From NBC's Amna Nawaz
House Republicans made clear their opposition to current healthcare reform proposals in a news conference this morning.

Drawing a clear line in the sand, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) announced that he and his colleagues "will seize every opportunity on the floor and the airways" before Thursday's summit to get out the details of their own healthcare ideas (available at healthcare.gop.gov), and "will continue to oppose any effort to use the so-called summit as a media preamble to forcing through ObamaCare 2.0."

Republicans repeatedly stated their wish to "scrap" the current proposals, "hit the reset button," and "start over" on healthcare reform -- despite President Obama's praising of some Republican ideas in the proposal.

House Republicans are also demanding that their Democratic counterparts start treating them like "legitimate" partners, and "not obstacles to be overcome."

From NBC's Mark Murray
In its first TV ad of the 2010 cycle, the Republican Governors Association is airing a TV ad hitting Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink (D).

The race between Sink and Republican Bill McCollum will be one of the best gubernatorial contests of this cycle.

[Youtube:_JyUpmq9KDM]

The Sink campaign responded by linking the RGA ad to McCollum. "The decision by Bill McCollum to bring his Washington style of politics to Florida and launch misleading, negative attack ads eight months before the election shows just how scared he is that voters clearly want a business leader with a vision for growing Florida's economy over a career Washington politician who helped create today's economic mess," said Sink Campaign Manager Paul Dunn. "With his decades in Congress and as a special interest lobbyist, career politician Bill McCollum is desperate to avoid being held accountable for his leading role in helping start today's economic crisis that has left over a million Floridians out of work, bankrupt, or forced out of their homes."

From NBC's Luke Russert
In a press conference comprised of Toyota dealers from around the country, who are in Washington to defend the auto manufacturer against what they deem to be "unnecessary fears," Paul Atkinson, chairman of the Toyota National Dealer Council implied that the U.S. government has actively been promoting General Motors products in an effort to make money off of Toyota's recent safety issues.

"I'm proud to be a Toyota dealer," Atkinson said. "I'm proud to represent 1,250 Toyota dealers but more importantly, I'm proud to be an American citizen. I pay my taxes as an American citizen every year to the government. I woke up one day and I realized my government was now in competition with me as an entrepreneur, I look around and they own the majority of two companies that we do business with and compete with. Now I find out that my government takes part of my taxes that I pay to them and are giving some of those tax dollars that I give to my fellow American citizens encouraging them to NOT do business with Toyota. So I ask you what is wrong with that picture and that is what the next few days is all about."

Asked if he was "suggesting the government is promoting GM over Toyota?" Atkinson responded, "They were the first to come up with the program where they offered the customer a $1,000 incentive to trade in their Toyota product at a GM plant. Yes, they were the first to do and that and several other manufactures have followed. Yes, that is hard for me as a citizen to understand why my tax dollars are going in that direction to compete with the government from the individual entrepreneur.

"That is pretty tough, one of the things we got to do is get government out of our business."

The White House's way forward on health care… Just where is Scott Brown, ideologically?... Holder touts the Zazi guilty plea as an example of how civilian courts can be used -- effectively -- in terror cases… Strickland now back ahead of Kasich in Ohio… Harry Reid's (slim) path to victory… McCain runs away from his TARP vote… And can Bill White beat Rick Perry in November?

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The way forward: After the White House released its health-care proposal yesterday, it's now clear how it wants to move forward: hold Thursday's televised summit, grab a Republican idea or two and include it (maybe tort reform, maybe something else significant), then have the political cover to use reconciliation in the Senate, and pass the Senate bill in the House. Of course, all of those things are easier said than done. But the White House is focusing its energies -- via Thursday's summit and today's blog post -- on the political cover front. Here's White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer's blog post: "What you can't do just yet is read about the Republicans' consensus plan -- because so far they haven't announced what proposal they'll be bringing to the table. To be sure, there are many Republicans who share the President's conviction that we need to act on reform, and there are several pieces of Republican health care legislation out there... As of right now, the American people still don't know which one Congressional Republicans support and which one they want to present to the public on Thursday."

*** Who is Scott Brown? Less than a week after he attended the CPAC confab and stressed that he was a Massachusetts REPUBLICAN, newly minted Sen. Scott Brown yesterday joined Democrats and four other Republicans (Bond, Collins, Snowe, and Voinovich) to stop a GOP filibuster on a $15 billion job bill. A few weeks on the job, and we still don't really know where Scott Brown is ideologically. On the one hand, he voted for cloture on the jobs bill. On the other hand, he spoke at CPAC, and his second vote in the Senate was to filibuster Obama's National Labor Relations Board nominee. Remember, of course, that Brown will be up for re-election in the presidential year of 2012. If he wants to be re-elected in blue Massachusetts, you're going to see him vote like Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. If he has other ambitions, however, you'll see him vote the other way. We've actually seen a version of this movie in Massachusetts: Mitt Romney's term as governor. After moving to the center to get elected in 2002, he got the presidential bug and decided NOT to run for re-election and moved to the right. 

*** The Zazi guilty plea: Has the worm turned in the national security debate over civilian trials vs. military tribunals? Maybe not, but Najibullah Zazi, the airport shuttle driver who plotted to set off explosives in New York's subway system, pleaded guilty yesterday -- in federal court. Per the Washington Post, "Zazi agreed to plead guilty to three criminal charges and to share information about confederates overseas. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said the deal demonstrated anew the ability of the U.S. court system to dispense justice to terrorists. 'In this case, as it has in so many other cases, the criminal justice system has proved to be an invaluable weapon for disrupting plots and incapacitating terrorists, one that works in concert with the intelligence community and our military.'" Interestingly, we barely heard a peep from Republicans on the Zazi guilty plea. The Post adds that Zazi began to cooperate "after authorities charged his Afghan-born father with crimes and threatened to charge his mother with immigration offenses -- options that are not available in the military justice system."

*** Buckeye State watch: Is the worm beginning to turn for Democrats in Ohio, too? Yes and no. A new Quinnipiac poll shows that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) now has a five-point lead over challenger John Kasich (R), 44%-39%. Back in November, the race was deadlocked, 40%-40%. Still, that Strickland is below 50% hints at his vulnerability in this swing state. Meanwhile, the poll also finds that President Obama has an upside-down approval rating in Ohio, with 44% approving of his job and 52% disapproving, which is essentially unchanged from November.

*** Harry Reid's path: Sticking with midterm polls, a new Nevada survey by GOP pollster Glen Bolger gives us a glimpse at Harry Reid's (D) path to victory -- and it goes straight through the Tea Party candidate. In a three-way race, Sue Lowden (R) leads Reid by five points, 42%-37%, with Tea Party guy Jon Ashjian at 9%. In another three-way, Danny Tarkanian (R) is ahead of Reid by one point, 40%-39%, with Ashjian at 11%. Of course, as we saw in New Jersey last year, you know you're in trouble when your path to victory requires the third-party candidate getting double digits. Also in that Bolger poll, embattled (and very vulnerable) incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) is keeping it close against challenger Brian Sandoval (R) in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Sandoval leads Gibbons, 38%-32%. Gibbons was seen as a dead candidate running for months; this poll indicates there is a path to victory for him, too (at least in the primary -- for now). Then again, the incumbent governor gets only 32% in his OWN party's primary? Rory Reid, the likely Dem nominee, desperately needs Gibbons to somehow get out of the GOP primary. 

*** Running away from his TARP vote: Facing a GOP primary against J.D. Hayworth, John McCain is now saying he was misled about the bank bailout when he voted for it during the presidential campaign. "[T]he four-term senator says he was misled by then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. McCain said the pair assured him that the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program would focus on what was seen as the cause of the financial crisis, the housing meltdown. 'Obviously, that didn't happen,' McCain said in a meeting Thursday with The Republic's Editorial Board, recounting his decision-making during the critical initial days of the fiscal crisis. 'They decided to stabilize the Wall Street institutions, bail out (insurance giant) AIG, bail out Chrysler, bail out General Motors. . . . What they figured was that if they stabilized Wall Street - I guess it was trickle-down economics - that therefore Main Street would be fine.'" McCain didn't completely flip on his TARP vote, but he came awfully close.

*** The great White hope: The Texas GOP gubernatorial primary takes place exactly one week from today, and most of the attention has centered on the fight between Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Debra Medina's surprising candidacy, and the possibility of an April run-off (if no one gets 50% next week). But the biggest story in Texas could end up being the front-runner for the Democratic nomination: ex-Houston Mayor Bill White. If Perry, as expected, wins the GOP primary, there's a path for White to become the first Democratic governor of Texas since Ann Richards lost in 1994 (to George W. Bush). One, in this change environment, remember that Perry has now been in office for nearly 10 years. Two, he won re-election in 2006 with just 39% of the vote. And three, White has the ability -- with his handling of Hurricane Rita (???) -- to sell himself as the fix-it outsider. Then again, this is Texas, where Democrats haven't had political success in a generation. But gubernatorial elections aren't usually the national ideological battles that Senate contests are…

*** More midterm news: In Arizona's GOP Senate primary, Mitt Romney has endorsed John McCain… In Kentucky's GOP Senate primary, Trey Grayson used his first TV ad to hit Rand Paul over coal (borrowing a page from the McCain playbook -- hit your conservative primary foe early and often)… In New York, David Paterson (D), who kicked off his gubernatorial campaign over the weekend, trails Andrew Cuomo (D) by 42 points (!!!), according to a Siena poll… Also in New York, Kirsten Gillibrand compared Harold Ford to Sarah Palin… And in Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison is airing a TV ad touting her newspaper endorsements, while Rick Perry is up with one that champions the 10th Amendment.

*** Programming note: MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" interviews GOP Rep. Issa about the congressional Toyota hearings.

Countdown to NC filing deadline: 3 days
Countdown to TX primary: 7 days
Countdown to AR filing deadline: 13 days
Countdown to OR, PA filing deadlines: 14 days
Countdown to CA, NV filing deadlines: 17 days
Countdown to IA, UT filing deadlines: 24 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 252 days

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"More than a year after taking office, President Obama yesterday released his own health-care plan -- with a trillion-dollar cost, no public option and higher taxes on the wealthy," the New York Post writes. "Obama's advisers called the plan a 'starting point' for negotiations with Republicans at a health summit the president is hosting Thursday, although the GOP slammed him for pushing old ideas, liberals said it doesn't do enough, and conservative Democrats felt they were left hanging."

The Boston Globe's centerpiece is a photo of a pensive-looking Obama with the headline: "One last big try on health." Its lead: "President Obama launched a final drive for a sweeping health care overhaul yesterday, offering a proposal that the White House hopes will help unite squabbling Democrats and, if necessary, could be used to bypass Republicans altogether."

The New York Times on the details: "The bill, which the White House estimates would cost $950 billion over a decade, aims to fulfill Mr. Obama's goals of expanding coverage to millions of people who are uninsured, while taking steps to control soaring health care costs. It sticks largely to the version passed by the Senate in December, but offers some concessions to House leaders who have demanded more help for middle-class people. Mr. Obama's measure would, for example, eliminate a highly criticized special deal to help Nebraska pay for a proposed Medicaid expansion, and would instead provide more help for all states to pay for their new Medicaid enrollees. It would delay enactment of a controversial tax on high-cost employer-sponsored insurance plans and, in a nod to the concerns of older Americans, do away with the unpopular "doughnut hole" in the Medicare prescription drug program."

The Washington Post says the "decision -- to go big one last time, rather than small -- emerged quickly inside the White House after senior advisers to President Obama concluded privately that his goals for comprehensive changes to the health-care system could not be done piecemeal. And after initially reeling from the surprise election of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate in Massachusetts, Obama's chief political strategists came to believe that voters would punish Democrats more severely in this year's elections for failing to try, they said."

"President Barack Obama offered House Democrats nearly $80 billion in sweeteners Monday to get them to sign on to the Senate's version of health care reform," Roll Call reports. "And while the concessions are significant, it's not clear yet whether they will be enough."

The Boston Globe's editorial page weighs in and notes, "For all the Republican rhetoric criticizing health reform as a government takeover of health care, the House and Senate bills really went out of their way to keep the free market in play." And it argues: "Obama's plan could benefit from one sensible Republican proposal - reform of medical malpractice to reduce nuisance suits and defensive medicine. And there are ways that Republicans could coalesce support around reforms that would preserve the free market and obviate the need for Obama's proposed review board. But so far, the chief Republican contribution to the debate has been to try to stop reform in its tracks to keep Obama from achieving universal insurance. On Thursday, Republicans can continue on that course or join with Obama in both limiting health cost increases and extending coverage to 31 million Americans."

Obama's Day: Obama and Joe Biden have lunch, then Obama meets with US Trade Rep. Ron Kirk, Obama and Biden meet with Secretary Gates, and then has dinner with business leaders at the White House.

The Washington Post writes, "Aided by a handful of Republicans, Senate Democratic leaders on Monday kept alive a $15 billion job-creation measure and are poised to pass the measure later this week."

The New York Times: "The 62-to-30 vote — two more yeses than the minimum required to get past a procedural roadblock — cleared the way for the Senate to vote Wednesday to approve the measure, which Democrats said would create tens of thousands of new jobs at a time when the unemployment rate is hovering near double digits and is expected to remain high for years to come. But it is not clear whether the House, which has backed a broader approach, will go along without making substantial changes."

Despite proclaiming he wouldn't be Olympia Snowe, Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown voted like her on yesterday's cloture vote.
 
"Senator Scott Brown came into office as someone who could deliver the pivotal vote for the GOP to halt Democratic initiatives. But yesterday, Brown delivered for the Democrats, helping them advance a jobs bill President Obama and his party seek," the Boston Globe notes of Brown's vote for cloture yesterday. It adds: "The support by Brown and other GOP lawmakers could represent a critical psychological break for the Senate, which has been mired in bitter partisan fights over everything from the massive health care package to uncontroversial presidential nominations."

In a new effort called "Highway Hypocrites," the Democratic National Committee is ramping up its efforts to call out Republicans -- members of Congress and governors -- who Democrats say "want the money, want the credit, but want to play politics" with the stimulus.

Politico breaks this story on Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's spending habits: "Steele is spending twice as much as his recent predecessors on private planes and paying more for limousines, catering and flowers -- expenses that are infuriating the party's major donors who say Republicans need every penny they can get for the fight to win back Congress. Most recently, donors grumbled when Steele hired renowned chef Wolfgang Puck's local crew to cater the RNC's Christmas party inside the trendy Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, and then moved its annual winter meeting from Washington to Hawaii. For some major GOP donors, both decisions were symbolic of the kind of wasteful spending habits they claim has become endemic to his tenure at the RNC."
 
More: "Michael Steele is an imperial chairman," said one longtime Republican fundraiser. "He flies in private aircraft. He drives in private cars. He has private consultants that are paid ridiculous retainers. He fancies himself a presidential candidate and wants all of the trappings and gets them by using other people's money."

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, 69, was hospitalized with chest pains in Washington, D.C. "Cheney has a history of heart problems, including four heart attacks starting at age 37." 
 
Meanwhile, former Sen. Bob Dole, the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, is recovering from a bout with pneumonia at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 
 
"For all the camaraderie demonstrated during the 37th annual Conservative Political Action Conference this past weekend, just beneath the surface lay an unresolved debate about whether conservatives can truly embrace Latino immigrants in their ranks," Roll Call reports. "Beyond the Marriott Wardman Park ballroom, where dozens of Republican leaders gave speech after thunderous speech, the conference hosted numerous forums on immigration -- some with diametrically opposed themes. In doing so, CPAC highlighted a dichotomy in how conservatives view immigration reform and immigrants themselves."

The DCCC has launched PalinPrimaries.com, which urges Sarah Palin to get involved in some 55 competitive races nationwide.

ARIZONA: Mitt Romney endorsed John McCain in his Senate bid. Romney's press release was a veritable love fest: "For years, I've been an admirer of John McCain. Then we became competitors. Today, I'm proud to call him my friend." McCain: "Governor Romney is among the brightest and most dynamic leaders in our Party, and I am proud to have his support."
 
2008 campaign flashback: McCain on Romney: "Never get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty -- and the pig likes it." That was after Romney accused McCain of wanting to allow undocumented immigrants to live in the U.S. permanently

ARKANSAS: "MoveOn.org says that 92 percent of its Arkansas members want Lt. Gov. Bill Halter to challenge U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln," the Arkansas Times reports. 
 
KENTUCKY: Republican Secretary of State Trey Grayson's first campaign ad attacks his rival Rand Paul for calling coal a "dirty" form of energy, the Hotline reports. "'I'll fight against Obama's war on coal, for clean coal and for Kentucky jobs," Grayson says in the ad. 
 
"In response, the Paul campaign accused Grayson of promoting nuclear power over coal at the 2008 Republican National Convention," the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. According to a spokesman, Paul "supports coal as Kentucky's primary energy source and will continue to support coal as Kentucky's primary energy source as long as it's the best that we have," the Courier-Journal continues.

NEW YORK: Gov. David Paterson trails his likely primary challenger, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, by 42 points, 22% to 64%, according to a Siena Research Institute poll released yesterday, Reuters reports.

After [likely Senate candidate Harold] Ford knocked [Sen. Kirsten] Gillibrand for holding a fund-raiser Monday with President Obama's old campaign manager David Plouffe," Gillibrand told reporters that "Harold Ford's attacks on President Obama and his agenda sound much more like [they are] coming from Sarah Palin than from a New York Democrat who is proud of his President," the New York Daily News writes.

PENNSYLVANIA: "Republican Pat Toomey has agreed to debate Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), setting up a potential Senate candidate showdown that would leave incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter on the sidelines… Last week, Sestak's campaign proposed a debate with Toomey after complaining about Specter's refusal to debate in each of the state's six media markets." 
 
TEXAS: "Texans are turning out in big numbers in this year's primaries," the Dallas Morning News reports. "In the first week of early voting, which began Feb. 16, twice as many Texas voters cast ballots as four years ago, according to the secretary of state's tally of the top 15 counties…At the current pace, the Republican early vote could match the 2008 GOP presidential primary, in which 1.3 million Texans cast ballots overall." 
 
Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison both released ads yesterday, with Hutchison touting her newspaper endorsements and Perry releasing two: one affirming his support for the Constitution's 10th amendment and the other criticizing Hutchison for voting for the stimulus bill and state earmark projects. 

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Mark Murray
The $15 billion jobs bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid drafted cleared a procedural tonight on a 62-30 vote, with five Republicans voting with the Democratic majority.

One Democrat, Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, voted no on the cloture motion.

The five Republicans voting with Democrats: the Senate's newest member, Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown; Maine Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins; Ohio Republican George Voinovich; and Missouri Republican Kit Bond. (Both Voinovich and Bond are retiring.)

But Reid could not hold his entire caucus, as Nelson voted against moving the bill to the next stage of debate and amendments.

New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg was not present to vote due to illness.

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
Aides to Sen. Scott Brown (R) says he intends to vote with Democrats on the Reid jobs bill.

This is a procedural vote, known as cloture, which moves the legislation to the next stage. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs to attract some Republican support to reach the 60-vote threshold. Not only did Democrats lose their supermajority, but Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) is undergoing cancer treatment and will not be present to vote.

Senator Brown will release this statement after the scheduled vote (around 5:30 pm ET).

I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families. This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I will vote for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work.

I was disappointed with the continuation of politics-as-usual in the drafting of this bill, as it was crafted behind closed doors, without transparency and accountability. I hope for improvements in that process going forward. All of us, Republicans and Democrats, have to work together to get our economy back on track. I hope my vote today is a strong step toward restoring bipartisanship in Washington.

From NBC's Courtney Kube
State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley said that everything is being done to minimize the potential loss of civilian lives in Afghanistan.

Asked about the most recent incident that killed more than two dozen civilians, Crowley said that, "I think it's a reflection, first of all, of our refined strategy, that we are placing significant emphasis on reducing, you know, the impact of these operations on the Afghan population, which is not to say that we're not going to make mistakes."

Crowley went on to say, "In conflict, mistakes are made, or there are unfortunate, you know -- you know, impacts that could not have been anticipated."

He added, "Everything is being done to minimize the potential loss of life as we continue to, to take back, you know, control of Helmand province and turn it over to -- to Afghan sovereignty."

And: "There is, you know, ongoing loss of life in Afghanistan, and much of that loss of life is the responsibility of the Taliban. I have yet to hear them apologize."

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
Army Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq carefully tiptoed around the "Dont Ask, Dont Tell" issue today but came dangerously close to saying, If it ain't broke, dont fix it.

Odierno first told reporters in the Pentagon briefing room today that he's been so busy fighting the war in Iraq he hasn't had time to ask his troopers what they think of repealing Dont Ask/Dont Tell, but he said he did support Defense Secretary Gates' decision to conduct a very deliberate review of the matter of the next six to 12 months. 

"This is a critical time in our history here," Odierno emphasized. "We're' in two wars right now, so I want to see it done properly."

But when asked for his personal opinion about repeal of "Dont Ask, Don't Tell," he implied he doesn't think it's necessary, because he thinks the policy is working fine as is.

"As we've gone through this 'Dont Ask, Dont Tell,' to me, it's become a non-issue as we've moved forward," he said. "I haven't seen any issues, [problems with the policy). That doesnt mean it's right."

While saying he thinks everyone should be allowed to serve, Odierno stressed, "What I want is a force that's capable of doing what we ask, because this is life and death.  So what I'm more interested in is how we implement this, and do we implement it in such a way where it doesnt put out forces at risk."

Pentagon names new intelligence director
Defense Secretary Robert Gates today announced a new director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency -- Leticia Long will be the first female director of the agency and the first female to head up an intelligence agency.

Long has served as the Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency since 2006.

The NGA is an intelligence agency that falls under the Department of Defense to collect and analyze aerial and satellite imagery

From NBC's Ken Strickland, Shawna Thomas and Mark Murray
There is lots of reaction today to President Obama's health care proposal to merge the House and Senate bills. Here's a sampling from the Republican leaders in the Senate (Mitch McConnell) and House (John Boehner) as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi SEIU head Andy Stern.

UPDATED...

MITCH MCCONNELL:

 "It's disappointing that Democrats in Washington either aren't listening, or are completely ignoring what Americans across the country have been saying. Our constituents don't want yet another partisan, back-room bill that slashes Medicare for our seniors, raises a half-trillion dollars in new taxes, fines them if they don't buy the right insurance and further expands the role of government in their personal decisions. Republicans will continue to offer the kind of step-by-step reforms to lower costs that our constituents have been asking for in the hundreds of town halls and constituent meetings we have had across the country. But the longer Washington sticks with its failed approach to health care, the longer Americans have to wait for the real, step-by-step reforms that will actually lower costs and lead to a better system. That's what Americans have wanted all along."

JOHN BOEHNER:

"The President has crippled the credibility of this week's summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected. This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, and slash Medicare benefits. This week's summit clearly has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial for continuing on a partisan course that relies on more backroom deals and parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and jam through a massive government takeover of health care.

"The best way to protect families and small businesses in this time of economic uncertainty is to start over with a step-by-step approach to health care reform focused on lowering costs, and that's exactly what Republicans are fighting for. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the Republican bill reduces premiums for families and small businesses by up to 10 percent. The Republican bill reduces premiums by implementing common-sense reforms such as allowing Americans to purchase insurance across state lines. Despite their rhetoric to the contrary, none of the Democrats' proposals - including the President's - provides this much-needed reform in a manner that can actually be effective.

"Republicans are also standing with the American people by calling for health care reform to protect human life and not use taxpayer money to fund abortion. The Republican bill would codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit all authorized and appropriated federal funds from being used to pay for abortion, which the President's proposal would allow. Pro-life Democrats in the House have already pledged to vote against this provision. Health care reform should be an opportunity to protect human life - not end it - and the American people agree."

NANCY PELOSI:

"The President today made available to all Americans the Administration's health insurance reform proposal, which contains positive elements from the House and Senate-passed bills. I look forward to reviewing it with House Members and then joining the President and the Republican leadership at the Blair House meeting on Thursday. This discussion will continue a year-long historic level of transparency and open debate of this crucial reform effort. Our nation is closer than ever to guaranteeing affordable health care to America's middle class and small businesses, lowering costs and strengthening Medicare for seniors, holding insurance companies accountable, and reducing our deficit. The cost of inaction is too great for our nation and for every family facing the heartbreaking reality of skyrocketing health care costs and denied care or coverage. We must pass comprehensive, affordable health insurance reform, and I am hopeful that Thursday's meeting will help us achieve this goal."

SEIU's ANDY STERN:

"This Thursday, Congress has an opportunity to break the gridlock that has denied American families the health insurance reform they are so desperately calling for and need. Our elected representatives need look no further than their own communities to see people hurting. All around this country, we are watching the health insurance industry jack up its premiums. We hear every day about another colleague, another friend, another family member losing their health care coverage. And because our system is broken, we are even losing loved ones.

"We are losing people like Melanie Shouse, a health care activist who passed away from breast cancer and at the time was still fighting with her insurance company that refused to cover her chemotherapy. Health insurance reform was the cause of Melanie's life, and now hundreds of citizens inspired by her bravery and courage are marching her message forward. For the past week, women and men from all walks of life have braved the cold to march from Philadelphia to Washington DC to make sure Congress finishes the job.

"The President recognized with his proposal today that people like Melanie should not have to lose their life because of an insurance company refuses treatment. That insurance companies cannot be allowed to gouge Americans with rate increases that force them to pay up to 39% more for the exact same coverage. And that working families deserve health insurance that covers more and costs less.

With the President's leadership and thoughtful consideration that the only way forward is with comprehensive reform, there is a guarantee that reform can and will be meaningful. And, it is because of that commitment and that of Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi, that every American will soon have a renewed sense of security and a healthcare system that works for them. This Wednesday, I will be in Washington DC standing with Melanie's marchers and hundreds of others to remind Congress there is but one choice: pass comprehensive health insurance reform. After more than a year of debate and more than a century of talk but little action, there is no doubt, the time is now."

MIKE PENCE:

"House Republicans welcome any good faith effort to start over on health care reform but the bill President Obama unveiled today is just more of the same government-run insurance, mandates and taxes the American people have overwhelmingly rejected. If this Administration is serious about health care reform, the president should scrap this 'more of the same' health care plan and start from scratch with a clean sheet of paper and an eye toward the kind of reforms that will lower the cost of insurance. House Republicans believe we can still build a bill that will lower the cost of health insurance, without growing the size of government, and are still willing to work with this White House and Congressional Democrats to do just that."

From NBC's Anne Thompson
The non-partisan United States Geological Survey reports today that the ice shelves in southern Antarctic peninsula are retreating and this could lead to increased glacier retreat on the continent and sea level rise.

Climate change is being blamed and here is why: data shows every ice front in this section of the peninsula has been retreating from 1947 to 2009, but the most dramatic changes have come since 1990.

These shelves help hold in place the ice sheet that covers 98 percent of Antarctica.  If they disappear or break off then ice from glaciers and ice streams can flow into the ocean raising sea level. 

Anne Thompson is NBC News' chief environmental affairs correspondent.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Baron Hill says he's "open to the idea" of being a candidate for Senate to replace Evan Bayh.

"I'm open to the idea," the Democrat, who represent the Ninth Congressional District, one of the swing districts in the state, told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "It doesn't mean that I'm going to do it."

Hill, a legendary former high school basketball star in the state, was out of the country last week as the news broke of Bayh's decision not to run for re-election in the fall.

Since then, Rep. Brad Ellsworth -- who represents the neighboring Eighth Congressional District, also a swing district -- announced his interest in being considered for the nomination.

Because the filing deadline has passed for the Senate race, a 32-member panel of the state Democratic Party will choose the nominee. It has until June 30th to do so, but is expected to name its choice before then.

The Courier-Journal: "Hill said he is scheduled to speak with Bayh on Monday and wants to talk with others as well. 'Let me have those conversations first and then we'll see where this goes,' Hill said."

From NBC's Mark Murray
In recent days, conservatives and Republicans have begun rallying around this critique of President Obama: He doesn't believe in America's exceptionalism.

On Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) declared that Obama was putting the U.S. on a path to the decline of "American exceptionalism."

Also at CPAC, former Bush U.N. ambassador John Bolton argued that the president doesn't believe in "the exceptionalism of America."

And the cover story in the latest National Review, entitled "Defend Her: Obama's Threat to American Exceptionalism," contends: "The president has signaled again and again his unease with traditional American patriotism. As a senator he notoriously made a virtue of not wearing a flag pin. As president he has been unusually detached from American history: When a foreign critic brought up the Bay of Pigs, rather than defend the country's honor he noted that he was a toddler at the time. And while acknowledging that America has been a force for good, he has all but denied the idea that America is an exceptional nation."

Of course, Obama was asked whether he believes in American exceptionalism while visiting Europe during the NATO summit. His response: "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. I'm enormously proud of my country and its role and history in the world. If you think about the site of this summit and what it means, I don't think America should be embarrassed to see evidence of the sacrifices of our troops, the enormous amount of resources that were put into Europe postwar, and our leadership in crafting an Alliance that ultimately led to the unification of Europe. We should take great pride in that."

That question Obama was asked defined American exceptionalism as the United States being "uniquely qualified to lead the world." Historians typically regard American exceptionalism as why the U.S. didn't have socialist revolutions or strong working-class movements like most of Europe did in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Yet the conservative definition of American exceptionalism -- particularly in the National Review article -- is aimed at Obama's efforts to reform the nation's health-care system, enact cap-and-trade (which, ironically, is based on market principles), etc. Here's National Review summing up what American liberals want: "Why couldn't we be more like them -- like the French, the like the Swedes, like the Danes? Like any people with a larger and busier government overawing the private sector and civil society?"

But if you read Obama's speeches -- from the president campaign and now as president -- you see a president with a different idea of American exceptionalism: America's unique ability to evolve and become a more perfect union. "This union may never be perfect," he said in his famous '08 speech on race, "but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected."

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given," he said in his inaugural address. "It must be earned."

Here's what he said in his Berlin speech during the presidential campaign: "We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived -- at great cost and great sacrifice -- to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world."

So it's not that Obama doesn't think America is an exceptional nation; his own words debunk that critique.

Rather, it's that conservatives and liberals have two very different ideas of what "exceptional" means. 

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Here's the 11-page Obama health plan.

Here are some key points from the White House:

It includes a targeted set of changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Senate-passed health insurance reform bill. The President's Proposal reflects policies from the House-passed bill and the President's priorities. Key changes include:

• Eliminating the Nebraska FMAP provision and providing significant additional Federal financing to all States for the expansion of Medicaid;
• Closing the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole" coverage gap;
• Strengthening the Senate bill's provisions that make insurance affordable for individuals and families;
• Strengthening the provisions to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid;
• Increasing the threshold for the excise tax on the most expensive health plans from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500 and starting it in 2018 for all plans;
• Improving insurance protections for consumers and creating a new Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide Federal assistance and oversight to States in conducting reviews of unreasonable rate increases and other unfair practices of insurance plans.

Is this week the last, best chance for health-care reform?... In advance of Thursday's televised summit, Obama to post health proposal on White House Web site at 10:00 am ET… Breaking down Ron Paul's CPAC straw poll victory… Time to stop the "one-and-done" pronouncements?... Cross David Petraeus off your 2012 list… Milbank's praise of Rahm Emanuel… And Ted Strickland compares '94 with now.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Last Chance? This is shaping up to be a crucial -- and possibly decisive -- week on health-care reform, with today's release of President Obama's compromise proposal and Thursday's televised summit. As one policy wonk told the New Republic's Jon Cohn, "This is the last, best shot." (Of course, how many times have we heard this? Then again, this does look like the last, last, last best shot.) At 10:00 am ET, the White House is releasing on its Web site its proposal to bridge the already-passed House and Senate health-care bills. An administration official says the White House is suggesting these changes to the Senate legislation: 1) eliminating the so-called "Nebraska Cornhusker" deal and other special arrangements; 2) including an additional series of GOP-backed measures to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse; and 3) introducing a new provision to prevent insurance rate hikes like the 39% increase by Anthem Blue Cross in California. "The president believes the bipartisan discussion on Thursday will be the most productive if Democrats come to the table with a consolidated proposal -- what he's releasing today -- and he hopes the Republicans will follow suit and come with their own unified proposal," the official says. "He'll be open to Republican ideas, and he hopes they'll be open to ours." The "fix" on the so-called Cadillac tax for union health care plans is still alive, by the way. 

*** Moving forward: So how do congressional Democrats move forward? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid provided this road map on Friday: "I think we will not have to do a major bill. We can do a relatively small bill to take care of what we've already done… We are going to have that done in the next 60 days." Translation: The Senate will move to pass the fixes -- like nixing the Nebraska deal -- via reconciliation after the House passes the Senate bill. (The House Democratic leadership would rather the Senate pass the "fixes" before voting on the Senate bill, but there is a parliamentary question as to whether the Senate can "fix" a bill before it's been signed into law.) The New Republic's Cohn asks the central political question here: "Obama wants this. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants this. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants this… But do the rest of the Democrats in Congress want this?... Will Democrats, particularly in the House, get past their fear and vote for the bill? Really that's what the summit is all about -- convincing nervous Democrats that the Republicans really aren't interested in compromise and that health care reform, despite the poll numbers, is still a good idea." Today just isn't about health care, however; the Senate is supposed to hold a cloture vote this afternoon on Reid's scaled-down jobs bill.

*** Ron Paul's party? Perhaps it was inevitable that a conservative movement that preaches about little to no government, that stresses the words "liberty" and "freedom," and that increasingly says "no" would end up embracing the man nicknamed "Dr. No" -- Ron Paul. Still, for those of us who followed the 2008 election, Paul's victory in Saturday's CPAC presidential straw poll was absolutely stunning. After all, Paul spoke out against the Iraq war, opposes the death penalty, favors drug legalization, and wants to abolish the Federal Reserve. To be sure, the CPAC straw poll isn't the best indicator about the eventual GOP nominee -- George Allen won it in '06, and Mitt Romney won it in '07 and '08. But Paul's victory does seem to suggest where the conservative energy and Tea Party movement is coming from right now. And for those of us who spent a lot of time on the trail in '08 and checked in on the impressive crowds Paul drew back then, guess what: There's A LOT of overlap between those Paul crowds and the Tea Party crowds of today. The irony is that in '08, the mainstream GOP totally wrote off the Paul crowds; now they are embracing them. Of course, the Paul crowds did not translate into actual votes at the primary ballot boxes, but they had energy.

*** One and done? While the declarations at CPAC about big GOP wins this November will probably come true, the other pronouncements -- by Dick Cheney, John Bolton, and others -- that Obama will be a one-term president seem a bit premature after this past weekend. Remember that before defeating Obama in 2012, Republicans first are going to have to find a candidate who can beat him. Will it be Romney, who finished a disappointing second to Paul in the straw poll? Will it be Pawlenty, who declared on Friday that he wants to take "a 9-iron and smash the window of big government in this country," but who was unable to tell NBC's David Gregory which government programs he wanted to cut? Will it be Gingrich? Palin? Someone else? In short, until Republicans have a candidate, it's silly for anyone to begin making declarations about an election three years from now. 

*** Petraeus is no MacArthur: Speaking of 2012, we can probably cross Gen. David Petraeus off the potential list. On "Meet the Press" yesterday he sounded more like Barack Obama than Dick Cheney. Here was Petraeus on the enhanced interrogation techniques practiced during the Bush administration: "I think that whenever we have, perhaps, taken expedient measures, they have turned around and bitten us in the backside." Petraeus on Gitmo: "I've been on the record on that for well over a year as well, saying that it should be closed. But it should be done in a responsible manner." The only thing that he hedged on a bit was "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Petraeus said, "I support what our [Defense] secretary and, and [Joint Chiefs] chairman have embarked on here. I will -- I'm fully participating in that process." Of course, military officers are supposed to follow the orders of their commander-in-chief. But if Petraeus were going to challenge Obama in 2012, he'd have to pull a Douglas MacArthur. And he sure didn't sound like MacArthur yesterday. The job Petraeus appears to have his eye on is Joint Chiefs chairman, and sticking by the commander-in-chief is one way to get there, assuming Mike Mullen doesn't end up getting a THIRD two-year term. 

*** Praising Rahm, fixing Congress: Sunday provided us with two provocative columns/op-eds that sparked fascinating debates in the liberal blogosphere. In the Washington Post, Dana Milbank argued that Rahm Emanuel isn't the problem at the White House. "Obama's first year fell apart in large part because he didn't follow his chief of staff's advice on crucial matters. Arguably, Emanuel is the only person keeping Obama from becoming Jimmy Carter… Obama's problem is that his other confidants -- particularly Valerie Jarrett and Robert Gibbs, and, to a lesser extent, David Axelrod -- are part of the Cult of Obama. In love with the president, they believe he is a transformational figure who needn't dirty his hands in politics." Also on Sunday, outgoing Sen. Evan Bayh (D) unveiled some ideas for fixing Congress: 1) requiring Democrats and Republicans to meet once a month over lunch; 2) embarking on further campaign-finance reforms; and 3) forcing filibustering senators to actually filibuster.

*** A programming note: MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" features Ohio Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, while "Andrea Mitchell Reports" has Democratic Govs. David Paterson and Deval Patrick. Here's a tease of Strickland commenting about losing his congressional seat in 1994 but winning it back two years later. "In '94, we tried to reform health care and we failed… We're trying to deal with health care now. I say that the American people do not reward failure. And I think it's absolutely important that the Congress deal with health care this."

VIDEO: Here's NBC's Chuck Todd'S full interview with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

*** Midterm news: In Florida, Charlie Crist agreed to debate Marco Rubio on FOX next month, but Rubio didn't agree to Crist's offer to also debate on "Meet the Press" earlier in March… In Michigan, Rep. John Dingell (D) said he'd run for another term… In New York, Paterson kicked off his election campaign over the weekend… And in Texas, the Rick Perry-vs-Kay Bailey Hutchison primary takes place next Tuesday.

Countdown to NC filing deadline: 4 days
Countdown to TX primary: 8 days
Countdown to AR filing deadline: 14 days
Countdown to OR, PA filing deadlines: 15 days
Countdown to CA, NV filing deadlines: 18 days
Countdown to IA, UT filing deadlines: 25 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 253 days

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"President Obama will propose on Monday giving the federal government new power to block excessive rate increases by health insurance companies, as he rolls out comprehensive legislation to revamp the nation's health care system, White House officials said Sunday," the New York Times writes. "By focusing on the effort to tighten regulation of insurance costs, a new element not included in either the House or Senate bills, Mr. Obama is seizing on outrage over recent premium increases of up to 39 percent announced by Anthem Blue Cross of California and moving to portray the Democrats' health overhaul as a way to protect Americans from profiteering insurers." 

Obama's Day: In addition to the White House's health care proposal, the president "is also meeting with the nation's governors at the White House. He will urge states to better prepare high school students for college and careers… In the afternoon, Obama meets with California's Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the Oval Office."  
 
(By the way, "Schwarzenegger on Sunday called Republican opponents of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill hypocritical if they then turn around and praise district projects created by that stimulus legislation," The Hill notes.)

"Democratic governors said yesterday that they worry about President Obama's track record on fighting Republican political attacks and urged him to better connect with anxious voters. Some allies pleaded for a new election-year strategy focused on the economy."

The New York Times on the governors: "With the Senate poised to take a first test vote on a jobs bill, governors said Sunday that they still needed assistance from the federal government but urged Congress to focus more on creating jobs in the private sector." 

The Washington Post breaks down today's cloture vote in the Senate on the scaled-down jobs bill. "Democrats' renewed focus on bolstering the economy faces a key test Monday, with the Senate expected to hold a procedural vote on what Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) hopes will be the first of several job-creation bills. The chamber will vote on whether to proceed with a $15 billion measure that includes a one-year Social Security tax break for companies hiring new employees who have been out of work for at least 60 days. The package also would reauthorize the Highway Trust Fund, allow companies to write off equipment purchases, and expand Build America Bonds, which help state and local governments fund infrastructure projects." 

The New York Daily News calls the jobs cloture vote today "an early and interesting test" for newly minted Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R). 

The liberal-leaning group Americans United for Change is attempting to apply "some pressure to Scott Brown with a new TV spot in Massachusetts [today] asking the new Senator if he intends to keep his promise to work for the people back home who need jobs -- or if he'll blindly follow his national party leadership" in an ad called "Promise." It is airing on cable in Boston tomorrow and Tuesday.

"Unions and liberal groups have dismissed Sen. Harry Reid's $15 billion jobs bill as "puny" while calling for larger stimulus measures," The Hill writes. "More than two dozen organizations, including the AFL-CIO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP) and the National Council of La Raza, warned Democratic leaders in Congress to avoid tackling the troubled economy through incremental action." 

Roll Call: "Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) leadership will be under a microscope during the crucial five-week work period ahead as demoralized Senate Democrats look to restart their stalled agenda on multiple fronts." 

"Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) gave a major boost to scrapping the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy Sunday by backing a bill to let gays serve openly. 'I've been asked by both the White House and the advocacy groups within the gay-rights community to be the lead sponsor, and I'm glad to do it,' Lieberman told Daily News columnist James Kirchick."

In a surprising result, Texas Rep. and 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul (R) won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference, capturing 31% of the vote. Three-time CPAC straw poll winner Mitt Romney (in '06, '07, and '08) finished second with 22%, followed by Sarah Palin with 7%, and Tim Pawlenty with 6%.  When the announcement of Paul's victory was made, many in the crowd responded with "boos." That said, as people left the convention, "Ron Paul" chants could be heard coming from across the hotel lobby.

So what does Paul's win mean? Don't read anything into what this means for 2012 except that his supporters are still very enthusiastic, Tea Partiers like him for the most part, and Republicans need to somehow figure out how to channel that energy for their cause. But it's not clear that that's possible. 

Dick Armey, chairman of conservative group FreedomWorks, told CQ, "Congressional Republicans should resist the urge to co-opt the [Tea Party's] momentum. 'They are barking up the wrong tree," he said. 'Every individual that I encounter in the grass-roots activist movement begins with, 'I'm my own man' or 'I'm my own woman.'"     

By the way, another Paul -- GOP Congressman Paul Ryan -- ruled out a 2012 White House bid, but he says he's open to the VP nod. He told New York Times magazine: "There's no way I am running for president in 2012. My head is not that big, and my kids are too small."

Democrats have been starting to hammer Republicans, who have touted the stimulus' benefits while in their districts -- despite voting against it. By the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's count, 91 House Republicans, or 51% of the whole House GOP conference, have taken credit for bills they opposed.

The Hill covers the story this way: "Congressional Democrats are celebrating what they say was their best week politically since Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts on Jan. 19. After playing defense on the economy, the stimulus and healthcare for much of the past year, Democrats went on the offensive this week. Democrats took advantage of the one-year anniversary of the passage of the economic stimulus package and a slow news week to blast Republicans for claiming credit for stimulus funds they opposed."

The Outsiders: "Chris Coons wants to be a Democratic Senate incumbent. But don't mistake him for one just yet," the Washington Post says. "Coons, the New Castle County executive in Delaware, is one of a handful of Democrats vying to win races in open seats that could swing the balance of power in the Senate. These challengers are seizing on the sour national mood to cast themselves as reform-minded outsiders, willing to drive a wedge between themselves and Democratic leaders as they vow to shake up the political establishment that their party controls."

"In Missouri, Democratic candidate Robin Carnahan pronounced "I'm disappointed" when President Obama released his budget early this month. "Missouri families have to balance their checkbooks, and our government should be no different," Carnahan lectured the White House. In Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal shrugged off the prospect of an Obama campaign visit as "an open question" and has steered clear of Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, whose poor reelection prospects contributed to his decision to retire. "I have been independent of Senator Dodd and everyone else in Washington," Blumenthal, the state attorney general, told Yale University students last week.

"It is this message the public is demanding, said Democratic pollster Geoffrey Garin. 'This is a change electorate, much as it was in 2008, and the thing they want to change is how Washington works,' he said." 

FLORIDA: "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) will debate his primary opponent for the Republican Senate nomination on national TV next month. Crist and Rubio have both agreed to appear on Fox News Sunday on March 28th. The Crist campaign has agreed to a Meet the Press appearance as well, originally schedule for March 7th, but Rubio will only agree to a Meet appearance if it's televised AFTER Fox."

IOWA: A new Des Moines Register poll finds that "approval for U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin has fallen again in recent months, to new all-time lows," with Grassley's at 54% and Harkin's at 51%. The poll also found that 45% of Iowans are inclined to vote for their Congressional incumbent, while 45% say they would like to replace them.

NEW YORK:  The New York Times on Gov. David Paterson's campaign kickoff this weekend: "[He] returned to his boyhood hometown on Saturday and defiantly proclaimed his candidacy for election, portraying himself as a champion of New Yorkers struggling with discrimination and economic hardship." The Times also notes that Paterson "has lower job-approval ratings now than his predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, did on the day after Mr. Spitzer was implicated in a prostitution scandal."

The Washington Post: "Reflecting the possibility of an internal party fight, the lone politician on stage with Paterson on Saturday was the mayor of the village of Hempstead, Wayne Hall. Some Nassau County Democratic legislators and other local officials were in the audience."   

The New York Post on Sunday asked: "What if David Paterson ran for governor and nobody noticed? Saddled with an anemic campaign bank account and nose-diving popularity, Paterson declared himself the man to beat at a campaign kickoff in Hempstead, LI, yesterday -- bereft of the Democratic establishment whose help he badly needs to win September's primary. A crowd of about 400 -- including a few dozen reporters and camera people -- witnessed the event, at which the governor took swings at 'pundits and politicians' who say he's going to lose." 

The New York Daily News' Saltonstall on Gillibrand vs. Ford: "Harold Ford's maybe-I-will, maybe-I-won't stance on jumping into the Senate race has been a boon for one person -- his likely opponent, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, experts say."  

And Mort Zuckerman hasn't ruled out a Senate run. He'd either run as an independent or a Republican. 

PENNSYLVANIA: "Rep. Joe Sestak (D., Pa.) said yesterday that the White House offered him a federal job in an effort to dissuade him from challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the state's Democratic primary," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Friday. "Sestak would not elaborate on the circumstances and seemed chagrined after blurting out 'yes' to [the] ... direct question."

SOUTH DAKOTA: Ex-Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney campaigned for GOP Sen. John Thune on Friday, where "both insisted the campaign at hand is Thune's re-election bid this year and not the prelude to a possible presidential run for either of them in 2012."

TEXAS: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, running to unseat Gov. Rick Perry, told the New York Times that in order to win against Perry, who is favored to win re-election, 'I need for the November Republicans to turn out in the primary.'"

From NBC's Brenda Shepard and Mark Murray
In a surprising result, Texas Congressman and 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul (R) won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference, capturing 31% of the vote. Three-time CPAC straw poll winner Mitt Romney (in '06, '07, and '08) finished second with 22%, followed by Sarah Palin with 7%, and Tim Pawlenty with 6%. 
 
When the announcement of Paul's victory was made, many in the crowd responded with "boos." That said, as people left the convention, "Ron Paul" chants could be heard coming from across the hotel lobby.

Other results from the straw poll: Just 2% approved of President Obama's job; 62% approved of the job congressional Republicans are doing; 73% had a favorable view of GOP Sen. Jim DeMint; 70% had a favorable view of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck; 56% had a favorable view of John Boehner, and 51% had a favorable view of Mitch McConnell.

Though 10,000 were registered at CPAC, just 2,395 participated in the straw poll. Almost half of them (48%) were students, and more than half (56%) were 25 years old or younger. Men made up 64% of participants.

From NBC's Brenda Shepard
In the final speech at CPAC yesterday, FOX media personality Glenn Beck began with a remark about his hatred for Woodrow Wilson, and followed by bringing out his chalk board, on which he simply wrote the word "progressivism." He went on to mention the word at least 18 times. 

"It's not enough just to not suck as bad as the other side," he said.

Beck discussed his struggle with alcohol, saying he is a "recovering alcoholic. But I believe in redemption." He suggested that Republicans need to admit they have a problem as well.

Beck then went on to connect alcoholism -- and even cancer -- to progressivism. "[Progressivism] is the disease here in America," he said. "It's in both parties. It's eating the Constitution. It's designed to."

He continued by discussing what would be a recurring theme in his speech: "Morning in America." Unlike the famous Reagan phrase about it, Beck described America's morning as one with a treacherous hangover, leaving the country hanging on our toilet bowls in recovery. 

Beck also condemned conservatives for not being, well, conservative enough. "Being conservative means having personal responsibility," Beck said. "We have the right to fail," he continued, "without failure there is no growth... There is no sweetness of success."

Beck mentioned his own downfall intermittently throughout his speech, and he suggested that because of that failure he could stand and give the speech in front of thousands today.

Beck gave the crowd a history lesson, beginning with the 1920s. Universal health care, prohibition and even the League of Nations were among issues discussed. When he mentioned the creation of the Federal Reserve, resounding "boos" could be heard from the crowd. He then went on to praise President Calvin Coolidge's administration.

"We believe in the right of the individual," Beck said. But he added, "We don't have a right to health care, housing or handouts." He said that the government does not have the power to give individuals their rights, "God does."

From NBC's Katherine Andrew and Charlie Specht
If the earlier speeches by Dick Armey, Liz Cheney, and John Boehner weren't enough to convince CPAC attendees that President Obama has the United States on a fast, steep decline, former Bush administration U.N. ambassador John Bolton erased any doubts.

Bolton awakened the conservative audience out of its morning haze by delving into the criticism of Obama's foreign policy initiatives with his very first sentence.

"On January, 20, 2009, Barack Obama was not qualified to be the president of the United States," Bolton stated. "Today, 13 months later, he's still not ready to be president."

Bolton stated that that Obama "doesn't really care about foreign policy." He described the president's philosophy and foreign policy as a type of in multilateralism -- akin to Woodrow Wilson's -- and declared Obama the "first post-American president," because he said he is beyond patriotism and doesn't believe in "the exceptionalism of America."

"Reagan was all about America," Bolton said about the conservative icon, who has inspired life-size cardboard cutouts and the most popular post-CPAC party of the past few years. "Obama is, 'We're all above that now.' Obama's sort of standing above the country, above the world."

Bolton then sparked loud cheers when he asked, "Are you people in this room patriots?"

Bolton focused much of his criticism on Obama's policy of diplomacy toward Iran, which he dubbed a continuation of the "failed Bush administration policy believing we could negotiate Iran out of its nuclear weapon." 

"Negotiation is not a policy, it's a technique," Bolton warned. "If you don't have any substance in policy, obviously it's not going to succeed."

He echoed former Vice President Dick Cheney's comments from Thursday, when he stated Obama "has three years left. I say that very confidently."

After stating his opposition to recently proposed arms control with Russia and warning against "global governance" ("As Americans we can make our own laws," he said to cheers), Bolton sent a direct message to the Obama administration.

"We will not let you reduce American sovereignty," he said. "We will not let you make America vulnerable, and we will prevail over all enemies foreign and domestic."

Maria Heil, an attendee from New Freedom, Pa., felt the speech was "right on." 

"Obama is not pro-American, he's pro-world," she said. "We should be the shining star. He shouldn't take us down to the level of everyone else."

Heil, a member of the Second Amendment Sisters group, said she felt Obama has only feigned bipartisanship.

"He needs to actually listen to consensus instead of saying, 'I'm open to this idea and that.' He says that, but then he doesn't."