Politics Today: Afghanistan Takes Center Stage Again

Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

** Facing the grim challenges in Afghanistan...

** Getting to 60 for health care...

** Congress takes up the financial regulatory overhaul...

5374308AFGHANISTAN: President Obama meets again with his national security team in the White House Situation Room to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan this morning.

Meantime, "The top military commander in Afghanistan is asking for up to 80,000 more American troops even as he warns that rampant government corruption there may prevent victory against the Taliban and al-Qaida, according to U.S. officials briefed on his conclusions," reports the Associated Press' Lara Jakes.

"A still-secret document by Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal that requests more troops is expected to be among the topics discussed Wednesday when President Barack Obama meets with his national security team to hash out a strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"Even with additional troops, McChrystal concluded that corruption still could let terrorists turn Afghanistan back into a haven, according to officials at the Pentagon and White House.

"His request outlines three options for additional troops — from as many as 80,000 to as few as 10,000 — but favors a compromise of 40,000 more forces, the officials said. They described it to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly."

"As Washington policymakers debate the U.S. role in Afghanistan, most agree that one element will be important to whatever strategy emerges: the need for reconciliation with insurgents who can be bought off or persuaded to lay down their weapons," write the Washington Post's Joshua Partlow and Greg Jaffe.

"But those efforts have become increasingly difficult in recent weeks as the Taliban gains strength and as Afghans grow more and more anxious that the United States is not committed to their country for the long term.

"'When the enemy has the momentum, it's highly unlikely you're going to get people willing to talk,' said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst who led the Obama administration's war policy review in the spring. 'Why would you pick the loser?'

"The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, has acknowledged the problem, writing in his war assessment that the perception 'that our resolve is uncertain makes Afghans reluctant to align with us against the insurgents.'"

New York Times' Peter Baker, "Biden No Longer a Lone Voice on Afghanistan": " From the moment they took office, Mr. Biden has been Mr. Obama's in-house pessimist on Afghanistan, the strongest voice against further escalation of American forces there and the leading doubter of the president's strategy. It was a role that may have been lonely at first, but has attracted more company inside the White House as Mr. Obama rethinks the strategy he unveiled just seven months ago."

5339587HEALTH CARE: "With the Senate Finance Committee passing a health-care bill, action shifts to the full Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid and the White House must craft a bill that can win 60 votes to avoid a filibuster," reports the Wall Street Journal's Naftali Bendavid.

"Mr. Reid's challenge is to hold together Democrats and independents of widely varying ideological hues while attracting a Republican or two, if possible. The biggest hurdle: satisfying centrists wary of a government-run public insurance option without losing liberals who insist on one."

Bendavid lists the six senators to watch as the debate on health care reform moves forward: Sens. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.; Ben Nelson, D-Neb.; Mary Landrieu, D-La.; Roland Burris, D-Ill.

"Reid plans to meet today with Baucus and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), the lead champion of the health committee bill," report the Los Angeles Times' Noam N. Levey and James Oliphant. "The majority leader has said he hopes to have combined legislation on the Senate floor for debate by the end of the month."

"Senate leaders and the White House will now merge the Finance Committee measure with another version of the legislation approved this summer by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee," writes David Lightman of McClatchy Newspapers.

"The Finance Committee measure, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates would reduce the federal deficit $81 billion over the next 10 years, differs in one major way from the health committee bill: It lacks a government-run health insurance plan, or 'public option' alternative to private insurance, which Obama and Democratic congressional leaders want.

"Three committees in the House of Representatives have approved legislation that includes a public option. Those bills are being combined into one, and the full House is expected to debate the legislation later this month. Prospects for approval there look good…

5339106"The Senate, though, is torn. Three Finance Committee Democrats voted against the public option when the panel considered it last month, and Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., proudly announced Tuesday, 'There's no government-run health care plan here.'"

USA Today on the "sticking points" the Senate needs to iron out before they can bring a bill to the floor.

"For some Democrats, immediate electoral concerns are paramount," add the Washington Post's Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray. "Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), a moderate and top GOP target in next year's midterm elections, sought several changes to the bill, including a provision aimed at limiting insurance executives' incomes. But minutes after she voted 'aye' Tuesday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee denounced her for supporting a bill that would, it said, 'ultimately shift costs to voters in Arkansas who are still struggling to make ends meet.'

"Polls show that Reid himself may be vulnerable next year, and he has tended to home-state interests by securing Medicaid funding for Nevada to offset the cost of expanding the program. Republicans also are targeting Dodd, who faces a tough reelection fight...

"Liberal groups also were in open rebellion. A new cable television ad from MoveOn.org features a former insurance company executive calling the finance panel's bill a dream come true for insurance companies, and it demands a government-run insurance plan to lower premium costs. Meanwhile, 27 major unions will sponsor full-page newspaper ads, expected to run Wednesday, that criticize the measure for not containing a public option or a mandate on employers to offer health insurance to their workers.

"Those two issues are also most important to Senate liberals. But if Reid yields an inch to them, he risks losing support among centrists -- as well as Snowe, who could prove to be the most fragile ally of all."

Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown, "Snowe vote arms Baucus for party war"

Time Magazine's Jay Newton-Small, "After a Key Vote, Health Care Now Turns to Harry Reid"

Washington Post's Ceci Connolly, "Health Insurers Emerge as Obama's Top Foe in Reform Effort"

(AP)

"The House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday is taking up key elements of President Barack Obama's proposal for correcting the practices of banks, investment houses and other financial institutions that caused last year's economic collapse.

"Up first is a measure that for the first time would regulate privately sold derivatives like credit default swaps, the complex contracts that brought down Wall Street banking house Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and nearly toppled insurance giant American International Group Inc.

"The committee also wants to establish a Consumer Financial Protection Agency to police mortgages, credit cards and other consumer products offered by banks and other financial institutions.

Bloomberg News' Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds": " Some of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's closest aides, none of whom faced Senate confirmation, earned millions of dollars a year working for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other Wall Street firms, according to financial disclosure forms.

"The advisers include Gene Sperling, who last year took in $887,727 from Goldman Sachs and $158,000 for speeches mostly to financial companies, including the firm run by accused Ponzi scheme mastermind R. Allen Stanford. Another top aide, Lee Sachs, reported more than $3 million in salary and partnership income from Mariner Investment Group, a New York hedge fund."

(CBS)

"Independent voters have shifted from 46 – 30 percent for Christie, with 16 percent for Daggett September 1, to 45 – 32 percent for Christie, with 16 percent for Daggett September 30...

"'It's still a nail-biter. Christopher Christie has never given up the lead, but it's been getting slimmer and now it's a dead heat,' said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"'Historically, third party candidates fade on election day. Apparently, voters agree. Very few of his backers are committed to independent candidate Christopher Daggett and 77 percent of all voters say he has no chance of winning.'"

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Politico's Andy Barr, "New RNC website stumbles out of gate"

USA Today's Dennis Cauchon, "In major flip, House Dems now represent richest regions"

Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard, "U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler to step down"