From NBC's Mark Murray
CEDAR CREEK, Tex. -- More than a dozen Republican governors held a press conference at the Republican Governors Association meeting here outside of Austin, TX, to argue that both the House and Senate healthcare bills would end up shifting costs to the states -- negatively impacting their budgets.

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) explained that one of the tools congressional Democrats have adopted to cover uninsured Americans is by expanding Medicaid, which the states help finance. Yet Rounds said that expanding Medicaid in his state would cost $33 million a year.

"I can't afford that," he said.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) also contended that the legislation would only add to their budget shortfalls in this economic climate.

"This bill [the Senate] is debating is going to make it worse," Perry said. "That is an inarguable fact. ... It will be devastating. I don't think there's any other way to describe it."

Said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), the chairman of the RGA: "Sen. Reid's bill, like the House bill, guts Medicare and is a huge cost shift that will be borne by the states."

And Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) argued that both House and Senate health-care bills were "fraudulent" in disguising the true costs of the legislation -- for example, by not including the so-called "doctors fix" that would increase the Medicare payments for doctors.

"We all know a sucker play when we see one," he said.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
CEDAR CREEK, Tex. -- At yesterday's public events at the Republican Governors Association's annual meeting here just outside of Austin, there wasn't anything resembling the boisterous Tea Party protests or those summer town halls. There weren't cries about President Obama's "radical" or "socialist" agenda. And there weren't any mentions of Sarah Palin (until a reporter brought her up at a press conference). Rather, the tone at this meeting to celebrate the GOP's gubernatorial wins earlier this month and to look ahead to 2010 was downright restrained and even conciliatory. Asked at the press conference how much national issues influenced his win in New Jersey, Gov.-elect Chris Christie answered, "New Jersey issues were the things that drove the race," while national ones were just "background music." Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell agreed, "We ran on Virginia issues" -- like jobs, transportation, and taxes.

*** GOP governors take the stage: Asked if they would work with the president, both men said yes -- especially on issues like charter schools, merit pay, and promoting fatherhood. "The problems in this country and the state of New Jersey are too big" not to find common ground, Christie said. And McDonnell stated that he hopes to work with Obama on issues where they agree, and to "disagree civilly" on issues where they don't. As for Palin, both men sidestepped questions why they didn't have the former Alaska governor campaign for them. Christie said he only had folks who were friends (like Giuliani) or who had won in a blue state (like Pawlenty and Romney) -- although Politico's Martin reminds us that Bobby Jindal and Jeb Bush helped raise money for him. Meanwhile, McDonnell said his campaign had contacted Palin early in 2009, but her schedule was booked. And by the time she had resigned as governor, his campaign had already finalized all of its events. (Really?)

*** Still plenty of red meat: In short, both Christie and McDonnell sounded like the men who won their races (in part) by hugging the middle. To be sure, there was still plenty of red meat for conservatives at the conference. At a plenary session to discuss state-based solutions, Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- the host here who's engaged in a primary battle against Kay Bailey Hutchison -- argued that "cap-and-trade will destroy the economy" and proudly raised the specter of the 10th Amendment to push back against that and health care. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal railed against Washington. "The DC model doesn't work, but the Republican model does work." And Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty called for lower spending, lower taxes, and fiscal restraint. More than anything, however, the RGA's message was that the party was making a comeback. "These elections are a springboard for us," RGA Chairman Haley Barbour told reporters, referring to the GOP wins in Jersey and Virginia.

*** Today's RGA agenda: And here will be a little more red meat today: The attending governors hold a press conference at noon ET to discuss the impact that the health-care legislation will have on their states. At 12:30 pm ET, there's a plenary session looking at next year's gubernatorial races. Speakers include Barbour, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, GOP pollster Ed Goeas, and the Cook Political Report's Jennifer Duffy. At 2:00 pm ET, Barbour and Pawlenty hold a news conference on 2010. And finally, at 8:30 pm ET, the RGA meeting concludes with a "Comeback Bash."

*** Summing up the Asia trip: Meanwhile, far away from the events in Texas, President Obama is already on his way back from his eight-trip to Asia. He will arrive at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska around 9:40 am ET, and then return to the White House at 6:25 pm ET. Before leaving, Obama summed up his trip from South Korea: "Today, I'm finishing my first visit to Asia as president. In Tokyo, we renewed and deepened the US-Japan alliance. In Singapore, we worked with leaders from across the Asia Pacific to strengthen the global economic recovery. And in China, we worked to advance the partnership between our town countries on global issues, because cooperation between the United States and China will mean a safer more prosperous world for all of us… In Seoul, President Lee and I reaffirmed the enduring alliance between our countries, an alliance rooted in shared sacrifice, common values, mutual interest and mutual respect."

*** And defending it: Senior White House adviser David Axelrod tried to answer critics who've argued that Obama didn't accomplish much on the trip. Per NBC's Athena Jones, Axelrod said the president had done what he set out to do -- lay a solid foundation for diplomacy and strengthen relationships. "We didn't come halfway across the world for tickertape parades," he told reporters. "We didn't have expectations that Barack Obama arrives in China or anywhere else and things change overnight." Indeed, it is striking to us how everyone seems to be writing Obama's history right now after he's been in office for just 10 months. They're making pronouncements about him -- on his foreign trips, on his economic policies, on health care -- that took many at least five or six years to make about his predecessor.

*** Losing the P.R. battle: While the final history on the stimulus hasn't been written, it's clear, as we've said before, that the White House is losing the P.R. war over it. The latest embarrassment was a GAO report noting that more than 50,000 jobs the White House said had been "created or saved" due to the stimulus came from projects that reported spending NO MONEY. A White House official responds to First Read. "Three months ago, the critics denied that the Recovery Act was making any jobs. Now as the evidence has proven that wrong, they are left to cast doubts about just how many jobs were made and where. Time is on our side: As late reports coming in, new data will shows the jobs total climbing, and the numbers getting more reliable. In the end, the data debate is frustrating, but a side show: the American people care a lot more about our success in creating jobs than our precision in counting them."

*** What's next for Reid's bill? On health care, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid received the score of his bill from the Congressional Budget Office. According to NBC's Ken Strickland, the cost is $848 billion; it covers 94% of all Americans and an additional 31 million; and it reduces the deficit by $130 billion over the first 10 years. What's next? Strickland says the timing on the big vote on the motion to proceed -- i.e., to get the bill on the floor with 60 votes -- could be as early as Friday but more likely on Saturday. And the prospect for 60 votes? Strick reports that Reid met with the three Dem holdouts yesterday: Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu. Nelson released a non-committal statement, but it sounded like he COULD be a "yes." Meanwhile, the DNC is launching its latest "Call'em out" campaign against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "McConnell seems willing to use every trick in the book to delay a fair debate and vote on reform. Each day reform is postponed is another day for him to attack it with another distortion. It's a desperate gambit to confuse the American people, derail the effort in Congress, and block reform. Mitch McConnell, we're calling you out."

*** Palin in the Hoosier State: Palin-palooza today moves to Indiana. She'll be in largely GOP areas of the state -- Ft. Wayne (noon ET to 3:00 pm ET) and Noblesville (6:00 pm ET to 9:00 pm ET). Ft. Wayne is in Indiana's 3rd Congressional district, won by McCain, 56%-43%, and by GOP Rep. Mark Souder, 55%-40%. Noblesville is in IN-5. McCain won it, 59%-40, and GOP Rep. Dan Burton won it, 66%-35%. After the first stop on her "Going Rogue" book tour yesterday in Michigan, a state she promised to return to after the McCain campaign pulled out, Palin has returned to Twitter, under the handle @SarahPalinUSA, NBC's Adam Verdugo reports. Her first tweet: "Michigan-thx 4 Going Rogue! Perfect tour kickoff w/Kid Rock tune praising Northern MI humming in backgrnd @ Barnes/Noble. Above expectations."

*** Also in DC today: Beginning at 10:00 am ET, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds a congressional hearing on the massacre at Fort Hood. Also at 10:00 am ET, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner testifies before the Joint Economic Committee about the country's economic recovery.

Countdown to MA Special Primary: 19 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 61 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 348 days

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"After taking his message as the 'first Pacific president' through four countries in eight days, President Obama wrapped up his tour of Asia on Thursday with talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and a planned visit to U.S. troops stationed in the shadow of nuclear-armed North Korea," the Washington Post's Kornblut writes. "The Seoul stop was the last on a trip that has notably lacked concrete achievements but has seen Obama's personal narrative on full display, as he reminisced about the ice cream he ate during a childhood visit to Japan, invoked his "historic ties" to Indonesia and recalled his mother's work in the villages of Southeast Asia. After more than a week of using his biography to connect to audiences in Asia -- perhaps the last corner of the globe where he had yet to take his story -- Obama appeared as popular as ever among ordinary citizens in the region. But is his biography-as-diplomacy approach beginning to show its limits?"

"President Barack Obama said Thursday the United States has begun talking with allies about fresh punishment against Iran for defying efforts to halt its nuclear weapons pursuits. Obama's tough talk came as Iran indicated it would not ship its low-enriched uranium to Russia for processing, the centerpiece of deal aimed at a peaceful resolution to Iran's contested nuclear program. 'They have been unable to get to 'yes,' and so as a consequence, we have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences,' Obama said in a brief news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak."

The New York Times: "Mr. Obama's words were his strongest to date and seemed to signal that he was ready to move to sanctions."

"Congress approved stimulus funding to jump-start the economy, mostly by creating jobs, but also by paying for existing public services and cutting-edge research. In many cases, the $3.9 billion awarded in Massachusetts is financing precisely such ventures," the Boston Globe says. "But millions of dollars are going to investments that seem further afield from the stimulus plan's mission."

The New York Daily News looks at what it sees as the aging of this president: "President Obama didn't look his age when he took office in January. Ten months later, nobody would mistake him for a kid."

The Boston Globe on the Senate bill: "Senate majority leader Harry Reid unveiled his long-awaited version of a sweeping health care bill last night, setting the stage for a tense Senate showdown pitting Republicans against a fragile and fractured Democratic majority." The first big vote could come as early as Saturday. Democrats are hoping they have the 60 votes necessary to advance the bill to debate. "The handful of moderate senators who will decide the question seemed likely to support opening the debate."

The AP: "After months of maneuvering, the Senate stands at the brink of a historic battle over health care with President Barack Obama and his allies on one side and Republicans, outnumbered but unflinching, on the other." Delay, delay, delay? Mitch McConnell's response: "Now it's America's turn, and this will not be a short debate."

The DNC says it's "calling out" McConnell. "McConnell seems willing to use every trick in the book to delay a fair debate and vote on reform. Each day reform is postponed is another day for him to attack it with another distortion. It's a desperate gambit to confuse the American people, derail the effort in Congress, and block reform. Mitch McConnell, we're calling you out."

"Among the major provisions in the 2,074-page bill is a public health insurance plan that would let states opt out. Lawmakers insisted the bill won't pay for abortion or help illegal immigrants," the New York Daily News notes. The measure does not have the even more restrictive anti-abortion language the House bill features, which would affect private policies and has created a potential roadblock to passage. Sources said Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch will offer an amendment to make the language the same."

The New York Times adds, "Though broadly similar to the House bill, Mr. Reid's proposal differs in important ways. It would, for example, increase the Medicare payroll tax on high-income people and impose a new excise tax on high-cost "Cadillac health plans" offered by employers to their employees."

Here's NBC Nightly News' report on Sen. Robert Byrd becoming the longest-serving member of Congress ever.

Health vote, a measure of blackness? "The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night criticized Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) for voting against the Democrats' signature healthcare bill. 'We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill,' Jackson said at a reception Wednesday night. 'You can't vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.'"

 

Sarah Palin, a former high school point guard, heads to the basketball-crazy Hoosier state today on the second day of her "Going Rogue" book tour. Here's Andrea Mitchell's report on NBC Nightly News last night from Grand Rapids, Mich., including Palin's reaction to John McCain's defense of his campaign.

The Washington Post says Palin's return to Michigan yesterday "had all the trappings of a political campaign -- bus, advance team, security detail, political handlers, rope lines, satellite trucks and approximately 2,000 supporters and gawkers on site. A blue coach bus with 'Going Rogue With Sarah!' written on the front over the likeness of a moose pulled up outside the Barnes and Noble here at about 5:30 p.m. The campaign anthem 'Only in America' played on a speaker outside the store. When she got off the bus, wearing her familiar uniform of black skirt, high heels and red blazer, she waved with one hand and held her son Trig, dressed in a striped green sweater, in the other. The group erupted in applause. She walked to a small platform in the middle of the crowd, said 'Thank you so much for showing up,' and handed Trig to an aide."

At the Republican Governors Association meeting in Texas, Palin was hardly a topic -- and if she came up, GOP governors went out of their way to say nice things, according to Politico's Martin."[W]hen asked about the party's buzz machine they took pains to choose their words, focusing on the energy she generates among her followers while at the same time offering clenched-jaw assessments indicating a great desire to discuss any other subject."

The Washington Post says Democrats are calling Eric Cantor (R) a hypocrite on the stimulus.
NY-23 stolen by ACORN and the unions? That's according to the "unconceded" Doug Hoffman: "Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman on Wednesday accused ACORN and union interests of stealing the upstate New York special election that he conceded on Nov. 3. Hoffman on Monday "unconceded" after recanvassing of votes across the district showed Democratic Rep. Bill Owens' margin of victory narrowing. Hoffman originally conceded after trailing Owens by 5,335 votes, but further counts showed him trailing by 3,176 votes. A recent count of absentee ballots in three counties showed Hoffman still trailing by 2,951."

Hoffman in his own words: "As evidence surfaces, we find out that reported results from election night were far from accurate. ACORN and the unions did their best to try and sway the results to Obamacare supporter Bill Owens," Hoffman wrote in an internet message to supporters. "Recent developments leave me to wonder who is scheming behind closed doors, twisting arms and stealing elections from the voters of NY-23." And THIS is who Palin and eventually the Republican Party got behind?

COLORADO: "The Republican race to challenge Rep. Betsy Markey (D) is getting crowded." Markey knocked off a three-term Republican incumbent for Colorado's 4th Congressional seat last year, and, as of Tuesday night, faces a third Republican challenger: Dean Madere, "a Louisiana native who works for a heating and air conditioning company and says he's "average" but "frustrated" with the direction of the country."

CONNECTICUT: "In a move that would shake up two political races, the state Republican chairman is publicly asking state Sen. Sam Caligiuri to run against Democratic incumbent Rep. Christopher Murphy in the 5th Congressional district." Caligiuri is currently running for Sen. Chris Dodd's seat, but "has been lagging far behind in the money-raising race against the top-tier, big-money Republican candidates" including Linda McMahon, former ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley, and Fairfield County investor Peter Schiff. 
 
Former aide to Rep. Rob Simmons and Afghanistan vet Justin Bernier, currently campaigning for Murphy's House seat, issued a statement contesting Healy's involvement in the race: "The situation in New York's 23rd congressional district showed us what happens when party insiders play favorites,'' Bernier said in a statement. "I am confident that the Republicans in the Fifth District of Connecticut will make the right decision in this nomination process." Bernier has already received the support of the National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Pete Sessions.

DELAWARE: A Susquehanna poll shows Beau Biden leading U.S. Rep. Mike Castle in a hypothetical matchup 45%-40%.

IOWA: Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who has been "largely absent from multi-candidate forums" so far, is firing up the campaign car and heading out to meet with Republican and civic groups in the coming weeks. The onetime four-term governor now exploring a 2010 bid has announced a string of public appearances, as he begins to meet with Iowans around the state."

MASSACHUSETTS: "The airwaves are filled with feel-good ads about the candidates' backgrounds and beliefs. The debates and forums are marked more by comity than contention. But behind the scenes in the special election to fill the open US Senate seat, the three male Democratic candidates are struggling over the question of whether and how to directly attack the perceived front-runner, Attorney General Martha Coakley, with each hoping that one of the others will do it first," the Boston Globe writes.

TEXAS: "Kay Bailey Hutchison will launch the first broadcast ad of the hotly contested 2010 campaign for governor today. Hutchison will air radio ads statewide in what her campaign calls a "significant buy." Campaign aides wouldn't comment on the content of the ad, but it will air through November… At the same time, Hutchison is placing automated calls to potential Republican voters explaining her decision to stay in the Senate while running for governor against Rick Perry… In the recorded call, Hutchison explains that it was important to stay in office to fight Democratic-backed health care legislation."

From NBC's Athena Jones
SEOUL -- President Obama's trip to Asia was a success, so declared White House senior adviser David Axelrod in response to questions about just what has been accomplished during the president's weeklong first foray to the region.

Axelrod argued the president had done what he set out to do -- lay a solid foundation for diplomacy and strengthen relationships, even as he prepared to return to Washington without the kinds of solid takeaways previous presidential trips have generally produced.

"We didn't come halfway across the world for tickertape parades," he told reporters after Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak held a joint press appearance at the Blue House here. "We came here to lay a foundation for progress. We've done that."

The administration has come under some criticism for failing to make significant progress on key issues like gaining a commitment from China on sanctions to pressure Iran to halt its nuclear program and to stop manipulating its currency and on a free trade agreement with South Korea. Axelrod argued progress takes time.

"The discussions that he had on this trip advanced our goals," Axelrod said. "This is not an immediate gratification business. I understand that Washington is in the immediate gratification business."

Despite acknowledging at the APEC meeting in Singapore that reaching a political agreement on climate change targets by the December Copenhagen talks was more realistic than reaching a legal agreement on reducing emissions -- in part due to resistance in the U.S. Congress -- Axelrod said "solid progress" was made on climate change. In Beijing, China and the U.S. announced plans to work together on environmental issues from research on cleaner coal to electric vehicles.

Axelrod said the president had made his views on human rights issues clear to the Chinese ,and called the town hall in Shanghai -- held before a selected audience of university students -- "a groundbreaking exercise."

"We didn't have expectations that Barack Obama arrives in China or anywhere else and things change overnight," he said. "But all this is about moving in the right direction and I think he advanced that cause."

From NBC's Ken Strickland
The Congressional Budget Office numbers on the Senate health bill are just in:

• Cost: $849 billion
• 94 percent of Americans are covered
• Reduces the uninsured Americans by $31 million
• Reduces the deficit by $127 billion over the first 10 years

From NBC's Sue Kroll
U.S. offcials said Wednesday that the U.S. was disappointed by news that the Iraqi Vice President vetoed a key part of Iraq's election law. 

"We urge the Iraqi leaders and parliament to to take quick action," State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said.

The move raises doubts that the election may not happen on time. The Iraqi constitution mandates the elections happen before the end of January.

The delay could affect U.S. plans for a withdrawal from Iraq, set to begin in 2010.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Sen. Ben Nelson sure sounds like he's leaning "yes" on a cloture vote with this statement below. He released the following after his meeting with Majority Leader Harry Reid this afternoon, and he sure goes out of his way to explain what a vote in favor or cloture would mean.

And these might be the key phrases in here: "In reality, the meaning of the motion to proceed is very simple:  It's a motion to commence debate and an opportunity to make changes. Let me say it again: it is a motion to start debate on a bill and to try to improve it."

Statement in full after the jump:

"Once Senator Reid releases his merged health care bill and the Congressional Budget Office fiscal analysis I and my colleagues will need adequate time -- over several days -- to review both. Later this week, the Senate is expected to vote on a motion to proceed, which needs 60 votes to pass. As I've said many times before I won't decide how I'll vote on the motion to proceed until I know what I'm voting on. 

But I would like to explain what that vote means because there's been a lot of commentary in the media, by special interest groups and in Congress offering definitions.

Some who define it as a vote in favor of the Reid bill are misinformed, or are intentionally trying to mislead people. I remember that some in my party said the same thing—equating this procedural vote with a vote for a bill—when the Republicans were in charge. If your goal is to obstruct, that's a convenient argument.

But it didn't stop me from reaching across the aisle and working with a Republican majority and a Republican president for bipartisan improvements to legislation.

Some who define it as supporting or opposing President Obama and his agenda do so because they either want him to succeed or fail. And some who define it as the last chance to stop bad legislation have a political agenda: They want to kill any health care bill Congress considers this year for leverage in next year's congressional elections.

That's more of the old Washington political gamesmanship people are fed up with. It's not about working together on a bipartisan basis for the good of the American people. It's not about taking time to get the right health care bill.

In reality, the meaning of the motion to proceed is very simple:

It's a motion to commence debate and an opportunity to make changes.

Let me say it again: it is a motion to start debate on a bill and to try to improve it.

If you don't like the bill, then why would you block your own opportunity to amend it? Why would you stop senators from doing the job they're elected to do—debate, consider amendments, and take action on an issue affecting every American?

But before I say yes or no on that motion to proceed, I believe Nebraskans want me to have adequate time to read the bill and to study its costs. That's just common sense.

To do otherwise would be like deciding before the opening kickoff of a football game to punt on first down. Once I have the ball -- or the bill -- and can assess the situation, I'll be ready to call a play."

From NBC's Mark Murray
John McCain today picked up the phone and called Reuters to defend Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace -- who worked for him in the last year's presidential campaign -- from the charges that Sarah Palin has made about them in her book.

"There's been a lot of dust flying around in the last few days and I just wanted to mention that I have the highest regard for Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace and the rest of the team ... and I appreciated all the hard work and everything they did to help the campaign," he said.

"I think it's just time to move on," he said.

[snip]

"Campaigns are high-pressure situations. The only more high-pressure situation that I've been in is combat and prison," said McCain, a Navy flyer shot down during the Vietnam War and held prisoner for 5 1/2 years.

"But you know, I'm proud of Nicolle and Steve and (senior campaign official) Rick Smith [sic] and (senior adviser) Mark Salter and I'll always have great affection for them," he said.

McCain, who has largely kept silent in the high-profile run-up to Palin's book release and tour, said he remained proud of Palin, whom he plucked from obscurity as governor of Alaska last year to join him in his campaign.

"I'm still really proud of her and the campaign she ran and I think it's pretty obvious that she has a substantial base and interest out there," McCain said.

*** UPDATE *** Reuters has since corrected its version -- with Rick Davis, not Rick Smith.

From NBC's Amna Nawaz
Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) confirmed in a press conference today, that their Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee investigation into the shootings at Fort Hood will continue, beginning with a hearing tomorrow.

Lieberman said he supports the military and Justice Department investigations into the shootings, and looks forward to the result of John Brennan's report on intelligence sharing to President Obama, but "that does not mean the rest of us can just sit back and watch."

The Fort Hood shooting, he said, he  believes was a terrorist attack, "the most destructive terrorist attack on America since 9/11."

He said Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the operations of the Executive Branch, and that the committee's investigation would focus on answering two questions:

(1) What did the federal government know about Maj. Hasan and could actions have been taken to prevent the attack?
(2) How does the Ft. Hood shooting affect our understanding of and defense against "violent Islamic extremism" and homegrown terrorism?

This investigation, he said, would, in effect, be a continuation of the work his committee has already been doing on homegrown terrorism, its effects, and how to defend against it.

Drawing a comparison to the work of the 9/11 Commission, Collins added that the investigation is necessary to ask "troubling questions" about whether there may have been "inexcusable gaps and communications failures" in intelligence and information sharing that might have prevented the attack.

Tomorrow's hearing will focus on information already available in the public record.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Are we getting close?

At 2:15 pm ET, Democratic moderate Sens. Ben Nelson (NE), Blanche Lincoln (AR) and Mary Landrieu (LA) all walked into Majority Leader Harry Reid's office together.

Democrats are clearly trying to get their ducks in a row as they make their final push before a potential vote on a Senate health bill and the much-anticipated Congressional Budget Office "score."

Nelson, Lincoln and Landrieu are the remaining holdouts. None of the three has made their intentions clear on a potential final or even cloture vote.

This meeting could be telling.

*** UPDATE *** The three centrist holdouts were invited by Reid to this meeting, according to Reid spokesman Jim Manley.

In the meeting, Reid is "walking them through the particulars of the bill," Manley said.

When asked if the majority leader was looking for committments on a vote, Manley's response was, "The leader is always looking for committments."

The first big vote could take place as early as Friday or Saturday. (It would be a vote for cloture to move forward and start debate. It's a key vote because 60 votes are needed on this to defeat a filibuster.)

From NBC's Mark Murray
AUSTIN, Tex. -- Earlier today, we reported that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist would not be attending the Republican Governors Association meeting here. But an RGA official tells First Read that he will be attending the confab, and will arrive here later tonight.

Crist, of course, is now running for the Senate, and he's facing a competitive primary contest against the more conservative Marco Rubio, who has been endorsed by the Club for Growth.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani once again criticized the decision by the Justice Department to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who himself claims to be the 9/11 mastermind, in New York City.

On the day Attorney General Eric Holder testified and defended his decision on Capitol Hill, Giuliani, on a conference call organized by the Republican National Committee called the move "unnecessary," because military tribunals are available as an alternative, it would be too much of a burden on New York City, the process would be "long" and "drawn out" and a trial would inflict pain on families of those affected by 9/11.

As we pointed out earlier, however, in 1994 and even as late as 2006, Giuliani spoke quite differently on his stance on where to try these kinds of suspects.

He said, for example in 1994, per the New York Times, that the verdict in that case "demonstrates that New Yorkers won't meet violence with violence, but with a far greater weapon -- the law." And "It should show that our legal system is the most mature legal system in the history of the world, that it works well, that that is the place to seek vindication if you feel your rights have been violated."

First Read asked Giuliani if he does not believe that the U.S. courts have more credibility than military tribunals in the eyes of the world, and what's changed in his view.

He defended his earlier statements by saying military tribunals had not been an option for trying these suspects then. But now that option exists, and even the Obama administration will be going the military route for some alleged terrorists, he said.

He didn't answer the question of whether or not the U.S. courts have more credibility than tribunals.

Military tribunals have been around since the Revolutionary War, of course, but the Bush administration announced its intention to create tribunals to try non-U.S. citizens suspected of terrorist activity after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Their legitimacy has been called into question around the world, but Republicans would argue that the U.S. was in a unique situation after 9/11 and that acts of terrorism should be treated as acts of war.

"That alternative was not available then," Giuliani said. "And if that was not available now, then of course I'd be in favor."

The United Kingdom and Spain held trials in their countries in relation to the 7/7 London bombings and the Madrid train bombings.

He also said that 9/11 was "the most outrageous of all attacks," "could be clearly viewed as a foreign invasion of our city," "plotted overseas," "carried out by foreigners," "tantamount to a foreign attack on the U.S, "It was clearly an act of war."

Giuliani added that Holder is incorrect when Holder said there was no difference in Mohammed's ability to speak out at a tribunal would than at a New York trial.

Because New York is the "media capitol of the world … things get exaggerated 10 times more," Giuliani said, adding later that Holder is "fooling himself" if he thinks otherwise.

"I think it's the wrong decision," he said. There is "no real reason to come to this conclusion."

From NBC's Ken Strickland
In what appears to be the administration making a a last-minute push to curry votes for health care, Vice President Joe Biden is up there lobbying as is former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former centrist U.S. Senator has also been spotted in the hallways, but he says he's just up there to see friends and that he's not really lobbying for health care.

But it's worth noting that Salazar is still friends with many of the key moderate senators whose votes will be crucial in defeating a potential Republican filibuster. Salazar said he was going to see his old friend Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor (D), for one.

He certainly picked an odd day to go to the Hill just to hang out, especially since Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is hoping for a vote as early as Friday.

The presence of the triumverate of administration friends and officials who have lots of friends on the Hill and know the ways of the Senate, is likely a sign that Reid and the Democrats still clearly don't quite have everything they need to let the bill proceed.

As far as that CBO score, still no word. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said she was told that members would know before the press. There is a Democratic caucus briefing later this afternoon at which Reid is expected to share the score.

From MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell and Adam Verdugo
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Huge lines this morning meant a record number of book sales at the Grand Rapids Barnes & Noble.

A spokeswoman for Harper Collins tells NBC News more than 1,000 copies of "Going Rogue" have been sold. The bookstore has already run out of wristbands for those standing in line since early this morning. That means the rest of those who waited in the cold will likely not get a chance to get their book signed by Sarah Palin tonight.

Palin will arrive this afternoon in Grand Rapids and is scheduled to tape an interview for "The 700 Club" and Christian Broadcasting Network correspondent David Brody. The interview is scheduled to air on Thursday morning.

Video: The Politico's Ben Smith talks about what message Sarah Palin may be sending to the people of Michigan by making the state the start of her book tour.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro, Kelly Paice and Ali Weinberg
With Attorney General Eric Holder testifying on Capitol Hill today, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will take his shots on a conference call sponsored by the Republican National Committee (as we mentioned in First Thoughts today.)

But Rudy's hot rhetoric today is a far cry from his stance in 1994 after the verdict in the World Trade Center bombing trial.

The New York Times wrote on March 5, 1994: "Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani declared that the verdict 'demonstrates that New Yorkers won't meet violence with violence, but with a far greater weapon -- the law.'"

And: "It should show that our legal system is the most mature legal system in the history of the world, that it works well, that that is the place to seek vindication if you feel your rights have been violated," Giuliani said.

And from a 2006 Hardball interview about Zacarias Moussaoui not getting the death penalty: 2006: Giuliani on Moussaoui not getting death penalty: 

"Yes, I'm disappointed. I believe that the death penalty was appropriate in this case, should have been applied. But then at the same time -- and maybe this is like the contradictory, complex feelings we all have about September 11 and everything that's come from it. At the same time, I have tremendous respect for our legal system. Maybe there is something good that comes out of this in showing these people that -- at least showing the ones that have any kind of an open mind that we are a free society, a lawful society ... that we have respect for people's rights and that we can have disagreements about whether the death penalty should be imposed on somebody like Moussaoui."

So, Mr. Mayor, what's changed?

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
As we mentioned in First Thoughts, NBC's Chuck Todd sat down with President Obama to discuss Afghanistan, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, health care, the U.S. economy, and even reports about the president's weight loss. Below is a transcript of the entire interview. 

CHUCK TODD: Mr. President, thank you - I know we don't have a lot of time, so I want to dive right into this - Afghanistan. When are you going to make your decision?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I think that I will announce my decision over the next several weeks --

TODD: Several weeks away?

OBAMA: Well, I don't want to be pinned down by you.

TODD: By the way, you said when I announce - so you've already made a decision?

OBAMA: Chuck, you'll be the first to know. And I think that's important to understand the process that we're going through. We want to make sure that there is clarity of our mission, which is to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda. We want to make sure that we have an Afghan government that is clear on how we intend to work with them - we need to clarify the support of the Pakistanis in order for us to be successful. We want to make sure that we are training Afghanistan so that over time US troops can hand off security efforts in Afghanistan to the Afghan people. We want to make sure that the civilian side of this is coordinated effectively with the military side - so all these variables I think have come together and I'm confident that at the end of this process we will be able to present to the American people in very clear terms what exactly is at stake what we intend to do, how we're going to succeed, how much it's going to cost, how long it's going to take - and I think that's what owed the American people because frankly over the last several years that's not what they've gotten.

TODD: You said in Shanghai definitively to a questioner in the town hall Al Qaeda is not in Afghanistan - they are across the border, you talked about the instability of the Karzai government just now, among the options that are apparently not on the table, you're not considering is some sort of withdrawal - why?

OBAMA: Well, keep in mind that the borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan are very fluid, so although right now Al Qaeda is in Pakistan, for them to bleed into Afghanistan would not be difficult if there was no significant coalition presence there. I think what's also true is that that an Afghanistan that has completely fallen apart that can further destabilize Pakistan, embolden terrorists in Pakistan who are now targeting the Pakistani government, a government that has nuclear weapons - so we've got some significant interest in the region. It is important for us to focus our efforts so that we don't start getting over-extended, we're not signing up for a permanent occupation and I think that some public discussion - you have the sense just throw more in then somehow that's going to solve the problem, that does not solve the problem it may be ---

TODD: You said that there's no discussion of actually shrinking the footprint - of moving these troops out of Afghanistan and just prepare to go into Pakistan..

OBAMA: Part of I think the task here is making sure that Afghanistan is sufficiently stable so that we can make that hand off. So my goal is exactly what you described, creating a situation in which our footprint is smaller and Afghan security forces can do the job of keeping their country together, they're not there yet, they need help from us and that's exactly what our strategy is going to be designed to do.

TODD: So the footprint will not be smaller immediately?

OBAMA: The footprint will not be smaller immediately.

TODD: This decision, will it be the decision that ultimately ends the war?

OBAMA: This decision will put us on a path towards ending the war.

TODD: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - can you understand why it is offensive to some for this terrorist to get all the legal privileges of any American citizen?

OBAMA: I don't think it will be offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him.

TODD: But having that kind of confidence of a conviction - I mean one of the purposes of doing - going to the Justice Department and not military court is to show of the the world our fairness in our court system.

OBAMA: Well --

TODD: But you also just said that he was going to be convicted and given the death penalty.

OBAMA: Look - what I said was people will not be offended if that's the outcome. I'm not pre-judging; I'm not going to be in that courtroom, that's the job of prosecutors, the judge and the jury. What I'm absolutely clear about is that I have complete confidence in the American people and our legal traditions and the prosecutors, the tough prosecutors from New York who specialize in terrorism and have brought multiple convictions before are telling us that they will convict this person with the evidence they've got going through our system. Now one of the things I think we have to break is this fearful notion that somehow our Justice system can't handle these guys. You know we convicted hundreds of terrorists -- one of the key perpetrators of 9-11 or one of the persons who didn't succeed was part of the planning of 9-11 was convicted, he's in a maximum security prison right now -- you've got Richard Reid who tried to blow up a plane coming over the Atlantic, he's in a supermax prison right now, directed by the way by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - so we've done this before, now I think that it is important for the American people to have confidence in ourselves and to recognize that when people carry out venal acts like this that we are able to handle it. Military commissions have been set up because there may be circumstances where the targets are military, outside of the US --

TODD: So you'll be ok with some military commissions?

OBAMA: Absolutely. Well in fact Eric Holder announced that half of the people being prosecuted right now are going into military commissions because of the specific factors involved. One last point I want to make is, you know Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's been sitting there years now, without us finally convicting him and meting out justice, and part of the goal I think of the attorney general is to make sure that justice is no longer delayed. That's something the American people should be happy about.

TODD: Right before you left for this trip in Asia you announced that you were going to convene a jobs summit. This smacks of one of those classic Washington answers to a tough problem, convene a commission, convene a summit - how is this going to create a job?

OBAMA: Well you know, that's not the goal, we're doing all kinds of things to make sure that employment is accelerated. Our first job was to make sure that economic growth was happening and we're starting to see that now. As I said even when we first passed the stimulus package, job growth tends to lag, it tends to happen after, so what we're seeing now is businesses are starting to invest again, they are starting to be profitable again, but they haven't started hiring again. And so the goal of the jobs summit is figure out are they ways of us accelerating that hiring? And there are a whole range of ideas out there - we've examined a lot of them, but one of the benefits of convening this group is it gives us chance to talk directly to small businesses, medium size businesses , the main drivers of employment --

TODD: Should --

OBAMA: ..to find out what exactly is going on.

TODD: Should you have held this sooner?

OBAMA: No I think that the first job for us was to make sure we didn't slip into a great depression and I know that people may take that for granted now, back in March or April that wasn't guaranteed. So we had to focus all of our attention through the recovery act not only in making sure we didn't slip into a great depression but that we saved teacher jobs, firefighter jobs, police jobs that otherwise would have been laid off that we make sure that certain sectors of the economy where supported that construction and infrastructure continued, so that was our first task, we've gotten that job done, our next job is to make sure that we can accelerate the job growth because I recognize that people are really hurting right now.

TODD: I know this has been a frustration to continue to see this slip a little bit, we had a couple that came up here, the START treaty - I know that not all of this is in your administration's hands, the Afghanistan decision, climate, Copenhagen - do you worry, as a chief executive do you worry that these missing deadlines say something about maybe you're overloading your staff, overloading this system a little bit? Because you can't seem to meet these deadlines?

OBAMA: Well, Guantanamo we had a specific deadline that was missed, the rest of these deadlines that you're asserting often times are deadlines imposed by the media, not imposed by --

TODD: Well you imposed - on health care you said if I don't impose a deadline something won't get done - you've imposed a deadline and you're not getting it done.

OBAMA: Internally we understood Congress takes time, it's slow, the Senate is slow, that's how it's structured , those are the rules, so you know my main concern is making sure that I am constantly pushing and prodding and poking people to get things done and that our plan is right, our strategy is right, our trajectory is right.

TODD: You gonna sign health care before the state of the union?

OBAMA: I expect so.

TODD: But obviously not the end of the year at this point?

OBAMA: You will not hear that from me.

TODD: You're not ready to say that?

OBAMA: Absolutely not.

TODD: Quickly, on human rights - how do you know the Chinese aren't just paying you lip service because you're here, you brought it up - that they're just saying what we in the American media want to hear from them and you want to hear, what's going to be something tangible?

OBAMA: Well, you know look - I think that if you think about China's trajectory since 1979 when US-China relations, modern US-China relations began you have seen a modernization of the economy that is unprecedented in human history. One of the things I'm confident about is that when you start seeing economic freedom like that then political freedom starts, starts gearing up. You know in the young people that I met and the fact that we had the first town hall ever - maybe 300 million people might have had access to that over the internet - one of the interesting things that we're hearing now is that Twitter can't be blocked, there is no firewall for Twitter and now kids who are growing up with freedoms that their parents or grandparents have never had are starting to see them. I think that what you're going to see is a steady improvement and it's critical for the United States to be clear for what we stand for, why we consider things like freedom of expression, freedom of religion universal rights and if we do that then I'm pretty confident that whatever the strategies of the day to day Chinese government may be that freedom ultimately will win out.

TODD: I have a couple people ask me this at NBC - are you losing weight? Do you feel the stress, where is this coming from? At the one year point do you feel like Oh my God I look in the mirror, wait they are right, this job does age you.

OBAMA: You know this is the second person who has asked me this question. My weight fluctuates about five pounds - it has for the last 30 years, it's unchanging, I still wear the same stuff when I got married 17 years ago. My hair has gotten a lot grayer because I was at the age where my hair was going to start getting gray, having said all that, you know this has been an extraordinary year, less for me than for the American people, two wars, worse financial crisis since the great depression, you know when the issue of H1N1 and pandemic is just put on top about 8 other major issues then what you have is unprecedented convergence of challenges that we've had to deal with. I think we've dealt with them well and I'm confident that a lot of the work that we've done is going to be paying off - but everyday I wake up thinking how can I give those folks who are out of work right now a job - how can I make sure that people who don't have health care get health care, how can I make sure that I'm doing right by those young men and women who are in Afghanistan and I would be lying if I said that those aren't weighted questions that I carry around on my shoulders every day.

From NBC's Mark Murray
AUSTIN, Tex. -- When GOP governors huddled at the annual Republican Governors Association meeting a year ago in Miami, the party had just suffered another thumping at the polls, Sarah Palin was the unquestioned star attraction, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was urging his party to be more positive and inclusive, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was seen as a new hope for the GOP. 

But as this year's RGA meeting begins in earnest here deep in the heart of Texas, things have certainly changed. Republicans are now celebrating their wins earlier this month in New Jersey and Virginia; Palin is no longer in office and is instead selling her controversial memoir; Pawlenty has become a frequent Obama critic and is emphasizing his conservative views; and Crist (who won't be in attendance) has gone from possible GOP hope to a conservative target in his race for the Senate next year.

Indeed, at least four stories will be on display here at the RGA meeting, which concludes on Thursday night. One, is the GOP poised for a political comeback? Two, looking ahead to 2012, who are the party's potential presidential candidates? (Pawlenty, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, RGA Chair Haley Barbour of Mississippi, and Indiana's Mitch Daniels will be in attendance.) Three, who are their top gubernatorial candidates for the 2010 midterms? (Ohio's John Kasich, Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett, and Florida's Bill McCollum will be here.) And four, is there really an ideological split inside the party? (While Palin is selling her book today in Michigan, the RGA will be celebrating two Republicans who won, in part, by hugging the middle -- New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie and Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell.)

It's also worth noting how the GOP rhetoric has changed from last year to this year. Here was Pawlenty a year ago in Miami: "People mostly want to follow positive leaders; they don't want to follow cranks." Here was Jindal: "We can't just be the party of 'No.'" Here was even Palin: "We are the minority party, but let us resolve not to become the negative party." Ironically, becoming the party of "No" has paid dividends -- so far -- for the GOP a year after Obama's historic win. The question to ponder is whether that's a sustainable long-term message for the party.

Today's RGA agenda: The public events kick off at 5:30 pm ET with a plenary session entitled "State-Based Solutions." It features Pawlenty, Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Kasich, Corbett, Christie, and McDonnell. Then, at 7:00 pm ET, there's a press briefing to discuss the 2009 campaigns. Speakers include RGA Chairman Barbour, McDonnell, Christie, RGA Executive Director Nick Ayers, and GOP pollster Glen Bolger and Jon Lerner. Finally, at 8:35 pm ET, Perry, Jindal, McDonnell, and Christie speak at a "Victory Barbeque."

From NBC's Mark Whitaker
Sarah Palin hardly needs defending. She prides herself on being a supportive hockey mom, but she can lace on skates and deliver hard checks into the glass with the best of them. Still, while watching and listening to a lot of the media discussion of the rollout of her book, I can't help noting that some of the coverage is more than a little selective, and hypocritical.

Still, the widespread suggestion in some of the media commentary that she simply isn't qualified enough to be considered a viable presidential candidate is ridiculous.

NBC's Mark Murray on Palin's rough year. and Palin timeline here.

For male politicians, it's always been a rule of thumb in politics and the media that once you were on a presidential ticket, you were automatically elevated onto the short list of contenders for future races. If George H.W. Bush had lost in 1988, does anyone think Dan Quayle would not have been talked about as a potential candidate for 1992, even with all the political flaws he revealed in that race? Would the media have taken John Edwards as seriously in 2008 if he hadn't been John Kerry's running mate in 2004?

Call it sexism or what you will, but why should the media only compare ambitious women to impressive men, when so many ambitious but underwhelming men get so far in this world? Is she qualified to be President? If she decides to run, that's a judgment for voters to make, not us in the media.

For the full story, click here.

Mark Whitaker is NBC News' Washington Bureau Chief. 

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- More than 1,500 people camped out overnight outside the Woodland Mall here for the chance to return later and get a book signed by Sarah Palin -- the first stop on her book tour.

People had driven for hours to get in line for an orange wristband and instructions to return and line up later. Palin is expected to be signing books from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Mall operators say she'd have to sign one book every 15 seconds to get through everyone with a wristband so far.

Those lined up here in battleground Michigan are hard-core Palin fans. Many are women who say they relate to Palin because "she's an ordinary person."

Another told me that she's "inspired by a woman who started from nothing."

"She means what she says, says what she means."

People were wrapped up in blankets, a few had strollers, and some elderly people had walkers. Some dads had secured a place in line and were later joined by the rest of the family. Many people said they'd made it a holiday, taking a motel room nearby. Two students, both young women, came from Michigan State. One said she viewed Palin as a celebrity better qualified to host a talk show than to be president. But most of the others in line were unqualified political supporters, who said they wanted to see Palin in the White House.

Many were sporting 2008 buttons and stickers from the McCain-Palin campaign.

From Michigan, Palin goes to Indiana tomorrow for another signing.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Still weeks away? In an interview with one of us from Beijing, President Obama said he was possibly still weeks away from making an announcement on Afghanistan. "I will announce my decision over the next several weeks… I'm confident that at the end of this process we will be able to present to the American people in very clear terms what exactly is at stake what we intend to do, how we're going to succeed, how much it's going to cost, how long it's going to take. And I think that's what owed the American people, because frankly over the last several years that's not what they've gotten." He also said that reducing the number of troops in the short term is NOT an option. "Part of … the task here is making sure that Afghanistan is sufficiently stable so that we can make that hand off. So my goal is … creating a situation in which our footprint is smaller and Afghan security forces can do the job of keeping their country together." Will his decision end the war? He replied, "This decision will put us on a path towards ending the war."

*** On Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: The president gave a tough response about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed when he was asked why some might be offended that a terrorist gets the same legal protections than an American citizen gets. "I don't think it will be offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him." When pressed whether he was already prejudging the verdict, Obama replied, "What I said was people will not be offended if that's the outcome. I'm not pre-judging; I'm not going to be in that courtroom. That's the job of prosecutors, the judge, and the jury. What I'm absolutely clear about is that I have complete confidence in the American people and our legal traditions and the prosecutors, the tough prosecutors from New York who specialize in terrorism." (At 11:15 am ET, Rudy Giuliani holds a conference call, sponsored by the RNC, to once again criticize the administration decision to try KSM and others in federal court.)

Video: President Obama talks about his decision on a new Afghanistan strategy, the planned trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and a growing list of missed White House deadlines.

*** On health care, the jobs summit, and his weight: Also in the interview, Obama said he expected to sign a health-care bill into law before the State of the Union next year. But when asked if that signing would happen this year, he answered, "You will not hear that from me." When asked how next month's job summit will create jobs, he replied, "The goal of the jobs summit is to figure out -- are they ways of us accelerating that hiring? And there are a whole range of ideas out there… One of the benefits of convening this group is it gives us chance to talk directly to small businesses, medium-size businesses, the main drivers of employment." And he laughed off speculation about any apparent weight loss, but said the burden of the office weighs on him. "My weight fluctuates about five pounds; it has for the last 30 years. It's unchanging. I still wear the same stuff when I got married 17 years ago." He added, "Everyday I wake up thinking how can I give those folks who are out of work right now a job; how can I make sure that people who don't have health care get health care; how can I make sure that I'm doing right by those young men and women who are in Afghanistan. And I would be lying if I said that those aren't weighted questions that I carry around on my shoulders every day."

*** A tough weekend for the White House? Both the New York Times and Washington Post have critical takes of what Obama has been able to accomplish in China (so far), which could lead to some tough post-mortems this weekend. Here's the Times: "In six hours of meetings, at two dinners and during a stilted 30-minute news conference in which President Hu Jintao did not allow questions, President Obama was confronted, on his first visit, with a fast-rising China more willing to say no to the United States." And here's the Post: "President Obama has emerged from his first trip to China with no big breakthroughs on important issues, such as Iran's nuclear program or China's currency." Obama has arrived on the last leg of his Asia trip -- South Korea.

*** CBO numbers finally come out today? Speaking of health care, the latest guidance from a key Senate leadership aide is they expect to get the Congressional Budget Office numbers today on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's health-care bill, NBC's Ken Strickland notes. The source wouldn't call it definitive but said, "Expect them to come out [today]." Also, as has been reported, Sen. Robert Byrd (D) today becomes the longest-serving member of Congress -- ever. Strickland says that Sens. Reid, Mitch McConnell, and Jay Rockefeller will speak about the milestone later this morning.

*** My, how things change: When GOP governors huddled at the annual Republican Governors Association meeting a year ago in Miami, the party had just suffered another thumping at the polls, Sarah Palin was the unquestioned star attraction, Tim Pawlenty was urging his party to be more positive and inclusive, and Charlie Crist was seen as a new hope for the GOP. But as this year's RGA meeting begins in earnest today just outside of Austin, TX, things have certainly changed. Republicans are now celebrating their wins earlier this month in New Jersey and Virginia; Palin is no longer in office and is instead selling her controversial memoir; Pawlenty has become a frequent Obama critic and is emphasizing his conservative views; and Charlie Crist (who won't be in attendance) has gone from possible GOP hope to a conservative target in his race for the Senate next year.

*** What to watch: Indeed, at least four stories will be on display here at the RGA meeting, which concludes on Thursday night. One, is the GOP poised for a political comeback? Two, looking ahead to 2012, who are the party's potential presidential possibilities? (Pawlenty, Jindal, RGA Chair Haley Barbour, and Mitch Daniels will be in attendance.) Three, who are their top gubernatorial candidates for the 2010 midterms? (Ohio's John Kasich, Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett, and Florida's Bill McCollum will be here.) And four, is there really an ideological split inside the party? (While Palin is selling her book today in Michigan, the RGA will be feting two Republicans who won, in part, by hugging the middle -- Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell.)

*** Then vs. now: It's also worth noting how the GOP rhetoric has changed from last year to this year. Here was Pawlenty a year ago in Miami: "People mostly want to follow positive leaders; they don't want to follow cranks." Here was Jindal: "We can't just be the party of 'No.'" Here was even Palin: "We are the minority party, but let us resolve not to become the negative party." Ironically, becoming the party of "No" has paid dividends -- so far -- for the GOP a year after Obama's historic win. The question to ponder is whether that's a sustainable long-term message for the party.

*** Today's RGA agenda: The public events kick off at 5:30 pm ET with a plenary session entitled "State-Based Solutions." It features Pawlenty, Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Kasich, Corbett, Christie, and McDonnell. Then, at 7:00 pm ET, there's a press briefing to discuss the 2009 campaigns. Speakers include RGA Chairman Barbour, McDonnell, Christie, RGA Executive Director Nick Ayers, and GOP pollsters Glen Bolger and Jon Lerner. Finally, at 8:35 pm ET, Perry, Jindal, McDonnell, and Christie speak at a "Victory Barbeque."

*** Palin as Douglas MacArthur -- I shall return: As previously mentioned, Palin-palooza (Day 7, by our count) moves to Grand Rapids, MI, where Palin begins her battleground state book tour. The event takes place from 6:00 pm ET to 9:00 pm ET. Remember that Michigan is the state the McCain camp withdrew from the day of Biden-Palin vice presidential debate. Afterward, Palin went, well, rogue and openly questioned the move. "I want to get back to Michigan and I want to try," she said. Recently, in a posting she made on her Facebook page announcing her book tour dates, Palin quipped, "Last year, I made a promise to the good people of Michigan that I would be back, and now I'm keeping that promise." By the way, Grand Rapids is in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, which McCain narrowly won in the 2008 Election. It's represented by a Republican in Congress, who won the seat in '08, 61%-35%.

*** The scene in Grand Rapids: NBC's Andrea Mitchell, who's on the ground in Grand Rapids, says that 1,500 people camped out in the mall there for an opportunity to see Palin later tonight. Mitchell adds that the people are hard-core supporters, who call her a "maverick" and think she can be president. They're also angry about the recent Newsweek cover, saying that it's sexist and inappropriate for a former VP nominee.

Countdown to MA Special Primary: 20 days
Countdown to MA Special Election: 62 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 349 days

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The New York Times: In six hours of meetings, at two dinners and during a stilted 30-minute news conference in which President Hu Jintao did not allow questions, President Obama was confronted, on his first visit, with a fast-rising China more willing to say no to the United States. On topics like Iran (Mr. Hu did not publicly discuss the possibility of sanctions), China's currency (he made no nod toward changing its value) and human rights (a joint statement bluntly acknowledged that the two countries "have differences"), China held firm against most American demands."

The Washington Post adds, "President Obama has emerged from his first trip to China with no big breakthroughs on important issues, such as Iran's nuclear program or China's currency. Yet after two days of talks with the United States' biggest creditor, the administration asserted that relations between the two countries are at 'an all-time high.'" 

"A must-see for presidents from President Richard Nixon on, the Great Wall was one of Obama's major sightseeing stops during his diplomatic tour of Asia. He later traveled to Seoul, South Korea, the final stop of his eight-day trip," the AP writes. Dressed in a winter jacket against a biting wind at the Great Wall, Obama led a knot of people for a half-hour jaunt up the crenelated wall toward a watchtower, a restored section originally built 500 years ago."

The president has arrived in South Korea, and the Washington Post previews his agenda in Seoul. "President Obama, who arrived here Wednesday night on the final stop of his East Asia tour, will grapple with two longstanding U.S. concerns on the Korean Peninsula, one in the nuclear-armed North and the other here in the trade-dependent South."

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Clinton has arrived in Afghanistan for Karzai's inauguration. Per NBC's Sue Kroll, she was greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Envoy Richard Holbrooke, and Deputy US Ambassador Frank Riccardione. 

A new Quinnipiac poll has Obama's job approval at 48%, the first time he has dropped below 50% in the Q-Poll.

"There were no goofs, gaffes or slips of the tongue of the kind that have gotten Biden in trouble during his career," the New York Daily News writes of the vice president's appearance on Jon Stewart's show last night. "Instead, the vice president was mostly vice presidential. Smiling often and clearly at ease, Biden, led by Stewart's questions, focused on defending the Obama administration's ambitious policies from resuscitating the economy to health care reform."

Efforts in Congress to cap credit-card interest rates are faltering because of opposition from Democrats and a lack of specific support from the White House, despite growing consumer outrage over a rush by banks to impose rates as high as 30 percent," the Boston Globe says. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama vowed to back a strict limit on credit-card interest rates. But the White House is not yet behind any particular plan this year. While Obama has chastised credit-card companies, his spokeswoman declined to say this week how he planned to follow through on his campaign pledge… Vice President Joe Biden, whose home state of Delaware is headquarters to many credit-card companies, did not respond to requests for comment."

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) today becomes the longest-serving member of Congress -- ever. There will be a resolution recognizing that today. "Setting records is old news to the white-maned Democratic lawmaker. Since June 12, 2006, Byrd has been the longest-serving senator and later that year he was elected to an unprecedented ninth term. His colleagues have elected him to more leadership positions than any senator in history. He has cast more than 18,000 votes and, despite fragile health that has kept him from the Senate floor during much of this year, has a nearly 98 percent attendance record over the course of his career. Which, by Byrd's count, has spanned 20,774 days. On Tuesday, Byrd's service tied the record set by Carl Hayden, D-Ariz., who served in the House, then the Senate, from 1912 to 1969."

"Republicans senators plan to grill Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday about his pledge not to allow the release of dangerous detainees into the United States," The Hill writes. "Holder's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee marks the first time senators have had a chance to question Holder publicly since the Department of Justice announced its decision to try five terrorist suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, in U.S. courts."

Another Hill piece: "Clear differences have emerged among the Democratic chairmen of the six Senate committees with jurisdiction over climate change legislation. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Commerce Committee, who both represent states with significant coal industries, would like to proceed cautiously." Rockefeller "said climate legislation should not reach the floor before July of next year, putting the controversial bill on the schedule only months before Election Day." Interest-group proponents of the legislation told First Read yesterday they had been thinking legislation would be taken up in early spring. But clearly it's the next big fight after health care and chalk it up to another 2010 issue on top of bailouts, the stimulus, health care, and Afghanistan.

"A government watchdog group accused Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) of violating House rules, asserting Tuesday that the lawmaker improperly used official resources to organize a recent 'tea party' event at the Capitol to oppose health care legislation," Roll Call writes.

"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) confirmed Senate Democratic leaders' fears that he will insist that the massive health care reform bill be read aloud on the Senate floor."

Video: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pushing for the passage of health care legislation, but is a health bill by year's end 'wishful thinking'?