TOP STORIES:
Obama Ups Ante on Health; Meckler, Weisman, Seib WALL STREET JOURNAL
Blue Dogs get a deal on health costs; O’Connor POLITICO
Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health; Soraghan, Allen THE HILL
Abortion raises health-debate tensions; Smith POLITICO
PROMISES, PROMISES: Do Obama deals break pledge?; Theimer ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP-GfK Poll: Great hopes for Obama fade to reality; Benac, Tompson, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Palin Legal Donations May Have Violated Ethics Law, Report Finds; Kindy, Cillizza WASHINGTON POST
HOUSE:
Conservative Democrats Push Health Bill Changes; Pear, Herszenhorn NEW YORK TIMES
The Student Loan Scam; Editorial NEW YORK TIMES
Obama Auto Adviser Tells Lawmakers Not to Undo Dealer Closings; Bunkley NEW YORK TIMES
Bailouts Prompt Bipartisan Outcry; Whoriskey WASHINGTON POST
Student Loan Measure Clears House Panel; de Vise WASHINGTON POST
Lawmakers Rebuke Treasury Department Over TARP Spending; Dennis WASHINGTON POST
A ‘Blue Dog’ Has His Day; Bendavid WALL STREET JOURNAL
Doubts Slow Financial Regulation Overhaul on Capitol Hill; Paletta WALL STREET JOURNAL
Aid to Car Dealers Stirs Fight; King, Mitchell WALL STREET JOURNAL
Centrists Win Backing on Medicare Cost Cuts; Hitt, Bendavid WALL STREET JOURNAL
Obama Talks Health Bill With House Panel; Pulizzi, Yoest WALL STREET JOURNAL
Vulnerable Dems get a pass — for now; McGarr POLITICO
Hoyer takes on entire House GOP; Thrush POLITICO
Why we must vote on the public plan; Rep. Anthony Weiner POLITICO
House approves sanctions against Myanmar; ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pelosi on health: Overhaul is closer; Fritze USA TODAY
Blue Dogs See Signs of Hope; Dennis, Newmyer ROLL CALL
Democrats Demand Gitmo Plan; Pierce, Bendery ROLL CALL
Waxman Optimistic After Meeting With Obama; Koffler ROLL CALL
Republicans Launch Health Care Protest on House Floor; Kucinich ROLL CALL
Rangel Scoffs at Pelosi’s Proposal to Tax Millionaires; Dennis ROLL CALL
Hoyer: Health Care Vote Before Recess Unclear; Newmyer ROLL CALL
Blue Dogs press Obama on healthcare costs; Youngman THE HILL
Hoyer lashes out at 134 GOP floor speeches; Hooper THE HILL
House Dems not winning over critics with pay-as-you-go bill; Alarkon THE HILL
Boehner on healthcare: ‘Mr. President, scrap this bill’; Hooper THE HILL
Buy America Provision Triggers Rebuke; Cohn CONGRESS DAILY
Punishing consumers to ‘protect’ them; Rep. Jeb Hensarling WASHINGTON TIMES
You Will Be Able To Purchase Coverage From Private Insurers; Rep. Henry Waxman INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
HOUSE ELECTIONS:
Dems ready to defend energy votes; Lerer POLITICO
Seals to run again for Kirk seat; Kraushaar POLITICO
Bishop Pays $55K to Lawyers; Yachnin ROLL CALL
35-Year-Old Attorney Says He Wants Democratic Nod in N.Y. Special Election; Kurtz ROLL CALL
House GOP launching first ads in New York; Wilson THE HILL
Burton challenger boasts impressive war chest; Blake THE HILL
Fimian Plans Rematch In Northern Virginia; Giroux CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
SENATE:
Obama Wins Crucial Senate Vote on F-22; Drew NEW YORK TIMES
Climate Loopholes; Editorial NEW YORK TIMES
Senate Votes 58-40 to End Production of the F-22; Smith WASHINGTON POST
Senate Panel Takes Careful Approach to Crafting Health Bill; Murray, Connolly WASHINGTON POST
Senate Kills Funds for F-22 Fighters; Cole WALL STREET JOURNAL
Grounding the F-22; Editorial WALL STREET JOURNAL
The Last Thing New York Needs Is More Guns; Robert M. Morgenthau WALL STREET JOURNAL
Obama agenda gets a lift with F-22 win; Rogers, DiMascio POLITICO
Government needs an IG in chief; Sen. Chuck Grassley POLITICO
Senate to vote on concealed weapons measure; Abrams ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senators raise alarms on Delaware sports betting; Frommer ASSOCIATED PRESS
Legal status of US workers’ an immigration issue; Gamboa ASSOCIATED PRESS
DeMint puts nominees on hold over Obama’s Honduras policy; Clark MCCLATCHY NEWS
Our view on fighting crime; Editorial USA TODAY
No return to the Wild West; Sen. John Thune USA TODAY
Coburn Plays Nice When It Comes to Obama; Stanton ROLL CALL
Finance Talks Still On Track; Drucker ROLL CALL
McConnell Fills Out Senate Committees; Brady ROLL CALL
Gillibrand Opposes Thune Gun Amendment; Brady ROLL CALL
Conrad: A thorn in Obama’s side thorn; Bolton THE HILL
SENATE ELECTIONS:
N.H. GOP divided on Ayotte; Kraushaar POLITICO
Republican challengers show schisms in party challengers; Wilson THE HILL
Pennsylvania: Sen. Specter Refunded $224,000 In Second Quarter; Giroux CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
F-22 Vote Provides Political Fodder for Connecticut Senate Race; Cadei CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
Crist Says He Cannot Support Sotomayor; CONGRESS DAILY
Another Republican To Challenge Lincoln; CONGRESS DAILY
Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias to start Senate bid Sunday; Pearson, Gibson CHICAGO TRIBUNE
POLITICS/CAMPAIGNS:
Preliminary Report Questions Palin Legal Defense Fund; Seelye NEW YORK TIMES
Kaine’s Travels For DNC Rose, Records Show; Helderman, Kumar WASHINGTON POST
McDonnell Roads Plan Privatizes ABC Stores; Hohmann WASHINGTON POST
Palin fights back against ethics charge; Barr POLITICO
RNC outpaces Dems, but financial lead shrinking; Wilson THE HILL
Rendell Joins Growing List of Suffering Democratic Governors; CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
ADMINISTRATION:
Clinton Cites Concerns of Arms Aid to Myanmar; Landler NEW YORK TIMES
For Holder, Tough Choice on Interrogation Inquiry; Johnston NEW YORK TIMES
Biden Says U.S. Still Backs Ukraine in NATO; Barry NEW YORK TIMES
Georgia’s Saakashvili Seeking U.S. Weapons to Deter Russia; Pan WASHINGTON POST
U.S. Strengthens Ties To Southeast Asia; Hookway WALL STREET JOURNAL
Obama’s top five PR tricks; Lee POLITICO
Clinton declares the US ‘is back’ in Asia; Burns ASSOCIATED PRESS
Biden heads to Georgia, US flashpoint with Russia; Birch ASSOCIATED PRESS
Obama Following Bush Example, Democrats Complain; Nather CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
Fired IG: I fight for watchdogs’ integrity; Weber WASHINGTON TIMES
SCOTUS:
Why Do Today What Can Be Put Off for a Week?; Milbank WASHINGTON POST
GOP weighs Sotomayor vote backlash; Raju POLITICO
Judiciary Republicans Delay Vote on Sotomayor; Stanton ROLL CALL
BAILOUT/ECONOMY:
Fed Aims to Hold Down Interest Rates; Uchitelle NEW YORK TIMES
Breaking SBA Lending Logjam; Cho WASHINGTON POST
Bernanke Jabs Back at Fed’s Critics In Congress; Irwin WASHINGTON POST
Credit Card Disputes Tossed Into Disarray; Sidel, Sharma WALL STREET JOURNAL
Bernanke Says Fed Policies Are Sowing Recovery; Hilsenrath WALL STREET JOURNAL
Haldeman Will Be New CEO at Freddie; Timiraos, Holzer WALL STREET JOURNAL
Bernanke’s Assurances; Editorial WALL STREET JOURNAL
Bernanke takes heat from GOP; Javers POLITICO
U.S. Proposes Restrictions on Credit-Rating Companies; BLOOMBERG NEWS
Federal reserve chief heads back to Capitol Hill; Aversa ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bailout recipient Bank of America continues lobbying efforts; Barrett MCCLATCHY NEWS
Autos, banks spend $20M lobbying spend; Brush THE HILL
HEALTHCARE:
Challenge to Health Bill: Selling Reform; Leonhardt NEW YORK TIMES
A Defining Moment Nears for President; Stolberg NEW YORK TIMES
Health Insurance No One Needs; Miller NEW YORK TIMES
Like Car Insurance, Health Coverage May Be Mandated; Connolly WASHINGTON POST
Imperfect Health Reform Still Beats the Status Quo; Pearlstein WASHINGTON POST
Health Insurance Industry Spins Data in Fight Against Public Plan; Hilzenrath WASHINGTON POST
The Can’t-Do Blue Dogs; Meyerson WASHINGTON POST
Health Care’s Sensible Center; Gerson WASHINGTON POST
The F-22 Model for Medicare; Marcus WASHINGTON POST
Lobbying Spending Rises Only Slightly Amid Health Overhaul; Mullins, Farnam, Radnofsky WALL STREET JOURNAL
How to Make Health-Care Reform Bipartisan; Gov. Bobby Jindal WALL STREET JOURNAL
Your Stake in the Health Overhaul; Mathews WALL STREET JOURNAL
Dems use GOP to rally on health care; Martin POLITICO
Steele unsure of own health coverage; Barr, Frates POLITICO
Obama may have to wait for health care passage; Alonso-Zaldivar ASSOCIATED PRESS
Poll: Canadians like their health care despite grumbles; Thomma MCCLATCHY NEWS
Health bill a boon to doctors; Werner ASSOCIATED PRESS
Budget chief: Docs fees not paid for in Obama bill; Espo ASSOCIATED PRESS
In health care, agency on track for oversized role; Espo ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chamber to Hit Public Plan Hard; Ackley ROLL CALL
$2M ad blitz launched by U.S. Chamber; Bogardus THE HILL
GOP fights ‘Party of No’ perception on healthcare; Rushing THE HILL
Obama seeks new health care momentum; Bellantoni WASHINGTON TIMES
BAM’S UNHEALTHY DOLLAR DODGE; Editorial NEW YORK POST
STIMULUS:
D.C. isn’t stimulated; Editorial WASHINGTON TIMES
LABOR/EFCA:
No Coverage
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT:
Relief for the Owl; Editorial NEW YORK TIMES
UN climate expert warns against carbon tariffs; Cappiello ASSOCIATED PRESS
DEFENSE/WAR ON TERROR:
Pakistan Objects to U.S. Expansion in Afghan War; Schmitt, Perlez NEW YORK TIMES
Radical Islamists Slipping Easily Into Kenya; Gettleman NEW YORK TIMES
At Least 15 Die in Attacks Aimed at Shiite, Sunni and U.S. Targets in Baghdad; Williams NEW YORK TIMES
Coordinated Attacks Kill 6 Members of Afghanistan’s Security Forces; Gall, Khapalwak NEW YORK TIMES
The Class Too Dumb to Quit; Friedman NEW YORK TIMES
U.S. Deaths Hit A Record High In Afghanistan; Tyson, Jaffe WASHINGTON POST
Iraq’s Reluctant Leader Emerges as Unlikely Force; Chon WALL STREET JOURNAL
al-Maliki visit signals partnership; Lee POLITICO
Pace of reconciliation tops Obama-al-Maliki talks; Hurst ASSOCIATED PRESS
US military: 3 killed in attack in Iraq; Carter ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP sources: US debating payoffs to poppy growers; Gearan ASSOCIATED PRESS
Envoy to Iraq has message of tough love; Madhani, USA TODAY
U.S. LOCAL:
Pinch of Reality Threatens the California Dream; Steinhauer NEW YORK TIMES
Denied Tax Revenues, Local Officials in California Are Fuming; McKinley NEW YORK TIMES
Impact of California’s Proposed Budget Fix May Be Felt at All Levels; Vick WASHINGTON POST
From the Tarnished Golden State, Lessons for Washington; Balz WASHINGTON POST
Connecticut Pushes Ahead on Health Care; Johnson WALL STREET JOURNAL
Calif. budget plan includes new offshore oil; Antczak ASSOCIATED PRESS
OF NOTE:
In Washington, Roll Call Is Buying Congressional Quarterly; Pérez-Peña NEW YORK TIMES
Most Mexicans in U.S. Stay Put Despite Recession; Bahrampour WASHINGTON POST
TOP BLOGS:
House Dems Propose Maintaining ‘Status Quo’ on Abortion Funding; Eggen WASHINGTON POST’S CAPITOL BRIEFING
NRCC already up with ads in McHugh’s district; Kraushaar POLITICO’S SCORECARD BLOG
PA-Gov: Corbett Leads GOP Field, Dem Field Unclear; SWING STATE PROJECT