From NBC's Ali Weinberg
President Obama will participate in a "tele-town hall" meeting on health care tomorrow afternoon at the AARP in Washington. Questions will come from AARP members via phone, e-mail and a live audience of 40 members and volunteers. The event is scheduled from 1:30 to 2:45 pm ET.

AARP CEO Barry Rand and President Jenny Chin Hansen will also participate in the town hall. Mike Cuthbert, host of AARP "Prime Time Radio" will moderate the event.

Video: President Obama continues his push to overhaul the country's health care system. NBC's Steve Handelsman reports.

Per AARP spokesman Drew Nannis, the phone-in portion of questioning will function "kind of like a radio talk show." The AARP will contact "hundreds of thousands" of members around the country with a robocall 10 minutes before the event. If the listeners have a question, they can push a number and get connected to operators who put them in a queue for questioning. 

While the operators won't be screening the questions, they will ask for the nature of the questions, so, for instance, the president doesn't get 10 questions in a row on drug prices. The AARP will also be soliciting questions from the Web and the studio audience will also have the chance to participate.

Nannis said the AARP has conducted eight previous tele-town halls, each of which attracted 60,000 to 70,000 callers -- and that was without the president.

From NBC's Norah O'Donnell

Sarah Palin not only left her perch in the governor's office; she also left behind her husband Todd after yesterday's ceremony in Fairbanks.

After swearing in the new governor, Palin made a quick exit with daughter Piper and son Trigg in tow. She jumped in a Chevy Silverado twin cab driven by her security detail.

Todd Palin followed just seconds behind, and was left struggling to avoid a phalanx of cameras. The problem: His family had already left.

Video: Rachel Maddow reports on Sarah Palin's farewell speech, in which she blasted the media and its compulsive obsession with the families of Alaska governors.

After reviewing our camera tape, you can hear someone ask, "No car for Todd?" Then Todd, the former First Dude, laughs and says, "They left me."

From NBC's Mark Murray
The news was expected, but it was a wild ride to get there -- vulnerable Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning

(R) won't run for re-election next year, giving Republicans a better chance at holding on to his seat.

The reason he cites for his exit is the same one that Roland Burris did a few weeks ago: a lack of financial resources.

"[R]unning for office is not just about the issues," he said in a statement. "To win a general election, a candidate has to be able to raise millions of dollars to get the message out to voters. Over the past year, some of the leaders of the Republican Party in the Senate have done everything in their power to dry up my fundraising. The simple fact is that I have not raised the funds necessary to run an effective campaign for the U.S. Senate. For this reason, I will not be a candidate for re-election in 2010."

With Bunning's exit, the front-runner for the GOP nomination is Secretary of State Trey Grayson. The top Democrats are state Attorney General Jack Conway and former 2004 Democratic Senate nominee Dan Mongiardo.

From NBC's Betsy Cline
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told Americans "to get out there and buy cars" as he officially kicked off Cash for Clunkers this morning.

LaHood complimented what he called the "extraordinary" efforts of Congress: he said no rule had ever been written and passed in just 30 days. Rep. Betty Sutton, Rep. John Dingell (on crutches), Sen. Carl Levin, and Rep. Sandy Levin joined LaHood at the kick-off.

Video: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood discuses the expected gains from the new car rebate program on CNBC.

"This is really a three-fer -- good for the economy, good for consumers, and good for the environment," Levin said.

LaHood added that the program will help struggling consumers buy reliable cars, help community dealerships, and lower carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption. Sutton also suggested the program would improve national security, because, she said, it will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

"We know there's an enormous amount of interest," LaHood said. "With the number of hits on the Web site, we expect thousands of people will be in showrooms across the country."

According to LaHood, the $1 billion allocation from Congress should cover approximately 250,000 cars. As for what happens if the money runs out, LaHood said, "Stay tuned."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Despite the myriad of sports starts seen traipsing through the White House, today it apparently turned away a big one -- Shaq

. According to Shaq's Tweets, per Politico:

Tweet #1: "Question, I'm n dc, think if I walk up to the white house, they let me in, I kno the answer, let me kno wht u think, o yea I'm wearin shrts."

Tweet #2: "The white house wouldn't let me in, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy."

Today, President Obama meets with the WNBA champions as well as the head of soccer's world governing body (FIFA) about soccer in the U.S. Also, remember that Dwyane Wade, a former teammate of Shaq's when he was on the Miami Heat, was at the White House for a Father's Day event. 

From NBC's Luke Russert and Domenico Montanaro
Thaddeus McCotter, a Republican congressman of Michigan, will introduce a resolution in the House tonight asking President Obama to formally apologize to the Cambridge Police Department.

All this despite Obama's outreach to the police officer involved, Sgt. Jim Crowley, and the beer summit to take place this week with the president, Crowley and the arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates.

Video: Cambridge, Mass. police release the 911 call which led to the arrest of noted scholar Henry Lewis Gates. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

According to an aide, McCotter announced his intent to offer a resolution on the issue Friday, so that President Obama would have the weekend to apologize. To this point the president has not yet offered an adequate apology, so McCotter will introduce the resolution this evening at 6:30 unless an acceptable apology comes from the White House in the next four hours.

Here's the release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2009

McCotter Readies House Resolution Calling for Presidential Apology to Cambridge Police Sergeant

Washington, D.C. -- Unless President Obama apologizes for impugning the professional conduct of Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley, when Congress returns on Monday, U.S. Representative Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI) will introduce a House Resolution calling on President Obama to do so.

Note:  Please find below the draft resolution.

DRAFT

House Resolution

Whereas on July 16, 2009, Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley responded to a 911 call from a neighbor of Harvard University Professor Henry Louis ("Skip") Gates, Jr. about a suspected break-in in progress at his residence, which had been broken into on a prior occasion;

Whereas on July 22, 2009, in responding to a question during a White House press conference President Barack Obama stated: "Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all of the facts involved in this local police response incident"; 

Whereas President Obama proceeded to state Sergeant Crowley "acted stupidly" for arresting Professor Gates on charges of disorderly conduct;

Whereas, as a former Constitutional Law Professor, President Obama well understands that all Americans are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and their actions should not be prejudged prior to being fully and fairly judged by an appropriate and objective authority after due process;

Whereas, President Obama's nationally televised remarks may likely detrimentally influence the full and fair judgment by an appropriate and objective authority after due process regarding this local police response incident and, thereby, impair Sergeant Crowley's legal and professional standing in relation to said incident; and

Whereas, President Obama appeared at a daily White House Press briefing on July 24, 2009 to address his denouncement of Sergeant Crowley and stated: "I could have calibrated those words differently" but "I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station."

Whereas, President Obama's refusal to retract his initial public remarks and apologize to Sergeant Crowley and, instead, reiterate his accusation impugning Sergeant Crowley's professional conduct in the performance of his duties;

Now therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

Calls upon President Obama to retract his initial public remarks and apologize to Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley for having unfairly impugned and prejudged his professional conduct in this local police response incident.

###

From NBC's Mark Murray
In his New York Times column today, Paul Krugman asks this question: Where were the Blue Dogs' cries for fiscal responsibility in 2001, when Congress passed Bush's $1.35 trillion tax cut (which wasn't paid for by other offsets)?

Well, it's worth noting that 19 current Blue Dogs served in the House back then. Six of them -- including Mike Ross

, the Arkansas congressman who has become the Blue Dog's point person on health care -- voted FOR the Bush tax cut's final passage.

But another nine voted AGAINST the tax cut, and four didn't vote.

Here's the full breakdown:
Blue Dogs who voted FOR the 2001 tax cut (Bart Gordon, Jim Matheson, Dennis Moore, Collin Peterson, Mike Ross, Adam Schiff)
Blue Dogs who voted AGAINST (Marion Berry, Leonard Boswell, Jane Harman, Baron Hill, Earl Pomeroy, Loretta Sanchez, John Tanner, Gene Taylor, Mike Thompson)
Blue Dogs who didn't vote (Joe Baca, Sanford Bishop, Allen Boyd, Mike McIntyre)

From NBC's Danielle Weisberg
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias

yesterday officially entered the Senate race for President Obama's old seat. Giannoulias called Obama his "friend, mentor, and inspiration," according to the Chicago Sun-Times, despite the White House's unsuccessful effort to recruit Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for the seat. When asked about an endorsement from the White House, Giannoulias replied, "You'd have to ask the president that."  

Other recent developments in the race include speculation, reported by Sun-Times, that Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert Kennedy, is vacillating between running for the Senate seat or the governorship. 

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Mark Kirk announced he would be running for the Senate seat last week, making him the GOP front-runner.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Hardly a surprise, but Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions

, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says in a USA Today op-ed that he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor's nomination in tomorrow's committee vote.

"I don't believe that Judge Sotomayor has the deep-rooted convictions necessary to resist the siren call of judicial activism," he writes. "She has evoked its mantra too often. As someone who cares deeply about our great heritage of law, I must withhold my consent."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Back to health care: Sarah Palin's in the news. So is Hillary Clinton after her "Meet" appearance. And Gates-gate hasn't completely gone away. But we begin this Monday morning with health care. Here's what we know: The House will not vote on a full bill this week, according to leadership sources. They believe they've worked out a lot of the issues with the conservative Blue Dog Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee, but markup won't be finished until Thursday (at the earliest), and they don't think it's wise to force a vote by Friday without giving members more time to understand the combined bills out of three committees. As for the Senate, it's much harder to read. But we think we'll have an idea about the plan Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus will unveil by the end of the week. It will, as Sen. Kent Conrad said over the weekend, include a "co-op" instead of a public option, and it likely will include Sen. John Kerry's plan to tax so-called Cadillac-health care plans. Kerry's plan is an easy sell for Grassley and the remaining Republicans still talking. As for the co-op deal, some Democrats in the Senate (and in the House) believe they can do many of the things with a co-op that they can do with a public option -- yet have a few Republicans in the Senate on board.

 Video: CNBC's Maria Bartiromo and Atlantic Media political director Ron Brownstein discuss the issue of whether 'effective' health care reform can be passed before the August deadline.

*** On bipartisanship: And don't forget this: Without a few Senate Republicans on board, Democrats can't keep all of their OWN senators on board. That's why they need it. They may not need (or get) a single Republican vote in the House, but it's the Senate where they need a stimulus-like bipartisanship to pull this off. That's what Nelson/Landrieu, et al need to have as cover. "Look, there are not the votes for Democrats to do this just on our side of the aisle," Kent Conrad told ABC yesterday.

*** No longer clearing the decks: As for President Obama, he touts health-care reform later this week -- a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, and events in Virginia and North Carolina on Wednesday -- but there's no more of a "clear the decks" mentality. For instance, today he addresses what is a VERY significant new summit with China (the administration calls it a "dialogue"). This summit features Secretary of State Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner meeting with their Chinese counterparts, and it's a meeting that is supposed to happen at least twice a year. The next time there is a high-level U.S.-China meeting will be in November when Obama visits China. As for this dialogue, don't be surprised if you start hearing the expression the "G2," as opposed to simply being members of the G20. This is an acknowledgement that these two countries are the most influential in the world now, and it's a U.S. acknowledgement that China -- not Russia or any other country -- is now America's chief rival/adversary/counterpart (choose whatever word you want).

*** Row, row, row your boat: Geithner and Clinton, in fact, have a Wall Street Journal op-ed previewing today's U.S.-China meetings. "[H]aving these strategic-level discussions with our Chinese counterparts will help build the trust and relationships to tackle the most vexing global challenges of today—and of the coming generation. The Chinese have a wise aphorism: 'When you are in a common boat, you need to cross the river peacefully together.' Today, we will join our Chinese counterparts in grabbing an oar and starting to row." Translation: with the U.S. economy and major business interests so tied to China, the U.S. needs to have these dialogues in order to understand what's going on behind the Chinese curtain. Their finances aren't exactly transparent so these dialogues might help to give us more clues as to how they manage their money.

*** The Great American Health Care Fight: Here are today's other developments in health care: Paul Krugman says the Blue Dogs' opposition confuses him… Liberal MoveOn is running a new TV ad (on DC and national cable) calling out Republicans for playing political football with health care… And liberal Americans United for Change has its own new TV ad (airing on DC cable) criticizing Republicans for advocating a take-it-slow approach on health care.

*** Hillary meets the press: A couple of things stood out from Hillary Clinton's "Meet the Press" interview yesterday. She did NOT back away from the Iran-defense umbrella comments, which some thought she would hedge more. But there was no hedging. "What we want to do is to send a message to whoever is making these decisions that if you're pursuing nuclear weapons for the purpose of intimidating, of projecting your power, we're not going to let that happen," she told NBC's David Gregory. What's more, anyone who thinks she isn't keeping up with domestic issues, think again. Clinton seemed VERY up to speed on health care, even knowing a few key talking points like how many folks were being dumped from their insurance. All in all, Clinton seemed as adept at combining the politics and policy more so than most recent Secretaries of State who also have been seen as having their own national ambitions (see Powell, Colin and Rice, Condi).

 Video: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses President Barack Obama's diplomatic decisions with NBC's David Gregory on "Meet the Press."

*** Classic Palin: And then there was Sarah Palin, whose farewell speech yesterday was … classic Palin. Per NBC's Norah O'Donnell, the outgoing Alaska governor blasted the media ("Democracy depends on you and that is why our troops are willing to die for you. So how about in honor of the American soldier, you quit making things up!"). She took aim at Hollywood and specifically (we think) Ashley Judd ("You're going to see anti-hunting, anti-2nd Amendment circuses from Hollywood… Hollywood needs to know we eat, therefore we hunt"). She lashed out at unnamed political opponents ("We are facing tough challenges in America with some seeming to be just hell-bent on tearing down our nation, perpetuating some pessimism and suggesting American apologetics"). And she offered her share of contradictions, like how quitting the governorship allows her to be more involved ("Now with this decision I will be able to fight even harder for you for what is right and for what is true"). Of course, the irony of Palin lashing out at the media is that without the media's fascination with her and her family, she wouldn't be who she is today.

Video: MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell and a Morning Joe panel talk about fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin's feisty final address as governor and her plans to campaign for Republican candidates.

*** Beer Fest: The Obama-Gates-Crowley beer may be coming soon, Bloomberg writes. "Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and police Sergeant James Crowley will probably join President Barack Obama for a beer within the next several days, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said."

Video: NBC's Chuck Todd and Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson discuss whether Harvard professor Henry Gates Jr. and Cambridge police officer James Crowley will be visiting the White House for beers this week.

*** McCain and Sotomayor: The Senate Judiciary Committee votes tomorrow on Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination. Perhaps the only remaining drama: How will John McCain vote when it comes before the full Senate? (He doesn't sit on Judiciary.) Remember, McCain comes from a state with a large Hispanic population, but faces a conservative primary challenge next year (from a Minuteman founder), which could become serious. Lindsey Graham went yes, which probably means McCain's headed there, too. But it's still fascinating to watch considering how the NRA decided to politicize the vote a bit more by announcing they'd use the vote for their grade; that may be why fewer Senate Republicans end up supporting her than would have normally.

*** 2009 watch: A final note: There are now less than 100 days until the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. One thing about last week's organ sting in New Jersey -- it's going to make Christie's "clean out government" message even easier to sell.

Countdown to Election Day 2009: 99 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 463 days

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"Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag accused Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf of 'overstepping' in a Web post Saturday, escalating the battle between the Obama administration and Republicans over the White House's conduct toward the CBO. The charge was leveled after Elmendorf posted a blog entry Saturday that suggested a new Obama proposal to create an independent board to reduce Medicare payments would save $2 billion over 10 years, a small sum compared to the overall cost overruns of the program." Orszag, a former CBO director, accused Elmendorf of playing into a stereotype that the CBO often overestimates cost and underestimates savings.

On Wednesday, Obama will participate in a town hall meeting on health care in Bristol, VA, a town familiar to him as he kicked off his general election campaign there in 2008. Writing in June of that year, Jonathan Martin of Politico wrote that a Bristol appearance was "a pragmatically strategic move," as "Bristol is the sole media market in the vast southwest part of Virginia."

The Obama administration has gone out of its way to not repeat the mistakes the Clinton administration made. But Ezra Klein points out one thing that Clinton's effort got right: competition among health insurers. "A Washington Post-ABC News poll last month showed that 62 percent of Americans support the choice of a public insurance option. It's one of the most popular aspects of health-care reform. But if the public option would drive private insurers out of business and reduce consumer choice, the numbers flip, with 58 percent opposing it. What people support, in other words, is not public or private insurance, but choice in insurance. That, along with protection from escalating costs, is the inviolable principle of health-care reform."

Video: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses President Barack Obama's push for health care reform with NBC's David Gregory on "Meet the Press."

The AP: "Senate postponement of work on health care until September gives interest groups on both sides an entire month to whip up supporters, and pushes off crucial votes on the overhaul effort until fall -- when people are likely to refocus on the issue."

Turning to foreign affairs… "Israel dug in its heels Monday in a disagreement with the United States over a potential military strike to thwart Iran's progress toward a possible nuclear weapon, as the visiting American defense chief urged patience," the AP says.  "'We clearly believe that no option should be removed from the table,' Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said pointedly, following discussions with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates." Though the U.S. also continues to state that no options are off the table. The Obama administration has, however, stressed an increased diplomatic push with Iran.

Video: Former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski discusses Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's stance on Iran and North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The Boston Globe: "The Obama administration is poised to dramatically increase funding aimed at helping Iranian activists circumvent government controls on the Internet, according to Congressional aides, marking a new wave of US support for Web-based dissent at a time when the Iranian regime has clamped down on street protests. The funding, which is set to double from $15 million in 2009 to $30 million next year for Iran and other countries that block free speech on the Internet, puts the US government in an unlikely alliance with counterculture computer activists."

Roll Call: "House Democratic leaders hope to quickly defuse rising intraparty tensions and reach a health care deal this week, but they are acknowledging that they may be forced to join the Senate and punt on a floor vote until after the August recess."

Video: President Obama heads to North Carolina and Virginia as he continues to push for his health care reform plan. The Senate has said it will not vote on the measure before the August recess. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.

"Democratic and GOP officials acknowledged Sunday that Obama's ambitious plan would not pass without the aid of a doubtful GOP, whose members are almost united against the White House effort. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., budget committee chair: "Look, there are not the votes for Democrats to do this just on our side of the aisle. Blue Dog Rep. Jim Cooper "said he doubts the Democratic-controlled House could pass a proposal as it's drafted now," the AP writes. 'We have a long way to go,' Cooper said." But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "insisted she has the votes to move forward with the plan despite concerns among fiscally conservative fellow Democrats. 'When I take this bill to the floor, it will win. We will move forward, it will happen.'"

Speaker Nancy Pelosi "raised the stakes by planning to restart talks Monday among bickering Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee… Democratic leaders are newly confident that these differences can be resolved, possibly in time to bring a House bill to the floor before lawmakers depart Friday for the August recess, although Pelosi did not commit to a timetable."

Video: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., explains why the GOP's version of health care reform reduces costs, increases access, and preserves the doctor to patient relationship.

Stu Rothenberg, writing in Roll Call: "Democratic Blue Dogs and deficit hawks are showing their muscle right now. Whether it's out of principle or merely a political reflection of the president's loss of support on health care among independent voters in a number of recent surveys, moderates in the president's own party are now driving the bus."

"Gov. Sarah Palin resigned … Sunday with a blast at the media that reflected the frustrations that led her to leave office a year-and-a-half before her term expired," Politico's Martin writes. "But speaking in a style that her fans see as plain talk and her detractors consider disjointed, she offered almost nothing about what she was planning to do next. Plainly feeling liberated, Palin said that the freedom of the press was an important American right and one that members of the military died to protect."

"'So, how about, in honor of the American soldier, quit making things up,' she said with an insistent voice, prompting loud applause and cheers from a mostly sympathetic audience gathered at a park here."

She concluded her remarks by saying, "Let's all enjoy the ride."

Video: Sarah Palin slams the media and her opponents as she officially steps down as Alaska's governor. Among her next moves: a speech in Iowa, the first-caucus-in-the-nation state. NBC's Norah O'Donnell reports.

The Washington Post's Dan Balz: "She exited office in classic Palin style, with folksy picnics at which she bade farewell to her constituents, and with a running series of Twitter reports as she traversed the vast state. In one posted Saturday en route to Fairbanks, she wrote, 'We remember all of AK is big/wild/good life; feel freedom here.'"

The AP: "With this decision, now I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right and for truth, and I have never felt that you need a title to do that," Palin told a cheering crowd of about 5,000 in a Fairbanks park."

As Palin stepped down from an official position, Tim Pawlenty

steps up to become vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association. He speaks Thursday at the RNC's meeting in San Diego. 
 
And: "House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio)

and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) released a report Monday detailing the possible negative effects of Congressional Democrats' health care reform plans on state governments," Roll Call reports. "The document marks the latest collaboration between House Republicans and a governor eyeing a presidential run in 2012. Pawlenty's attempt to raise his national profile comes as several Republican governors have watched their presidential aspirations become complicated over the last year because of a series of scandals and political missteps."

NEW JERSEY: Gov. Jon Corzine picked self-described "feisty Jewish grandmother" Loretta Weinberg,

a state senator, as his candidate for lieutenant governor on Friday. The choice "was heavily influenced by the dozens of corruption busts that rocked the state's political scene on Thursday," including state legislators, mayors and rabbis. Weinberg is regarded as having strong anti-corruption credentials, having written several ethics bills and "taken on an allegedly corrupt boss in her native Bergen County." The Weinberg pick reflects Corzine's desire to "keep Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie," campaigning as an "anti-corruption crusading U.S. Attorney—from complete domination on the ethics front." 
 
An interesting note about Weinberg: she is the first Bernie Madoff victim to run for public office, according to PolitickerNJ, having "lost her life savings—an estimated $1.3 million that she had invested with Stanley Chais, a Los Angeles financial planner." In December, Weinberg said in an interview, "This is another road in one's life that one must traverse. I'm a lot better off than a lot of other people who were affected by this." 
 
VIRGINIA: State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) and Republican Bob McDonnell faced off in their first of four gubernatorial debates on Saturday. On the topic of the state's $100 billion "backlog of highway construction projects," Deeds "sought to tie his opponent to former President George W. Bush," saying, "This election presents a clear choice between who has a … plan to jump-start our economy and who will take us back to the failed economic policies of the past." The Washington Times says McDonnell "took his opponent to task" over his refusal to come out against cap-and-trade legislation and the union "card check" legislation, both of which McDonnell "characterized as bad for business in Virginia." 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Palin's last day as Alaska governor, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Obama heads to VA and NC to push health reform, Hillary Clinton on Meet the Press... and we solve the health-care crisis!

For our mailbox, submit your questions for next week in the comments section below. We might pick yours.

NBC Chief White House Correspondent, Political Director and First Reader Chuck Todd will be interacting with viewers and readers today and over the weekend over on Newsvine. If you have a question, join the conversation.

President Obama's own words from his book, The Audacity of Hope, to give context to his feelings on the Gates arrest:

From page 233:

"...I can recite the usual litany of petty slights that during my forty-five years have been directed my way: security guards tailing me as I shop in department stores, white couples who toss me their car keys as I stand outside a restaurant waiting for the valet, police cars pulling me over for no apparent reason. I know what it's like to have people tell me I can't do something because of my color, and I know the bitter swill of swallowed-back anger."

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
President Obama's approval rating dropped from 61% to 56% from April to July, according to a poll released this morning. The National Journal/Allstate Heartland Monitor poll found that critics expressed pessimism "more vociferously" than supporters did optimism, said Ed Reilly, CEO of Financial Dynamics, the firm that conducted the survey.

This suggests that the president and Democrats have "fallen back to earth" in terms of voter enthusiasm, said Ron Brownstein, political director of Atlantic Media, at an event on the poll's release.

The poll also found that although Americans' "faith is flagging" in government and business, an overwhelming majority -- 87% -- still believe America is the "land of opportunity," said , at the release of a new , focused on "the way people maximize opportunity for themselves and their family."

The poll follows up on results from the one done in April, which examined how Americans are managing financial risk. A majority of Americans "continue to believe their fate is in their own hands," Brownstein said. Sixty-seven percent are confident they will be able to get ahead financially in the next five years. Fifty-four percent say they rely on their own skills to get ahead, as opposed to 41% who say the state of the economy will facilitate their success.

Forty percent of respondents said education and training is the best way to increase their skills in the workplace, although a "surprisingly high" percentage of respondents -- 44% -- believe young people today do not need a four-year college education to be successful. Fifty percent consider a college education "an economic burden that is often too expensive," as opposd to 40% who believe it is a "ticket to the middle class" -- a mindset vasly different than that of 10 to 15 years ago, Brownstein said. Fifty-eight percent said they wished they had completed more education, however, suggesting respondents' main aversion to higher education is the cost.

While 54% of respondents said they rely on their own skills to get ahead, the one aspect where a plurality of respondents favored government action was on ensuring the affordability of health care. While 37% said improving their lifestyle was the best way to keep health costs down, 26% favored new government programs and 18% cited tougher government regulation of the insurance industry as the most effective cost-reducing route.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
President Obama

made an impromptu appearance at the daily White House press briefing to say that he'd spoken with the Cambridge police officer Sgt. Jim Crowley. (Crowley is the officer, who arrested Henry Louis Gates, the Harvard professor, on a disorderly conduct charge at his home, following a breaking and entering call. The charge was later dropped.)

The president said he felt he needed to address the subject specifically because of the nearly two days of racially charged back and forths and wall-to-wall cable coverage that he acknowledged he contributed to. At a prime-time news conference that was almost entirely about health care, the president fielded a question on the Gates case, and used the word "stupidly" to describe the Cambridge police's actions.

"In my choice of words," Obama said, "I unfortunately gave the impression that I was maligning" the police department. He added, "I could have calibrated my words differently." But, he maintained, "I continue to believe there was an overreaction." And he said, "Professor Gates probably overreacted as well."

Obama called Crowley

a "good man," and said the officer suggested getting together with Obama and Gates for a beer at the White House -- something the president was open to and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs later said Obama thought was a "good idea."

Obama spoke with Crowley for about five minutes, Gibbs said, at around 2:15, 2:20 pm ET -- about 20 minutes before the briefing.

He called Crowley and Gates "two good people."

Obama added that "because of our history, African Americans are sensitive to these issues. Even with an officer, who has a fine track record on racial sensitivity."

Video: Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons tells NBC's Andrea Mitchell why she wants to sit down and talk with both Prof. Henry Louis Gates and arresting officer Sergeant John Crowley.

He added he wants to "make sure everybody steps back for a moment" and suggested that this could be a "teachable moment."

He suggested that instead of "pumping up the volume," and throwing around allegations and accusations that Americans "spend more time listening to each other" to "see how we can further improve relations."

Obama disagreed that he shouldn't have stepped into a local issue at all.

"Race is still a troubling aspect of our society," he said.

Obama said Crowley asked if there was anything he could do to get the press off his lawn. Obama joked that he can't get the press off his own lawn. Crowley replied that he has a much bigger lawn. Obama then urged the press -- both nationally and in Boston -- to give Crowley some space.

From NBC's Ken Strickland, Pete Williams and Domenico Montanaro
Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and John Cornyn will vote against Sonia Sotomayor

to be the next United States Supreme Court justice.

Hatch's no vote is interesting for two reasons: First, he has voted FOR every Supreme Court nominee since he came to the Senate. That includes two nominees of a Democratic president during his tenure -- Ginsburg and Breyer. Second, Hatch's declaration, especially when he was considered a possible yes vote, will undoubtedly lead other wavering Republicans to vote against her.

 Video: NBC's Pete Williams reports on Sen. Orrin Hatch's, R-Utah, announcement.

"[Her] statements and record were too much at odds with the principles about the judiciary in which I deeply believe," Hatch said in a statement.

This greatly reduces the prospect that she will get as many votes as John Roberts did (78, including 22 Democrats) and may put her down in the neighborhood of Samuel Alito. He was confirmed with 58 votes, with support from just four Democrats -- the third-smallest confirmation margin in the past 50 years.

Cornyn said he was certain Sotomayor would be confirmed, but he still had questions about her public statements. "It is with regret and some sadness that I will vote against her," Cornyn said, adding, "I wish her well and congratulate her on her historic achievement."

Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic justice. Cornyn said she'll be an "inspiration" to young Latinos, but he was unconvinced during her hearings of "'who is the real judge Sonia Sotomayor."

He said even though her judicial record appears to be in the American mainstream, he still had questions about her public speeches, and that she did not adequately clear up confusion. He also said he simply disagrees with those who say Sotomayor's speeches should be ignored because of her long judicial record.

He also continued to express frustration with Democrats' filibuster of Miguel Estrada, nominated in 2003 for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Estrada, Cornyn said, could have been the first Hispanic nominated to the Supreme Court, and he would have supported him.

Cornyn said he hopes Sotomayor suprises him -- just as David Souter, whom Sotomayor would be replacing -- surprised Republicans and former President George H.W. Bush, who nominated Souter for the high court.

"Maybe she will surprise all of us," Cornyn said.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the president DOES regret commenting on the Gates issue ONLY in this respect: that had he known it would become such a media distraction, he would have refrained from commenting. But the president has said all he's going to say on the issue, according to Gibbs. He has not talked to Gates nor the Cambridge police officer.

These comments are part of an experiment Gibbs is trying today by having a morning "gaggle." It's the potential reinstitution of an old White House standby, the off-camera morning gaggle.

Gibbs convened reporters in his office at about 9:50 for a quick 20 questions and answers, which focused basically on two topics: health care and Gates.

Video: TODAY's Matt Lauer talks to David Gregory, moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," about President Obama's remark that Cambridge police "acted stupidly" in arresting black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Some other notes:
-- On why the president stopped by his house in Chicago last night, Gibbs said he just wanted to check it out, see how things were. Apparently Secret Service is in charge of the house now and regularly keeps tabs on it.

-- On the president's meeting with Harry Reid and Max Baucus later today: the timing of WHEN the Senate Finance Committee finishes its work on a health-care bill will be on the agenda. Gibbs also said the president has been in regular touch with the three Republicans working closely with Baucus on this bill: Sens. Grassley, Enzi and Snowe... He's spoken with ALL THREE by phone this week.

-- Asked if not meeting the August deadline is a "blow," Gibbs said most important part of the deadline is that it forced progress and that progress in getting a bill on his desk by the end of THIS year is what matters. "One way or the other" there will be a bill on his desk in the fall.

-- Asked if the White House is "re-tooling" their August recess schedule because of this setback, Gibbs denied they are changing anything, indicating they always planned on doing a full-court blitz for health care, the economy, education and energy.

-- Asked if the president is satisfied with how he did on Wednesday night, Gibbs said Obama understands "and has for a long time" that he needs to explain the "benefits for those that have and those that don't have" health insurance. He believes he has to continue to explain what doing nothing means and that doing nothing actually is a setback for the system and costs the country MORE money. He will "continually" be doing this now and through August and until he gets a bill.

Video: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs joins Rachel Maddow to offer some clarity on the answers President Obama gave in his press conference on health care reform.

-- On the Gates controversy, Gibbs reiterated that the president "believes and understands just how hard law enforcement is".

-- Back to health care and the issue of whether abortions will be covered by any new federal programs, Gibbs said no plan that is working its way through the House or Senate will change the Hyde amendment. He believes the issue is nothing more than a "red herring" and went through a long explanation about how any health care costs are eventually tax deductible, sort of implying that one could interpret (or mis-interpret) THAT as being an indirect way where the federal government is "paying" for abortions.

-- Some travel next week: The president makes two stops on Wednesday: in Raleigh, N.C., and somewhere in Southwest Virginia.

From NBC's Mark Murray and Chuck Todd
According to the Roanoke Times, President Obama will soon make his first foray into 2009's marquee political race: the VA Gov race between Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R).

"Obama will appear at a public event and private fundraiser with Deeds on Aug. 6 in McLean, just outside of Washington, Deeds' campaign said Thursday."

Meanwhile, Politico reports that the White House is getting involved in the race in other ways. "The Obama administration dispatched a senior aide to Richmond Wednesday to urge former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder to get behind state Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Patrick Gaspard, the White House political director, met with Wilder, the nation's first elected black governor, for over two hours in Virginia's capital."

Still, Politico notes, Wilder has yet to endorse Deeds.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Another tough week: It's been another relatively tough week for President Obama. His poll numbers, while still hanging in there, have declined. The Senate now won't meet his deadline to get a health-care bill passed by August. And Wednesday's press conference on health care turned into a controversy over race -- hardly its goal for that evening. Remember when we wrote about how smart the White House has been about multi-tasking, forcing the GOP to aim its fire at several moving targets? Well, guess what: It isn't doing that right now; it's focusing on just one issue: health care. And that has allowed the political opposition and the media to zero in on that one issue. The White House's "clear the decks" mentality is the opposite of what Team Obama bragged about when it came to focusing on more than one big issue at a time. And they are paying a steep political price for it.

Video: Rep John Price, R-Ga., and Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., talk about the proposed government take over on health care and alternative options for changing the 'status quo.'

*** Unity isn't easy under a big tent: Given the news that the Senate won't vote on a bill until after the August recess, today's big pundit debate question on health care is: Why did Obama impose a deadline? The president gave his answer in Ohio yesterday, "If there's not a deadline in Washington, nothing happens… I just want people to keep on working." Still, missing the deadline only underscores the difficulty for this new, big-tent Democratic Party to achieve unity. That includes everyone from Bernie Sanders to Arlen Specter in the Senate, and from Pete Stark and Mike Ross in the House. In fact, it wasn't lost on some of us yesterday that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was on the Hill either begging Blue Dogs or cracking heads -- or both -- to climb aboard with the president. This is the same Emanuel who recruited some of these Blue Dogs to run in these tough districts back in 2005 and 2006, promising them he'd be looking out for their politics, while promoting the idea to reporters that he was finding candidates that "fit their districts."

*** Rahm on the GOP: Speaking of Rahm, don't miss his comments on health care and politics to NPR this morning. "I'm OK with politics, as you well know. You know, today Senator Inhofe, I don't have the exact quote, but basically the thrust of the quote was the political importance of defeating this because of what it would do to President Obama. They're seeing it in political terms, and they've decided that if they can beat the president on health care reform, they've scored a big political victory. But what they've also guaranteed in policy terms is that you have the status quo. I actually appreciate what Senator DeMint said and Senator Inhofe. I'm different than everybody, I'm not going to criticize them. I compliment them. They're honest." The White House needs to have the GOP as its opponent right now, not each other, which is why you'll continue to hear the White House invoke DeMint and Inhofe. But can they convince conservative Democrats that a legislative defeat for the president will end up being a reflection on the whole party?

Video: Speaking at a town-hall style meeting in Shaker Heights, Ohio, President Obama says that he wants health care reform "done by the fall."

*** The bottom line on health care: It's still hard to imagine a scenario where Obama doesn't sign something he calls health-care reform by the end of the year. But this is coming -- at least right now -- at a painful political cost. It could mean future congressional fights become even harder. Or worse, it could become a political nightmare for the administration and they see members lose in 2010. Then again, as Ron Brownstein writes, congressional Democrats could bet on Obama. 

*** More green shoots? There has been one piece of good news for the White House and for its long-term fortunes: the economy. As the Washington Post front-pages, "Companies that a few months ago were too fearful even to project their future earnings are now seeing glimmers of hope in the year ahead. The rate of home sales has risen for three straight months. And the number of people drawing unemployment insurance benefits has fallen back to April levels, having receded for the third straight week." All of that news led the Dow to its highest level since January. In his National Journal column, Charlie Cook wonders whether it's wise for Obama to delay his health-care push until there's even more good economic news -- which might make voters more comfortable with new spending. "Waiting is not a great option for the Democrats, but it may be better than losing one or both of Obama's signature proposals or passing legislation that could trigger a disaster for their party in next year's midterm elections."

*** On Gates/Cambridge: There's an uncomfortable joke at the White House right now: "Thank God for the Henry Louis Gates Jr. story, because it steps on the really bad health care day the president had Thursday." Still, Obama does seem annoyed that this became such a big story, but that's where things are these days on the issue of race. The White House should be thankful for one thing: Sgt. Crowley has not really been a political antagonist. And Republicans, besides a couple of small attempts yesterday, have stayed pretty much out of it.

Video: President Barack Obama's comments on the Gates incident overshadowed his message on health care reform at a crucial moment. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.

*** On to education: Perhaps recognizing that it has been TOO focused on health care, Obama gives a speech on another topic -- education -- at 1:15 pm ET. But he will still meet behind closed doors at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus at 11:30 am.

*** Happy trails to you, until we meet again: Sunday is Sarah Palin's last day as Alaska governor. Her exit comes as a brand-new Washington Post/ABC poll shows her fav/unfav to be 40%-53%, her lowest rating in that survey. What's more, nearly six in 10 (57%) say she does not understand complex issues. According to NBC's Norah O'Donnell and Adam Verdugo, Palin officially becomes a private citizen at 7:00 pm ET on Sunday, when Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell is sworn into office. Palin will deliver a farewell address, and newly minted Gov. Parnell will make remarks as well. The transfer-of-power event, O'Donnell and Verdugo add, takes place in Fairbanks, AK on the port bow of the S.S. Nenana. (Interesting fact: The S.S. Nenana, a riverboat, is nicknamed the "Last Lady of the River," and is the "largest stern-wheeler ever built west of the Mississippi and the second largest wooden vessel in existence," according to the state's website). The handover also occurs during Fairbanks' Golden Days festival, a celebration of the discovery of gold in Fairbanks back in 1902.

*** Jumping ship? Speaking of exits, the office of embattled Nevada Sen. John Ensign officially announced last night that the chief of staff and as his communications director were leaving -- which is never good news for a politician trying to hold on to his job.

*** Hillary Meets he Press: Finally, be sure to tune into "Meet the Press" on Sunday, when NBC's David Gregory has an exclusive interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, conducted live, for the FULL hour.

Countdown to Palin Stepping Down: 2 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 102 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 466 days

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"President Obama says Washington needs deadlines to do anything, but his Senate leader decided Thursday deadlines are made to be broken, including health care reform before August," the New York Daily News writes.

Obama at the town hall yesterday: "We just heard today that, well, we may not be able to get the bill out of the Senate by the end of August, or the beginning of August," Obama said. "That's OK. I just want people to keep on working. Just keep working."

Video: Steve Handelsman reports on President Obama's trip to Ohio to promote health care reform.

Interesting co-op vs. public option reporting in the Washington Post "Some Democrats are so opposed to the cooperative idea that they are urging Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to offer no new coverage option in his legislation. That would allow Democrats more time to build support for the government insurance plan included in the House bill, along with legislation approved on a party-line vote by the Senate health committee. But dropping the cooperative provision would risk losing the support of  Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), the panel's ranking Republican and a co-op advocate, whose presence at the negotiating table represents Obama's best hope of getting the broad bipartisan support he has pledged to seek for reform."

Video: MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell discusses whether it's the American people or the Democrats on Capitol Hill that President Barack Obama needs to convince of the importance of his health care reform legislation.

Today, Obama addresses education reform and how schools can compete for a pool of federal money.

The New York Daily News: "What's everyone so upset about? That was President Obama's response Thursday night during an ABC News interview when asked if he regretted his 'acted stupidly' comment during Wednesday night's press conference. 'I am surprised by the controversy,' Obama told ABC's Terry Moran. 'I think it was [a] pretty straightforward comment that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home.' And while Obama did not apologize for his strong jab, he attempted to soften its impact by offering compliments to the police officer at the center of the Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrest, Sgt. James Crowley. 'From what I can tell, the sergeant involved is an outstanding police officer,' the President offered, adding that he 'has extraordinary respect for the difficulties of the job that police officers do.'"

Video: Sgt. James Crowley, the police officer who arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., defends his actions and responds to President Obama's remarks about the arrest. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

As to be expected, the Gates story continues to lead the Boston Globe with varying stories: On the Cambridge police press conference, how accomplished blacks see a familiar pattern, and how Bostonians are split on their response to President Obama's remarks: "On both sides, however, was the unsettling realization that a city that prides itself on its progressive politics and racial tolerance had been singled out by the country's first African-American president as an example of the limits on racial progress."

… and we're just lucky to live in it.

Per The Hill, "House Democrats, still searching for a way to pass their healthcare bill before August, are considering bypassing the Energy and Commerce committee altogether, where the bill has stalled, and proceeding right to the floor." Blue Dogs are vehemently opposed to this.

Video: MSNBC's Ed Schultz, House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn, and Politico's Roger Simon discuss Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's announcement that a health care reform bill will not be passed before the August

Roll Call: "Blue Dog Democrats, two White House officials and Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) left a multihour meeting Thursday afternoon in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office without a resolution to the deadlock holding up the party's $1.6 trillion health care bill. But Pelosi, leaving her office with several Ways and Means Committee Democrats on the way to votes, said the intention is still to have a markup in the Energy and Commerce Committee. 'We're still talking, and that's a good thing,' said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), chairman of the Blue Dog health care task force. Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), another lead Blue Dog negotiator on the bill, said he believed talks were done for the night. 'We're moving in the right direction,' he said."

Turning to the Senate… The key figure in health care, Sen. Max Baucus said the removal of the timeline may help bipartisan negotiations: "I think it's helping a little because this is so complicated and Senators want to feel comfortable with what they're doing," Baucus said last night, per Roll Call.