Politics Today: Health Care Battles Continue

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:

**Congress continues wrestling with health care legislation...

**Quiet day for President Obama... no public events on his schedule...

**Sotomayor hearings wrap up...

**Administration on defense over economic stimulus...

**Frugal Sanford not so frugal, it seems...

HEALTH CARE: "Up one day. Down the next. Sometimes legislation to remake the nation's health care system moves in both directions at once," writes the Associated Press' David Espo.

"President Barack Obama's top domestic priority is on an unpredictable, midsummer trajectory as the White House and Democrats struggle to bring the complex, controversial issue to a vote in both houses before lawmakers leave town for their August break.

"For a brief moment Thursday, Senate Democrats could celebrate," adds Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown.

(AP)

"Within hours, Baucus (D-Mont.) said the talks were suspended until next week — defying President Barack Obama's request to produce an agreement by the weekend and throwing into doubt any hopes of meeting the president's August deadline to pass a Senate bill.

"That wasn't the only grim news for health reform advocates. Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf said plans being considered in the House and the Senate health committee would drive the nation further into debt — not create the savings repeatedly promised by President Barack Obama.

"And on top of that, Baucus had to call the White House and apologize for saying earlier in the day that Obama's resistance to taxing employer health benefits 'is not helping us' get a bill."

(AP)

"During a political fundraiser and separate campaign rally for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, the president said the costs of health care will continue to increase unless Congress delivers legislation that would dramatically change the way Americans receive health care. He said he will not accept the current system and his critics misunderstand the challenges that face the country."

Associated Press, "Comparing the bills"

Washington Post's Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray, "Lawmakers Warned About Health Costs"

Wall Street Journal's Corey Bowles, "Senate Leaders Clash With CBO Head on Health-Care Overhaul"

New York Times' Mark Leibovich, "Kennedy's Absent Voice on Health Bill Resonates"

Politics Daily's Jill Lawrence, "The Fabled Obama Machine Tests Itself – and Fellow Dems – on Health Care"

PRESIDENT OBAMA: The president has no public events scheduled so far today.

(AP)

"'No one has written your destiny for you,' he said, directing his remarks to 'all the other Barack Obamas out there' who might one day grow up to be president. 'Your destiny is in your hands, and don't you forget that. That's what we have to teach all of our children! No excuses! No excuses!'

"Mr. Obama spoke for 45 minutes to an audience of several thousand people, most of them black, clad in tuxedos and ball gowns, who had gathered in a ballroom of the Hilton New York to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the nation's largest civil rights organization."

CBSNews.com's Brian Montopoli, "Obama: Blacks Must 'Seize Our Own Future'"

Also yesterday, "the president came to New Jersey to return the favor -- and bring a jolt of energy to the governor's re-election bid," writes the Newark Star-Ledger's Claire Heininger.

"'I'm proud to stand with a man who wakes up every day thinking about your future and the future of New Jersey,' Obama told a cheering crowd of 17,000 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. 'Jon's a leader who's been challenged to govern in extraordinary times.'"

Newark Star-Ledger, "Obama's star shines (a little) on Corzine"

New York Times' David M. Halbfinger, "New Fund-Raising Reality for New Jersey Governor"

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

"Any prospect of a hitch to Judge Sotomayor's confirmation evaporated after the potentially most compelling witness -- Frank Ricci, the firefighter at the center of a controversial reverse-discrimination case she had ruled on -- declined to offer an opinion on her at all. He and fellow New Haven, Conn., firefighter Ben Vargas, criticized the ruling, however. …

"The Senate Judiciary Committee will likely vote on Judge Sotomayor's nomination on July 28, and the full Senate is expected to vote the following week. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the committee, said Republicans wouldn't filibuster her nomination."

McClatchy Newspapers' David Lightman, "Firefighter Ricci, GOP can't halt Sotomayor confirmation drive"

Associated Press' Jesse J. Holland, "GOP senators weigh options in Sotomayor's wake"

Los Angeles Times' David G. Savage, "Sotomayor: A mechanic in a black robe"

Washington Post's Robert Barnes and Paul Kane, "Graham's Exchanges Among Most Watched"

New York Times' Charlie Savage, "A Nominee on Display, but Not Her Views"

(AP)

"Without naming Cantor, the vice president, whom President Obama has dubbed the "sheriff" of the stimulus plan, trained his rhetoric squarely at the Richmond lawmaker, who has helped hone one of the GOP's most effective lines of attack on the president: that the $787 billion stimulus package has not produced jobs."

Washington Post's Lois Romano, "Virginia's Cantor on Front Line In GOP Anti-Obama Campaign"

"The White House tried to regain its footing Thursday after weeks of getting attacked by Republicans who call the $787 billion stimulus plan a failure, with the president's top stimulus thinkers saying the plan wasn't designed to turn around the economy overnight but instead to blunt the worst effects of the recession," adds Politico's Eamon Javers.

"The president's team told reporters that the massive spending plan is a two-year program that they always knew would take time to ripple through the economy – an attempt to rebut Republicans who say the current 9.5 percent national unemployment rate shows the program isn't working."

Los Angeles Times' Peter Nicholas, "Obama team defends economic stimulus program"

Richmond Times-Dispatch's Tyler Whitley, "Biden defends stimulus package in Henrico"

(AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastian)

"Sanford, who once criticized other state officials for costly travel, charged the state more than $37,600 for one first-class and four business-class flights overseas since November 2005, expense records show. Other state employees flew in the back of the plane at a fraction of the price, according to the documents."

Politico's Kenneth P. Vogel adds, "A POLITICO analysis of hundreds of pages of state travel records requested to explore the circumstances of his affair found that in his six-and-a-half years as governor, Sanford traveled frequently and in a style markedly at odds with his political persona.

"The records detail more than $468,000 worth of state-funded travel for Sanford and show that he routinely billed taxpayers for high-end airline seats, racking up more than $44,000 on business- and first-class tickets. He often stayed in pricey hotels that far exceeded the rates he imposed on other state employees."

(AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

"Communications experts say it is unlikely Sanford's staff could limit its communications during a crisis to phone and face-to-face discussions, raising the question of whether Sanford — who promised to bring more sunshine to S.C. government — has been less than forthcoming."

Greenville News' Tim Smith, "Senator plans hearings on Sanford affair"

FOREIGN POLICY

Time Magazine's Jason Tedjasukmana, "After a Four-Year Calm, Bombs Hit Jakarta Hotels"

Associated Press' Robert Burns, "Clinton condemns terrorist bombings"

Salt Lake Tribune's Robert Gehrke and Thomas Burr, "Huntsman's confirmation as ambassador could be a breeze"

CLIMATE BILL

Politico's Lisa Lerer, "Climate push gets personal"

CBSNews.com's Stephanie Condon, "Nobel Winners: Climate Bill Needs More R&D Funds" l
FUTURE RACES

2009 VA Governor: Richmond Times-Dispatch's Jim Nolan, "Biden attends fundraiser for Deeds in Henrico"

2010 MA Governor: Arlington Advocate's Jim O'Sullivan, "Murray: I'm running with Patrick"

2010 TX Governor: Dallas Morning News' Christy Hoppe and Emily Ramshaw, "Some of Gov. Rick Perry's past donors are backing Kay Bailey Hutchison"

2010 TX Governor: CBSNews.com's Stephanie Condon, "Texas Gov. Who Refused Stimulus Funds Asks For Loan"

2010 FL Senate: Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard and Marc Caputo, "Crist: No stand on judge"

2010 KS Senate: Associated Press, "Moran, Tiahrt ready to face off"

2010 KY Senate: Cincinnati Enquirer's Patrick Crowley, "Bunning's fundraising 'pathetic'"

2010 NH Senate: Manchester Union Leader's John DiStaso, "Veteran Senate staffer may advise Ayotte"

2010 OH Senate: Cleveland Plain Dealer's Sabrina Eaton, "Rob Portman Senate campaign fund-raising far ahead of Democrats Lee Fisher, Jennifer Brunner"

2010 PA Senate: The Pottstown Mercury's Alex Rose, "Sestak feels out support for Specter's seat"

ETC.

Politico's Mike Allen, "Conservative group offers to sell endorsement for $2M"

Associated Press' Emily Wagster Pettus, "Wife of ex-GOP Rep. Pickering claims he had affair"

Associated Press' Sharon Theimer, "FEC: Candidates can't tap campaigns for clothes"