All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Depending on factors like whether their employees are attempting to lose weight or quit smoking, employers could vary their workers' health care premiums by as much as 50 percent of the cost of coverage, under an amendment passed to health care reform by a Senate panel Wednesday night.

The Senate Finance Committee voted Wednesday to approve an amendment that would provide a financial incentive for people to change unhealthy behaviors, Politico first reported. The amendment was sponsored by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). It passed by a vote of 19 to four, committee staff said.

"Weight gain and unhealthy lifestyles that focus on smoking and lack of exercise have sky-rocketed our health care costs," Ensign said in a statement. "These costs could be lowered by focusing on what makes us healthy - through weight loss programs, smoking cessation and preventive care."

Under current federal regulation, beneficiaries can receive financial rewards for achieving certain health goals, but premiums can only vary by 20 percent based on these health goals. The amendment approved Wednesday would increase that amount to 50 percent and also provide waivers to beneficiaries who cannot meet certain health goals because of medical conditions.

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The Pentagon said today that it will not ban the use of tobacco in the military, the Associated Press reports.

The announcement comes after a study commissioned by the Pentagon and the Department of Veteran Affairs recommended terminating the use and sale of tobacco products on military property. The study also recommended the military ensure enlistees are smoke-free.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates doesn't want to add to the stress levels of troops fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by taking away tobacco products. He also said that Gates plans on pursuing the goal of a smoke-free military, according to the AP.

When the news broke that the Pentagon was considering a tobacco ban, many voices came out in protest. Jeff Emanuel wrote in a CBSNews.com op-ed that the servicemembers shouldn't be subject to a blanket smoking ban.

"Yes, tobacco has been proven to cause both short and long-term health problems - but are we really going to preach about health benefits of their activities to Americans we pay (albeit poorly) to be shot at for a living?" Emanuel asked.

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President Obama covered many topics during press conference today from the White House, from Iran, health care, whether he smokes and the economy. Here are some of his key quotes on multiple topics:

Iran:

"The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost."

"The fact that they are now in the midst of an extraordinary debate taking place in Iran, you know, may end up coloring how they respond to the international community as a whole. We are going to monitor and see how this plays itself out before we make any judgments about how we proceed."

"We didn't have international observers on the ground. We can't say definitively what exactly happened at polling places throughout the country… And so, ultimately, the most important thing for the Iranian government to consider is legitimacy in the eyes of its own people, not in the eyes of the United States. And that's why I've been very clear, ultimately, this is up to the Iranian people to decide who their leadership is going to be and the structure of their government."

Read More On His Remarks About Iran

On Criticism Of His Iran Statements So Far:

"But only I'm the president of the United States. And I've got responsibilities in making certain that we are continually advancing our national security interests and that we are not used as a tool to be exploited by other countries."

"I mean, you guys must have seen the reports. They've got some of the comments that I've made being mistranslated in Iran, suggesting that I'm telling rioters to go out and riot some more. There are reports suggesting that the CIA is behind all this. All of which patently false. But it gives you a sense of the narrative that the Iranian government would love to play into."

"So the -- you know, members of Congress, they've got their constitutional duties, and I'm sure they will carry them out in the way that they think is appropriate. I'm president of the United States, and I'll carry out my duties as I think are appropriate."

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At his press conference this afternoon, President Obama, who calls himself a "former smoker," acknowledged that he still occasionally falls "off the wagon."

The president said that he does not smoke in front of his kids or the rest of his family, and compared his situation to that of a recovering alcoholic.

"I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it," the president said. "Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No."

"I would say that I am 95 percent cured, but there are times where, there are times where I mess up," he added.

Mr. Obama invoked Alcoholics Anonymous in discussing grappling with his craving for cigarettes.

"I don't know what to tell you, other than the fact that, you know, like folks who go to A.A., you know, once you've gone down this path, then, you know, it's something you continually struggle with, which is precisely why the legislation we signed was so important, because what we don't want is kids going down that path in the first place," he said.

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In a move hailed by anti-smoking advocates as a major victory in the fight to reduce tobacco-related fatalities, President Obama on Monday signed into law legislation giving the U.S. government broad powers to regulate tobacco products.

"Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new regular, daily smokers, and almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday," Mr. Obama said before signing the legislation. "I know; I was one of these teenagers. And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."

The bill puts tobacco under the authority of the Food And Drug Administration, which will now regulate tobacco as a drug. A new entity within the FDA – the Center for Tobacco Products – will oversee the regulation, and it will have the power to mandate lower nicotine levels in tobacco products.

The legislation also bans candy-flavored cigarettes by October 2009, requires the full disclosure to the FDA of all ingredients and additives in cigarettes by January 2010, bans youth-focused marketing of cigarettes (including sponsorship of sporting events and clothing and cigarette giveaways), prohibits the use of misleading terms like "light" and "mild" on tobacco products by July 2010, and mandates new and stronger warning labels on tobacco products by July 2011.

"Kids today don't just start smoking for no reason," the president said Monday. "They're aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They're exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn, and where they play. Most insidiously, they are offered products with flavorings that mask the taste of tobacco and make it even more tempting."

"Today, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, health care and consumer advocates, the decades-long effort to protect our children from the harmful effects of tobacco has emerged victorious," he added. "Today, change has come to Washington."

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Peter Maer is a CBS News White House Correspondent.

From his first bill signing to a series of events trumpeting the reversal of Bush era policies, President Obama has maintained what even Press Secretary Robert Gibbs describes as a "frenetic pace." At times the press office has churned out releases late into the night.

But in a radio interview with CBS News, Gibbs downplayed any prospect of burnout, saying, "I know he (President Obama) will pace himself and we'll pace ourselves."

Asked how the presidency has changed Mr. Obama, the press secretary said, "Just in the job itself he has in a very short period of time filled up the seat he sits in every day."

Gibbs quickly indicated the assessment is more in the eye of the beholder, noting that President Obama "has not let any of this stuff go to his head." He said the president "doesn't get too excited about good news. He doesn't get too down about bad news." The five-year Obama staff veteran added, "From where we started to where we are now, it’s been remarkable to watch."

Gibbs also discussed the somewhat relaxed style at recent official events, where piano music and not "Hail to the Chief" could be heard wafting through the White House hallways as the president entered. (Also often missing: The formal announcement “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States.”)

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In tonight's Web-only Inauguration wrap-up, Katie Couric mentioned a question she asked President Barack Obama in an interview shown in tonight's prime-time special, "Change and Challenge: The Inauguration of Barack Obama." It was about a subject that’s still a little touchy to him: smoking.

(CBS)

COURIC: You don't really think of this job as working at home, do you, necessarily (laughter). But speaking of stress, what's going on with the smoking thing?

PRES. OBAMA: You know, we're doing fine with it. I know everybody likes to poke, you know. I haven't had an interview yet where this one doesn't get raised.

COURIC: Well, I think people just wanna know how it's going. And I think – they feel for you.

PRES. OBAMA: Yeah, we're doing fine. I'll do better if people don't keep on bringing it up (laughter).

Later in the evening, during the Webcast, Couric asked Politico.com's Mike Allen if he could read anything between the lines of Mr. Obama's answer, such as, that he still is wrestling with the habit.

Allen concurred that it's possible, but suggested that perhaps we might all go a bit easier on the president. After all, he spent an altogether frantic day looking completely cool, poised and collected.

"If you look at the way President Obama has handled himself and the way he's been portrayed, I'm happy he has a few faults, weaknesses," Allen laughed ...

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In tonight's Web-only Inauguration wrap-up, Katie Couric mentioned a question she asked President Barack Obama in an interview shown in tonight's prime-time special, "Change and Challenge: The Inauguration of Barack Obama." It was about a subject that’s still a little touchy to him: smoking.

(CBS)

COURIC: You don't really think of this job as working at home, do you, necessarily (laughter). But speaking of stress, what's going on with the smoking thing?

PRES. OBAMA: You know, we're doing fine with it. I know everybody likes to poke, you know. I haven't had an interview yet where this one doesn't get raised.

COURIC: Well, I think people just wanna know how it's going. And I think – they feel for you.

PRES. OBAMA: Yeah, we're doing fine. I'll do better if people don't keep on bringing it up (laughter).

So Couric asked Politico.com's Mike Allen if he could read anything between the lines of Mr. Obama's answer, such as, that he still is wrestling with the habit.

Allen concurred that it's possible, but suggested that perhaps we might all go a bit easier on the new president. After all, he spent an altogether frantic day looking completely cool, poised and collected.

"If you look at the way President Obama has handled himself and the way he's been portrayed, I'm happy he has a few faults, weaknesses," Allen laughed ...

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During his interview with NBC News’ Tom Brokaw over the weekend, President-elect Barack Obama acknowledged that he has had some trouble kicking his smoking habit but promised that the White House would remain a smoke-free zone.

"There are times where I've fallen off the wagon," Mr. Obama said when asked if he had stopped smoking. "I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier," he continued. "And I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House," he said of the ban.

The Associated Press notes that Obama told Men's Health magazine in an interview before the election that he had smoked a couple of times on the campaign trail. "But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack," he told the magazine.