Politics Today: Palin Carves her Own Political Path
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:
** McCain stays out of the Palin discussion...
** Reid's job on health care gets harder...
** President Obama addresses a tightly controlled crowd in China...
"'You don't need a title to make a difference,' she said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Monday.
"The former Alaska governor's autobiography, Going Rogue, hits bookstore shelves today. It is already atop online retailer Amazon.com's best-seller list because of advance orders.
"In an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters that begins airing today, Palin left open the door on her political plans. Asked whether she'll play a major role, she said, 'If people will have me, I will.' Palin also discussed media opportunities. 'There have been lots and lots of offers,' she said, including a reality show, which 'I would not ever want to put my kids through.'"
Palin weighed in on her Facebook page following her interview with Walters writing, "Had a great conversation today with Barbara Walters regarding America's special needs community. Her compassion for those who some in our society see as 'less than perfect' comes from personal experience as she was so close to her sister. Barbara wrote lovingly about her sister in her #1 bestselling memoir titled, Audition. Barbara and I even attempted to interview Trig during this segment, but he was about as patient through the interview as any other one-and-a-half-year-old child! I appreciate Barbara highlighting America's special needs community."
More from Barbara Walters' interview with Palin
More on Palin's sitdown with Oprah: LA Times, "Palin vs. 'Oprah': the anti-smackdown"
NY Times' Alessandra Stanley, "Palin Onstage, Still Moving Off Message"
Politico's Manu Raju: "Sen. John McCain refused to say Monday whether he believes that Sarah Palin's account of his 2008 presidential campaign is accurate.
"'Look, I'm just moving on,' the Arizona Republican told Politico when asked if he agreed with the accuracy of his former running mate's claims in her new book 'Going Rogue.' 'I'm just moving on, and I've got too many other things to worry about except to say that I'm proud of my campaign.'
"McCain said he read the book, and said he remained 'very good friends' with the former Alaska governor. But it was also clear he didn't want to take sides in the increasingly nasty spat between his former aides and Palin over critical moments that changed the course of the campaign."
CBS News' Jeff Greenfield, "Is Palin Selling Books or Settling Scores?"
"She may be among the biggest names in politics at the moment, but former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is not exactly America's sweetheart," writes CBSNews.com's Brian Montopoli.
"Just 23 percent of those surveyed in a new CBS News poll have a favorable view of the former Alaska governor. That matches her favorable rating in July, when Palin announced she was resigning from her job as governor.
"Thirty-eight percent, meanwhile, have an unfavorable view of Palin -- also roughly matching her July rating. Another 37 percent say they are undecided or haven't heard enough, despite the spotlight on Palin in recent days tied to the imminent publication of her memoir, 'Going Rogue.'
"Most Americans do not want to see Palin run for president in 2012. Two in three say they don't want to see a Palin run, while 24 percent say they would like to see her jump into the race."
Also:
Los Angeles Times' Tim Rutten reviews "Going Rogue"
Washington Post's Jason Horowitz and Michael D. Shear, "The Book of Sarah embraces God & Todd"
Ana Marie Cox and Matthew Continetti with views of the book from the left and right in the Washington Post.
"Republicans will likely filibuster the 'motion to proceed,' which simply allows the Senate to begin debate. Delaying consideration of the bill until 2010, an election year, could jeopardize its chances and turn the intricacies of the Senate timetable into a political tool for the bill's opponents.
"This week could offer a test of Mr. Reid's ability to hold together Democrats and independents in the 60-vote majority needed to shut off any filibuster.
"A handful of Democrats remain worried about issues including abortion restrictions and the overall cost of the health package. Among them is Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, a Democrat who has yet to commit to support the motion to proceed to the bill...
"An aide to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, another possible opponent, said the Connecticut independent is expected to vote for the motion to proceed, though he still has concerns about the broader bill. The aide said Sen. Lieberman will 'vote against' any effort to shut off debate later in the process if the legislation still contains a proposal to create a government-run insurance plan, as favored by many liberals and proposed by Mr. Reid."
"Pressing to begin the Senate's landmark floor debate on healthcare legislation this week -- and to finish by the end of the year -- Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is considering new ways to fund the bill by raising the payroll taxes that upper-income workers pay for Medicare," writes the Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook.
"Reid is studying the idea, senior Democratic aides say, because of criticism of a plan approved by the Senate Finance Committee that would impose new taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive healthcare plans.
"But Reid is meeting resistance from centrist Democrats who believe the tax on expensive insurance plans could rein in the growth of health costs overall, while a payroll tax hike would not.
"The competing tax proposals pose the most momentous decision facing Reid as he writes the version of the health bill that he will take to the Senate floor. That work is being done in private deliberations that are arguably the most important and least visible stage of the legislative process so far.
"Indeed, the Medicare tax increase has not been included in either of the two bills approved by the Senate's finance and health committees, which Reid is trying to meld into a single measure."
"The new poll provides ammunition for both advocates and opponents of reform," write the Post's Dan Balz and Jon Cohen. "For opponents, a clear area of public concern centers on cost -- 52 percent say an altered system would probably make their own care more expensive, and 56 percent see the overall cost of health care in the country going up as a result.
"Few see clear benefits in exchange for higher expenses. Rather, there has been a small but significant increase in the number (now 37 percent) who anticipate their care deteriorating under a revamped system, putting that number in line with opinion in July 1994, just before President Bill Clinton's health-care reform efforts fizzled."
Meantime, report the Los Angeles Times' Noam N. Levey and Tom Hamburger, "Congressional Democrats' intensifying efforts to pay for their healthcare overhaul and provide more relief for consumers are threatening to unravel a White House deal with the pharmaceutical industry and turn one of Washington's most powerful lobbies against the legislation.
"Drug makers, which have already spent $110 million lobbying Congress this year, are preparing to make a stand in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is working to unveil a healthcare bill this week.
"And senior administration officials, including White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, are warning members of Congress not to antagonize the deep-pocketed industry at a time when a major victory appears to be within reach, according to Democratic aides…
But many congressional Democrats see the agreement as too generous to an industry that pulled in more than $40 billion in profits last year, especially at a time when lawmakers are struggling to cover the price tag of a major expansion of medical insurance coverage and to control rising healthcare costs."
"A majority of Americans still approve of the way President Barack Obama is handling his job as president, but this percentage is down three points. Fifty-three percent of Americans approve of how he's handling his job, down from 56 percent last month.
"The president's approval rating has dropped seven points among independents. Forty-five percent of independents now approve of how the president is handling his job; last month a majority of 52 percent approved.
Assessments of how President Obama is handling the war in Afghanistan have become more negative since early October. Thirty-eight percent now approve of how President Obama is handling the war - but even more, 43 percent, disapprove. Disapproval has risen nine points, from 34 percent last month."
Meantime, "U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao ended a morning of talks Tuesday pledging broad cooperation on a range of issues, while also highlighting remaining differences between the two sides," report the Wall Street Journal's Ian Johnson and Jonathan Weisman.
"In formal statements delivered after the talks and broadcast live on Chinese state television, Mr. Hu challenged Washington on trade and what China sees as rising protectionism. Mr. Obama, often looking down at the lectern and appearing distracted as Mr. Hu spoke, used the appearance to urge Beijing to resume talks with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader whom Chinese authorities see as a separatist.
"But the two leaders also vowed to step up joint efforts in tackling issues from climate change to Iran's nuclear program, and both invoked soaring rhetoric about the importance of the relationship between an established and a rising power.
"The statements ended the most substantive part of Mr. Obama's first visit to China, which continued Tuesday afternoon with a sightseeing tour and a formal state dinner. Underscoring the fact that such summits have now become routine, no historic agreements were reached--nor were any expected--and no major initiatives announced. The two sides did issue a joint statement that summarized the content of their talks and positions on key points."
"It was, instead, an example of Chinese stagecraft. Most of those who attended the event at the Museum of Science and Technology turned out to be members of the Communist Youth League, an official organization that grooms obedient students for future leadership posts.
"Some Chinese bloggers whom the White House had tried to invite were barred from attending. Even then, the Chinese government took no chances, declining to broadcast the event live to a national audience — or even mention it on the main evening newscast of state-run China Central Television.
"The scripted interaction underscored the obstacles Mr. Obama faces as he tries to manage the American relationship with an authoritarian China, whose wealth and clout have surged as its economy has weathered the global downturn far better than the United States' or Europe's."
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