From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Two top Specter supporters tell NBC News that Arlen Specter cannot overcome Joe Sestak's lead in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) to win this Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

The Democratic Party officials say that Specter's lead in Philadelphia will not be large enough, and they think that, by 11:00 pm ET, it will be over.

They are confident that the lead of the Democratic candidate in the special election to succeed the late John Murtha will hold up.

With more than half of precincts reporting, Sestak leads Specter, 53%-47%.

*** UPDATE *** The AP just called the race for Sestak.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
In the administration's sharpest break from the president's initial policy of engaging Iran, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today harshly rebutted Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations. 

In her speech, she said that this morning's speech by Iran's president offered the same "tired false accusations." She added, "Iran will do whatever it can to evade responsibility."

Threatening tougher sanctions, she said, "Ultimately, we will all be judged not by our words but by our actions. The onus is on Iran."

According to Clinton, "Iran is the only country in this hall found by the IAEA board of governors not to be in compliance with U.N. safeguard obligations. It has defied the Security Council and the IAEA."

(The IAEA is the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.)

Clinton said that is why Iran is facing increasing pressure from the rest of the world, but she said, "Iran will not succeed in its attempts to divert and divide."

Clinton said that the Obama administration will retain nuclear weapons as a deterrent as long as they exist elsewhere, but that she was today revealing the number of U.S. weapons in its stockpile. (The numbers were previously classified.)

She also pledged millions more to help states get peaceful nuclear energy and steps to turn the Middle East into a nuclear-free zone.

"I call on Iran to join with the other delegations to go ahead and fulfill our obligations to build a safer world," she said, "rather than focusing on our differences we must acknowledge we are all in this together."

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Launching an attack on the United State at the United Nations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the U.S. has never lived up to its commitments and has tried to "change the focus" from its own noncompliance with nuclear treaties by diverting to issues like nuclear terrorism.

He also accused the CIA of working with "the Zionist regime"  (Israel) against "independent nations" in the region.

The U.S. delegation walked out, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to be across the street at the U.S. mission until after he finishes his speech.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will meet today with Special Olympics head Tim Shriver at the White House to discuss Emanuel's acknowledged use of the word "retarded." The chief of staff invited Shriver last week -- after Shriver wrote him to complain about the remark, a slur on special needs people.

It was reported that Emanuel told a liberal strategy session last August that liberals who were planning attack ads on conservative Democrats over health care were "F...ing retarded."  

The remark drew wider circulation after Sarah Palin, mother of a Down Syndrome child, called for Emanuel's firing on Facebook yesterday writing: "Rahm's slur on all God's children with cognitive and developmental disabilities -- and the people who love them -- is unacceptable, and it's heartbreaking." 

This is the second time the Obama White house has had to apologize to Shriver and the Special Olympics. Last year, President Obama, on the "Tonight Show," compared his bowling prowess to Special Olympics.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Colin Powell has just issued a statement supporting Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen's and Defense Secretary Gates' effort to review -- and likely repeal -- the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy toward gays in the military.

Of course, it was Powell -- as Joint Chiefs chairman -- who persuaded the Clinton White House to adopt the DADT policy 17 years ago, because of Powell's opposition to gays in the military.

Powell's statement:

In the almost seventeen years since the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed. The principal issue has always been the effectiveness of the Armed Forces and order and discipline in the ranks. I strongly believe that this is a judgment to be made by the current military leadership and the Commander in Chief. It is also a judgment Congress must make. For the past two years, I have expressed the view that it was time for the law to be reviewed by Congress. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I will be closely following future hearings, the views of the Service Chiefs and the implementation work being done by the Department of Defense.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Doug Adams
At an energy event in Nevada, Sen. Harry Reid spoke for the first time on camera since the revelations of his comments about Barack Obama being "light skinned" and not speaking with a "negro dialect."

"I'm very proud that I'm one of the first people to suggest that Barack Obama run for president," Reid said. "I'm very proud of that."

He added, "My heart has been warmed as to the response that I've gotten around the country; whether it's Julian Bond, whether it's as a call I got coming into the facility today -- the attorney general of the United States, Eric Holder. In effect, he said, 'I've known you for a long time; anyone I can talk to -- I'd be happy to do that.'"

He went on to say, "I'm proud of the fact, I can still remember the meeting in my office with Barack Obama, telling him he could be elected president. I think he was surprised, the Democratic leader telling him he could be elected presdent."

He cited calls from House whip Jim Clyburn and Ken Salazar praising him for his civil rights record and support for diversity.

He said he helped desegregate the gaming industry in Nevada.

"I really appreciate people writing nice things about me," Reid added. "There's a wonderful editorial in the L.A. times today; couple of nice things in the Huffington Post, nice things there. ... I feel good about people reaching out to me."

More: "I've apologized to the president. I've apologized to everyone within the sound of my voice, that I could have used better choice of words. And I'll continue to do my work for the African-American community."

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Adding to the tabloid stories out there (Tiger Woods, those party crashers)...
 
Aides to the Clintons confirm that Chelsea and Marc Mezvinsky became engaged on Thanksgiving Day -- and will be married next summer. The couple sent an email to friends, alluding to the flurry of false rumors last summer that they were getting married then.  The Clintons family was hounded by those false reports.

Now it is true -- that Chelsea is marrying her childhood friend, a fellow Stanford graduate. Marc's mother is former Democratic Rep. Marjorie Margolies Mezvinsky, who also at one point worked for WNBC. His father is a former Iowa member of Congress who ended up facing legal difficulties and some jail time.

The two sent out an email the morning of Friday November 27 saying, "We're sorry for the mass email but we wanted to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving! We also wanted to share that we are engaged! We didn't get married this past summer despite the stories to the contrary, but we are looking toward next summer and hope you all will be there to celebrate with us. Happy Holidays! Chelsea & Marc."

 

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

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

HERE'S THE FULL VIDEO.

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

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

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

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

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

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

STEELE: Oh, please.

MITCHELL: She did quit...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From NBC's Michelle Perry
House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) acknowledged that House Dems still need to work out the abortion issue in the healthcare reform bill ahead of Saturday's vote. Clyburn told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports," that the House bill is in a good place on substance, but some remain "skittish" about the language that goes into the bill on abortion.

The potential stumbling block is whether or not the House bill would include explicit language restricting the use of federal money to pay for abortions. Moderate Blue Dog Democrats have threatened to oppose the bill if it doesn't.

"Both sides want to make sure that we don't put wording in here that will cause a tilt one way or the other," Clyburn told Mitchell, "and so that's the problem."

While Clyburn said that everyone is agreeable, that they express language in the bill that would not allow for federal funding for abortions, he added they are looking for a way to "wall off" the money. Right now moderate Dems remain concerned that there are still areas where the money is fungible.

That said, Clyburn thinks the issue will be resolved and they will have the votes necessary to pass the bill.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
The State Department is confirming Palestinian reports that Secretary Clinton is leaving Islamabad tomorrow evening for Abu Dhabi, where she will hold talks Saturday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

The rest of her schedule is unclear, but she is expected in Jerusalem Saturday night for meetings Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to Israeli officials.

She then heads to Morocco for meetings Monday and Tuesday.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Hillary Clinton, buffeted by tough questions for two days about the U.S. influence on Pakistan's military, said today she finds it hard to believe that no one in Pakistan's government knows where al Qaeda is -- and couldn't get them if they wanted to. She added that al Qaeda has had a safe haven in Pakistan for seven years.

The Secretary of State's very undiplomatic response came in a meeting with newspaper editors.

This exchange is not on camera:

Asked why other countries can't be involved in fighting terrorism -- not just Pakistan -- Clinton said: "Al-Qaeda has had safe haven in Pakistan since 2002. I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to. Maybe that's the case; maybe they're not gettable. I don't know.'' 

But, she said, al Qaeda has launched attacks on Indonesia, Philippines and many other countries.

"So the world has an interest in seeing the capture and killing of the people who are the masterminds of this terrorist syndicate," Clinton said. "As far as we know, they are in Pakistan. I am more than willing to hear every complaint about the United States'' and "both answer, but also to change where we can, so we that we do have better communication and we have better understanding.

"But this is a two-way street. If we are going to have a mature partnership, where we work together," then "there are issues that not just the United States, but others have with your government and with your military security establishment. I don't believe in dancing around difficult issues, because I don't think that benefits anybody.

"I ask in the pursuit of mutual respect that you take seriously our concerns.''

*** UPDATE *** The State Department just announced that Clinton will be heading to Israel this weekend. Here's the release:

STATEMENT BY P.J. Crowley

Secretary Clinton's Travel to the Middle East

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Senator George Mitchell will hold bilateral meetings this weekend with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas, in the region.

Senator Mitchell traveled to and is currently in the region in advance of Secretary Clinton, who already is traveling through the region.  These meetings will build on the intensive work the Administration has engaged in with both sides since the trilateral meeting last month.

As President Obama has said, the Administration is committed to comprehensive peace, including a two-state solution.  As Secretary Clinton reported to the President last week, challenges remain as we continue to work with both sides.  Her visit reflects the Administration's commitment -- and her personal commitment -- to work through the challenges we face in pursuit of comprehensive Middle East peace.