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Washington (CNN) - U.S. Park Police arrested a gay soldier and another man Thursday after they handcuffed themselves to the fence surrounding the White House in protest of the military's policy preventing gay and lesbian service members from serving openly.

The two men were charged with failure to obey a lawful order after they were warned to remove the handcuffs or face arrest, said Park Police Sgt. David Schlosser.

Schlosser would not name the pair because they had not yet been processed, but video showed that one was Lt. Dan Choi, a 2003 West Point graduate who is fluent in Arabic. Choi admitted his sexual orientation publicly for the first time last year on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," prompting the Army to initiate proceedings to discharge him.

Choi chose to appeal his case rather than accept a discharge. The case is still pending.
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The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world.

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news: www.CNNPolitics.com

CNN: Democrats unveil $940 billion compromise health care plan
Democratic congressional leaders unveiled a long-awaited $940 billion compromise health care plan Thursday, setting the stage for a final legislative showdown on President Obama's domestic priority. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced that Obama had decided to delay an upcoming trip to Australia and Indonesia to help push the bill over the finish line. The president had been set to depart Washington on Sunday, the same day that the House of Representatives is likely to vote on the measure.

CNNMoney: Health reform: Where the money will come from
Democrats pushing for health care reform are closer to the finish line than ever, but it's not over yet. And the question of cost will remain a central issue in coming days. The estimated long-term deficit reduction comes mainly from more than $500 billion in savings from health programs like Medicare, and $438 billion in new tax revenue.

Wall Street Journal: GOP Plots Strategies to Nullify Health Bill
Republicans are looking beyond Sunday's expected vote on the Democrats' health-care overhaul to focus on strategies for striking back should it pass, ranging from challenges to the measure by individual states to a national repeal campaign. Opponents say they can still defeat the bill this weekend. By talking about the tactics now, and showing how they intend to rally the public, they hope to sway wavering lawmakers to vote no. And if the bill passes, they have a head start on a strategy to knock off all or parts of the legislation.

New York Times: From Bitter Campaign to Strong Alliance
Sixteen months after Mr. Obama surprised nearly everyone by picking her as secretary of state, the two have again surprised nearly everyone by forging a credible partnership. Mrs. Clinton has proved to be an eager team player, a tireless defender of the administration, ever deferential to Mr. Obama and careful to ensure that her husband, the former president, does not upstage her boss. …Still, there is none of the deep familiarity or the tight bonds — the round-the-clock, back-channel access — of their predecessors, Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush, or going further back, James A. Baker and the first President Bush or Henry A. Kissinger and Richard M. Nixon.

Wall Street Journal: Deal Near on Gitmo, Trials for Detainees
The White House is nearing a deal with a bipartisan group of senators to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and pave the way for more detainees to be tried before military commissions, a move that would reverse a signature Obama administration security policy. The effort, led by White House counsel Robert Bauer and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, further sidelines Attorney General Eric Holder, who at a hearing Tuesday continued to argue that the planners of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and other terrorists should be given civilian federal trials.

Chicago Tribune: U.S. planning to go ahead with plan to buy Illinois prison
The Obama administration plans to purchase the state prison in rural Thomson, Ill., regardless of whether Congress allows terrorism suspects to be transferred there, a Justice Department official said Thursday.

Miami Herald: NRA has gotten most of what it wanted in Florida Legislature in 2010
Adoption agencies can't require prospective parents to disclose whether they have a firearm, according to a new bill that rocketed Thursday out of the Legislature and awaits the governor's signature. Gov. Charlie Crist plans to approve the legislation, along with another National Rifle Association-backed bill that would stop legislators from raiding a special trust fund that pays for concealed-weapons permit regulation. The bill could be passed by the Legislature as early as next week. Both bills attest to the might of the NRA. But the group has won so many victories that even supporters say the gun lobby is now left with little nips and tucks to the right to own firearms.

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'John King, USA' officially launches Monday, but we are pulling back the curtain and inviting viewers to watch how a new show comes together.

Bring your lunch to work Friday and log onto CNN.com at 12 p.m. ET for a special sneak peek of John King's new political show, "John King, USA."

"John King, USA" officially launches Monday at 7 p.m. ET on CNN, but we are providing a true behind-the-scenes experience where Internet users can see how a show comes together in the final stages. Tomorrow's online preview will include an interview with Texas Rep. Ron Paul to talk health care and the future of the Republican Party, as well as an interview with FCC chair Julius Genachowski.

Also, we want your input and are asking for you to "Make Your Case, America!"

We know that all the problems facing this nation cannot be answered in Washington, so we are hoping you can help deliver the solutions. Each week, the show will ask you to weigh in on the hot debate. Are we better off with privatized health care or a public option? Should marijuana be legalized? Which team is better: Yankees or Red Sox? (We all know John thinks it is the Red Sox, but we want to hear what you have to say).

A couple of tips: keep it simple, keep it short, and remember to give us your best made-for-TV smile. So what are you waiting for?

This week's topic is health care: "Is President Obama doing enough or too much in pushing health care legislation?" Make Your Case!

Washington (CNN) –Top White House aides say that even if the House passes health care reform on Sunday, President Barack Obama is not planning to a big public signing ceremony because the Senate will still have to pass the reconciliation fixes in the legislation.

Instead, White House aides say, the president is likely to deliver relatively low-key public remarks on Sunday congratulating the House if it passes the legislation that day as Obama advisers now expect.

On Sunday, Obama will also sign the portion of the legislation that deals with the original Senate bill if that plan is confirmed by the Senate parliamentarian after all of this weekend's final machinations in the House.

But since the Senate will still have to pass the reconciliation fixes, aides say the president does not want to have a major pep rally on Sunday.
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Washington (CNN) - Sen. Kent Conrad issued a statement Thursday announcing that he has asked for the removal from the House bill of an exemption for the state-owned Bank of North Dakota that would have allowed the bank to continue making federally backed student loans.

Related: Conrad wins carve-out for North Dakota bank

Related on CNNMoney.com: Student loan reform shares health care fate

(Read Conrad's full statement after the jump)

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The new health care plan could reduce the deficit by $138 billion over the first 10 years.

New York (CNNMoney.com) - Democrats pushing for health care reform are closer to the finish line than ever, but it's not over yet. And the question of cost will remain a central issue in coming days.

On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office weighed in with a key - if still very preliminary - cost estimate.

The latest bill is a mix of provisions from a bill the Senate passed last December and proposals made by President Obama last month.

Like the Senate version, the so-called reconciliation bill would provide government subsidies to low- and middle-income families buying health insurance on their own, expand eligibility rules for Medicaid and provide coverage for a majority of uninsured Americans.

It would also establish a number of insurance reforms.

Full Story on CNNMoney.com

Washington (CNNMoney.com) – When the House votes on a health care package this weekend, it will also consider a proposal to make federal government the one-stop-shop to get cheap student loans.

However, a review by Congress' budget arm found the revised proposal will have less in new overall savings on student loans over 10 years - $61 billion vs. the original $87 billion - primarily because so many schools have already adopted the program.

Full story on CNNMoney.com

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford acknowledged Thursday that he violated state ethics rules on campaign spending and government travel.

Washington (CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose political career flamed out after he admitted a year-long affair last year with an Argentine woman he called his "soulmate," acknowledged Thursday that he violated state ethics rules on campaign spending and government travel.

Sanford did not go quietly. He said in a statement that he still believed "in the innocence of my actions" and boasted of his record for fiscal responsibility while in office. Sanford said his administration has spent 63 percent less on travel than his predecessor did.

"[I]t's time to move on," Sanford said. "While I believe I would be vindicated on all these matters if there were ever a full airing, the people of South Carolina have moved on from all that unfolded last summer and this administration has moved on as well."
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New York (CNNMoney.com) - Now that it's taken its first baby step towards creating jobs, Congress is looking at more measures to spur employment.

Don't expect any blockbuster bills with inventive hiring initiatives. With partisan politics dominating Capitol Hill, lawmakers are concentrating on bite-sized bills that are easier to pass. Most of the measures merely extend or expand existing laws.

Here's where things stand in both chambers:

Full Story on CNNMoney.com

Washington (CNN) – The chairman of the Republican National Committee accused the White House Thursday of pushing and punishing the Congressional Budget Office into calculating an estimate for the health care bill that's favorable to Democrats.

In an interview with CNN's Rick Sanchez, Michael Steele mentioned the $940 billion figure, estimated for the next 10 years, and said, "That's a lie."

Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, said his state's bank deserves to stay in the student loan business because it both originates and services low-interest student loans.

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Kent Conrad said Thursday he won an exemption for the state-owned Bank of North Dakota to continue making federally backed student loans under legislation that would alter the loan process.

Later: Conrad asks for bank carve-out to be removed

He said the special treatment for the bank will be included in the budget reconciliation bill, which contains both fixes to health care legislation and changes to the way federally secured student loans are made.

Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, said his state's bank deserves to stay in the student loan business because it both originates and services low-interest student loans.

"They are not like these other institutions that have created these problems," he said.

Democrats have criticized private banks for earning profits by making federally backed loans, while also pocketing a subsidy from taxpayers. Under the bill, the federal government would make the loans directly and keep any earned profits from the loans.
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At least one company and the NRSC have been issued subpoenas requesting documents in a federal grand jury investigation related to GOP Sen. John Ensign.

Washington (CNN) - At least one company and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have been issued subpoenas requesting documents in a federal grand jury investigation related to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada.

The Senate Ethics Committee also is investigating Ensign, who has been dogged by allegations of improper conduct stemming from an affair with the wife of a former aide. An Ethics Committee spokesman has declined to comment on precisely what its members are looking into.

A spokesman for the NRSC, which works to elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate, said the organization had received a subpoena related to Ensign.

Another NRSC official, general counsel Sean Cairncross, would not confirm that the subject of the subpoena was Ensign, but he noted that the 2008 election was cycle was the time when Ensign chaired the committee.

"NRSC has responded appropriately to questions concerning matters related to the 2008 election cycle timeframe," Cairncross said.

The U.S. Attorney's office had no immediate comment. Neither did Ensign's staff.

A source from one of the companies linked to the probe into Ensign's business dealings told CNN that the company had been issued a subpoena to produce documents to a federal grand jury.
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The New York Times is contesting Gov. David Paterson's claim he was the paper's source for a recent story.

(CNN) - The New York Times is contesting Gov. David Paterson's claim he was the paper's source for a recent story that ultimately led to an ethics investigation, the departure of top aides, and the abandonment of his election bid.

Paterson told New York radio station WOR Thursday that he was the person who informed the Times he interceded in an assault case involving his aide, David Johnson.

Related: I was NYT source, Paterson said

But in a blog post Thursday, Times reporters Danny Hakim and Nicholas Confessore say that's not true.

"In the course of reporting, The Times learned that the governor had called Ms. Booker, but that information did not come from the governor," wrote Hakim and Confessore.

The Times reporters also said the governor's office only acknowledged Paterson made the phone call after the paper informed them it had learned of the communication.

"The administration subsequently clarified that the call took place on Feb. 7, but it did so only after being told that The Times was aware that a telephone conversation between the governor and Ms. Booker had taken place," the reporters wrote.

A new poll suggests Sen. Barbara Boxer is facing a tough bid for reelection.

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, hopes to keep her seat. But a fresh poll suggests she may have a steep hill to climb.

In the latest Field Poll released Thursday, a slight majority of Californians hold a negative view of her.

Fifty-one percent view the senator unfavorably, with just 38 percent having favorable views of her. That's a 12-point jump in Boxer's unfavorable rating in the poll in January.

Meanwhile, Boxer appears to be losing ground in hypothetical match-ups between her and three potential Republican challengers: Rep. Tom Campbell, R-California, former Hewlett-Packard Chairman and CEO, Carly Fiorina, and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.

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Washington (CNN) - Click here throughout the day for the latest updates on where health care legislation stands.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip James Clyburn tout their health care reform legislation at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Update 3:00 p.m.: Read the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 and a section by section analysis prepared by Committees on Ways & Means, Energy & Commerce, and Education & Labor.

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Sens. Barasso, left, and Coburn led a group of Republican doctors who spoke out against the Democratic health care reform bill Thursday.

Washington (CNN) – A group of Republican doctors-turned-lawmakers charged Thursday that the Democratic health care bill will decrease quality of care and access to doctors without lowering health care costs.

"It doesn't address the real symptoms of the disease," Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, said during a Capitol Hill news conference. "The disease is health care costs too much." Coburn is a family physician and OB/GYN.

The GOP doctors repeatedly pointed to their own experience treating patients, and predicted that the Democratic bill will not expand care.

Related: Paging Dr. Christensen

"The president continues to talk about making sure more people are covered but that doesn't mean more people will get care," Sen. John Barasso, R-Wyoming, said. "And there's a fundamental disconnect when [Obama] says he's going to solve this by putting 15 million more people on Medicaid," said the orthopedic surgeon.

The Republican physicians also referred to a recent New York Times report about the challenges facing the Medicaid program and argued that expanding enrollment in the federal program was not the cure to the country's rising health care costs and tens of millions of uninsured.

Follow Martina Stewart on Twitter: @MMStewartCNN

New York Gov. David Paterson said Thursday he was the source of information for the story that led to an ethics investigation and the departure of five top members of his administration.

New York (CNN) – New York Gov. David Paterson said he was the source of information for the story that led to an ethics investigation and the departure of five top members of his administration.

While appearing on WOR radio in New York this morning, Paterson told talk show host John Gambling that he was the person who informed the press that he interceded in an assault case involving his aide, David Johnson.

In an awkward exchange filled with moments of uncomfortable silence, Gambling said the situation "might not have come out if we didn't have the press write the story about this, right?" Paterson responded, "No, that's actually not true, that's actually not true."

After a few seconds of silence, Gambling asked, "Ummm, why?" Paterson said, "Uh, well, I don't want to go into it but the person who informed others that there was such a conversation was me." Sounding surprised, Gambling asked, "You informed the news?" The governor said, "Correct. That's all I'm going to say about it. And it's not my surmise. It's an actual fact. But the individual who first made it clear that there had been a conversation was myself."

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David Axelrod fired back Wednesday at Rep. Mark Kirk, a Republican who is seeking to replace Sen. Roland Burris as the junior Senator from Illinois.

Washington (CNN) - Senior White House adviser David Axelrod brought the White House bully pulpit to bear Wednesday on Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican hoping to capture Barack Obama's old Senate seat in November.

In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Axelrod criticized Kirk for telling a group of Republicans last week that if elected, he will, "lead the effort to repeal this [health care] bill."

"As an Illinoisan, I have to say, I find his remarks disappointing," Axelrod told the Sun-Times. "Given the great challenges America, and families across Illinois face today, the last thing we need is another Republican senator in Washington who is more focused on tearing down the President than he is on solving problems."

This isn't the first time that the White House has lent its support to Alexi Giannoulias, the Illinois state treasurer that will face Kirk in November.

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