From NBC's Mark Murray
The White House -- finally! -- has released its guest list for tonight's state dinner.
Among the politicians: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Chris Dodd, and Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Among the members of the media: NBC's Brian Williams, CBS's Katie Couric, the New York Times' Tom Friedman, CNN's Sanjay Gupta, and ABC's Robin Roberts.

Among the celebrities/moguls: David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Gayle King, M. Night Shyamalan, and Steven Spielberg.

Below is the entire list...

The President & First Lady Michelle Obama
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, India & Ms. Gursharan Kaur
The Honorable (Rep) Gary Ackerman, United States Representative
Mr. Sant Singh Chatwal (Guest)
His Excellency Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Mr. Mukesh D Ambani
Mr. Tim Dutta (Spouse of Ms. Pia Awal)
The Honorable (Mr.) David Axelrod, White House Communications
Mrs. Susan Axelrod
Ms. Preeta Bansal, OMB - General Counsel
The Honorable (Ms.) Melody Barnes, Domestic Policy Council
Mr. Marland E. Buckner
The Honorable (Rep.) Howard Berman, United States Representative (D/California)
Mrs. Jane Berman, Spouse of United States Representative (D/California)
Mr. Om Prakash Bhatt
Mr. Hunter Biden
Mrs. Kathleen Biden
The Honorable (Vice President) Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice President of the United States
Dr. Jill Biden
Mr. Robert O Blake, Jr., Assistant Sec for South and Central Asian Affairs, State Department
Mrs. Sofia Blake
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York, NY
Ms. Diana Taylor
The Honorable (Mr.) John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Deputy National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism, Homeland Security Council
Mrs. Katherine Brennan
The Honorable (Ms.) Lisa Brown, Office of Staff Secretary
Mr. Kevin Cullen
Mr. Donald Browne
Ms. Maria Junqera
The Honorable (Ms.) Carol Browner, Energy and Climate Change
The Honorable (Mr.) Tom Downey
Mr. William Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Department of State
Ms. Lisa Carty
General James E Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Mrs. Sandee Cartwright
The Honorable (Senator) Bob Casey, United States Senator (D/Pennsylvania)
Mrs. Terese Casey, United States Senate Spouse (D/Pennsylvania)
Mr. Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Mrs. Julie Chandrasekaran
Mr. I.S. Chaturvedi, Personal Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Senator Satveer Chaudhry, State Senator
Colonel Ravi Chaudhry (Guest)
Ms. Rohini Chopra
Mr. Deepak Chopra
Mrs. Rita Chopra
The Honorable (Secretary) Steven Chu, Secretary of the Department of Energy
Mrs. Jean Chu
The Honorable (Secretary) Hillary R. Clinton, Secretary of State
The Honorable (Rep.) James E. Clyburn, United States Representative (D/South Carolina)
Mrs. Emily Clyburn
The Honorable (Senator) Kent Conrad, United States Senator (D/North Dakota)
Ms. Lucy Calutti, United States Senate Spouse (D/North Dakota)
Mr. David Cote
Ms. Katie Couric
Mr. Brooks L Perlin
Mr. Greg Craig, Assistant to the President and Counsel to the President
Mrs. Margaret D Craig
Mrs. Paula Crown
Mr. Jim Crown
The Honorable (Rep.) Elijah Cummings, United States Representative (D/Maryland)
Mrs. Maya Rockeymoore
Senator Swati Dandekar, State Senator
Mr. Arvind Dandekar
Mr. Rajesh De, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Nancy Ann DeParle, Office of Health Reform
Mr. Jason P DeParle
Ms. Bhairavi Desai
Javaid Tariq
Dr. Vishakha N. Desai
Robert Oxman
The Honorable (Senator) Chris Dodd, United States Senator (D/Connecticut)
Mrs. Jackie Clegg Dodd
Mr. John Doerr
The Honorable (Mr.) Thomas Donilon, Assistant to the President, Deputy National Security Advisor, NSC
Ms. Cathy Russell
The Honorable Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director
Mr. Bob Bauer
Mr. Ari Emanuel
Mrs. Sarah Emanuel
The Honorable (Mr.) Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff to the President
Ms. Amy Rule
The Honorable (Mr.) Jon Favreau, Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting
Ms. Sarah Feinberg, Office of the Chief of Staff
The Honorable (Mayor) Adrian Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia
Mrs. Michelle Fenty
Ms. Michelle Flournoy
Mr. Thomas Friedman
Mrs. Ann Friedman
The Honorable (Mr.) Mike Froman, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs, NSC
Dr. Ashok S Ganguly
The Honorable (Mr.) Patrick Gaspard, Office of Political Affairs
Mrs. Raina Washington
The Honorable Robert Gates
Ms. Charlene Gaynor
Mr. Richard Heiss
Mr. David Geffen
Mr. Jeremy Lingvall
The Honorable (Secretary) Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
Ms. Carole Sonnenfeld
The Honorable (Mr.) Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary
Mr. Anish Goel, Acting Senior Director, South Asia Affairs, NSC
Mr. Senapathy Gopalakrishnan
Mr. Mark Gorenberg
Ms. Wendy Wanderman
Mr. John Gorman
Mrs. Tamra Gorman
Representative Jay Goyal, State Representative
Kiran Goyal
Representative Raj Goyle, State Representative
Mrs. Monica Arora
The Honorable (Governor) Jennifer Granholm, Governor of Michigan (D)
Mr. Daniel Mulhern, First Gentleman of Michigan
Mr. Earl G. Graves
Mrs. Barbara Graves
Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta
Mr. Arvind Gupta
Mr. Raj Gupta
Mr. Rajat Gupta
Mrs. Anita M Gupta
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Mrs. Rebecca Olson Gupta
Mr. Lee Hamilton
Mrs. Nancy Hamilton
The Honorable (Ms.) Kamala Harris
Ms. Maya Harris
Mr. Kamil Hassan
Mrs. Talat Hassan
Mr. George Haywood
Mrs. Cheryl J Haywood
The Honorable Fred Hochberg, Export-Import Bank
Thomas P Healy
The Honorable (Rep.) Paul Hodes, United States Representative (D/New Hampshire)
Mrs. Margaret Hodes
The Honorable (Attorney General) Eric Holder, United States Attorney General, Department of Justice
Dr. Sharon Malone, MD
Dr. John P. Holdren
Dr. Cheryl E Holdren
The Honorable (Rep.) Eleanor Holmes-Norton, United States of Representative (D/DC)
Mr. John Norton
Mr. Robert D Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, State Department
Ms. Camille Massey
The Honorable (Rep) Steny Hoyer, United States Representative (D/Maryland)
Ms. Kathleen May
Mr. Chris Hughes
Mr. Sean S Eldridge
Mr. Jeff Immelt
The Honorable (Senator) Daniel Inouye, United States Senator (D/Hawaii)
Ms. Irene Hirano, United States Senate Spouse (D/Hawaii)
Mrs. Deepa Iyer
Mr. Parag Khandhar
Mr. Vasudeva Iyer
The Honorable (Administrator) Lisa Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Kenneth Jackson
The Honorable (Ms.) Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
The Honorable (Governor) Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana
Mrs. Supriya Jindal, First Lady of Louisiana
The Honorable (General) James Jones, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor
Mrs. Diane Jones
Mrs. Ann Jordan
Mr. Vernon Jordan
Mr. Anil Kakani
Mr. Farooq Kathwari
Mrs. Farida Kathwari
Mr. Neal Katyal, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Office of the Solicitor General
Mr. Jeffrey Katzenberg
Mrs. Marilyn Katzenberg
Ms. Maneesha Kelkar, Manavi
Vinay Vaishampayan
The Honorable (Senator) John Kerry, United States Senator (D/Massachusetts)
Dr. Harish Khare, Media Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, Indian Delegation
The Honorable (Mr.) Bradley Kiley, Office of Management and Administration
Mr. James Coley, Jr.
Ms. Gayle King
The Honorable (Ambassador) Ron Kirk, USTR
Mrs. Matrice Ellis-Kirk
The Honorable (Mr.) Ronald Klain, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Office of the Vice President
Mrs. Chanda D Kochhar
His Excellency S.M. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Ms. Gaitri Kumar, Joint Secretary (Americas), Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Mr. Vivek Kundra
Mrs. Jhumpa Lahiri
Mr. Alberto Vourvoulias
Mr. Marc Lasry
Cathy Lasry
Mr. Jacob Lew, Deputy Secretary, Department of State
The Honorable Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce
Mrs. Mona Locke
The Honorable (Mr.) Christopher Lu, Cabinet Affairs
Ms. Kathryn Thomson
The Honorable (Senator) Richard Lugar, United States Senator (R/Indiana)
Mrs. Char Lugar, United States Senate Spouse (R/Indiana)
Mr. Michael Lynton
Ms. Elizabeth Jamie Alter
Mr. Surinder Malhotra
The Honorable (Chief of Protocol) Capricia Marshall
The Honorable (Ms.) Alyssa Mastromonaco, White House Office of Scheduling
Mr. Brian Mathis
Mrs. Tracey Kemble
Ms. Kiran Mazumda-Shaw
The Honorable (Senator) Claire McCaskill, United States Senator (D/Missouri)
Mr. Joseph Shepard, United States Senate Spouse
The Honorable (Rep) Jim McDermott, United States Representative (D/Washington)
Mrs. Therese Marie Hansen
Mr. Zarin Mehta
Ms. Carmen Lasky
The Honorable (Mr.) Jim Messina, Office of Chief of Staff
Mr. Judd Miner
Mrs. Linda Miner
Mr. Newt Minow
Mrs. Josephine Minow
Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal
Kalpen Modi, Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement
Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Mrs. Deborah Mullen
The Honorable (Secretary) Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
His Excellency M.K. Narayanan, National Security Adviser of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Mr. Shantanu Narayen
Mrs. Reni Narayen
Mr. Raju Narisetti
Durga Raghunath
Mr. Martin Nesbitt
Ms. Anita Blanchard
Mr. Konrad Ng
Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng
Ms. Indra Nooyi
The Honorable (Rep) David Obey, United States Representative (D/Wisconsin)
Mrs. Joan Obey
The Honorable (Mr.) Peter Orszag, Director, Office of Management & Budget
Mr. Jim Owens
Ms. Katie Owens
Mr. Deepak Parekh
Mr. Eboo Patel
Ms. Shehnez Mansuri
The Honorable (Governor) Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts (D)
Mrs. Diane Patrick, First Lady of Massachusetts
The Honorable (Speaker) Nancy Pelosi, United States Representative (D/California) and Speaker of the House
Mr. Paul Pelosi
Mr. Dan Pfeiffer, White House Office of Communications
Mr. Sam Pitroda
Mrs. Anjana Pitroda
General Colin Powell
Ms. Alma Powell
Dr. Rachakonda D Prabhu
Dr. Lata Shete Prabhu
Mrs. Penny Pritzker
Dr. Brian Traubert
Ms. Kavita Ramdas
Her Excellency Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Ms. Preetha Reddy
The Honorable (Governor) Edward Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania (D)
The Honorable (Judge) Marjorie Rendell, First Lady of Pennsylvania
Mr. Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting
The Honorable (Ambassador) Susan Rice, United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Mr. Ian Cameron
The Honorable (Governor) Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico (D)
Mrs. Barbara Richardson, First Lady of New Mexico
Ms. Robin Roberts
Mrs. Marian Robinson
Ambassador Timothy Roemer, US Ambassador to India
Mrs. Mary Johnston
Ms. Desiree Rogers, Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary
Mr. John Rogers
The Honorable (Dr.) Christina Romer, Chair, Council of Economic Advisers
Mr. Dennis Ross, NSC
The Honorable (Rep) Edward Randall Royce, United States Representative
Marie Therese Royce
Mr. Michael Sacks
Mrs. Cari Sacks
The Honorable (Rep.) Linda Sanchez, United States Representative (D/California)
Mr. James Sullivan, Guest of Then Honorable Linda Sanchez
Mr. Pankaj Saran, Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
His Excellency Shyam Saran, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Indian Delegation
Mr. Jaideep Sarkar, Personal Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Mr. Parag Saxena
The Honorable (Rep.) Jan Schakowsky, United States Representative (D/Illinois)
Mr. Robert Creamer
The Honorable (Mr.) Phil Schiliro, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Mrs. Jody Schiliro
Ms. Annetta Seecharran
Seema Agnani
Mr. Stuart Seldowitz, Acting Director for South Asia, NSC
Dr. Amartya Sen
Ms. Emma Georgina Rothschild
Under Secretary Rajiv J Shah, Under Secretary for Research, Education & Economics, Department of Agriculture
The Honorable Sonal Shah, Deputy Assist to the President, Director Office of SICP, Domestic Policy Council
Mr. Vinod Shah
Her Excellency Meera SHANKAR, Ambassador, India
The Honorable Susan Sher, Assistant to the President/Chief of Staff to the First Lady
The Honorable (Mr.) Neil Cohen
Mr. M. Night Shyamalan
Mrs. Bhavna Shyamalan
Ms. Amrit Singh
Mr. Analjit Singh
Mr. Arun K. Singh, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation
Mr. Balvinder Singh
Mr. Mohinder Singh
Mr. Lakhwinder Singh
Mrs. Sukhbir Kaur
Ms. Upinder Singh
Mr. Steven Spielberg
Mr. Sri Srinivasan
Ms. Carla Garrett
Ms. Srinija Srinivasan
The Honorable (Mr.) Jim Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State
Ms. Sherburne Bradstreet
Mrs. Semonti Stephens, Deputy Press Secretary, Office of the First Lady
Mr. Andy Stern
Ms. Anna Burger
Mrs. Jane Stetson
Mr. Bill Stetson
Honorable (Dr.) Larry Summers, Director, National Economic Council
Dr. Elisa New
The Honorable (Ms.) Mona Sutphen, Office of Chief of Staff
Mr. Clyde Williams
Mr. Ratan Tata
The Honorable (Ms.) Tina Tchen, Office of Public Liaison
Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally, Ambassador, Embassy of Belize
Mrs. Barbara Thummalapally
Mr. Jim Torrey
Ms. Rose P Lynch
Mr. Richard Trumka
Mr. Paul H Lemmon
Ms. Urvashi Vaid
Ms. Kate Clinton
Mr. Kirk Wagar
Ms. Crystal Connor
Dr. Eric E. Whitaker
Dr. Cheryl Whitaker
Mr. Brian Williams
Mrs. Jane Williams
Mr. Wellington Wilson
Mrs. Wilson
Mr. Neal Wolin, Deputy Secretary, Department of Treasury
Ms. Alfre Woodard
Mr. Blair E Underwood
Mr. Fareed Zakaria
Ms. Paula Throckmorton Zakaria

From NBC's Mark Murray
The liberal-leaning group Health Care for American Now (HCAN) is up with a new TV ad in Arkansas that thanks Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor for "standing up to the insurance industry" and voting to proceed on debating the Senate health-care bill.

[Youtube:DSUA-nVadW8]

But HCAN is also airing a TV ad in Nebraska blasting GOP Sen. Mike Johanns for voting to block debate on the bill. "Johanns voted to stop the debate on health insurance reform from even taking place," the ad's narrator says. "So who's he really working for? The health insurance industry." 

[Youtube:psc8kFN2_8g]

From NBC's Athena Jones
After weeks of high-level meetings to review his administration's strategy in Afghanistan, President Obama said he would announce his troop decision soon and declared his intention to finish a job that began more than eight years ago.

The main goal in the region remains the same: to destroy and dismantle al Qaeda and prevent the group and its extremist allies from operating effectively. After Thanksgiving -- and likely as soon as Dec. 1 -- the president plans to explain the rationale behind his decision to send what it expected to be thousands more troops to Afghanistan.

"After eight years, some of those years in which we did not have I think either the resources or the strategy to get the job done, it is my intention to finish the job," Obama said today at a joint news conference with India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "And I feel very confident that when the American people hear a clear rationale for what we're doing there and how we intend to achieve our goals, that they will be supportive."

During the campaign, then-candidate Obama frequently painted Afghanistan as the good war, a war of necessity, arguing that too much focus on a war of choice in Iraq had robbed the effort in Afghanistan of vital resources. His troop announcement, which could come in the form of a primetime address, will include discussion of the obligations of the broader international community in defeating extremists in the region and about helping to make sure the Afghan people are ultimately able to provide for their own security.

Pakistan will play an important role in any strategy Obama announces, and the president acknowledged that the United States had focused too much in the past on military assistance to the country -- to the detriment of helping it develop the kind of civil society necessary for a country to thrive. Obama said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had made progress in helping to refocus energies in that area, and he talked about the important progress Pakistan has made in recognizing the threat of extremism.

"Pakistan has an enormously important role in the security of region by making sure that the extremist organizations that often operate out of territories are dealt with effectively," he said.

He added that recent efforts by Pakistan's military to combat extremists in the Swat Valley showed a realization that "extremism, even if initially directed to the outside, can ultimately also have an adverse impact on their security internally. So my hope is that, over time, what we're going to see is further clarity and further cooperation between all the parties and all people's of good will in the region to eradicate terrorist activity."

Before the brief Q&A with reporters at today's press conference, both President Obama and Prime Minister Singh made statements about the importance of the U.S.-India partnership on issues ranging from the global economic recovery and trade to climate change. Obama stressed the need for the two countries to work closely together on nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism.

Obama said the fact that the first state visit of his presidency is from India's prime minister "reflects the high esteem" he and the American people place on Singh's leadership and the importance of the partnership between the world's two biggest democracies, a relationship he called one of the "defining partnership of the 21st century."

The president said he had discussed his Afghanistan review with Singh, and he thanked the prime minister for India's contributions to the Afghan people.

"It is important for the international community to sustain its engagement in Afghanistan to help its emergence as a modern state," Singh said during his opening statement. "The forces of terrorism in our region pose a grave threat to the entire civilized world and have to be defeated."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The New York Times' Nagourney makes a good point about why that GOP purity test might be a bad idea -- for those who care about winning -- for the party.

He takes a look at how it would affect, for example, moderate congressman Mike Castle, who is Republicans' best chance at winning Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat in Delaware:

Mr. Castle in many ways is a text-book example of why some Republicans think the party should avoid such purity tests. He appears to be, without dispute, the strongest candidate that the party could win to take back the seat.

But in the course of his career, he has taken positions on abortion, energy and gun control that could, at least in theory, lead Republicans to argue that he has failed the test laid out in the resolution. If that were the case, the Republican National Committee might have to sit-out a Castle-Biden race.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
You thought politics in this country was rough. Take note, per AP, of what's happening in the Philippines:

Two southern provinces were placed under emergency rule Tuesday as Filipino security forces unearthed more bodies from one of the worst incidents of election violence in the nation's history, pushing the death toll to 46. Police and soldiers found 22 bodies in a hillside mass grave Tuesday, adding to the 24 bullet-riddled bodies recovered near the scene of Monday's massacre in Maguindanao province, said Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluna of the Central Mindanao region.

This southern region of the Philippines is wracked by violent political rivalries, in addition to a long-running Islamic insurgency, but the killings have shocked this Southeast Asian nation. One adviser to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has described the massacre as the worst in the country's recent history. A media rights watchdog also says that it appears to be the world's worst mass killing of journalists, with as many as 23 feared dead. ... Dozens of gunmen abducted the group of journalists, supporters and relatives of a gubernatorial candidate as they traveled through Amputuan township Monday to file candidacy documents in the provincial capital for May 2010 elections.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
In August of 2008, Bloomberg News headlined one of their stories this way: "Harvard? Yale? No, Delaware School Is New Epicenter of Politics."

That's because both Steve Schmidt (who ran day-to-day operations for the McCain campaign), David Plouffe (Obama's campaign manager), as well as Obama's vice presidential running mate Joe Biden all attended the University of Delaware, about an hour and a half north of the Beltway. (Biden's the only one of the three to graduate. Schmidt and Plouffe both left early. New Jersey's governor-elect, Republican Chris Christie, is also a Blue Hen.)

Now, Delaware is trying to capitalize on that momentum and has launched a new Center for Political Communication, which will include the Delaware Public Opinion Poll. Schmidt and Plouffe were both named fellows.

"The Center will involve undergrads, faculty and the public in a program of studying the role digital media are playing in political and public affairs campaigns and public opinion, with obvious spinoffs for the business world," writes Ralph Begleiter, a former CNN correspondent, who has been named the center's director. (Begleiter has been teaching journalism and political science at Delaware since 1999. Full disclosure: He was one of this reporter's professors.)

Former Republican Party Chairman Ed Gillespie is scheduled to speak at the school on Dec. 2nd.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
President Obama welcomed India's Prime Minister Singh to the White House this morning. He stressed the importance of the U.S.'s relationship with India, mentioning briefly climate change and only alluding to its regional significance as it relates to Pakistan in particular.

Pakistan and India are main rivals, clashing often over the disputed Kashmir region. India also wants more done by the Pakistanis to hold accountable those responsible for the deadly Mumbai bombings.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL VIDEO.  Here's a short preview:

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Next week's decision: On "TODAY," NBC's Savannah Guthrie reported that President Obama is set to announce his decision on Afghanistan-Pakistan next week (likely on Tuesday, Dec. 1), and he'll likely do it via a primetime address (although it probably won't be from the Oval Office). Guthrie's reporting comes after Obama last night concluded his ninth meeting with his national security team on Afghanistan. "After completing a rigorous final meeting, President Obama has the information he wants and needs to make his decision and he will announce that decision within days," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. Guthrie adds that every adviser at the table gave their opinion, and that OMB Director Peter Orszag was present, underscoring how budget issues are a concern. (Also present -- in person -- was U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry.) As mentioned before, all the options Obama is considering would increase the number of U.S. troops (from 10,000 to 40,000). But Guthrie says the White House also wants to couple this increase with an exit strategy.

*** The GOP's Reagan obsession: To us, the most striking feature of the resolution that the Republican National Committee might consider at its winter meeting in January wasn't its insistence that GOP politicians and candidates must adhere to at least eight of 10 conservative purity tests. Nor was its labeling of President Obama's agenda as "socialist." Instead, the most revealing thing about the draft resolution was its obsession with Ronald Reagan. "WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed that the Republican Party should support and espouse conservative principles and public policies," the resolution reads. "WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan also believed the Republican Party should welcome those with diverse views; and WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed, as a result, that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent…"

*** Does Reagan apply in a non-Reagan world? We've asked this question before and we'll ask it again: Why are Republicans still so fixated on Reagan? The Cold War ended some 20 years ago… Income-tax rates are at historically low levels… And does anyone remember what a "Contra" is? It's a lot like how it took Democrats generations to kick their Kennedy and FDR habits. Can the GOP keep playing the Reagan card in a world that's changed so much since his presidency? Did you know that the youngest person to have cast a ballot for Reagan in 1984 is now 43 years old? And that, by 2012, that person will be 46?

*** Rallying around Reagan -- but not the Bushes: It's amazing what everyone in the conservative movement now applies to Reagan. As we and others have pointed out, Reagan himself might not have passed this purity test when he was governor of California or even president (remember his tax increases, the deficits he racked up, and his amnesty for illegal immigrants?). A Bush has run for president FOUR of the last SIX presidential elections, and yet that name apparently is now a four-letter word with GOP activists. They need someone else to rally around. So in the absence of someone currently, the gravitation is Reagan. We get it on one level. But the nostalgia doomed the Democrats for years because the hardest thing to do in politics is look favorable against a ghost. It can't be done.

*** Today's state visit: At 9:15 am ET, the president and the first lady welcome India's prime minister and his wife to the White House. At 11:35 am, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh hold a joint press conference. And this evening, the Obamas host a state dinner for their guests. While much of the focus is on tonight's big state dinner, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reminds us that the dinner is just the end of VERY IMPORTANT diplomatic talks during the day. Remember that India and the U.S. have much to discuss: Pakistan, Afghanistan, nuclear weapons, global warming, and the global recession. (Turning back to the dinner, however, NBC's Norah O'Donnell reports that Jennifer Hudson will perform at the event…)

*** 'Fundamentals' vs. 'Core Strengths': Yesterday, in his comments on the economy, President Obama said, "There are core strengths to the American economy that will put us in good stead over the long term." While realizing that our economy has come a LONG way since Sept. 15, 2008 and that a campaign is MUCH different than a presidency, people who worked on the McCain campaign might argue that Obama's "core strengths" wasn't all that dissimilar from McCain's "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." Discuss. Remember, as a candidate, Obama was able to run against an economic philosophy. Now, he has to reassure that his is the right one.

*** Dems get their man in Texas? The last time a Democrat was governor of Texas, Bill Clinton was in his second year in office, grunge music was still all the rage, Troy Aikman was quarterback for the Cowboys, and the Texas A&M Aggies were the dominant college football team in the state. My, how things change… But after yesterday's chain of events -- Tom Schieffer (D) exiting the gubernatorial contest and Houston Mayor Bill White (D) apparently turning his focus from the Senate contest to the gubernatorial one -- Democrats now seem to have a path to win the governor's mansion. This could be especially true if Rick Perry defeats Kay Bailey Hutchison in their increasingly bitter GOP primary, which could alienate female voters and independents. Perhaps this is why RGA Chairman Haley Barbour told reporters last week he preferred for Hutchison to remain in the Senate… 

*** It's easier for a Texas Dem to win state office than federal office: The entrance of White is also a tacit acknowledgement on his part that it's A LOT easier to be a Democrat in Texas running for state office than federal office. Perhaps he's learning the lesson of another big city Texas Democratic mayor whom many in the business community loved: Ron Kirk. What if Kirk had run for governor in 2002 rather than Senate? Would the Dallas business community have rallied around him? It's a "what-if" plenty of Texas Democrats have played over the years. Also, White's likely move to the governor's race also means two Democrats won't beat each other up in a Senate contest, as longtime Democratic lawmaker John Sharp is raising money as well. 

*** Happy Thanksgiving: Finally, we won't be publishing our morning and afternoon notes Wednesday through Friday, although we'll update the blog as news warrants. Our notes will return on Monday. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Countdown to MA Special Primary: 14 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 56 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 343 days

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The Washington Post says that "President Obama has finished gathering information about troop options in Afghanistan and will likely announce his decision in an address to the nation next Tuesday, Dec. 1… On Monday night, Obama met for two hours in the White House Situation Room with his senior national security advisers, including Eikenberry and McChrystal, who participated by teleconference from Kabul." 

USA Today: "Obama has been considering several options, including a proposed strategy by U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal that would add up to 40,000 more troops to the war along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border."

"Military officials and others expect Obama to settle on a middle-ground option that would deploy an eventual 32,000 to 35,000 U.S. forces. That rough figure has stood as the most likely option since before Obama's last large war council meeting earlier this month, when he tasked military planners with rearranging the timing and makeup of some of the deployments." 

The New York Times notes that key House and Senate committees are already planning hearings on Afghanistan for next week. "[W]itnesses might include Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Meanwhile, the AP previews today's state visit. "Behind the elaborate ceremony of the Indian prime minister's state visit Tuesday, Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama will be working to smooth over differences on climate change and U.S. ties with Indian rivals China and Pakistan," the wire service says. "The White House is eager to show that, despite what some Indians see as a lack of attention during Obama's first 10 months, it values Singh's country as a key partner in dealing with extremists in South Asia, in settling international trade and global warming pacts and in steering the world economy out of turmoil. Indians will be looking for Obama to reverse a perception that he neglected India during his recent trip to Asia and seemed to endorse a stronger role for China in India's sensitive dealings with Pakistan." 

Sandwiched into the president's busy day of diplomacy (trying to manage the crucial U.S. relationship with India, Pakistan's main rival) is a meeting "with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the afternoon in between a meeting with senior advisers and a session with Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Robert Gates," the AP adds. 

The AP also looks at the history of U.S. presidents entertaining Indian leaders.

The Wall Street Journal writes how Joe Lieberman says he's opposed to ANY kind of public option -- whether it's opt in, opt out, or a trigger. "Probe for a catch or caveat in that opposition, and none is visible. Can he support a public option if states could opt out of the plan, as the current bill provides? 'The answer is no,' he says in an interview from his Senate office. 'I feel very strongly about this.' How about a trigger, a mechanism for including a public option along with a provision saying it won't be used unless private insurance plans aren't spreading coverage far and fast enough? No again."

More: "Maybe the Lieberman stance is posturing, or a maneuver to force a watering down of the public option into something he and like-minded Democratic conservatives can swallow. In any case, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tries to solve the Rubik's Cube that is health legislation, Mr. Lieberman just might represent the hardest piece to flip into place."

The Hill adds, "If Lieberman stands in the way of the Democrats' effort to overhaul the nation's healthcare system, Reid will be second-guessed for not stripping Lieberman of his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee."

The New York Times notes how the abortion issue in the health-care debate has a become a fundraising boon to anti-abortion and pro-choice organizations.

Collision Course: "Healthcare reform and climate change will conflict directly next month when lawmakers from around the world gather in Denmark for the United Nations climate change conference and the Senate debates a healthcare bill. As many as 10 senators had planned on traveling to Copenhagen for the conference, which is scheduled from Dec. 7 to Dec. 18. But it now appears they may have to stay in Washington to work on healthcare."

"Two days after health reform cleared its first major hurdle in the Senate, two groups launched a joint television ad campaign," The Hill reports. "The AARP and American Medical Association (AMA) are undertaking the effort to promote the legislation's effect on Medicare." The ad depicts a doctor and a "spin doctor" (who looks a lot like some Capitol Hill Republicans and insurance company cable talking heads).

Here's the script:
I'm a doctor. I'm a spin doctor.
Doctor: I'm here to give you the fact about Medicare.
SD: I'm here to scare you.
D: AARP and the American Medical Association are fighting to protect your Medicare.
SD: Insurance companies say you'll lose your Medicare.
D: That's not actually true.
SD: [laughs] We don't actually care.
ANNOUNCER: Enough scare tactics. AARP and AMA are fighting to lower drug costs and make sure nothing comes between you and your doctor. Get the facts.
SD: Who cares about facts? [laughs]

checkin' it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice…

The New York Times: "A group of conservative Republican leaders is proposing a solution to the internecine warfare over what the party should stand for: a 10-point checklist gauging proper adherence to core principles like opposing government financing for abortion and, more generally, President Obama's 'socialist agenda.' In what was being dubbed a purity test when it leaked out to reporters on Monday, the proposal would require the party to withhold campaign money and endorsements from candidates who do not adhere to at least seven principles on the checklist."

The hits keep on coming for Mark Sanford… "Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina will face formal ethics charges on 37 counts of using his office for personal financial gain, according to a list of accusations issued Monday by the State Ethics Commission," the New York Times also reports. "The charges include spending state money on business-class plane tickets, instead of flying coach; using state aircraft to attend political and personal events, like the birthday party of a campaign donor; and using his campaign fund for noncampaign expenses, like a ticket to President Obama's inauguration."

More: "A separate impeachment resolution has been filed in the Legislature, but the ethics panel and the legislative action so far deal with different accusations. The ethics panel reviewed accusations of misuse of public resources; the impeachment resolution deals with Mr. Sanford's secret trip to Argentina in June to visit a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair."

Michele Bachmann in an interview with the St. Cloud Times: "My husband and I both worked on Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign. The first time I ever came to Washington was to dance at Walter Mondale's inaugural ball. It was a thrill for my husband and me, and we were both happy to work on behalf of Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter. We really believed in them when we were in college. So in some ways I don't understand why the Democratic Party would be opposed to me, because I stand for the same values that my parents stood for when we were Democrats."

Palin's book tour rolled into Fort Bragg. "The Department of Defense typically prohibits politicians from using installations as a platform, so Palin didn't give a speech and simply thanked soldiers individually," the New York Daily News writes. "She was allowed to hold the event as a private citizen who was not campaigning, a Fort Bragg spokesman said… Col. Billy Buckner, a spokesman for Fort Bragg, said the Army agreed to let Palin on post because she was no longer a politician. 'She fell into a little bit of a gray area," he said. "She's not a political figure per se, but she certainly carries a tremendous amount of interest and influence across the country.'"

ARKANSAS: "Senate Democrats and Republicans were left shaking their heads Saturday at Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (Ark.) decision to be the last Democrat to declare her intentions on Saturday night's major health care reform vote," Roll Call writes. "Facing a tough 2010 re-election fight back home, Lincoln was one of three centrist Democrats who withheld their votes on starting the health care debate until shortly before the vote. However, by waiting until after both Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Mary Landrieu (La.) declared, Lincoln arguably became the decisive vote that put the Democratic bill over the top. Of the three, Lincoln is the only one up for re-election next year… Though Democrats were loath to publicly criticize Lincoln after she took a tough vote for them, many said privately they did not understand why she put herself in that position."

CALIFORNIA: Gender Wars: "California state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R) fired back at his U.S. Senate primary opponent Carly Fiorina (R) on Twitter today after she said she is the better candidate because she is a woman."

CONNECTICUT: Senatorial candidate Linda McMahon (R) responded yesterday to a question about Khalid Sheik Mohammed's upcoming civilian trial by saying she will "probably have more firm policy statements after the first of the year." McMahon opponent Rob Simmons' spokesman issued a statement saying McMahon's words "raise serious questions about her readiness to serve as U.S. Senator."

FLORIDA: Charlie Shift? Senate candidate Gov. Charlie Crist (R) gave Florida Republicans "a dose of conservative talking points" at a county GOP meeting. He said health care reform was being pushed "almost literally down our throats" and that Republicans need to "stop it in its tracks." 

Crist also proclaimed: It would be "hard to be more conservative than I am on [the] issues."

KANSAS: Roll Call reports on the GOP contenders lining up for KS-3. "A handful of the potential GOP candidates met at 7:30 this morning in Johnson County. Those who attended the meeting agreed to start campaigning and raising money earlier in order for the viable candidates to emerge before the late August primary next year so the party can avoid an intraparty contest so close to the general election." 

National Democratic operatives told First Read yesterday that they are confident they have at least as good a shot as the Republicans to win this seat, given that Obama won the district, which is mostly suburban, includes the University of Kansas, has a high education rate and is fairly affluent. It's a swing district, for sure. But two things matter to the outcome of swing districts": (1) the candidate and (2) the national environment. Bottom line: Moore would have held the seat. DCCC officials also said they are not concerned that this particular retirement will lead to more retirements.

MASSACHUSETTS: "Two of the leading candidates for the US Senate from Massachusetts vehemently defended Representative Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island yesterday in his uncommonly public dispute with the Providence bishop, saying the Catholic Church is acting exclusionary," The Boston Globe writes. Martha Coakley and Michael Capuano are both Catholics, but took their shots at the Church during a forum yesterday. Remember, Kennedy is the son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who used to hold the seat for which Coakley and Capuano are now running. 

"Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker, sending an early signal about the fiscally conservative, socially moderate administration he hopes to build, selected as his running mate yesterday Senate minority leader Richard R. Tisei, a veteran lawmaker who is also openly gay. ... Baker, whose brother is gay, also supports gay marriage."

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte "veered off the topic" at a VFW luncheon on fiscal conservatism to talk about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. She called the Justice Department's decision to give him a civilian trial "irresponsible." 
 
NEW JERSEY: Finally… "In a radio interview with WTOP in Washington, [Lou Dobbs said] he wants a dialogue with immigrant rights groups 'to try to bridge some of these conflicts and try to create solutions,'" the New York Daily News notes. "Asked during the WTOP interview if speculation about an Oval Office bid is 'crazy talk,' Dobbs, 64, replied, 'What's so crazy about that? Golly! ... Well, I'll tell you this much - it's one of the discussions that we're having… For the first time, I'm actually listening to some people about politics.' Robert Dilenschneider, a Dobbs spokesman, said a White House bid would be "way down the road." He said an interim step would probably be a 2012 bid for the Senate seat now held by Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Kelly Paice
NBC's Andrea Mitchell interviewed Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

Here is some of what Steele had to say about Sarah Palin. A clip is below with text after the jump.

HERE'S THE FULL VIDEO.

STEELE: I don't know what her decision-making is or what 2012 or 2014 or any year looks like for her. She'll make that decision and when she does we'll all kind of go, 'Oh, that's interesting.' Or not, ya know? I think what you see now are people having a chance to tell the rest of the country how they feel about her. And she's someone who's going to be a part of our political future as a party and I think that's a good thing.

STEELE: I still am mystified by the fact that people look at this woman who was a successful mayor, a successful energy person for Alaska, a successful governor and think that she doesn't have the gravitas to do it.

STEELE: I find it offensive that, you know, she steps down for what I think is a good reason and, 'Oh, she quit!' like that's a bad thing.

STEELE: You know, give the woman a break. She has been under an enormous amount of scrutiny. The disrespect shown to her, I don't think we've ever seen in politics before -- certainly for a female candidate. And I think people really need to check themselves when they come to Sarah Palin.

STEELE: She beat back the political system in that state which is, which is...

MITCHELL: Well, she did quit after half a term as governor...

STEELE: Oh, please.

MITCHELL: She did quit...

STEELE: Yeah, I mean she did the smart thing in stepping down because she became more of the focus for her state -- a distraction because of what folks were trying to say and write about her, and it interfered with her ability to lead.

From NBC's Athena Jones
In a Cabinet meeting Monday afternoon, President Obama acknowledged fledgling economic growth had not yet improved things on the jobs front and previewed a summit next week aimed at helping find ways to spur job creation.

The nation's unemployment rate hit 10.2 percent last month, the highest number in decades. The proportion of jobless in more than a dozen states remains in the double digits, with Michigan in the worst shape at 15.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Our economy is growing for the first time in more than a year, and we know that economic growth is a prerequisite for job growth," Obama said. "But, having said that, what I emphasize today is we cannot sit back and be satisfied, given the extraordinarily high unemployment levels that we've seen. We have only taken the first step in curing our economy and making sure that it is moving on the right track and I will not rest until businesses are investing again and businesses are hiring again and people have work again."

Obama's critics have repeatedly pointed to the jobs numbers to argue the $787 billion stimulus package has done much to increase the federal deficit and little to relieve struggling families who need jobs. The president argues that spending was necessary to avert a total economic collapse.

He asked his Cabinet to come up with good ideas for boosting job growth in advance of a Dec. 3rd jobs summit that will bring together representatives from non-profits, labor, academics, CEOs, small business owners and financial experts to discuss how to jump-start hiring, which is typically a lagging indicator.

"We don't want to wait," Obama said, referring to businesses hiring new workers. "We want to see if we can accelerate it and I'm confident that we're going to be able to do it because I've got as good of a Cabinet as I think any president has ever had."

Creating jobs will be particularly challenging, Obama said, because many businesses have adjusted to the downturn by learning to do more with less in order to eke out a profit. Their increased productivity means they need fewer workers.

He said opening more markets to U.S. exports and investments in infrastructure like high-speed rail and green technology were ways to put people back to work and that innovation, productive workers, dynamism and entrepreneurship were "core strengths" of the U.S. economy that would serve it well over the long term, notwithstanding the current crisis.

From NBC's Mark Murray and Ali Weinberg
The last full year in which Texas had a Democratic governor -- in 1994 -- Bill Clinton was in his second year in office, Texas A&M was the dominant college football team in the state, and Kurt Cobain had just died.

In short, it was a LONG time ago.

But today's chain of events -- Tom Schieffer (D) exiting the gubernatorial race and popular Houston Mayor Bill White (D) possibly getting in -- could very well give Democrats their best chance at the governor's mansion since Ann Richards served there in the early 1990s. 

Indeed, a Democratic source tells First Read that it appears White is getting in. "It's not firm or done yet," the source adds.

Perhaps biggest reason why White has a solid chance in this red state is due to the Rick Perry-vs.-Kay Bailey Hutchison primary on the Republican side. Perry beating Hutchison in a bloody, divisive primary -- in which both Republicans are appealing to the right -- could very well end up alienating independents and women, opening the door for a strong Democratic candidate.

Enter Bill White... 

The Houston Chronicle has more: "White has been firm as recently as last week that he would not switch from the U.S. Senate race to the governor's race. But when Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced that she would not resign to run for governor, it made the prospects of a race switch more likely for White because no special election was immediately available. Also, because Hutchison has said she will resign in March, it gives White two bites at the apple. He can run for governor, and even if he gets the nomination, he could still run in a Senate special election. If he won the Senate seat, then the State Democratic Executive Committee could name his replacement in the governor's race."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The news of Rep. Patrick Kennedy's Communion flap with Rhode Island's hard-line bishop is yet another chapter in the long history of the divide between Kennedy social justice Catholics and more hard-line conservatives, whose overarching issue is abortion.

Remember that the St. Louis Archbishop said he http://www.kxnet.com/News/168117.asp" target="_blank">would deny Rudy Giuliani and John Kerry communion. Kerry was also rebuked by the Boston Archbishop, who stopped short of calling for him to not receive the eucharist.

Kerry, Giuliani and Patrick Kennedy may be the most recent but they are two in a long line of politicians who have clashed with the church over their views on abortion. New York Democrats Mario Cuomo and Geraldine Ferraro, for example, have drawn the church's ire for their public views on abortion.

Disapproval of Catholic politicians, who are pro-abortion rights, has gone as high as the Vatican -- and even the current Pope.

"Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person's formal co-operation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his pastor should meet with him, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist," wrote Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict in 2004.

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Benedict earlier this year, the Pope issued a thinly veiled political statement after their visit, which we reported on in First Read.

The vatican statement read: "His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development." 

In 2004, when Kerry was the Democratic presidential nominee, any time he received Communion -- despite the Church's objections -- it made headlines.

In many instances, the Church seemed to take contradictory stances.

At one Massachusetts church, leaders said they gave Kerry communion after the Archdiocese instructed them not to deny anyone Communion, and that it was up to the individual to decide if, in good conscience, they should receive the Eucharist, USA Today wrote.

The New York Times, on April 12, 2004 noted that this was such an issue that in November of that year, "the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops organized a task force headed by Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the archbishop of Washington, to study how the church should treat Catholic politicians like Mr. Kerry, who say they are personally opposed to abortion, for example, but support abortion rights legislatively. ... The task force has not issued specific recommendations, but some members have discussed a range of penalties, from withholding communion to excommunication.

" 'I think there are many of us who would feel that there are certain restrictions that we might put on people, that there are certain sanctions that we may put on people,' he told 'Fox News Sunday.' 'But I think many of us would not like to use the Eucharist as part of the sanctions.'"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
AP reports: "South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford faces 37 charges he broke state laws limiting official use of airplanes and campaign money. The details were released Monday by the State Ethics Commission. They came five days after the panel charged the governor without offering any specifics. Sanford's lawyers have claimed the charges involve minor and technical aspects of the law."

The New York Times: "Some of these trip charges fall under a specific allegation saying he used his public office for personal financial gain, the commission documents show." (The Times has the full state ethics commission complaint here.)

Sanford has about 14 months remaining in office.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Senate Democratic aides say that Majority Leader Harry Reid and his leadership team have begun searching for a fix on the public option. At least four Democratic Senate moderates made it clear this weekend they would block the final passage if it included the current version of a government-run insurance program.

As Reid needed 60 votes to get the bill on the floor, he'll also need 60 votes to pass it -- every member of his Democratic caucus. But drawing his moderate members into the fold may simultaneously push out liberals.

After Sen. Mary Landrieu gave a speech on Senate floor Saturday voicing her support to start debating the bill, she told a small gaggle of reporters the failure to find a compromise with centrists could "blow up the whole effort."

"I believe it's going to be very clear at some point very soon that there are not 60 votes for the current [public option] provision in the bill," she said. "And that the leader and the leadership are going to have to make a decision. And I trust they will figure out how to do that."

Democratic sources say the leadership has started feeling out the caucus for two possible compromises. 

One alternative, called "the trigger" or "fallback," has been offered by Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. Under her plan, if private insurance failed to offer affordable insurance by a certain time, a non-profit public insurance plan would kick-in or be triggered in that state. The White House has been supportive of Snowe's proposal in the past.

The other alternative is offered by Democratic Sen. Tom Carper. He calls his plan "the hammer." While admitting it's a work in progress, it would work like Snowe's trigger concept but would also allow states to opt into a public plan. (The bill before the Senate would let state's opt-out.)

While such compromises have drawn favorable attention from Landrieu and other moderates, Joe Lieberman has vowed to filibuster the final bill if it contains a public option in any form: trigger, hammer, or any other government sponsored health-care tool.

A compromise with moderates could also backfire against some Senate liberals. In a statement released Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders said, "I strongly suspect that there are number of senators, including myself, who would not support final passage without a strong public option."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Here is our take from last week's Republican Governors Association meeting in Texas.

CEDAR CREEK, Texas - The message that the Republican Governors Association was trying to send to the donors, party big-wigs and political reporters who attended its annual meeting last week wasn't subtle.

The Republican Party, the RGA boasted, is making a comeback.

They underscored this in a video presentation to attendees. "America's comeback starts with us," said the narrator in the video. "We are the Republican governors."

There was even a "Comeback Bash" that concluded the meeting.

And these kinds of declarations were commonplace. "Next year is going to be a good year for us," said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, chairman of the RGA.

After the GOP's political setbacks in 2006 and 2008, there is little doubt that the political winds have shifted. Earlier this month, Republicans won the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia, two states where Republicans hadn't enjoyed much recent success.

What's more, President Barack Obama's poll numbers have fallen back to earth (and his job rating is now below 50 percent, according to the Gallup poll). Public support for his key initiatives — health care and the economic stimulus — is mixed at best. And the unemployment rate now tops 10 percent.

"For the first time since 2004, the playing field has tilted against Democrats," said political analyst Jennifer Duffy, who monitors Senate and gubernatorial races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

But talking about a comeback is one thing; actually achieving it — in next year's midterm elections and beyond — is another.

Here's the full story.

From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
First Read has obtained a resoultion being e-mailed around to Republican National Committee members for comments that proposes a conservative litmus test of sorts.

This comes on the heels of a rift in the party that was exposed in the once-obscure special election in Upstate New York's 23rd Congressional District, in which national conservative leaders, including Sarah Palin, clashed with national establishment Republicans. The so-called GOP civil war threatens to derail moderate Republican candidacies in heated 2010 Republican primaries already underway. Florida's Senate race is perhaps the best and most prominent example.

The "Resolution on Reagan's Unity Principle for Support of Candidates" outlines 10 conservative principles the group of signees wants potential candidates to abide by. The principles include support for:

(1) Smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill
(2) Market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;
(3) Market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
(4) Workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check
(5) Legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;
(6) Victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
(7) Containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat
(8) Retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
(9) Protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and
(10) The right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership

"President Ronald Reagan believed, as a result, that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent," the resolution states.

But if a candidate disagrees with three of the above, then the group wants the RNC to withhold financial assistance and an endorsement from that candidate.

It's not yet clear that the resoultion will actually be formally introduced.

RNC Committeeman Jim Bopp, Jr., is the author of this resolution and general counsel to the National Right to Life.

He confirmed that he and others are considering proposing this resolution at the winter RNC meeting, which will take place in late January.

"The goal of the resolution is to take a position ... towards reclaiming the Republican Party's conservative bona fides," Bopp said, adding that there are some Republicans who favor the bailouts, spending, etc.

Another goal is to "demonstrate that we are open to diverse views," he said, "but you have to agree with us most of the time."

When asked if Ronald Reagan -- who raised taxes and increased the deficit during his presidency -- would be considered a conservative nowadays, Bopp responded, "I don't know any conservative who doesn't think that Reagan's presidency was a conservative presidency."

For some perspective, it's likely that Olympia Snowe (R-ME) would meet just seven of the 10 criteria, if she ends up voting for health care. The three exceptions: health care, immigration, and the stimulus.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) meets eight of 10. The two exceptions: cap-and-trade, immigration.

Here's the text of the resolution:

Proposed RNC Resolution on Reagan's Unity Principle for Support of Candidates

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed that the Republican Party should support and espouse conservative principles and public policies; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan also believed the Republican Party should welcome those with diverse views; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed, as a result, that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent; and

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies and Republican solidarity in opposition to Obama's socialist agenda is necessary to preserve the security of our country, our economic and political freedoms, and our way of life; and

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies is necessary to restore the trust of the American people in the Republican Party and to lead to Republican electoral victories; and

WHEREAS, the Republican National Committee shares President Ronald Reagan's belief that the Republican Party should espouse conservative principles and public policies and welcome persons of diverse views; and

WHEREAS, the Republican National Committee desires to implement President Reagan's Unity Principle for Support of Candidates; and

WHEREAS, in addition to supporting candidates, the Republican National Committee provides financial support for Republican state and local parties for party building and federal election activities, which benefit all candidates and is not affected by this resolution; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee identifies ten (10) key public policy positions for the 2010 election cycle, which the Republican National Committee expects its public officials and candidates to support:

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill;

(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;

(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(4) We support workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;

(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;

(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and

(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership; and be further

RESOLVED, that a candidate who disagrees with three or more of the above stated public policy position of the Republican National Committee, as identified by the voting record, public statements and/or signed questionnaire of the candidate, shall not be eligible for financial support and endorsement by the Republican National Committee; and be further

RESOLVED, that upon the approval of this resolution the Republican National Committee shall deliver a copy of this resolution to each of Republican members of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, as they become known, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.

Chief Sponsor:
James Bopp, Jr. NCM IN
 
Sponsors:
Donna Cain NCW OR
Cindy Costa NCW SC
Demetra Demonte NCW IL
Peggy Lambert NCW TN
Carolyn McLarty NCW OK
Pete Rickets NCM NE
Steve Scheffler NCM IA
Helen Van Etten NCW KA
Solomon Yue NCM OR

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's legislation to dub the day before Thanksgiving "Complaint-Free Wednesday" has flown largely under the radar.

But as the L.A. Times reports this morning, the Missouri Democrat has heard lots of complaining for trying to curb complaining.

"Now, this is a Congress that has given us National Ice Cream Month and found time to praise the plumbing industry," The Times writes. "Surely, then, the notion that on Thanksgiving eve, people might stop whining for just a day, take stock and give thanks would not seem to be a threat to the republic."

More:

"I thought dissent and complaining were patriotic," thundered one reader after some conservative websites printed Cleaver's "Dear Colleague" letter.

"I thought DC had gotten as stupid as they could get and I was wrong," groused another.

Cleaver said that some calls to his office from overwrought respondents went something like this: "I want you to show me where in the Bible it says I shouldn't complain. I haven't seen anything where Jesus asked us not to complain."

(Maybe not Jesus, Cleaver said, but Paul came pretty close in Philippians 4:8.) ...

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) had offered the same legislation last year but with none of the accompanying political fireworks.

It's another sign of just how partisan our politics have become, where people can't think or speak rationally about almost anything, including, but clearly not limited to, hot-button issues.

I'm not complaining, I'm just sayin'...

From NBC's Sue Kroll
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters today that the U.S. has every reason to believe that Iraq's election will happen although the date "might slip by some period of time".

Iraq's Vice President vetoed a key part of Iraqs election law last week raising doubts that the election may not happen by the end of January. By law the Iraqi law the elections must take place before the end of January.

"We have every reason to believe that elections will be held  which will be a milestone on the journey that the Iraqis will taking on a full and comprehensive democracy," Clinton said.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Is the news of Kansas Rep. Dennis Moore's (D) retirement a finger pulled out of the dam of more retirements to come?

That has to be a big fear of Democrats looking to stave off a massive loss of House seats next year.

A Moore aide confirms that he will be retiring and added that a written statement will be released later today.

"He's been 30 years serving the public, and it's time to start spending time with his family," the aide said on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the congressman's thinking.

Democrats are already expected to lose double-digit House seats, given (1) The history of the party in power of a newly elected president's first term traditionally loses double-digit seats, (2) That Democrats likely hit a high-water mark in the House after big gains in the last two election cycles, where they won in lots of right-leaning districts, (3) The economy, (4) Populist outrage over government bailouts and the like, and (5) An overall anti-government/anti-Washington climate.

As political guru Charlie Cook wrote in his recent column: "In trying to figure out what might happen in the House, the two things to watch over the next couple of months are Democratic retirements and GOP recruiting. ... Keep in mind that in 1994 -- the last horrific election for Democrats -- 22 of Democrats' 52 net losses were in open seats. It's highly unlikely that 40 or more House Democratic incumbents will be unseated, but if there are a slew of retirements in pivotal districts, just 20 or 25 incumbent casualties -- eminently possible -- combined with tough open seat losses could turn over the majority. ...

"Today Democrats have only seven open seats -- none are pure retirements, all have been created by bids for other office -- of which only three look vulnerable."

But, one reason for Democrats to have hope that they won't see a mass exodus -- and therefore mass bloodshed -- like in '94 is that this is a very different crop of Democrats. Those Democrats had been in power since FDR. These just regained power in 2007.

To poorly adapt Scottish-born American Revolutionary Naval hero John Paul Jones' words, they have not yet begun to legislate.

As Cook wrote: "[U]p until now, there didn't seem to be much of a prospect of many Democratic retirements. After all, they just got back the majority in January 2007 and finally have a Democrat in the White House, not a Republican who could veto proposals they hold near and dear."

But Moore's retirement has to be a worrisome sign. Moore, 64, was first elected to the seat in 1998. He won re-election in 2008, 56%-40%, and President Obama narrowly won the district over Sen. John McCain 51%-48%. But George W. Bush won it in 2004 55%-44%.

And Moore has had some tough re-elections. In 1998, he won with 52%, but then in 2000 and 2002, he won with just 50%. That went up to 55% in 2004, 65% in 2006 and then dropped in 2008.

He's exactly the kind of Democrat the party can't afford to lose. His seat will be an automatic Republican target.

*** UPDATE *** Here's Moore's statement:
"It has been an honor and a privilege to have been elected six times to represent the people of the Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives. I have decided not to seek reelection in 2010. It is time for a new generation of leadership to step forward.

"I am proud of all we have accomplished since I was first elected in 1998. I have always sought to be an active representative, engaged in the concerns and activities of our community. My staff of hardworking Kansans has resolved thousands of cases for constituents facing federal government-related problems and has supported my work in Washington. I was proud to write and help enact legislation to increase death gratuity benefits for service members' families, improved R&R travel benefits for service personnel and childproof cap requirements for gasoline cans. And I successfully worked to bring over $190 million of targeted federal funds back to our district for things like flood control, improved transportation and social services.

"I served as Policy Co-Chair for the Blue Dog Coalition for two years during the first Congress in which they were part of the congressional majority. With the Blue Dogs and as a member of the House Budget Committee, I strongly supported fiscally responsible budgets and pay as you go rules. As a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, I became chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, which this year has already held seven hearings on TARP implementation and ways to strengthen financial services industry oversight, and helped lay the foundation for comprehensive regulatory reform.

"I have always taken this responsibility very seriously. A public office is a public trust. This has been the most exciting and frustrating job I have ever had. Exciting because of the opportunities to do the right thing for our people, especially those who most need our support. Frustrating because of the strident partisanship which too often distracts Congress from squarely addressing the critical issues of our time.

"The current year has been the most intense and busy of my tenure. We have spent long hours struggling over detailed, controversial and far-reaching legislative proposals to reform health insurance, control global warming, and stimulate the economy, along with financial services regulatory reform. Yes, it is tiring. But I have always sought to represent the moderate mainstream of the district, which I hope now will host a robust competition between the two parties to fill this congressional seat. As the first Democrat elected to represent this district in 40 years back in 1998, I know that there didn't used to be partisan competition in northeast Kansas. This progress is good for democracy and important in ensuring that all voices are heard.

"I will remain fully engaged in my job until the end of 2010 and anticipate a smooth transition with my successor. My sincere thanks to the voters of the Third District, to my wonderful wife Stephene, our family, my friends, staff and congressional colleagues for making this unique opportunity for public service possible."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** No pain, no gain? In a way, last week epitomized President Obama's 10 months in office. There was lots of seemingly short-term pain -- members of Congress calling for his Treasury secretary to resign, more P.R. snafus over the stimulus, the chattering class criticizing his Asia trip, and his approval rating dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's poll. But there also was long-term gain -- the Senate on Saturday moving one step closer to passing health-care reform and a growing economic consensus, via the New York Times, that the stimulus is working despite all the P.R. headaches it has caused. Indeed, this short-term pain/long-term gain for Team Obama occurred during the presidential campaign. For all the hits they took (Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko, "bitter," the PUMAs, Bill Ayers, Landstuhl, even Joe the Plumber), they were always working toward the prize (270-plus electoral votes). And remember this: If you simply judged the last three months of the 2008 campaign by which campaign "won" the daily news cycle, McCain came out ahead. That's perhaps the best example of the short-term/long-term.

*** Saturday was the easy part: As for Saturday's initial health-care vote in the Senate, Democrats got their 60 votes to start debate. But that was the easy part. Now they've got to keep that coalition together, despite significant differences between liberal and centrist Democrats over the public option. "If the public option is still in there, the only resort we have is to say no at the end to reporting the bill off the floor," Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-D) said on "Meet the Press" yesterday. Sen. Ben Nelson added on ABC, according to the Washington Post: "I don't want a big-government, Washington-run operation that undermines the private insurance that 200 million Americans now have." On the other hand, Sen. Chuck Schumer said on "TODAY" that he was pushing for the so-called "opt-out" public option, even as he acknowledged that the Senate bill will change during the amendment process. "At the end of the day, the moderate 'opt out' will prevail." Health care is turning into the ultimate test of the Democratic "big tent." 

*** Don't forget about Snowe and Collins: While the Democrats' path to 60 seems to include keeping Lieberman, Nelson, Lincoln, and Landrieu on board -- without losing any of the liberals -- let's not forget that Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins seem willing to play ball here. Both said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "reached out to them after he unveiled the Senate measure, encouraging them to bring forward their ideas and concerns," the New York Times notes. "Ms. Collins also received a personal visit from a high-level Obama emissary, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former senator who worked closely with her on various issues as part of a bipartisan coalition." By the way, should Voinovich be considered "in play" since he didn't vote Saturday? Probably not, but he's retiring and could be more unpredictable than folks realize. Be sure to click here for more on the "Meet" coverage of the health-care debate. 

*** Palin's renaissance: It was bound to happen… After all the attention and media coverage her book and book tour have generated, Sarah Palin is enjoying a bit of a political renaissance. As Frank Rich wrote yesterday, "Palin is far and away the most important brand in American politics after Barack Obama, and attention must be paid. Those who wishfully think her 15 minutes are up are deluding themselves… Palin is at the red-hot center of age-old American resentments that have boiled up both from the ascent of our first black president and from the intractability of the Great Recession for those Americans who haven't benefited from bailouts." Even Maureen Dowd, hardly a Palin fan, believes that Obama can learn something from her. All this isn't to say that Palin has suddenly become the GOP favorite for 2012 -- her flaws and baggage are still there -- but she is a political force. and

*** Political player or political celebrity? The real test whether Palin has an interest in being a political player or just wants to be a celebrity is if she starts to make actual policy proposals. What was the last proposal of any kind that she's introduced? She's taken positions, but that's easy. Will she introduce a new idea? That's much harder and only done by folks who are interested in being a presidential contender. So far, it appears her interest is celebrity. By the way, Palin's book tour today takes her to Fort Bragg, NC.

*** 2010 watch: Chris Cillizza reports that Kansas Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore is planning to retire. This kind of retirement should scare the be-jesus out of House Dems…

*** Obama's day and week: At 11:40 am ET, the president is hosting an event at the White House to highlight initiatives designed to boost science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. At 1:45 pm, he meets with his cabinet (pool spray at the bottom). And later in the day, at 5:50 pm, he presents the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Also today, as NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports, the president has another meeting on Afghanistan with his national security team. Tomorrow, Obama holds an East Room press conference with India Prime Minister Singh and then hosts a state dinner for the Indian leader -- the first in Obama's presidency. On Wednesday, the president has his turkey-pardoning ceremony. And he will spend the Thanksgiving holiday at the White House.

Countdown to MA Special Primary: 15 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 57 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 344 days

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"The White House is lukewarm about proposals by congressional Democrats to introduce broad legislation to create jobs, instead favoring targeted measures that would be less likely to inflate the deficit," the Wall Street Journal says. "There is as yet no agreement within the White House or in Congress on how to try to curb the U.S. jobless rate. But the differences in opinion suggest that rifts could emerge among Democrats as they wrestle with how to beat back the highest unemployment rate in a generation."

The president said his Asia trip was about American jobs. "As we emerge from the worst recession in generations, there is nothing more important than to do everything we can to get our economy moving again and put Americans back to work, and I will go anywhere to pursue that goal," Obama says in his weekly radio/Internet address, recorded in the South Korean capital of Seoul, his last stop. "That's one of the main reasons I took this trip. Asia is a region where we now buy more goods and do more trade with than any other place in the world -- commerce that supports millions of jobs back home."

Video: A Morning Meeting panel debates how President Obama should handle the growing unemployment problem.

The New York Times has a primer on the military options President Obama is weighing on Afghanistan.

Writing about the president's campaign to promote science and math education, which he announces later this morning, the New York Times says the White House is recruiting Big Bird, Elmo, and video-game programmers. "The campaign, called Educate to Innovate, will focus mainly on activities outside the classroom. For example, Discovery Communications has promised to use two hours of the afternoon schedule on its Science Channel cable network for commercial-free programming geared toward middle school students. Science and engineering societies are promising to provide volunteers to work with students in the classroom, culminating in a National Lab Day in May."

The AP previews tomorrow's state visit by India's prime minister. "India has watched with wariness as President Barack Obama's administration has lavished attention on rivals Pakistan and China. Now, Obama is trying to ease Indian worries by honoring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with the first state visit of his presidency."

"A lawyer representing one of the 9/11 defendants said Sunday that the five defendants will plead not guilty to air their criticisms of U.S. foreign policy."