine (Domaine de La Republique et Canton de Geneve), Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

From Chuck Todd, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Talking with the Enemy: The P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council including the U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia and the +1 is Germany) meeting with Iran is going to put to the test President Obama's global engagement strategy. Those talks are already underway, started around 4:05 am ET (10a Geneva time) and will go all day, per NBC's Andrea Mitchell in Geneva.  Undersecretary of State William Burns is leading the U.S. delegation. Per a number of senior administration officials who briefed reporters in Geneva and Washington, the core of the agenda is the nuclear issue. These talks won't be fruitful if they are not about the nuclear program. Defining success wasn't something the administration was prepared to describe before the start of the talks, however, they believe by the end of today, if Iran is providing unfettered access to their secret nuclear site (unfettered is defined as access to not just the physical site, but the background info on the employees, etc.) and it's clear there is a rapid pace to the negotiations so that we know within weeks (not months) that there is real progress and the Iranians are serious. Perhaps the most interesting aspect to today, the Obama administration has agreed to allow its delegation to hold bilateral (er, formal one-on-one) talks with the Iranians if it's deemed helpful. It's worth noting that if this does happen, it will mean in the span of just TWO weeks, the Obama administration will have held direct talks with both Iran and Cuba. Remember when that concept was so controversial it ate up days of cable chatter time during the '08 campaign?

*** Let's Play One-On-One: Should the U.S. and Iran meeting one-on-one at some point today, it's truly a big change. When delegation leader Burns attended the last negotiations with Iran in July of 2008, the Bush White House only authorized him to listen, not talk. And not to hold any sidebars. The allies won important support in recent days from IAEA chief Mohammed el Baradei, who said definitively that what Iran has been doing at Qom is illegal. If Iran wants a face-saving way out of a confrontation, it could expand on its suggestion that the IAEA give it a waiver to buy low-grade enriched uranium from Russia and France for peaceful purposes. If it then agreed to give up its own enrichment, it could form the basis for an agreement. But we are a long way off from anything close to such a positive outcome. The most likely circumstance is that they will agree to meet again and soon.

*** Points for Trying? How much of today's talks are about Iran and how much of it is about China? Senior officials tell us that the U.S. has already begun three separate tracks when it comes to Iranian sanctions. Track 1: the UN (most comprehensive); Track 2: the U.S. and other int'l orgs; Track 3: A country-by-country coalition of the willing. Obviously, the U.S. pursues tracks 2 or 3 if China isn't willing to go along with tough economic sanctions via the UN.  Here's the hope of the U.S., if we're seen as extending our hand, and the Iranians appear to be waving it off, how can China argue with the U.S.'s approach? While it's obviously not a perfect analogy, it's in some respects like the administration's overtures to Republicans in that Obama seems to win points for trying. Polling has shown that despite Obama being able to get any GOP support for its domestic agenda, that Americans blame Republicans more for the partisan tone in Washington and credit the administration for trying to reach out. Point is, the Obama administration hopes to get points for trying here also from the world.

*** Chicago All-Stars: Today's biggest Chicago celebrities -- President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah – will be in Copenhagen to lobby for the 2016 Olympics. The president heads there tonight after he raises money for the Democratic Governors Association in DC, which is expected to bring in more than $500,000. He also meets with Secretary of State Clinton and Vice President Biden in the afternoon (3:30 pm ET). So what will Team Chicago bringing to tempt the IOC to reward their hometown the games besides Obama's soaring rhetoric? Cars or X-Boxes under their chairs? (C'mon this IS Oprah.) Deep-dish pizza? Mike Ditka? Jordans? A Sinatra soundtrack? Will their efforts be enough to beat out Rio (which, by the way, has brought along Pele)? And, to the bigger point, are these games even worth it? Some in Chicago don't think so.  Obama's upped the ante by going, right? What does it say now if Chicago DOESN'T get the games? Minority Leader John Boehner hit the president on his trip, calling him the president of the United States, not the mayor of Chicago. Just asking, but when Republicans attack everything, doesn't that water down the salience of the message? Doesn't it become just noise? The first lady does a lot of the early heavy lifting in Copenhagen, as she meets with the IOC president (3:30 am ET), then attends a heads of state luncheon (TBD) and then attends the IOC opening ceremony (1:00 pm ET).

*** Afghanistan, And Deliver: Yesterday's 3-hour marathon meeting between the President and his war council was significant for what was not debated: troop levels. Yesterday was about the key players giving their assessment of where things stand right now, not just from the military perspective, but from the perspectives of intelligence gathering, the diplomatic front, Pakistan's stability and cooperation, the Afghan elections, civilian side etc. We're told the president made clear at the very beginning of the meeting that this was not the time to be debating how many troops should be sent in or withdrawn. If there is one absolute that one could glean from this meeting, it's that withdrawal from the country is not an option. And there seemed to be some consensus on the need for the U.S. not to look like occupiers, but how do you do a surge of troops to help with security in major cities while somehow shrinking the military footprint? Just one of the many riddles this administration is trying to solve in terms of strategy. By the way, NSA/Gen. Jim Jones left the meeting early to brief senators about the situation in Afghanistan and the timing of the rollout of a new strategy. Sources tell us Jones assured senators that a strategic decision (translation: troop decision) would be made in "weeks, not months." The next war council meeting will take place on Wednesday and will be focused on Pakistan.

*** The Proverbial Bulls in the China Shop: Speaking of the region, it seems that when it comes to the Af-Pak U.S. special envoy, Richard Holbrooke, everyone has strong opinions about him. And it appears that some of Holbrooke's detractors are starting to make their opinions known publicly via some of his disciples. It's just a drip-drip for now, but is this something the administration has to be concerned about? For instance, Foreign Policy's Tom Ricks reported earlier this week on a deteriorating relationship in Iraq between the top U.S. commander there, Gen. Ray Odierno, and the top U.S. diplomat, Amb. Chris Hill. The piece was more critical of Hill whom Ricks described as a "Holbrooke homey." Then, today, read toward the end of the L.A. Times piece about the U.N.'s firing of Peter Galbraith, the highest level American working for the U.N. overseeing the Afghan elections. Galbraith reportedly clashed with senior U.N. official, Kai Eide over how public to make some of the vote fraud charges public. Galbraith wanted to share more information with the Afghans and make it public. The L.A. Times describes Galbraith as someone "close" to Holbrooke. Now, no one is saying these two news items are related, but the negative chatter about Holbrooke is something we've been hearing behind the scenes as well and so seeing these two articles pop up at the same time suddenly seemed less than coincidental. Now, it may simply be the usual sniping when it comes to Holbrooke's style and folks are just trying to tweak him in the media. Still, it's something to keep an eye on.

*** McChrystal's Ball: By the way, Gen. Stanley McChrystal delivered remarks this morning (6:00 am ET) on Afghanistan in London at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. McChrystal has been very public since making his request for at least 40,000 more troops and before the president decides what to do. McChrystal made a strong first impression to many in DC (of both parties) in that 60 Minutes interview, and his being out there and Republicans calling on the president to make a decision sooner rather than later certainly puts more pressure on the White House. Then again, McCrystal's high profile might be a way assuage the troop skeptics as well. Later today, NBC's Brian Williams interviews Gen. David Petraeus at The Atlantic's "First Draft of History" event (9:00 am ET). NBC's David Gregory will interview Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (10:30 am ET), and NBC's Chuck Todd interviews House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) (4:05 pm ET).

*** The Long Road for Health Reform: Nevermind the culture wars, the one thing that the abortion amendment party-line fight reminded us of is just how long the haul is for health reform. Every little aspect of these bills are being fought over and will be hotly contested. And that makes for a VERY long haul. It's one reason that Harry Reid cut Congress' Columbus Day week off to two days off. Forget the fall, at this pace, there's going to be snow on the ground before we know what the end health-reform bill will look like.

*** The End of Reason, Sign 967: Speaking of fighting over every little thing, Republicans are demanding that Rep. Alan Grayson (D) apologize for saying Republicans' health-care plan is to "die quickly." Of course, it's ludicrous for anyone to suggest that an elected official wants someone to die or legislation will cause someone to die, right? But Republicans weren't so outraged when it was many in their party, including elected officials, suggesting that there are death panels and insisting Democrats want to pull the plug on grandma or saying the Democratic plan would kill people. All Grayson did was add to the Washington noise that the public is hearing and it explains why Congress' negative ratings are going down, not up, and both parties could pay a price, with Democrats having the most to lose. By the way, unlike Joe Wilson, Grayson probably did make himself incredibly vulnerable in his swing Florida district. He was elected in a bit of an upset and in his short time in office, has acquired quite a bit of baggage courtesy of his mouth. Something tells us those folks in Orlando won't take kindly to some of the things he said.

*** Lots of Other Moving Parts: Fed Chair Ben Bernanke testifies before House Financial Services (9:00 am ET) on financial regulatory overhaul; The Senate Finance Committee continues its markup of health-care legislation (10:00 am ET); Senate Foreign Relations is dealing with Afghanistan's impact on Pakistan (10:00 am ET); Judiciary is marking up the Patriot Act extension (9:30 am ET); and House Armed Services discusses Obama's missile defense plan (9:00 am ET).

Countdown to Election Day 2009: 33 days
Countdown to MA Special Primary: 68 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 110 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 397 days

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NBC's Andrea Mitchell points out that as Undersecretary of State William Burns sat down today with his Iranian counterpart, Saeed Jalili, the U.S. side braced for a lecture. Jalili is known for delivering lengthy 40-minute non-stop speeches denouncing the U.S. at similar sessions. The difference this time is that for the first time in decades, U.S. officials in Geneva say they are willing to have one-on-one conversations with the Iranians during informal "breaks" in the group sessions. That is a big change. When Burns attended the last negotiations with Iran in July of 2008, the Bush White House only authorized him to listen, not talk. And not to hold any sidebars. Officials in Geneva say this is the first test of President Obama'[s policy of diplomatic engagement. In fact, these Iran talks follow another little-noticed breakthrough: in Havana for scheduled talks on the resumption of postal service between Cuba and the United States, State Department negotiator Biso Williams was surprised to be invited to stay for an additional six days and hold unprecedented, sanctioned talks with Cuban dissidents, as well as wide-ranging talks with Cuban officials.

The New York Times writes that the U.S. and its allies hope to "draw Iran into a serious negotiation that will open up the country to serious nuclear inspections, suspend Iran's nuclear enrichment program and reassure its neighbors that its intentions are peaceful." More: "Washington would still like to begin bilateral talks with Iran on a broader relationship, including trade and Tehran's support for Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi insurgent and terrorist groups, from Hezbollah to Islamic Jihad." But as NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports, those talks cannot be "open ended" given the Qom facility.

The Washington Post: "U.S. officials said they hope the meeting will launch a set of negotiations that could rein in Tehran's nuclear ambitions and possibly reorient Iran's role in the world. But before the talks started, U.S. officials were skeptical that Tehran would act decisively at Thursday's meeting." And catch this: "In what officials said was an unrelated development, the State Department announced that Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his wife had been granted last-minute U.S. visas Wednesday morning. Mottaki, who came from the U.N. General Assembly to Washington to visit the Iranian Interests Section, held no meetings with U.S. officials during his brief stay. He is believed to be the first senior Iranian official to visit Washington since relations with the two countries were cut off."

On the Olympics, the New York Times' Gail Collins writes, "There are downsides to Obama's decision to race off to Copenhagen, none of them involving failure to make the country safe. One is that it might actually not make sense for Chicago to spend tons of money to win the right to stuff the city with new places to throw a javelin." And: "What if Obama goes to Denmark and Chicago loses anyway? Let's hope the White House has been guaranteed that the fix is in. If you're going to waste the administrative momentum on a big gamble, it really ought to be to slow global warming or to reform Wall Street, not to make sure the 2016 triathlon champion wins his medal in Illinois. The worst downside about Obama's trip to Denmark is that even though the Republicans' complaints are spurious, he did say the other day that he couldn't go because he was too busy 'making real the promise of quality, affordable health care for every American.' … I prefer to think that Obama suddenly agreed to go to Denmark not because Chicago couldn't win without him, but because he just needed a short break from thinking about Max Baucus."

David Broder likes the idea and even invokes the Cubs: "I'm astonished that some carping critics have faulted Obama for making the 18-hour excursion to Copenhagen to schmooze the IOC members, who on Friday will decide among Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago. Tip O'Neill taught a previous generation that all politics is local, and this is the best favor the president could possibly do for his adopted home town."

On Afghanistan, the Washington Post points out as we have, "With much of his party largely opposed to expanding military operations in Afghanistan, President Obama could be forced into the awkward political position of turning to congressional Republicans for support if he follows the recommendations of the commanding U.S. general there." And: "Congressional Democrats have begun promoting a compromise package of additional resources for Afghanistan that would emphasize training for Afghan security forces but deny Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal the additional combat troops he has indicated he needs to regain the initiative against the Taliban insurgency. The emerging Democratic consensus is likely to constrain the president as he considers how best to proceed with an increasingly unpopular war."

The New York Daily News on yesterday's marathon Afghanistan meeting: "The wild card in the mix is [Secretary of Defense] Gates in the debate over whether a counterinsurgency strategy with more ground troops is the best way forward compared with a counterterror plan favoring air strikes. Gates "has clearly been a strong proponent of counterinsurgency," a Pentagon spokesman said, "but he wants to have a thorough discussion with the President and the rest of the national security team."

The Hill: "White House press secretary Robert Gibbs took a shot at the House minority whip Wednesday." Cantor had "accused Obama of dragging his feet on sending more troops to the region," to which Gibbs responded by "saying that Republicans like Cantor weren't as impatient when former President George W. Bush was considering the Iraq surge strategy." Gibbs: ""I don't recall Congressman Cantor saying that when Gen. David McKiernan's request for 30,000 additional troops sat on the desk of the previous commander in chief."

On health care, health reform advocacy group, Health Care for America Now has a new ad taking aim at insurance company CEOs with an ad called "Mansion." It will air on local broadcast and cable TV in DC, Maine (Snowe), Philadelphia and Minneapolis as well, as on MSNBC nationally. The group will also drive around a van to WellPoint's CEO's home in Indianapolis and a woman who claims to have been denied treatment by CIGNA will go to that company's CEO's hoe in Philadelphia.

President Hillary Clinton? Here's a fun moment: Presiding over a UN Security Council hearing yesterday, Secretary of State Clinton "finally got to declare herself president on Wednesday -- of the United Nations Security Council. Clearly looking to break the ice in a room full of dour diplomats, Clinton ended her address by saying, 'I resume now my function as president of the council. I kind of like being a President,' she added, causing the room to burst into laughter."

The Senate Finance Committee may have the votes to push through its version of health reform by week's end, AP reports.

"Democrats at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are gripped with a renewed sense of urgency in their effort to pass healthcare reform," The Hill writes, adding that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's "decision to keep the Senate in session for the week of Columbus Day is a clear indication that Democrats are anxious." And "despite their refusal to set firm deadlines in public, Senate Democrats are well into endgame discussions about the floor bill will look like. Several liberal Democratic senators said they have already discussed with Reid the importance of including a government-run health insurance plan in the final Senate bill. Colleagues have also discussed with Reid the process for considering amendments and how much weight should be given to provisions drafted by the Finance panel."

Numbers game: "A debate among House Democrats over whether to include a government-run health insurance option in the broader healthcare legislation now comes down to a counting exercise. Answering a challenge laid down by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the Congressional Progressive Caucus and several other caucuses have started a "whip count" to demonstrate that a public option tied to Medicare rates plus 5 percent can pass the chamber. The centrist Blue Dog Democrats, who oppose that approach, have responded with a survey of their own, seeking a whip count from their 52 members to determine how close they are to blocking that public option." Speaker Pelosi has "signaled increased willingness to consider the Blue Dogs' version of a public option rather than the liberals' Medicare-based plan."

Congress' Iran sanctions: "Lawmakers are readying tough new sanctions against Iran in the wake of its recent disclosure of a second secret nuclear facility," The Hill reports. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) "said he planned to combine several bills -- including measures that would sanction companies that supply Iran with gasoline imports, expand restrictions to oil and gas pipelines and tankers and enable Americans to divest from energy firms doing business in Iran -- into one package. Dodd plans to hold a Banking Committee hearing on Iran on Oct. 6 and have legislation ready the week after." But "if Congress were to pass new sanctions on Iran, it would be Capitol Hill's first major action taken against the Middle Eastern nation since the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act passed in 1996... Critics of imposing more sanctions argue that the law accomplished little, considering Iran has moved steadily along with its nuclear program since then. In addition, proposals now being considered by Congress could end up hurting the business interests of U.S. allies who sit on the United Nations Security Council," like China and Russia.

Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA) introduced climate change legislation yesterday that "calls for a 20 percent emissions cut by 2020, tougher than the 17 percent cut the House bill that narrowly passed in late June called for, and a greater than 80 percent cut by 2050." President Obama praised the bill, saying it brings the country "one step closer to putting America in control of our energy future and making America more energy-independent." The bill was also, however, "immediately criticized" by Republicans and some Democrats. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) called its requirements 'a disappointing step in the wrong direction.' "Many details were left out of the initial draft, including how to divvy up emissions allowances that will be worth tens of billions of dollars a year. Responsibility for that rests in part with the Senate Finance Committee, now tied up with the healthcare debate."

"Sen. Sherrod Brown holds the key to delivering a bloc of Midwestern senators crucial to passing climate change legislation that faces strong bipartisan opposition," The Hill writes. "They understand a couple big things about this," Brown said of Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry who released a draft of their legislation Wednesday. ""They don't get the votes from Midwestern industrial-state senators unless manufacturing is a major component of this." And: "For starters, Brown thinks the Senate climate change bill needs to invest significantly more to help U.S. manufacturers, which face a competitive disadvantage with companies in China and other countries with less strict environmental rules. Perhaps most controversially, Brown wants the Senate to consider imposing tariffs on foreign competitors operating in countries with lax rules for greenhouse gas emissions."

"Mitt Romney had already sent out invitations for his Phoenix fund-raiser, offering supporters the chance to meet him in a Chase Field luxury box over a $300-per-person lunch or a $3,000 VIP reception. But when former rival John McCain called with an offer to be listed as host for the event in his hometown, Romney happily went back to the printer for a new invitation with McCain's name emblazoned on it," The Boston Globe writes. "Yesterday, McCain's gesture helped Romney's political action committee raise about $80,000. It also consummated an 18-month rapprochement between two competitors who battled for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Acrimony has been replaced by a professional friendship, the latest success in Romney's methodical campaign to win over past skeptics as he prepares for another presidential run in 2012. McCain did not attend the fund-raiser - he was in Washington - and he has not endorsed Romney or anyone else to be the next Republican nominee. But the imprimatur of the party's standard-bearer on Romney's nonstop fund-raising machine suggests that the former Massachusetts governor may be a stronger political force than he was when he ended his campaign last February, elevated by his party's disarray and a national agenda that matches his business resume."

The Globe points out: "During their primary campaign, McCain did not describe Romney in such favorable terms. He complained that debating Mitt Romney was like 'wrestling with a pig,' though that did not keep him from enjoying the tussle with an opponent he saw as opportunistic and insincere." But, then again, that hasn't stopped Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from reconciling.

Meanwhile, Politico takes a look at what Tim Pawlenty is doing to prep a 2012 run. He "has been quietly assembling the blueprint of a presidential campaign and will announce Thursday the support of a group of high-level political strategists and donors, complemented by a handful of top new media consultants." More: "The moves underscore, and will lend credence to, the emerging belief among many establishment Republicans that Pawlenty is becoming the sole viable alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential Republican primary rival. The Minnesota governor has even gone so far as to contact some of Romney's former supporters."

MASSACHUSETTS: Politico looks at the clash of style of personality in the Massachusetts primary between the hard-charge, brash Michael Capuano and Martha Coakley. "Capuano's campaign is predicated on the notion that his aggressive approach to politics, along with his liberal voting record, makes him a far more effective advocate for Massachusetts than Coakley, the state's more polished and refined attorney general. Capuano's earthy language, rolled-up sleeves and roots in local politics — he was the mayor of Somerville -- evoke an old-school ethnic pol. And his directness can sometimes seem jarring. … The notion that Coakley is too timid or cautious overlooks the fact that Coakley has pursued the seat as aggressively as anyone in the state. She raised eyebrows earlier this year when she acknowledged that she had paid a top Washington pollster to test her viability as a Senate candidate. After Kennedy's death, she was the first competitor to jump into the Senate race — a risky decision that came before Kennedy's nephew, former Democratic Rep. Joseph Kennedy II, announced he would not seek the seat."

NEW YORK: "A pair of dueling speeches from Gov. Paterson and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to Democratic faithful yesterday put the two on a collision course," writes the New York Post. Speaking at the party's annual fall gathering, "Cuomo repeatedly insisted he plans only to seek a second term as attorney general, his speech struck broad, general themes normally considered outside the scope of that office. 'Right now, the power has dissipated; people have watched what has gone on in Albany, and they don't like what they see going on in Albany,'" Cuomo said. Paterson, meanwhile, "blamed his slumping popularity on the state's financial woes, and said he wanted to "stay in the job that I love," despite complaining just last week that he "did not sign up for this."

NEW JERSEY: On the eve of the first debate between gubernatorial candidates Jon Corzine and Chris Christie, the Star Ledger's Paul Mulshine considers what he calls the "single biggest issue" in the debate: the state's property taxes. "Independent candidate Chris Daggett unveiled his property tax plan at a press conference in Trenton on Tuesday. As for Christie, he still hasn't released that property tax plan he promised way back in the winter. … If I were a conspiracy theorist, I might suspect the Daggett candidacy was a clever ploy by the Democrats to siphon off anti-Corzine votes that would otherwise have gone to Christie," Mulshine writes. "Two days before the big debate, Daggett releases a detailed plan to cut property taxes 25 percent. Hmmm. If Daggett were a Democratic plant, what better way to expose the Republican as a fraud? That's especially true when you ponder the fact that the recent Quinnipiac Poll showed 85 percent of New Jerseyans want to cap property taxes."

Christie on Fox News' "Your World With Neil Cavuto" on Tuesday: "From the minute they take their hand off the Bible, they're worried about four more years. I am worried about the four I am being given. And if I make these tough decisions, which I will do, and I am still politically radioactive after four years, send me back home to Morris County. I have got four kids between 6 and 16. I am working the rest of my life anyway. So, it doesn't matter to me."

PENNSYLVANIA: Republican senatorial candidate Pat Toomey now leads Democratic Senator Arlen Specter, 43%-42%. This reverses Specter's 45%-44% lead in July and his 20% margin back in May, right after Specter switched from Republican to Democrat to avoid a primary fight with Toomey. Specter still leads his Democratic challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak, 44%-25%.

VIRGINIA: A new Creigh Deeds campaign video features footage from a campaign stop in Greater Augusta, where Deeds is shot talking to locals at a football game, taking pictures with supporters at a restaurant, and speaking at a rally about his transportation plans.