In a conference call yesterday previewing this week's two-day Republican Governors Association meeting in Austin, RGA Chairman Haley Barbour (also the governor of Mississippi) said the purpose of the meeting was "to celebrate and build on the successes in New Jersey and Virginia this month," but more importantly "to work through the ways we can make sure these are effective springboards for victories in 2010."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), also on the call, added that the victories in New Jersey and Virginia -- where GOP candidates focused more on their fiscal records than social ones -- reflected the need for Republican governors to "implement effective conservative policies that are going to regain the trust in our party's ability to govern."

Perry faces a tough primary battle next year against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), who gained the endorsement of former Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday. When asked about the endorsement, Perry said, he's "got a whole pile of them" and looks forward "to continuing to add endorsements to our long list."

Former McCain campaign communications adviser Nicolle Wallace gave a couple statements to the "Rachel Maddow Show" regarding the allegations that Sarah Palin makes about her in her book. The first one: "The whole notion there was a conversation where I tried to cajole her into a conversation with Katie [Couric] is fiction… I am not someone who throws around the word 'self-esteem.' It is a fictional description. Katie Couric was selected because we did evening anchors... I did not advocate an interview for anyone I am friends with."

"I think she has probably a legitimate complaint that things could have been better conceived and executed [on the campaign]. A book about that would have been painful but not entirely unfair. What she gets wrong is this personalization that [Steve] Schmidt and I were these lone villains -- and that took place entirely in her imagination.  Just like the Obama and Clinton campaigns, we were consensus driven... I think she fixated on me from very early on. She hated me from the beginning. I try not to take it personally, the fact is that she wrote a book based on fabrications. She gave a brilliant convention speech -- other interviews that inspired support. But this book is a bizarre fixation on things that everyone else has moved on from."

The New York Daily News, in a review of Sarah Palin's book, calls her the "complainer in chief." It adds, "Rather than come back swinging, she comes back whining." And as far as what Steve Schmidt was trying to do in getting her a nutritionist, the paper posits: "Obviously headquarters was so distraught at how badly the prep was going that they were looking for something, anything, to make her brain work."

The liberal group Americans United for Change says it's announcing the first wave of a multi-million-dollar ad campaign to back up the 13 House Democrats (and one Republican) who voted for the health-care bill and who have been the target of the GOP-leaning Chamber of Commerce and the 60 Plus Association. Those 13 House members: Baron Hill (IN), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Joe Donnelly (IN), Chris Murphy (CT), Joseph Cao (LA), Earl Pomeroy (ND), Marion Berry (AR), Vic Snyder (AR), Tom Perriello (VA), Gerry Connolly (VA), Paul Hodes (NH), Michael Michaud (ME) and Dina Titus (NV).

Here's one of the ads.

The Hill lists what it sees as its top seven House and Senate 2010 primaries. Senate: Florida (R), Pennsylvania (D), both sides in Kentucky, Utah (R), Connecticut (R), Colorado (D), Nevada (R); House: SC-4 (R), IL-10 (D), LA-2 (D), FL-8 (R), VA-2 (R), MI-7 (R), NY-19 (R).

ARKANSAS: "The Republican Party of Arkansas has scheduled a straw poll for U.S. Senate candidates next month in an early gauge of strength for would-be GOP challengers to Democratic incumbent Blanche Lincoln. All of the seven announced Republican candidates said Monday they would take part in the straw poll planned for Dec. 5 during the Winter Republican Leadership Summit at Hot Springs. Recent polls have shown support sagging for Lincoln, who is seeking a third term in the 2010 election." 

CONNECTICUT: Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), running for Senate "called for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to be fired for his 'mishandling' of AIG's bailout."

In the GOP primary there, Linda McMahon -- wife of wrestling impresario Vince McMahon -- is having to grapple with this: a '70s-era wrestler. "Superstar Billy Graham is speaking out against the woman he says made millions from the violence, sexual exploitation, blood and excesses of professional wrestling. What outrages him particularly, he says, are recent attempts to sanitize the wrestling mega-enterprise whose sexy women wrestlers once performed in 'lingerie matches' and were still posing nude in Playboy as recently as 2008. He views this toning down as a huge act of hypocrisy -- an attempt to graft a family-friendly face onto a business that has been anything but."

FLORIDA: "We're now running a campaign," Gov. Charlie Crist (R)'s new campaign manager, Eric Eikenberg, announced yesterday, as news comes that Crist "will step up his direct engagements with his opponent," former House Speaker Marco Rubio (R). The governor, whose appearance with President Obama in support of the stimulus bill has become a rallying point for conservatives nationwide, "will cite his rival's failure to advance some conservative causes while leading the state House, for spending excessively while in the Speaker's office and for dragging his feet on immigration legislation that many Republicans favored."

TEXAS: Former Vice President Dick Cheney endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison for governor at a Houston rally yesterday. The event was delayed two hours as Hutchison rushed from Washington to Texas after voting on a defense appropriations bill, underscoring one of the challenges Hutchison faces against incumbent governor Rick Perry. "He's chided Hutchison for missing votes in Washington while she's campaigning for governor -- and every time he does, it's a reminder to voters that she's the candidate from Washington and he's in Texas," the Dallas Morning News writes. At the event, Cheney also shot down rumors that he might run for president in four years -- something his daughter brought up on a Sunday show. "I wasn't sure when I saw Liz Cheney on TV Sunday, I thought this might be the start of Cheney 2012," Hutchison said. A member of the crowd shouted, "We need you, Dick." Cheney shook his head. "No chance," he said.

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
A few weeks ago, First Read rated our Top 10 Senate races, in terms of the likelihood of switching parties. Here's our breakdown, again, with a look at the headlines from some of those battlegrounds' local papers:

1. Connecticut (D)
2. Nevada (D)
3. Colorado (D)
4. Missouri (R)
5. New Hampshire (R)
6. Ohio (R)
7. Illinois (D)
8. Louisiana (R)
9. Pennsylvania (D)
10. Kentucky (R)

CONNECTICUT: "In another measure of just how important U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's fate is to the Democratic party, the embattled Connecticut senator is getting his third high-profile visit of the fall. Vice President Joseph Biden will come to Hartford on Dec. 11 for a lunchtime fundraiser for Dodd...Dodd, who is up for reelection in Nov. 2010, has been struggling in the polls. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week found that more than half of the state's voters disapprove of his job performance. And 53 percent said the 30-year incumbent doesn't deserve a another term in Washington." 
 
The Hartford Courant writes that despite his low name recognition, Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy (D) shouldn't be written off as a contender in the 2010 Connecticut governor's race. 

NEVADA: Politico on the GOP's allowing Doug Hampton, John Ensign's former lover's husband, to carry out his "one-man crusade" against Ensign: "By pressuring Ensign to resign, the GOP could face a distracting intraparty squabble just as it prepares to challenge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in what will very likely be the most contested race of the 2010 midterm elections. And after seeing the media frenzy from their unsuccessful efforts to push Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) from office after he was caught in a bathroom sex sting in 2007, GOP leaders believe it's better to avoid commenting on the matter."  
 
MISSOURI: "The League of Conservation Voters is keeping a TV advertisement targeting U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt for his vote against the cap and trade legislation on the air through the end of the month." Blunt has accepted over $1 million from "energy and natural resources interests since being elected to Congress in 1996," according to campaign finance reports. "Blunt, who is running for the U.S. Senate next year, [said] LCV is "helping" his likely Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, in the advertising blitz." 

ILLINOIS: Rep. Jane Schakowsky "became the fifth member of the state's congressional delegation to back" Illinois state treasurer and current Democratic frontrunner Alexi Giannoulias, which CQ Politics points out could help him among female voters, as one of his top rivals is a woman, former Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Robinson Jackson. 

The Washington Post's Chris Cilizza points to developments in the Illinois race which could result in a "nasty few months." The pollster for Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, also campaigning for the Democratic Senate nomination, said that Giannoulias' "nomination would put Barack Obama's former Senate seat in extreme jeopardy for the Democrats" because of Giannoulias' ties to "disgraced developer Tony Rezko." Hoffman could be another stiff competitor for Giannoulias, due to his "aggressive fundraising: he posted nearly $900,000 raised including a $500,000 personal loan at the end of September." 

As the debate over bringing detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to the U.S. blazes, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) has proposed an amendment to the upcoming supplemental appropriations bill requiring a 'Homeland Insecurity Impact Statement' assessing the "potential impact" on O'Hare Airport and the Sears Tower that transferring detainees to an Illinois prison would have. 
 
Writes the Chicago Tribune, "the proposal is a red-meat issue for a social moderate looking to burnish his conservative credibility as he seeks the Republican U.S. Senate nomination."

LOUISIANA: "The 60 Plus Association, which bills itself as the conservative alternative to AARP, began running television advertisements in Louisiana on Monday to thank Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, for voting against the House health care bill. But the additional purpose of the spot is to warn Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., that she should do the same when Democrats try to bring the health care overhaul to the Senate floor."

PENNSYLVANIA: "Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) and radio host Rush Limbaugh had a little tussle over the weekend, after Limbaugh called Sestak a "dangerous, left-wing, radical ideologue" for supporting the Obama administration's decision to try Guantanamo detainees in the United States. Airing comments Sestak made in a television interview, Limbaugh said the decision to try the detainees in the U.S. was being done "precisely to appease the left." 
 
KENTUCKY: Gurley L. Martin World War II veteran who turns 86 next week, has filed to run as a Republican candidate in next year's Senate race. "In a news release, Martin said he will not be running against anyone. He said the real troublemaker in the world is Satan. Asked the condition of his health, Martin said, 'I'm here, aren't I? My health is wonderful. Every day is a thrill.'"

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Sue Kroll
Despite Hillary Clinton's recent praise for what she called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's "unprecedented" steps on the controversial issue of settlements, the traveling White House has issued a very tough statement slamming Israel for further expansion of settlements in Arab East Jerusalem.

Issued just now under White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' name, the statement reads:

We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem. At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations. The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes. Our position is clear: the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Tuesday that the Israeli plan to expand the Gilo settlement in East Jerusalem is "dismaying."

According to news reports, Israeli officials set forth a plan on Tuesday to build 900 more housing units in a Jewish neighborhood that had been claimed by Palestinians.

A senior State Department official said, "We were concerned they were going to move forward on this."

The U.S. has also objected to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem including the continuing eviction and demolition of Palestinian homes. 

"These kinds of unilateral actions are exactly the kind of actions that we think that both sides should refrain from at a time when we're trying to start the negotiations again," Kelly said.

Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, George Mitchell and other State Department officials continue to try to get the two parties back to the negotiating table. Just yesterday Mitchell was in London meeting  Israeli negotiators. No word on if there was in progress.

From NBC's Pete Williams
A group of House Republicans today called for a more aggressive schedule of congressional hearings into the Ft. Hood shootings, instead of waiting until the Army's investigation has run its course.

The Republicans say they want to know what the military has done to find out if other troubled service members like Maj. Hasan are still out there. But congressional Democrats and the Obama administration would prefer to hold off on hearings to let the military do its investigation first.

"We can't afford to wait," said Rep. Peter King of Long Island.

They also said that what they called "some tools" that were used by the U.S. intelligence community in the Bush administration are no longer being used now, though they declined to be more specific. They did say it was "political philosophy" that have caused the current administration to decline to use some of these methods.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said he hopes the Army keeps an open mind in its investigation about whether the shootings might have been an act of terrorism.

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
Despite the fact that the Pentagon just announced last Friday that 133 active duty soldiers have committed suicide so far in 2009, today the Army admitted that there have actually been 211 possible soldier suicides so far this year.

Why the discrepancy?  Last week's announcement did not factor in soldiers who were not on active duty at the time of their death -- that is, National Guard and Reserve soldiers. 

As of November 16, 140 active duty U.S. soldiers are either confirmed or suspected to have committed suicide so far this year ... AND another 71 Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers who were NOT deployed at the time of death are also possible or confirmed suicide victims.

Of course, with so many Guard and Reserve soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, a soldier could be back from the war zone for only a matter of weeks before being inactivated -- but last week's announcement did not factor them in.

The Army had 143 total suicides among active duty soldiers in 2008.  Army Vice Chief of Staff General Pete Chiarelli conceded today that the Army is "almost certainly going to end the year higher" for total suicides, adding that "every single loss is devastating."

Chiarelli also acknowledged that the Army continues to have a shortage of mental health professionals, and that he is especially concerned about the dramatic shortage of substance abuse counselors.

General Chiarelli said that despite hiring almost 900 mental health professionals over the past two years, the Army still needs about 800 more.  He also conceded that as substance abuse among soldiers has risen recently, the Army needs between 270 and 300 substance abuse counselors.  The abuse, Chiarelli added, has a direct link to mental health problems in soldiers.

From NBC's Wendy Jones
Four members of the House GOP Conference, engaged in a little Democrat-bashing this morning, criticizing President Obama's antiterrorism strategy and "Speaker Pelosi's" health care plan.

Minority Leader John Boehner (OH) criticized the Obama administration for not detailing an over-arching strategy to "fight terrorists and keep America safe." Said Boehner, "I spent last week travelling...and if there's one thing I heard out there it's that the Democrats in Washington are totally out of step" with America. He went on to criticize the Administration for its plan to bring Kahlid Sheik Mohammed to New York: "To come to the US is one issue...to be given the rights of US citizens is just awful."

He urged collegues to bring Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)'s "Keep Terrorists out of America" legislation to the floor. The bill urges Congress to oppose transferring or releasing prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to the United States.

Holding up today's issue of the Hill, Eric Cantor (VA) said that "it's about time" that the Democrats focus on jobs.

Michigan's Dave Camp said that he'd commissioned a study by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (part of HHS) to analyze the Speaker's health care plan: "[the bill] does not control health care costs...it does not bend the cost curve....it does just the opposite...health care costs go up by 300 billion." He urged the Senate to study the report: "It would have made a difference if we had that information before we voted."

Ginny Brown-Waite (FL) agreed, saying that "Had we had the CMS analysis before we voted, I am confident that the bill would have been defeated...there will be waiting lists to see a doctor who will take Medicare."

But even in her district, with its large number of Medicare recipients, the big concern was jobs.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** A productive day: President Obama today finished up his most important and productive day of his trip. A day-long summit with the Chinese led to some new concessions from both countries on climate issues ("We are creating a joint clean energy research center, and have achieved agreements on energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner uses of coal, electric vehicles, and shale gas," Obama said), on the economy and America's $800 billion debt to the Chinese in financing the stimulus ("China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to pull ourselves out of the worst recession in generations," Obama added), and on North Korea ("The two sides will work with other parties concerned to continue the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula," Hu said). But splits remained on human rights (yet simply getting the Chinese president to acknowledge U.S. concerns was seen by the White House as a big step) and potentially on Iran. President Obama remains in China and leaves tomorrow for South Korea.

*** A quick programming note: Chuck, who has been covering Obama on his Asia trip, sits down with the president for an interview tomorrow. Be sure to watch TODAY, Nightly News and MSNBC, as well as click on to First Read, to see what Obama has to say about his trip and also what's been happening in the U.S. while he's been away.

*** Showdown with Iran? On the topic of Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency has "voiced strong suspicions in a report on Monday that the country was concealing other atomic facilities," the New York Times front-pages. And Jeffrey Bader, the senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security who's traveling with the president, came awfully close to admitting the Iranians would probably reject the current deal on the table, paving the way for a showdown at the UN over sanctions. "The president did talk to President Hu about the possibility -- indeed, at this point, when -- well, let's say -- I won't characterize -- let's just say the possibility that we will not reach resolution of this issue and we may have to go to track two and greater pressure. I would not say that we got an answer today from the Chinese, nor did we expect one on the subject. I'm confident that whatever direction we choose to go -- we need to go towards the end of the year, that the Chinese will remain part of the unified P5-plus-1 front."

*** Battle over the judiciary: Today, the full Senate is expected to take up David Hamilton's nomination to serve on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has threatened to filibuster Hamilton's nomination and other Republicans are opposing it as well -- which has surprised the White House, given Hamilton's easy confirmation as federal district judge and the fact that he's endorsed by his home state GOP senator, Dick Lugar. The Hamilton vote comes as liberals say they're disappointed at the Obama administration's pace of nominating judges. The New York Times editorial page writes, "President Bush … made his nominations quickly and pushed hard to have them confirmed. By the end of his first year, according to a report by the liberal group Alliance for Justice, he had nominated 65 federal judges and 28 were confirmed." But: "Mr. Obama has moved slowly. As of Nov. 4, he had nominated just 26 appellate and district court judges, and only four of them had been confirmed."

*** Palin-palooza, Day Six (by our count): Today, Palin's book, "Going Rogue," officially hits bookstores… In an interview with ABC, Palin criticized Obama's presidency, praised the Tea Party protests, and didn't rule out a 2012 bid. "My ambition if you will, my desire, is to help our country in whatever role that may be, and I cannot predict what that will be, what doors would be open in the year 2012."… On her Facebook page, she calls the Newsweek cover photo of her (which had previously appeared in Runner's World) "unfortunate" and "sexist"… Per NBC's Adam Verdugo, Palin's SarahPAC has sent out an e-mail to supporters late Monday night offering to send a signed copy of her memoir to anyone who donates $100 or more (the Republican Governors Association also is raising money this way from Palin's book)… And in that SarahPAC email, Palin says that Ronald Reagan "entered office during an economic recession even worse than our current one, but he left office after overseeing the largest peacetime economic expansion in American history." (Economists and Bill Clinton would probably take issue with both claims.)

*** Would Reagan have passed today's conservative litmus test? Evan Thomas' piece on Palin in the latest issue of Newsweek raises this provocative question, especially for conservatives who are targeting Charlie Crist in Florida, Bob Bennett in Utah, and even Lindsey Graham in South Carolina: Would Ronald Reagan -- just looking at his record as president -- be a target for conservatives today? After all, he raised taxes; his policies increased the size of the deficit; he reached out, through diplomatic channels, to Russia to end the Cold War; he had a pragmatist like James Baker serve as his chief of staff; and he picked the moderate George H.W. Bush as his running mate.

*** "It's a good time to be in Beijing": By the way, when one of us asked ex-Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican serving as Obama's ambassador to China, about the current ideological fight in the GOP, he answered, "It's a good time to be in Beijing." He seemed genuinely bemused by Palin-palooza, and said every time he gets sucked into paying a tiny bit of attention, he throws himself back into work on China issues. Do remember that Huntsman, a moderate who at one time was seen as a possible 2012 GOP candidate, saw a local Michigan GOP chapter cancel an event with Huntsman due to his centrist views (like his support for civil unions).

*** Cheney stumps for KBH: Former Vice President Dick Cheney will officially endorse Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) in her gubernatorial primary bid against incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R). The event takes place in Houston at 5:00 pm ET, and it comes after Hutchison announced that she would remain in the Senate through the primary. Previously, the understanding was that Hutchison would resign her Senate seat this November to concentrate on the race full time.

*** More 2010 watch: In his column in CongressDaily, Charlie Cook writes that Republicans are poised to pick up House seats this cycle. But he notes that three factors could keep the GOP gains well below the level they need to take back Congress: 1) the Republican Party's poor brand; 2) it's ideological civil war; and 3) the lack of Democratic retirements (as of now). "Keep in mind that 40 percent of the 52 House seats Demo­crats lost in 1994 were open. As it stands, there seems to be little chance that 30 to 35 or more Democratic incumbents will lose next year." Cook concludes, "Democrats certainly have the most challenges, but there are enough potentially offsetting factors that this might not be the Category 4 or 5 hur­ricane Republicans fervently hope for."

*** And now … your moment of Zen: Finally today, Vice President Biden tapes an appearance for Comedy Central's "Daily Show."

Countdown to MA Special Primary: 21 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 63 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 350 days

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Here's the New York Times wrapping up Obama's day in China: "President Obama and President Hu Jintao of China met in private off Tiananmen Square here on a frigid Tuesday morning to discuss issues like trade, climate change and the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea, in a session that signaled the central role of China on the world stage. The leaders told reporters afterward that the United States and China were in agreement on a range of issues, but they spoke only in general terms."

The Washington Post adds, "A stiff joint appearance by Obama and Hu in the Great Hall of the People overlooking Tiananmen Square crystallized the state of the relationship between the two world powers: increasingly important to both countries, but also curiously bereft of warmth or intimacy."

The AP looks at Obama's bow -- which is being criticized on the right -- and it finds lots of spin in opponents' criticism: "While it may have been an awkward moment, it wasn't without precedent. And it appeared to be well within protocol guidelines that the State Department issues for foreign service officers working in other countries."

According to Politico, "White House aides say the approach is deliberate – part of Obama's determination to deliver on his campaign promise of directly engaging friends and enemies alike, giving America a less belligerent posture abroad. 'I think it's very important for the United States not to assume that what is good for us is automatically good for somebody else,' Obama told the students at the town hall, in Shanghai. 'And we have to have some modesty about our attitudes towards other countries.'"

David Paterson, who shall we say is no longer on the best of terms with the Obama White House, disagrees with the administration trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in federal court in New York. "His comments made him one of a few Democrats to take that stand and underscored his schism with the White House. 'This is not a decision that I would have made,' the governor said. 'New York was very much the epicenter of that attack; over 2,700 lives were lost.'" 

More: "'It's very painful,' he added. 'We're still having trouble getting over it. We still have been unable to rebuild that site, and having those terrorists tried so close to the attack is going to be an encumbrance on all New Yorkers.'"

Turning to domestic issues, TARP's inspector general says the Fed mishandled the AIG bailout.

The Washington Post: "As the Senate prepares to take up legislation aimed at overhauling the nation's health-care system, President Obama and the Democrats are still struggling to win the battle for public opinion. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Americans deeply divided over the proposals under consideration and majorities predicting higher costs ahead" -- with 48% saying they support the health changes moving through Congress and 49% saying they oppose them.

"But Republican opponents have done little better in rallying the public opposition to kill the reform effort. Americans continue to support key elements of the legislation, including a mandate that employers provide health insurance to their workers and access to a government-sponsored insurance plan for those people without insurance."

The New York Times is the latest to profile Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf. "Mr. Elmendorf, a mild-mannered economist with a Harvard Ph.D., runs the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan agency charged with assessing how legislation, like President Obama's proposed health overhaul, would affect the federal budget. His detailed analyses — 'scores' in Washington argot — are highly educated guesswork but are more or less the final word, making him a combination oracle and judge on many of the biggest issues of the day."

"Senate Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said Monday that he will filibuster the nomination of David Hamilton to serve on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Roll Call says. 'I think I will support not going forward,' Sessions told reporters, criticizing Hamilton's record as a district court judge in southern Indiana. Sessions said Hamilton's past rulings on abortion rights and prayer present 'extraordinary' circumstances for a Senate filibuster, although he predicted the nomination will still be approved by the Senate this week."

Nancy Pelosi is switching to trying to address jobs. "The House change began Monday night when leaders scheduled AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Robert Kuttner, co-editor of The American Prospect, to address the House Democratic Caucus," The Hill reports. "And it could end with an economic package on the floor sometime in December, Democratic sources said."

"With unemployment above 10 percent and Democratic poll ratings dipping, anxious leaders on both sides of the Capitol are gathering ideas and building momentum for what could be a significant new jobs package early next year," Roll Call writes. "President Barack Obama has called for an economic summit at the White House on Dec. 3, which could lay the groundwork for a deal on another stimulus plan. At the same time, resistance among Members to a significant new economic package appears to be fading."

Oprah Winfrey's much-anticipated interview with Sarah Palin aired yesterday, featuring the former vice presidential candidate's musings on politics, pregnancies, and porn. Speaking about her handlers on the campaign trail with John McCain, Palin said, "If I were to respond to a reporter's questions very candidly, honestly -- for instance, they say, 'What do you think about the campaign pulling out of Michigan?' And I think, 'Darn, I wish we weren't. Every vote matters. Can't wait to get back to Michigan,' and then told afterwards that, 'Oh, you screwed up. You went rogue on us, Sarah.'"
 
On resigning from her governorship in July: "It was a point where my state, the state that I so dearly love -- it is my home, it is where I will be buried. My state of Alaska was being hampered by my presence there, being shackled behind a governor's desk. I wasn't able to get out there and talk about issues that were important to me, or an ethics violation would be filed."
 
On her daughter Bristol's pregnancy: "If we had been given that allowance to deal with the issue in a more productive way, we perhaps could have sent a better message about "this is not to be glamorized." It's not to be emulated. It is a tough, tough challenge, and it is a problem in America, so let's try to deal with it." Palin also touched on her own struggles when pregnant with Trig, to the point when abortion crossed her mind. "It was easy to understand why a woman would feel that it's easier to just do away with some less-than-ideal circumstances, to do away with the problem," she said.
 
And although Levi is invited to Thanksgiving dinner, Palin said she might have to call him a different name: "I hear he goes by the name Ricky Hollywood now. So if that's the case, we don't want to mess up his gig he's got going. Kind of this aspiring--aspiring porn, some of the things that he's doing. It's kind of heartbreaking."

By the way, John McCain himself says the $50,000 bill Palin was so appalled the campaign wouldn't pay was for the "Troopergate" scandal and NOT for vetting her. 
 
Conservative Rich Lowry: "Harry Truman gave them hell. Sarah Palin gives them agita… It's September 2008 all over again. All the same players are lining up to put a good hate on Palin. She's like an isotope designed to course throughout our politics and culture, lighting up press bias, self-congratulatory liberalism, Christianity-hating secularism and intellectual condescension wherever they are found."
 
But the Boston Globe's editorial page doesn't hold back: Palin "claims victim status for herself. Her narrative requires that she be a neophyte in perpetual war with the political pros. Kicked around by the vicious media (for her family!), straitjacketed by the McCain campaign, forced to wear fancy duds, Palin is the Pitiful Pearl of her tale. This would all be fascinating if it were reality TV, not reality politics. 'Going Rogue' has the audacity to disguise its attempt to launder Palin's image as an exercise in truth-telling. People who are disgusted with Washington, who yearn for an authentic outsider, should take their business elsewhere."

FLORIDA: This week, the Sunshine State plays host to some famous Republican authors, as Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck all visit the Lake Sumter Landing Barnes and Noble in the coming week to promote their new books. Outside Huckabee's signing yesterday, "members of the Tri-County Tea Party, which represents Lake, Marion and Sumter counties, waved signs and banners to offer support to Huckabee." Despite his appearance in this battleground state, Pawlenty stayed mum on his plans for 2012. "Well, honestly -- and this is really true -- I don't plan to really think about it until after the 2010 elections," he said. "We got to see what happens in the interim." 
 
MASSACHUSETTS: On Martha Coakley, the Boston Globe writes, "This Senate campaign, her longtime friends and close family members say, is in many ways her destiny. She was born with a desire and ability to achieve great things in the public realm, and she has spent a career -- indeed, a lifetime -- seeking something more. But one person's ambition is another's opportunism, and amid her many triumphs, she has been dogged by criticism that she pushed prosecutions too hard or not hard enough, sometimes for reasons of expedience. In the highly publicized Woodward trial, a judge reduced the jury's murder verdict to involuntary manslaughter in a slap at prosecutors. In the Big Dig settlements, the only company she criminally charged was one of the smallest.
 
"Coakley is the apparent front-runner in the Democratic primary campaign for Senate, and caution has been her hallmark. That has created a disconnect between the guarded persona she presents on the stump and the one that family, friends, and colleagues say they have observed for years." 
 
By the way, another primary candidate, Alan Khazei, is calling for all troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. 
 
NEW YORK: In NY-23, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman has "unconceded." He did so on Glenn Beck's radio show. But the NBC Elections Unit reports that the number reported by the Syracuse Post-Standard on absentee ballots, 10,000, is misleading. Hoffman may trail by some 3,000 ballots, BUT officials in NY-23 have ALREADY factored in about 5,000 of those absentees. The 10,000 number is how many that were distributed -- not counted. So instead of an approximate 7-3 split that Hoffman would need to overturn the result, he'd need about more than a 4-1 split. Big difference. 
 
OHIO: Using an online population calculator, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer determines, "Ohio will lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2010 Census." Between the early 1970s and now, Cleveland has lost seven seats. Based on these projections, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania would also each lose one seat.

TEXAS: Gov. Rick Perry said he was glad Kay Bailey Hutchison was keeping her Senate seat until after the March gubernatorial primaries, taking credit for the idea. "If there was ever a time to have full-time representation in the United States Senate, it would be right now," Perry said during a visit to Emmett J. Conrad High School in Dallas. "So I really appreciate her taking my advice and staying on the job full time." 

From NBC's Wendy Jones
Introduced by the First Lady of Colorado (Jeannie Ritter), Michelle Obama addressed a group of young women at a luncheon in Denver, part of the White House initiatve on mentoring.

In her opening remarks, Ritter told her audience that "as young women you also have to be ready to accept that mentoring ... and you have to have done some interior work about what your strengths are."

Obama noted that there were many successful women in the room -- cabinet secretaries, CEOs, a former ambassador, an astronaut. But, she cautioned, "They didn't get to this stage because of some magic." Like her, some came from modest backgrounds. All worked hard.

Said the First Lady: "We've all found someone who told us we were not good enough .... We've all failed, all made mistakes ... but we did not let those mistakes shatter us .... That is what you can learn from the women in this room .... Everything you need to be successful you own."

And she urged them to start mentoring now, like she encouraged her older daughter with respect to her sister.

"I want each of you to think about how you are going to give back ... whether you are a scientist or a teacher (or the governor or the president) whatever your goals are...we ask that you remember this day and think about who you are going to bring with you."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Sarah Palin is no fan of the DC Republican establishment. But one group with which she still has a pretty good relationship: the Republican Governors Association.

She's now offering "individually signed 'Going Rogue' limited edition copies" for a $100 contribution to the RGA.

Remember that during the '09 elections, Palin also plugged the RGA on her Facebook page and solicited donations for it. She and the group's executive director Nick Ayers knew each other before she was picked as McCain's veep, since she used to be a governor.

From NBC's Robert Windrem
Pakistan's civilian and military leaders are tangling in a series of political confrontations that could lead to a constitutional crisis or worse after the New Year, officials in both Islamabad and Washington tell NBC News.

With the tenor and volume of debate rising over America's commitment to Afghanistan, that struggle is complicating U.S. strategy to stabilize the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. It's not only that dozens are dying every week in suicide bombings or that there are concerns that the Pakistani military will not be able to hold the territory it has won in hard-fought battles in South Waziristan. The more profound issue, say Pakistani and U.S. officials, is the fate of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is engaged in a seemingly never-ending battles with the country's powerful military and intelligence establishments.

In recent weeks, say officials, opponents of Zardari have begun raising the stakes, setting up what some are calling a "soft coup … a legislative coup" -- an attempt to force Zardari out. How does this all play out in terms of relations with the U.S.? Often, the Americans are caught in the middle.

NBC producer Amna Nawaz recently returned from Pakistan. You can watch and read some of her work from here trip here.

For more on this story, click here.

From NBC's Rich Gardella
A closed briefing about the Fort Hood shooting incident for staff members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, originally scheduled for later this afternoon, has been postponed, according to the Committee's Democratic majority staff.

A representative of Chairman Levin's office confirmed that the Committee postponed the briefing at the request of the Obama administration.

According to previous reports, U.S. Army Secretary John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey would have briefed staffers about the details of the Fort Hood incident.

The briefing would have been the third for Senate Armed Services Committee staff.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
According to a Senate leadership aide, it's highly unlikely Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will have cost estimate today from the Congressional Budget Office for his health-care bill.

*** UPDATE *** USA Today:

Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate health committee, told The Bill Press Show this morning that the health care debate "will start in earnest" Nov. 30, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

A vote to allow the debate to start likely will take place this Friday, but it won't be until after Thanksgiving that the Senate will entertain amendments, he said.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Here's a piece one of us wrote on MSNBC.com about Sarah Palin's rough year since last November's presidential contest, and whether or not she can make a political comeback.

Despite all the money and attention former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's autobiography is expected to draw as it hits bookshelves this week, it's difficult to think of a national political figure who's had a rougher year than the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.

Consider President Barack Obama with the ups and downs in his first year in office. Or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who's facing a tough re-election bid and the difficult task of getting 60 votes to pass health care through his chamber. And don't forget the leaders of the Republican party who are out of power and have seen the GOP's poll numbers decline.

But from the moment the 2008 campaign ended until her surprising resignation as Alaska governor in July, Palin has endured political setbacks, suffered through embarrassing revelations, became the subject of ethics complaints (most of which were dismissed), and even feuded with a late-night comedian and the father of her grandchild.

You can click here for the rest of the article.

Video: A Morning Meeting Panel talks about the upcoming release of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's memoirs and the effect it will have on her political career.

Due to technical difficulties (a.k.a. a Washington Bureau power outage... as you'll read below), we were delayed in getting First Read out this morning. Thanks to our readers for your patience. Everything's not quite up to speed here (as of 12:50 p.m. ET). But we'll be doing our best to keep you updated on all your political news.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The lights go out in China (and in D.C.!): In a test of how much freedom the Chinese actually have, President Obama held a town hall earlier today in Shanghai. And it's quite possible that more Americans -- in the middle of the night -- saw the town hall than Chinese did in the middle of their day. The reason: State Chinese TV aired only edited clips of the president's town hall. That, however, didn't stop Obama from (subtly) denouncing censorship. "I have a lot of critics in the United States who can say all kinds of things about me," he said at the town hall. "I actually think that makes our democracy stronger, and it makes me a better leader." Yet just as one of us was reporting on TODAY about censorship in China, the lights went out in our Washington bureau, causing our morning First Read note to come out a little later than usual this morning. It's just a coincidence our power went out at that very time, we think… Obama today already has traveled from Shanghai to Beijing, where President Hu greeted him. Later tonight (Eastern time), Obama and Hu hold a bilateral and make statements to the press.

*** The emerging framework on Afghanistan? Also during his town hall, Obama mentioned -- definitively -- that al Qaeda was no longer in Afghanistan, but instead is in Pakistan. In addition, he said the United States' job in Afghanistan is to "stabilize" the country. When you combine that with Hillary Clinton's statement on "Meet the Press" ("We're going to expect more from the Afghan government going forward, and we've got some very specific asks that we will be making"), you get an idea of the administration's framework on Afghanistan. They want to have a trigger that enables them to pull out on the Afghan government, if it doesn't meet certain conditions.

*** Gitmo politics: First came the conservative furor at the Obama administration's decision late last week to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others in federal court in New York. Now comes their reaction to the news that some Gitmo detainees might be housed at the Thomson Correctional Facility in Illinois, which Gov. Pat Quinn (D) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D) are expected to announce at 2:00 pm ET. Per NBC's Edgar Zuniga Jr., Illinois GOP Reps. Donald Manzullo, Mark Kirk, and Peter Roskam will hold a press conference at 11:30 am ET to oppose any such transfer (despite all the other murderers, rapists, and child molesters who already populate the state's prisons...).  

*** Deadline Fatigue? Speaking of Gitmo, White House adviser David Axelrod suggested on CNN yesterday that the U.S. might not meet the deadline to close that prison facility. "We believe we are going to substantially meet the deadline. We may not hit it on the date, but we will close Guantanamo. And we are making good progress toward doing that." Just think of the other deadlines that the Obama administration has now missed -- on health care and Afghanistan. Missing these deadlines, separately, is understandable. But they are accumulating, and that can lead to a trend.

*** Palin-tology: Even with the president in China, with the Gitmo news, with Afghanistan, with the state of the U.S. economy, and with one of the biggest legislative fights in memory (over health care), the story that's been mesmerizing the political world over the past few days is ... Sarah Palin. This is a testament to her political strength (the buzz and curiosity that surround her) and her political weakness (that she remains a deeply polarizing figure, even within her own party). Indeed, in last month's NBC/WSJ poll, 52% of Republicans had a positive opinion about Palin, compared with 28% of independents and 9% of Democrats who said that. As GOP political consultant Mike Murphy, who isn't a Palin fan, told First Read: "She is polarizing within the GOP and totally unpopular outside the party. And that is not a recipe to get into the White House." Palin's interview with Oprah airs today. Her book officially hits the stores tomorrow. And she begins her book tour on Wednesday.

*** Like sands through an hourglass…: NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that John McCain has specifically asked his former aides not to do interviews rebutting Palin's charges in her book -- to avoid escalating the feud between her and the campaign staff. Most are complying with his wishes, hoping it will die down. But in a conversation with Mitchell last night, one key player targeted by Palin in the book points to emails on Huffington Post that contradict Palin's version of several instances. The former McCain campaign aide, who asked not to be named, told Mitchell: "It is unrecognizable at every instance. There is not one truthful account as it relates to any conversation I ever had with her." Regarding the accusation that the campaign tried to hire a nutritionist to make her eat, two former aides said that the campaign was getting media calls and calls from higher-ups on the plane that Palin wasn't eating enough and had lost too much weight. There was concern about her health and stamina heading into the vice presidential debate.

*** The Young and The Restless: In addition, former McCain (and Bush White House aide) Nicolle Wallace tells Mitchell that the conversations Palin recounts in her book involving the Katie Couric interview, Palin's campaign wardrobe, or any of the other allegations involving Wallace never happened. "I never saw her take a note and she never contacted me for any fact-checking, nor did anyone on her behalf." Wallace says, "It's just fabricated." She adds that the same campaign staff whom Palin disparages in her book as idiots prepared Palin for a hugely successful convention speech and initial rollout, a good initial interview with Charlie Gibson, and a passable debate performance.

*** Taking on the Stupak Amendment: Turning to health care, the debate over abortion continues. At 10:15 am ET, the Center for Reproductive Rights will hold a press conference at the National Press Club to unveil a TV ad criticizing the anti-abortion Stupak amendment that was added to the House health-care bill.

*** Get out of my dreams … and into my car: Finally, Republicans are pouncing on this news today: While saying it's making progress, GM reported losing $1.2 billion in the 3rd Q. "Today's release of General Motors' financial results is further proof that President Obama's economic experiments are wrong for America," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "Sadly, GM has not only failed to turn a profit since the president poured $50 billion of the taxpayers' dollars into GM's bankruptcy restructuring, but it has actually lost $1.2 billion." That said, GM "will accelerate its repayment of bailout funds to the U.S. government, the automaker announced on Monday morning," The Hill writes. "The company will pay back its outstanding $6.7 billion in debt to the government in quarterly installments, allowing it to finish repaying its loans four years earlier than had been required." 
 
Countdown to MA Special Primary: 22 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 64 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 351 days

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"Politely but firmly pressing for greater freedoms on China's own turf, President Barack Obama spoke against censorship Monday, saying tough criticisms of political leaders should be allowed and the free flow of information on the Internet 'should be encouraged,'" the AP says.

The New York Times: "For Mr. Obama, who has been taking pains to strike a conciliatory note during his first visit to China, it was a rare challenge to Chinese authorities, but expressed in Mr. Obama's now familiar nuance. Responding to a question that came via the Internet during a town hall meeting with Shanghai students -- 'Should we be able to use Twitter freely?' -- Mr. Obama first l started to answer in the slightly off-the-point manner which he often uses when he is gathering his thoughts. 'Well, first of all, let me say that I have never used Twitter,' he said. 'My thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone.'"

"But then he appeared to gather confidence. 'I should be honest, as president of the United States, there are times where I wish information didn't flow so freely because then I wouldn't have to listen to people criticizing me all the time,' he said. But, he added, 'because in the United States, information is free, and I have a lot of critics in the United States who can say all kinds of things about me, I actually think that that makes our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear.'" 

White House adviser David Axelrod slapped back against Rudy Giuliani, who criticized the decision to try KSM in New York City. "When the 20th 9/11 bomber [Zacarias Moussaoui] was tried in Virginia, in a civilian court, and convicted, Mayor Giuliani testified in that case and he heralded the outcome," Axelrod said.

The AP writes, "The United States is limiting its goals in Afghanistan and demanding better accountability from that country's underperforming leader, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday, and she tied additional U.S. civilian help to results from Kabul."

"Even though he doesn't yet have an official cost estimate or promises of a filibuster-proof vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is confident he'll be able to kick off debate on a massive health care reform measure before Thanksgiving," Roll Call writes. "Reid wanted to get the ball rolling on the overhaul early this week armed with a Congressional Budget Office analysis, but because that CBO score didn't come on Friday as he had hoped, Democratic aides said the Majority Leader is prepared to push back his timeline. Reid may keep the Senate in session into the week of Thanksgiving in order to overcome one of the biggest hurdles facing the bill: producing the 60 votes needed to beat back a GOP filibuster that would prevent the bill from even being considered on the Senate floor."

Congressional lobbyist Billy Moore takes a smart look at the remaining calendar for Congress. "Congress has 26 legislative days remaining in 2009, if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid conducts votes every day until Thanksgiving eve. Congress has 21 days if they take Thanksgiving week off. In that time, Democratic leaders want floor debates on health care reform, financial services regulatory overhaul, seven appropriations bills, extension of expiring tax and transportation programs, inheritance tax reform, a debt limit increase (perhaps with a deficit commission), postponing a cut in Medicare physician fees and confirmation of dozens of Administration and judicial nominees. As the calendar ticks toward Christmas, some of the agenda will be pushed to the 2010 program, joining deferred initiatives on immigration, energy and global warming."

This is interesting: "Even as drug makers promise to support Washington's health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation's drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years," the New York Times front-pages.

"Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) went after the Associated Press on Sunday, accusing them of engaging in 'opposition research' in fact-checking her forthcoming book," The Hill writes. "Palin blasted the AP's fact check of her new book, 'Going Rogue,' which says the former governor had gone rogue with some of the facts."

Here's the AP's fact check: "Sarah Palin's new book reprises familiar claims from the 2008 presidential campaign that haven't become any truer over time. Ignoring substantial parts of her record if not the facts, she depicts herself as a frugal traveler on the taxpayer's dime, a reformer without ties to powerful interests and a politician roguishly indifferent to high ambition. Palin goes adrift, at times, on more contemporary issues, too. She criticizes President Barack Obama for pushing through a bailout package that actually was achieved by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush -- a package she seemed to support at the time."

By the way, Hillary Clinton said on Meet the Press that she "absolutely would look forward to having coffee" with the former Alaska Governor and veep candidate, the senator said on 'Meet The Press' Sunday. 'I'm ready to have a cup of coffee,' Clinton told host David Gregory. 'I've never met her, and I think it would be very interesting to sit down and talk with her. Maybe I can make a case on some of the issues that we disagree on,' Clinton said."

Stu Rothenberg on how the political environment has turned against Democrats. "The gubernatorial results should remind us that context matters and that over the past six months, the political context has changed dramatically," he writes, adding: "Now it will be the GOP who can push the 'culture of corruption' argument that Democrats used so successfully in the recent past. Now Republicans will complain about high unemployment numbers, about causalities in Afghanistan and the administration's foreign policy and about the government's inability to get H1N1 flu shots to the American public. Moreover, as we are already seeing with health care reform, the internal contradictions of the Democratic Party are becoming apparent. For the past year, the national media have been focused on internal Republican divisions. But now, a fracturing in the Democratic ranks is likely to give plenty of fodder for journalists, columnists and talking heads. This is likely to further erode Democratic poll numbers."

MASSACHUSETTS: Passion or hot-headed? The Boston Globe on Michael Capuano: "In fact, numerous words were exchanged but they were all of the heated variety. And in the end, Brown filed an application for a criminal complaint -- dismissed a month later for a lack of evidence -- alleging that Capuano 'threatened to kill my dog and then me while holding an aluminum bat.'
Although Capuano denied threatening to kill Brown, he never denied threatening to kill her dog and, to this day, remains unapologetic. 'I would like you to find the father who would let a rottweiler rip his kid apart,' he said. 'Was I angry? Damn right I was.'"

Meanwhile, "Stephen Pagliuca, a Democratic candidate for Senate, is blitzing the television airwaves with ads declaring he will be immune to the powerful influence that special interests and their well-connected lobbyists wield over Congress because he won't take their donations. But Bain Capital Partners, where he has been a senior managing partner and made his huge fortune, has spent millions to hire high-powered Washington lobbyists to protect its special interests on Capitol Hill."

NEVADA: "Bracing for a tough election cycle in 2010, the White House sent Vice President Joe Biden to Las Vegas Sunday to boost the campaign coffers of Democratic Rep. Dina Titus," the Las Vegas Sun reports. "Biden's visit is the largest indication yet that Nevada's 3rd Congressional District is a top priority for the Obama administration and Democrats as they seek to maintain congressional majorities and stem losses in next year's midterm elections. The vice president told more than 150 people at a private fundraiser at the Atomic Testing Museum that he had campaigned in 54 House districts this year."

NEW YORK: Andrew Cuomo appears like he's gearing up for a gubernatorial run. "Quietly plotting his campaign for governor, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and his advisers have been discussing potential candidates to run alongside him, to present the most appealing Democratic ticket to the electorate, people with knowledge of those discussions said."

TEXAS: "Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison abruptly changed course Friday, saying she will remain in the Senate through next year's Republican primary while running for governor against Rick Perry. The decision came amid alarm among top Hutchison supporters about the direction of the campaign, and it scuttles political plans for several of her fellow Texas Republicans. Hutchison, who said three months ago that she intended to quit by November, said the issues in Washington are too important for her to leave right now."

From NBC's Athena Jones
SHANGHAI -- The free-flow of information strengthens societies by allowing citizens to demand accountability from their leaders, Pres. Obama told a room full of Chinese university students at a town hall here on Monday.

While the president joked that he is not a member of the Twitterati, it's no surprise that the man who harnessed the Internet to help raise money and rally supporters during last year's historic election believes in the power of the web. In one of the most interesting exchanges of the roughly hourlong event, Obama made a point of denouncing government censorship and argued that "the more open we are, the more we can communicate."

"Let me say that I have never used Twitter," the president said when asked whether he was familiar with the so-called "firewall", a method the Chinese government uses to block access to certain web sites, and whether the Chinese should be able to use Twitter freely.

The mention of Twitter was especially interesting given its prominence during the protests after Iran's disputed presidential election last summer.

"My thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone," he continued. "But I am a big believer in technology and I'm a big believer in openness when it comes to the flow of information. I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable."

Shanghai is Obama's third stop on a four-nation tour, his first trip to Asia as president. In his opening remarks, the president spoke about the importance of having a  "mutually beneficial" partnership with China on issues ranging from the global economic recovery, to climate change and nuclear disarmament. But he also touched on what he called the "universal rights" of freedom of expression and worship, free access to information and political participation, principles that he said were not unique to America. It was a subtle way of contrasting America with this host country which places numerous restrictions on its citizens.

Still, it was unclear how far Obama's message would reach. While the event streamed live on the Internet here in China, none of the several dozen people at an Internet café here watched, choosing games and email instead.

Calling himself a "strong supporter of open Internet use" and a "big supporter of non-censorship," Obama said that unrestricted use of the Internet in America was a source of strength and something that should be encouraged.

"I've always been a strong supporter of open Internet use," he said. "I'm a big supporter of non-censorship. This is part of the tradition of the United States that I discussed before, and I recognize that different countries have different traditions. I can tell you that in the United States, the fact that we have free Internet -- or unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged."

He allowed that the open flow of information meant he was constantly exposed to criticism, but argued that fact made America's democracy stronger and made him a better leader because it forced him to hear contrary opinions.

The question was posed by an Internet user who Obama said had posted it on the U.S. Embassy's web site on behalf of what the questioner said were China's 350 million Internet users and 60 million bloggers. It was read by US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.

Before taking the question, the president noted that a US journalist had chosen it among the thousands submitted, a comment that piqued the interest of the traveling press. In fact, the journalist did not review any of the questions submitted and instead picked among them at random, by simply picking a number.

The event had a somewhat staged feel. The president was asked twice about his Nobel Peace Prize win and there was a surprising online question, purportedly from a Taiwanese businessman worried that proposed arms shipments from the U.S. to Taiwan would hurt cross-strait relations. The question drew applause. Mr. Obama ducked the arms part of the question but did talk up one-China policy.

In comments reminiscent of talking points from supporters on the campaign trail, students who spoke with NBC after the event were uniformly complimentary, hailing the president's friendliness, his character and his "impressive speech."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
SINGAPORE -- Pres. Obama and Russian Pres. Medvedev on Sunday afternoon met one-on-one for the fourth time this year. The two leaders are participating in the APEC conference.  The urgency for another one-on-one meeting comes as the two countries scramble to meet an end-of-the-year deadline to agree to a new START treaty on reducing each country's nuclear arsenal.

Mr. Obama said he's still confident that a new treaty can get done by the end of year, though, keep in mind agreeing to a treaty and getting it through the Senate are two different things.

According to senior officials, the two were to spend a lion's share of their time together discussing START. However, the president, after the meeting told reporters that they did talk about Iran and Afghanistan as well.

On Iran and the stalled P5+1 talks regarding the country's nuclear fuel issues, the president said,"We're now running out of time." And for the first time, the president publicly admitted that the Iranians have basically rejected the deal that was on the table. Previously, the administration had been hesitant to criticize the Iranians publicly for their stalled answer to the proposal involving inspections and their nuclear fuel issue.  He added that the two leaders talked about how they could create urgency with the Iranians.

Interestingly, at the end of his remarks, the president said he believed "the reset button has worked," a reference to a prop Sec/State Clinton used in her first meeting with her Russian counterpart this spring. At the time, many had a little fun at the U.S.'s expense because the word "reset" was mis-translated on the button-prop the Secretary used.  

The president has met privately with Medvedev four times -- more than any other world leader since taking office. The two held bilaterals in London in April at the G20, in New York in September at the opening of the UN General Assembly and, of course, in Moscow last July.